CHAPTER 4: Growth & Health Flashcards
what percent of our lifespan does the human body grow
20%
boys achieve half their adult height by two years, 18 months for girls
proximodistal trend
- center of body outward
- head, chest and trunk first, followed by arms and legs and then hands and feet
example: If you throw a ball at a three-year-old, she will try to trap it with her arms, whereas older children will be more adept at using their hands to catch the ball.
cephalocaudal trend
- head to tail, development
- general maturation from head to foot
secular trends
marked changes in physical development that have occurred over generations
- height, onset of mensuration
- girls have a faster maturation than most boys
breastfeeding
- best way to ensure babies get nourishment needed
- contains proper amounts of minerals and vitamins
- can be breastfed until age 2
- exclusively for 6 months then introduce solid food
benefits of breastfeeding
- dont get as sick as often
- antibodies that kill bacteria and viruses
- lower risk for infections
- transition to solid food easier
- cant be contaminated
formula fed infants
- not harmful, when prepared properly provide same amount of nutrients
- more prone to allergies
- families can participate
fisher and birch (1999)
- Restricting access to foods focuses children’s attention to them and desire to eat them
- Using treats as bribes (to eat healthy foods) tends to make children like healthy foods less
causes of obesity
Heredity: genes affect individuals’ susceptibility to gaining weight, and also affect people’s impulsivity. Children with poorer impulse control and difficult temperaments tend to gain weight faster, have higher BMIs, and choose foods that lead to obesity.
Lack of activity
Lack of sleep: children who get less sleep are more prone to obesity, as they have slower rates of metabolism; lack of sleep also causes an imbalance in the hormones that tell us when to start and stop eating.
Lack of access to health foods
protective factor: eating together as a family
It’s been found that eating together as a family, at the table (as opposed to in front of the TV) is associated with healthier eating habits
what is the #1 cause of deaths in children over the age of 1
accidents - most common: car and bicycle accidents
-other: drowning, suffocating, falling
body mass index (BMI)
adjusted ratio of weight to height
- BMI scale is the basis on technical definition for being overweight
- children and adolescents in the upper 5% are overweight
- 18% of adults are obese
- obese children become obese adults
obesity in children
- in US, number of overweight children has doubled, and overweight adolescents
tripled - childhood overweight and obesity are more prevalent in Indigenous Peoples
- Approx 13% of Canadian children & teens
- Causes: overconsumption of high-fat, surgery foods
growth hormone
hormone secreted by pituitary gland during sleep regulates growth by triggering release of hormone somatomedin in liver that cause muscles
and bones to grow
puberty
collection of physical changes that marks the onset of adolescence; growth spurt and sexual
maturation
- girls begin growth spurt about two years earlier than boys
primary vs secondary sex characteristics
primary: – changes in bodily organs directly involved in
reproduction that are signs of physical maturity
secondary: signs of maturity in body parts not directly linked to reproductive organs (growth of breasts, facial hear, change in voice)
