UNIT 1: BIOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT

OBJECTIVES
To

know the developmental characteristic features of infancy and childhood period; ToDescribe growth and physical ability changes from infancy to the end of childhood To understand the problems associated with the changing phase of infancy and childhood.

INTRODUCTION

Infant is a young child. There is no specific age limit for when the individual ceases to be an infant and becomes a child. The word infant suggests extreme fragile, therefore helplessness. In the whole process the infant passes through certain changes in terms of physical and biological. Infancy is also known for radical adjustments.

Biological development is determined by many factors like the prenatal care and nature. Health of the child largely depends upon the health of mother. The other important factors like the kind of prenatal environment, the type of birth and experiences associated with it, the length of the gestation period, parental attitudes and post natal care, etc

Malnutrition of mother during pregnancy, inadequate prenatal care of the mother is responsible for premature births, still births and infant mortality during the early days of life. The infants also carry certain diseases from the mother if she is suffering from diabetes. Supplemental intake of vitamins and minerals and mothers immunization during pregnancy are significant in deciding the health of the infant Kind of birth is another influencing factor in deciding the fate of the infant.

Over medication of mother during pregnancy, length of the gestation period can also influence the post natal health of the infant Very few infants are born exactly 280 days after conception. Those who arrive ahead of time are known as pre-matures- often referred to in hospitals as preemies- while those who arrive late are known as post-matures, or postterm babies (Elizabeth B. H, 1981).

It is now recognized that birth weight alone is not enough to determine prematurity. Instead, gestation age, body length, bone ossification, head circumference, irritability, reflex, nutritional state, and neurological assessment are also used. (Caputo, D.V., 1970) The rapid growth and development which took place during the prenatal period suddenly come to a stop with birth. The changes are manifested in terms of loss of weight and loss of strength and some times even the health of the child. This change is seen for several weeks and there will again change in the growth pattern. The infant begins to improve. By end of the infancy period, the infants state of development is usually back to where it was at the time of birth

These changes indicate that the child passes through a phase of getting adjusted with the certain changes both within and outside environment. The health of the infant determines the life span health of the individual. This needs lot of care towards the child in getting adjusted to the changing situations.