Sensitive Periods in Early Development Essay examples

Early childhood is the most important phase of development in one’s lifespan as the experiences during childhood sets the course for later stages of development. It has been noted that a mother’s actions during pregnancy may influence the development of an infant. The developmental influences include prenatal, perinatal and neonatal environments. (Santrock, 2002) Although babies come into the world with no say or control over which family they will be placed into, or the environment in which they will begin to live in, theorists agree that the first two years are crucial, with early emotional, physical and social development influenced by the infant’s biological and environmental factors (Sigelman, Rider, & De-George Walker, 2013). The

Development of children begins at conception however the parent’s health and lifestyle prior to conception could influence a baby development.

The development of a child in the first year of life is extremely intense; in just 52 weeks’ an infant goes through major physical, cognitive and social and emotional developments.

Between conception and birth, babies can be affected by the health of their mother as well as her lifestyle choices. Stress, deit and alcohol are examples of factors that can affect development. It is now recognised that the first twelev weeks of pregnancy is when the foetus is at it's most vulnerable. During this time the foetus

As a child is developing in the womb, its development can be affected at this time, for instance if the mother smokes or uses drugs or excessive

There are some factors that may influence the health and development. Smoking can affect the babies’ oxygen in the womb which could affect the growth and development, low birth weight, high risk of prematurely (birth before week’s gestation), asthma and may lead to cot death. Genetic factors – when the baby has condition, which means that it has been passed down to them by one of their parents. Infections and medical conditions – some babies have medical condition which may affect them during their childhood. This could lead the babies having low self-esteem, feeling distress, not making friends and effect their development. Alcohol – having alcohol during pregnancy can cause Foetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS). This could lead

Much emphasis has been placed in the field of child development and the role that early providers possess when it comes to the needs of children at the early stages of life. Whether conceptualizing socialization and priming with Locke’s “tabula rosa/blank slate” or Rousseau’s “preassembled moral schema” approach to child development, this “window of opportunity” is both fleeting and permanent. Every interaction molds the individual into the person they are to become, and the bond that the dependent child forms with the caregiver is a precedent to the numerous relationships and attachments they will create as an adult. Granted that the provider/nurturer fulfills the needs of attachment and attentiveness for the offspring, this will determine the success of progressing through child developmental stages, and leads to a higher propensity of social adaptiveness. Inversely, if the aforementioned things are absent in a child’s early years, detrimental effects could occur, including stints in physical, social, and mental development. This is dependent upon the severity and duration of neglect, and has been seen in clinical cases that appears as psychological phenomena to both the general public, and researchers alike.

It should be noted that the proposed topic is a long research, in the sense that research would need to start during pregnancy and then test the different symptoms or developmental problems during the early childhood.

Stressful environment is a key factor when it comes to child development. Stress can be the molding of a child’s life. There are several different contributing factor of stress that could affect a child. Stress for a child can come from many areas of their life, such as, in the home, neighborhood, school, community, family issues. However, it is extremely important to realize that there is no greater cause of stress to a child than from their parents (Blake 26). Witnessing verbal and physical abuse in the home is a very

Prior to entering this class, I had a limited awareness of prenatal and early developmental characteristics of a person. While the population I prefer working amongst are those in adolescence through early adulthood years, I have come to find prenatal care to be a huge factor in determining and relating to this population later in life. This class has not only increased my knowledge of early development but has increased my awareness and sheer fascination behind the importance of the level of care received by a person in their mother’s womb, especially when it involves how they succeed in later stages of life.

The definition of early life as a social determinant of health given by Rumbold and Dickson-Swift is “A good start in life means supporting mothers and young children.” (Rumbold & Dickson-Swift, 2012, p. 180). Early life describes the period from prenatal development to eight years of age, and is a time of remarkable brain growth and development, this period establishes the foundations for subsequent development and learning (Siddiqi, Irwin, & Hertzman, 2007).

It is no longer dependent on the yolk sac, a balloon-like structure, for its nourishment. It becomes completely dependent on the umbilical cord for intake of nutrition. By the end of the first trimester, the fetus can slowly move. This is also when an ultrasound is taken in order to monitor the development of the

Prenatal development is crucial to a healthy birth for both the mother and the child. Three trimesters define major portions and milestones of prenatal development. The milestones of prenatal development begin with the germinal phase, followed by the embryonic phase, ending with the fetus stage. Global, cognitive, behavioral, socio-emotional, and psychomotor are five aspects of infant development which can be potentially impacted by external forces.

Early life is very crucial in the healthy development of a person. The initial years of a child are critical in determining their developmental trajectory. According to World Health Organization (2016), healthy early childhood development includes social, emotional, physical and intellectual growth. World Health Organization further adds that these domains of development are very significant in influencing the well-being, mental health, criminality and economic contribution of a person throughout life. Various factors affect the early life of a child including the environment, the financial stability of the family, and the relationship between parents. This essay will focus on these aspects of early life development of children between pre-natal and eight years without focusing on their biological and genetic endowment. Further, the paper will seek to analyze the extent to which early life affects the health of the children.

With respect to the reality of the critical developmental periods, it is, of course, well known that such critical developmental periods exist in the development of the body, with the principle well established that the earlier the interference with their development the more widespread will the disturbance in growth be. Tissues must reach a certain stage of differentiation before they can respond; later such tissues achieve a certain relative fixity, so that they can yield.