PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT
Life stage Age Key features
Birth + infancy 0-2 years Infants grow rapidly; approx half their adult
height by 2 yrs. At around 1 yr, infants can
walk + by 2 - run.
Early childhood 3-8 years Children continue to grow at steady pace +
dev strength + coordination
Adolescence 9-18 years Growth spurts. Dev sexual characteristics
during puberty
Early Adulthood 19-45 years Reach peak of physical fitness
Middle Adulthood 46-65 years Ageing process begins with some loss of
strength + stamina. Women - menopause
Later Adulthood 65 years + Ageing process continues with gradual loss
of mobility. Older - loss of height of up to
few cm
Growth = an increase in some measured quantity, such as height/weight - growth is variable across
different parts of the body + is measured using height, weight and dimensions
Development = complex changes incl. an increase in skills, abilities and capabilities - dev follows an
orderly sequence + is the acquisition of skills + abilities
Principles of growth
● Growth - children grow taller as they get older.
● As height increases, so does weight.
● Although growth is continuous, rate is not smooth.
● Can be periods of more rapid growth in infancy + again during puberty - so can be diff betw
rates of growth of 2 ppl who are same age.
● Diff in growth betw gender. Boys grow faster in height bc taller. Girls dev faster in puberty
● Growth rates vary betw parts of body - head c grows more rapidly than other areas in 1st
months.
When referring to growth, consider weight + length/height
At birth + then betw 6 - 8 weeks, baby’s head c will be measured to check size + growth of brain. - or
check for autism
● Infants grow rapidly during 1st 6 months
● Healthy newborns double birth weight by 4 - 5 months, + triple it by 1 yr. By 2, approx half
adult height.
● Growth measurements - help health visitor monitor health + identify issues infant
under/overweight / growing too slow
● Infants grow on average about 12cm + gain 2.5 kg betw 1 + 2 yrs.
● Betw 2nd + 3rd yr, infant gain another 2 kg + grow 8cm more.
● Health visitor measure + plot results on growth chart = ensure meeting milestones
How is head c measured?
, ● Measured 24-36 hrs after birth + again at 6-8 weeks
● Head c - should always be part of neurologic examination
● Place tape around middle of forehead ; choose/use widest diameter : the occipitofrontal
circumference
● Measure head c 3 times + record average measurement
Centile lines (percentiles) = lines on a graph used to show average measurements of height, weight +
head c. Lines represent values of measurements taking into account age + gender
● If infant/ child growing as expected, weight will rise steadily following centile lines marked on
growth chart.
● All info recorded in personal child health record - so if concern early referral to paediatrician +
head c measured
● If large diff betw percentile measurements = concern
● Baby measuring in 5th percentile for weight + length, but above 75th percentile for head c,
would not be proportional
Reasons:
● Genetic inclination to big heads - family
● Large head c = not always autism
● Head grows suddenly, at a quicker rate than body/majority of cohorts
Large head = megalencephaly / microcephaly / due to hydrocephaly
What causes low birth weight?
❏ Premature birth = born before 37 weeks (normal - 42 weeks - “induce”) = less time in mother’s
uterus to grow + gain weight
❏ Intrauterine growth restriction = when baby doesn’t grow well in utero bc problems with
placenta/mother’s health/ birth defects
❏ Premature b with IUGR = small + physically immature
❏ Full-term b with IUGR = physically mature but weak
Which are affected by low birth weight?
❏ Race - African - American b twice as likely as caucasian b
❏ Mother’s age = teen mothers (esp below 15)
❏ Multiple birth = bc premature
❏ Mother’s health = illicit drugs, alcohol, cigarettes, ---> lower socioeconomic status = more
likely to have poorer preg nutrition, inadequate prenatal care + preg complications
Why is low birth weight a concern?
