chapter 4 Flashcards
(28 cards)
when do the 2 biggest growth spurts occur in child development?
- infancy (birth-2 years)
- adolescence (puberty)
what is growth influenced by?
genetics, nutrition, and enviornment
what does the growth hormone do?
drives overall body growth
what are primary sex characteristics?
organs directly related to reproduction
what are secondary sex characteristics?
physical changes not linked to reproduction
what is menarche?
the first menstruation
what is spermarche?
the first ejaculation
what is the timing of puberty influenced by?
- genetics
- nutrition/body fat
- stress and the family environment
what is anorexia nervosa?
fear of weight gain that leads to self-starvation
what is bulimia nervosa?
binge eating followed by purging
what are eating disorders linked to?
body image, societal pressure, and emotional regulation
what is obesity?
BMI at or above the 95th percentile for a person’s age
how many U.S. children are affected by obesity?
over 14%
what are the causes of obesity?
- poor diet
- lack of exercise
- screen time
- genetics
what are some treatments for obesity?
family-based lifestyle changes
what affects millions of children worldwide?
malnutrition
how many children live in poverty in the U.S.?
1 in 6
what does poverty do?
it limits access to food, healthcare, and safe enviornments
what are neurons?
brain cells that transmit information
how does the brain develop?
in waves from basic to advanced functions
what is the order in which different brain regions develop?
- sensory and motor regions
- language and spatial skills
- attention and planning
what are synapses?
connections between neurons
what happens to synapses in early childhood?
there is a rapid overproduction of them
what happens in later childhood to synapses?
synaptic pruning (unused connections fade)
