PSY 2010 Chapter Notes -Precocious Puberty, The Sequence, Low Birth Weight
28 May 2023
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cephalocaudal pattern
The sequence in which the fastest growth occurs at the top of the body—the head—with
physical growth in size, weight, and feature differentiation gradually working from top to
bottom.
proximodistal pattern
The sequence in which growth starts at the center of the body and moves toward the
extremities.
North American newborn 20 inches long, weighs 7 ½ pounds.
95% of full term newborns are 18-22 inches, weigh 5 ½-10 pounds
Most newborns lose 5-7% of their body weight
Double weight by age of 4 months and have tripled it by birthday
Year 2, rate of growth is way slower, weighs 26-32 pounds, gained a quarter to half a pound per
month, 32-35inches tall, nearly one half of adult height
Early child hood- Girls have more fatty tissue, boys have more muscle tissue
Middle/late childhood- slow consistent growth. 2-3 inches a year.
Age 8- girl and boy average is 4 ft and 2 in, 56 pounds
Children gain about 5-7 pounds a year
puberty
A period of rapid physical maturation involving hormonal and bodily changes that take
place primarily in early adolescence.
menarche
A girl’s first menstruation.
precocious puberty
Very early onset and rapid progression of puberty.
-environmental factors such as family influences and stress cna also influence
the onset and duration of puberty
EX. adoption, father absence, lose socioeconomic status, family conflict,
maternal hashness, child maltreatment, and early substance use
hormones
Powerful chemical substances secreted by the endocrine glands and carried through
the body by the bloodstream.
Hypothalamus is a structure in the brain best know for monitoring eating and drinking , and sex.
Pituitary gland- important endocrine gland that controls growth and regulates other glans
Gonads- sex-glands- the testes in males and ovaries in females.
androgens
Hormones, the most important of which is testosterone, that promote the development
of male genitals and secondary sex characteristics.
estrogens
Hormones, the most important of which is estradiol, that influence the development of
female physical sex characteristics and help regulate the menstrual cycle.
testosterone
An androgen that is a key hormone in boys’ pubertal development.
estradiol
An estrogen that is a key hormone in girls’ pubertal development.
neuroconstructivist view
Theory of brain development emphasizing the following points: (a) biological processes
and environmental conditions influence the brain’s development, (b) the brain has
plasticity and is context dependent, and (c) the development of the brain and the child’s
cognitive development are closely linked.
Neurons- nerve cells that handle information processing
Frontal lobes- involved in voluntary movement, thinking, personality and intentionality or
purpose
Occipital lobe- function in vision
Temporal lobe- facilitate hearing, language processing, and memory
parietal lobe- help to register spatial location, direct attention, and maintain motor control
Amygdala- plays important role in emotions
Hippocampus, active in memory and emotion
Document Summary
The sequence in which the fastest growth occurs at the top of the body the head with physical growth in size, weight, and feature differentiation gradually working from top to bottom. proximodistal pattern. The sequence in which growth starts at the center of the body and moves toward the extremities. North american newborn 20 inches long, weighs 7 pounds. 95% of full term newborns are 18-22 inches, weigh 5 -10 pounds. Most newborns lose 5-7% of their body weight. Double weight by age of 4 months and have tripled it by birthday. Year 2, rate of growth is way slower, weighs 26-32 pounds, gained a quarter to half a pound per month, 32-35inches tall, nearly one half of adult height. Early child hood- girls have more fatty tissue, boys have more muscle tissue. Age 8- girl and boy average is 4 ft and 2 in, 56 pounds. Children gain about 5-7 pounds a year puberty.
