Unit 3: Infancy

Question 1

4 types of development that occurs during infancy?

Answer 1

1. Physical growth
2. motor development
3. cognitive development
4. socio-emotional development

Question 2

what are reflexes?

Answer 2

they are built-in reactions to stimuli that govern the newborn’s movements, which are automatic and beyond the newborn’s control.

Question 3

Reflexes (cont.)

Answer 3

they are genetically carried survival mechanisms. they allow infants to respond adaptively to environment before they get the opportunity to learn.

Question 4

Example of grasping reflex .

Answer 4

occurs when something touches the infant’s palms The infant responds by grasping tightly. By the end of the third month, the grasping reflex diminishes, and the infant shows a more voluntary grasp. As its motor development becomes smoother, the infant will grasp objects, carefully manipulate them, and explore their qualities

Question 5

Rooting and sucking reflex (imp example)

Answer 5

Both are survival values. newborn’s find mother’s breast to obtain nourishment.

Question 6

How does the rooting reflex occur?

Answer 6

when the infant’s cheek is stroked or the side of the mouth is touched. the infant’s head turns towards the side to make an apparent effort to find something to suck.

Question 7

Sucking reflex?

Answer 7

it occurs when newborns automatically suck an object placed in their mouth. this reflex enables newborns to get nourishment before they associate nipples with food. also serves as a self-soothing and or self-regulating mechanism.

Question 8

Moro reflex? (example)

Answer 8

It occurs in response to a sudden, intense noise or movement .
When startled, the newborn arches its back, throws back its head, and flings out its arms and legs. Then the newborn rapidly closes its arms and legs.
The Moro reflex is believed to be a way of grabbing for support while falling; it would have had survival value for our primate ancestors

Question 9

What is infancy?

Answer 9

It is a time when a baby is born and lasts upto 18 months.

Question 10

What are 2 stages of infancy?

Answer 10

1. the neonatal period

2. full span of infancy

Question 11

Neonatal period ?

Answer 11

It is the 1st 4 weeks after birth.
it is time of transition from total dependancy of prenatal life to independent and creative existence.
Neonates are born with the abilities to perceive and respond to world in organized and effective way.

Question 12

When does moro and rooting reflexes disappear? and why?

Answer 12

by 3-4 months as the brain of infant matures.

Question 13

Grasping reflex?

Answer 13

This reflex occurs when something touches infant’s body they tend to grasp tightly.
This reflex diminishes by end of 3rd month because motor development becomes smoother.
After this complex more voluntary grasps are observed.

Question 14

Tonic neck reflex?

Answer 14

Appears at 18 weeks of infancy, prominent between 1-3 months of age and disappears at 4-6 months.

Question 15

Asymmetrical tonic neck reflex?

Answer 15

When the infant’s head to moved to one side, the extension of extremeties happens in the same side and flexion of extremities on opp side.
seen in first 6 months and not after 9 months.

Question 16

Symmetrical tonic neck reflex?

Answer 16

It appears between 6-9 months of age and disappears at 10-11 months.
neck extension produces upper limbs extension and lower limbs flexion.
neck extension produces upper limbs flexion and lower limbs extension.

Question 17

Which age is normal for tonic neck reflex?

Answer 17

6-11 months (normal)

2-4 months (problematic)

Question 18

Babinsky reflex

Answer 18

Normal reflexes in infants.

the reflex occurs when the sole of the foot is firmly stroked the big toe moves upward or towards top part of the foot.

Question 19

Where is the Babinsky reflex used?

Answer 19

A standard part of neurological testing.
cortical spinal tract(nerve channel that sends info between the brain and limbs)
motor control in body and limbs.

Question 20

What are the early sensory capacities?

Answer 20

1. touch and pain
2. smell and taste
3. hearing
4. sight vision

Question 21

Touch and pain

Answer 21

1. first sense to develop
2. first several months most mature sensory system.
3. by 32 weeks of gestation, all body parts are sensitive to touch and it increases during the first 5 days.

Question 22

Hearing

Answer 22

1. functional before birth
2. auditory discrimination develops rapidly after birth
3. 3-day old infants and by months babies can distinguish and identify sounds
4. hearing is a key to language development, hearing impairments needs to be identified as early as possible.

Question 23

Sight vision

Answer 23

1. least developed sense at birth. (as other senses are directly related to newborn’s survival)
2. acc to rakison visual perception and the ability to use visual information became more important more alert and active.
3. eyes of a newborn are smaller, the retinal structure is incomplete, the optic nerve is underdeveloped. better sight at only 1 foot.
4. ability to recognize a caregiver’s face is maybe an innate survival mechanism.