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Human Development: Updated, 7/e

James Vander Zanden, Ohio State University
Thomas Crandell, Broome Community College
Corinne Crandell, Broome Community College

Birth and Physical Development the First Two Years

Chapter Outline

Chapter 4 explores the period of infancy - the first two years of life - during which children interact with their environment to develop basic competencies. As children age, they are continuously forced to adapt to the demands of the world around them. Chapter 4 begins with an analysis of the abilities and behavior of neonates as expressed during the first two weeks following birth. The chapter then focuses on the two areas of development which are most profound during the first two years of life: physical growth and motor development. The chapter concludes with an overview of the senses.

1

Birth. This is an in-depth look at the radical changes that occur during the birth process for mother, father, and child. Natural childbirth options that may promote family-infant bonding are also explained.

2

Complications of Pregnancy and Birth. The chapter covers some of the complications that may arise during pregnancy, which might result in a Cesarean delivery, as well as the medical intervention available to help the mother and child.

3

Newborn Behaviors and Abilities. This section includes an in-depth discussion of newborn behaviors and abilities, including sleeping, crying, feeding, and reflexes.

4

Physical Growth. This generally occurs in an orderly fashion. However, not all parts of a child's body develop at equal rates. The brain grows rapidly during the first two years of life. Development in all children is known to follow the cephalocaudal principle as well as the proximodistal principle.

5

Motor Development. This is highly complex in infants and is dependent upon the child's overall physical growth. Rhythmical behaviors, such as kicking and rocking, provide the basis for more skilled motor developments, such as crawling and walking. Locomotion evolves between eleven and fifteen months and represents the climax of a series of physical developments. The infant's acquisition of manual skills proceeds through a series of orderly stages.

6

Senses. An overview is presented of the infant's ability to see, hear, taste, smell, and feel heat, cold, pressure, and pain. Research related to the significance of these senses is cited.

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