Essentials of Growth & development

By : Mohammad Abuadas RN MSN

Al-Riyadh community college

Growth & development concepts

• Growth :

An increase in cell’s size and number as they divide and synthesize new proteins ; results in increase size and weight of the whole or any of its parts. (it can be viewed as quantitative change ).

• Development:

A gradual change and expansion ; advancement from lower to more advanced stages of complexity ; the expanding of the individual’s capacities through growth, maturation, and learning.

(it can be viewed as quantitative change ).

• Maturation:

An increase in competence and adaptability; aging; usually used to describe a qualitative change; a change in complexity and structure that makes it possible for that structure to begin functioning; to function in a higher level

• Differentiation :

A process by which early cells and structures systematically modified and altered to achieve specific and characteristic physical and chemical properties; sometimes used to describe the trend of mass to specific; development from simple to more complex activities and functions.

Developmental stages

• There is no precise staging to be taken for granted to all children in world ,,,, but there is something agreed which is developmental task which means “the skills and competencies peculiar to each developmental stage that children must accomplish or master in order to deal effectively with their environments.

Developmental age periods (box 5-1/P.95)

• Prenatal period: Conception (fertilization) to birth.

• Germinal : conception to 12 weeks• Embryonic: 2 to 8 weeks.• Fetal : 8 to 40 weeks.• A rapid growth rate and total dependency .• Most critical and important stage of development• Mother condition determines fetal growth and

development .

• Infancy period : Birth to 12 months• Neonatal: birth to 27 or 28 months• Infancy : 1 to approximately 12 months• Rapid motor, social and cognitive

development. Through mutuality with the care giver (parent).

• The infant establishes a basic trust in the world.

• The first month of infancy considered to different from t5he remainder period due to its dramatical and extrauterine adjustments and adaptation with parents.

• Early childhood: 1 to 6 years.

• Toddler : 1 to 3 years.

• Preschooler: 3 to years.

• Characterized by discovery and activity.

• Steady motor development.

• Children acquire language and wide their social relationships.

• Gain self control and awareness of dependence & independence .

• Start to develop Self concept .

• Middle childhood: 6 to 11 or 12 years.

• Also called “school age”.• The child at this age goes out from the

central family to establish new peer relationships with colleagues and the teacher.

• This period is characterized by emphasis on developing skill competencies .

• Early moral development appear at this period..

• Later childhood: 11 to 19 years

• Prepupertal : 10 to 13 years.

• Adolescence: 13 to 18 years.

• Adolescence period is considered to be a tumultuous transitional period that begins at the onset of puberty and extends to adulthood.

• Secondary School graduation .

• Physical & emotional growth .

• Redefining self concept.

Patterns of growth and development

• Directional trend:• Cephalocaudal or “head-to-tail” direction. In which the head is developed before the

trunk , child uses eyes before hands, and hands before feet.

• “Near-to-far”: from midline to peripheral, hands then fingers.

• Differentiation: from simple to complex, cell to system.

• Sequential trends:• There is a definite and predictable

sequence in which the development occurs .

• As children crawl before creep, creep before they stand , stand before walk.

• Developmental pace:The rate of development is not fixed through

all stages , as there are specific stages in which the pace ( rate) and the acceleration are increased , like the firs month of age and the adolescence period.

• Sensitive periods:There are some specific times when

development is becoming a sensitive period like: critical, vulnerable or optimal.

Biological determinants of growth and development

table 5-1 P.98

Developmental theories

• At this lecture we will focus on two main theories highlighting the psychosocial and cognitive stages of development ,, these are Erikson &Piaget theories.

Psychosocial development (ERIKSON)

• The most acceptable theory of personality development.

• It emphasizes on a healthy personality as opposed with pathologic conditions ,,, each stage can not be accomplished unless the previous one attained .

• Table 5-3 / p.102.

Stage Erikson Outcome

Infancy Trust vs mistrust

Optimist

Toddler Autonomy vs shame and doubt

Self control and self power

Early childhood Initiative vs guilt Direction and purpose

Middle childhood

Industry vs inferiority

competence

Adolescence Identity vs role confusion

Devotion and fidelity .

Cognitive development theory(PIAGET)

• It’s a thinking theory .

• Intelligence enables individuals to make adaptations to the environment that increase the probability of survival and maintain equilibrium.

• Sequential trends:

ASGE PIAGETBirth to 2 years Sensorimotor

2 - 4 years Preoperational thoughts

Transduction reasoning (specific to specific).

4 - 7 years Preoperational thoughts ,intuitive , deductive phase( general to specific).

7-11 years Concrete operations, inductive reasoning and beginning logic.

11-15 Formal operations , deductive reasoning