● Tiny body = difficulty eating, gaining weight + fighting infections
● Little body fat = difficult to stay warm in normal temps
Problems:
❏ Low oxygen levels at birth
❏ Inability to maintain body temp
❏ Difficulty feeding + gaining weight
❏ Infection
❏ Breathing problems (respiratory distress syndrome) = respiratory disease ---> immature lungs
❏ Neurologic problems - intraventricular hemorrhage (bleeding inside the brain)
❏ Gastrointestinal problems - necrotizing enterocolitis - intestine disease
❏ Sudden Infant Death Syndrome - SIDS
,Principles of development
Dev happens:
● From head to toe = infant 1st control head, then dev control over body to enable them to sit +
then have control over legs + feet to allow them to crawl + walk
● From inside to outside = infant learns to control movements in their body 1st then in arms +
legs until can control small muscles in fingers
● In same sequence but at diff rates
● Holistically - areas of dev are dependent on + influence each other (PIES)
Development norms = a description of an average set of expectations to a young child’s
developement by age 12 months a child has ability to stand alone, walking, talking/ tying shoe laces.
Main stages: PIES
Milestones = an ability achieved by most children by a certain age. It can involve physical, social,
emotional, cognitive + communication skills walking, sharing with others, expressing emotions,
recognising familiar sounds + talking
4 main areas of skills acquisition:
● Physical - gross + fine motor skills
● Social dev
● Emotional dev
● Intellectual dev + language skills
● Every child dev at own rate
● Norms help professionals describe an average set of expectations
● If child dev faster - not ‘gifted’ and if dev slower - nothing wrong with child
● Few ppl experience life in compartments; either i or e. Most experience PIES holistically. Dev
of child’s social skills dependent upon dev of i + language skills.
● Milestones help professionals know if dev delayed or normal
Gross motor skills = large movements that involve using large muscles of body which are required for
mobility rolling over
Fine motor skills = involve smaller movements that require more precise direction (dexterity) + use
smaller muscles picking up a pencil
Motor skills = action that involves using own muscles
Gms = involve use of legs, arms + torso. Playing tag = running after friends, catching up with them,
reaching out + touching someone. Walking upstairs, running, jumping, throwing a ball, crawling,
kicking, skipping, bending. Dev starts at head. Newborn can control mouth, face, lips + tongue
Fms = involve hands, fingers + toes. Infants pick things up using finger + thumb, wriggle toes in sand
+ hold crayon/ small toy. Dressing / undressing, drawing, scribbling + stacking toys. Not mature
enough to control skilled movement
INFANCY (0-2 YEARS)
Development milestones:
, ● Newborns unable to hold up heads, roll over, sit up/use hands to move objects. Dev gms +
fms allows increasing + more complex movement.
● By 2, dev more gms + fms playing with shape-sorting toys, use gms to hold body to grasp
shapes firmly + use fms to fit each shape in correct slot
Infants develop dev of gms, dev of fms, milestones set for dev of the infant sitting up, walking,
standing, cruising
Gms + fms milestones in infancy:
Age Gross motor skills Fine motor skills
Newborn Primitive reflexes - grasp Holds thumb tucked into hands
1 month Lifts chin, some control of head Opens hands to grasp finger
3 months Can lift head + chest when Can briefly grasp a rattle
lying on front
6 months Rolls over, can sit up for a Moves objects from hand to hand, can
short time without support, pick up dropped toys if they are in sight
kicks legs when held up
9-10 months Crawls, begins to cruise Uses finger + thumb to hold a small
(walking while holding on to object
objects)
12-13 months Stands alone, can walk without Manipulates + place toys
help, bends
18 months Climbs onto furniture Builds a short tower with blocks
2 years Propels a sit-on toy with their Draws lines + circles, turns a page
feet, throws large ball
2 years + a half Jumps from a low step, kicks Uses spoon + fork, builds tower of 7-8
ball blocks
Skill Description Activity
Gripping Having strength in fingers + Holding a rattle, tricycle handle /
hands to hold an object firmly spoon
Manipulation Skilful movement of objects Building with blocks, playing a musical
using fingers + hands turning, instrument, playing with + placing farm
twisting + passing object from 1 animals / cars
hand to another
Hand-eye coordination Control of eye movement at the Writing, sewing / completing jigsaw
same time as finger + hand puzzles
movement
EARLY CHILDHOOD (3-8 YEARS)
