Question

1. Summarize the growth and development in the Infant

2- Summarize the growth and development in Early Childhood

3- Compare and contrast 2 theories/theorists of Growth & Development

4- Discuss Prenatal Influences on Healthy Development and any public or social program available to pregnant women

Answer 1

1. During the first two years after the birth of a child, the overall Physical growth of a baby is relatively rapid then the period later after. In a duration of only six months, the infant becomes twice as heavy as he/she was during the birth and the weight becomes three times in a one year span. Just like the weight, the height of the baby also reaches almost one feet in a year. The overall physical and coginitive growth and developement of an infant is pretty rapid and the child crawls in the beginning, learn to stand on his feet in a year and soon starts walking within two years.

2. Generally the early childhood is defined as the period from birth to eight years but if we take infancy (0-2 years) seperately, it is pretty much the period between 3-8 years of age of a child. During the initial years of this period (3-5 years), the pace of physical growth is still pretty good as compared to infancy but the major difference is that the child start developing his motor skills too. They get a better control over their body starts running and jumping too. During the later years of early childhood (5-8 years), the pace of physical growth decreases a little but the body proportions, language development and cognitive skills become more refined.

3. Sigmund Freud's psychosexual theory and Erik Erikson psychosocial theory are the most popular theory of a child's Growth & Development. Both the theories has a lot of similarities. Both of them believed that unconscious and social experiences played a major role in development of a human and that our childhood influences our adulthood. Both the theorists described the development in different stages with almost identical age divisions.

Though the approach of both the theorists was different. Erikson's psychosocial theory emphasized more on importance of proper feeding after birth. On the other hand, Freud believed that a child's caretaker should be more responsive towards the child's particular need and not only feeding. In other words, Freud highlighted the biologica factors responsible for human development while Erikson highlighted the social and environmental factors.

4. There is major influence of Prenatal health on Healthy Development of a baby. It has been found that conditions like down syndrome, uncontrolled glucose, or poor nutrition can potentially cause cognitive damage in the womb. Conditions like malaria, measles and chicken pox during pregnancy can cause meantal retardation, heart defect, renal and genital abnormalities. Excess of caffeine, alcohal or smoking can cause spontaneous abortion, fetal alcohal syndrome and miscarriage respectively. Keeping these things in mind, following a healthy routine during the whole pregnancy period plays a very vital role in the development of the baby inside the womb.

There are many public as well as social program available to pregnant women. One such example is Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs that focuses mainly on maternal health, newborn health and child health providing full assisstance of special healthcare needs during this period.