• Physical Growth The Growing Body
    • Individual Differences in Height and Weight

Significant differences especially cross culturally. Economically developed countries – taller and heavier.

Ses in US – kids in poverty much more likely to be unusually short

  • Changes in Body Shape and Structure
    • In addition to gaining height and weight, the body of the preschooler undergoes changes in shape and structure.
    • Becoming more slender overall, strengthening bones and muscles.
    • By about 6 – body proportions similar to that of adults.
  • The Growing Brain
    • Brain growth is particularly rapid during the preschool years, with the number of interconnections among cells and the amount of myelin around neurons increasing greatly. By 5 – brain is 90% of adult weight; total body weight is 30% of adult weight. Malnutrition linked to delays.
    • Brain Lateralization ­ two halves of brain begin to specialize in somewhat different functions. However, despite lateralization, the two hemispheres function as a unit and in fact differ only slightly. Left hemisphere – verbal processes, sequential things. Right hemisphere – spatial relations, music, emotional expression. Global thought; intuition­can connect dif pieces of info
    • Corpus callosum – band of nerve fibers connection hemispheres; grows thicker. Grows thicker
  • The Links Between Brain Growth and Cognitive Development
    • Neuroscientists are just beginning to understand the ways in which brain development is related to cognitive development.
    • Periods of unusually rapid brain development coincide with cog advances
    • Unclear if development allows for cog advances or vice versa.
    • Increases in myelin (faster communication), the protective insulation that surrounds parts of the neuron, may be related to preschooler’s growing cognitive capabilities. Improvements in attention, concentration, memory
    • Remember­myelin allows messages to pass more quickly through neurons.
  • Sleep
    • Those of you w/ preschoolers – do you have difficulty getting them to sleep?
    • The good news is, most children settle down fairly easily and drift off to sleep; however, for some, sleep presents real problems.
    • As many as 20 to 30 percent of preschoolers experience difficulties lasting more than an hour getting to sleep. Most wake during night
    • a) Between 10 and 15 percent of children ages 3 to 5 experience nightmares­vivid bad dreams, usu. near morning; more often in boys

(1) Concern if they are frequent, or lead to anxiety during day.

  • b) 1­5% Night terrors –intense panic; not easily comforted; can’t explain why.
  • Health and Wellness
  • Nutrition: Eating the Right Foods
    • Nutritional needs change during preschool years – don’t need as much food. Picky eaters; meal replacements may help; given a wide variety, most preschoolers make good choices.
    • Obesity­ weight more than 20% over what is considered normal for their age and height – is a big problem in the US and other developed nations. It is caused by both genetic and environmental factors. Environment – parents often encourage kids to eat more – leads to increased food intake. Give kids opportunity to develop own preferences. Taste buds are more sensitive as kid
  • Minor Illnesses of Preschoolers
    • The average preschooler has 7 or 8 minor colds and other minor respiratory illnesses in each of the years from age three to five. Touch each other more than adults. Builds up immune system.
  • Major Illnesses:
    • Cancer and AIDS
      • Children in the preschool years generally experience only minor illnesses, but they are susceptible to some dangerous diseases, including childhood leukemia and AIDS.
      • Low SES kids less likely to get health care
      • Immunization in developed countries largely controlled most lifethreatening illness
      • The proportion of children immunized in the United States has fallen during some portions of the last two decades.
      • VACCINES DO NOT CAUSE AUTISM. Rising rates of autism

mostly due to better recognition/diagnosis. Timing of some vaccines coincide with timing of diagnosis in lots of kids w/ autism.

  • The most frequent major illness to strike preschoolers is cancer, particularly leukemia – bone marry overproduces white blood cells – anemia, death but now there is over 70% survival rate
  • One childhood disease that presents a far more discouraging picture is childhood AIDS – FATAL.
  • Drug therapies only extend life expectancy; expensive; don’t work for everyone. Social shunning, which is ridiculous; usu. Contract it from mom – parental illness/death.
  • # of cases declining – drugs can prevent prenatal transmission.
  • Reactions to Hospitalizations
  • For ill preschoolers who must spend time in the hospital, the experience may be quite difficult. 2­4 yr old – separation anxiety
  • Older preschoolers may feel deserted. Can reduce anxiety by having parents stay with child.
  • Emotional Illness
  • a) An increasing number of children are being treated with drugs for emotional disorders. Possibly a quick fix for normal behaviors
  • Injuries: Playing It Safe
    • Preschool children at greater risk from accidents than from illness/nutritional problems, in part from children’s high levels of physical activity.
      • Children have twice the likelihood of dying from an injury than from illnesses before the age of 10.
      • Some children are more apt to take risks than others; boys more so
      • Ethnic differences – differing norms on supervision. Asian kids more strictly supervised – lowest accident rates.
      • SES – kids in poverty exposed to more hazards. 2x more likely to die on injuries than rich kids.
    • Lead Poisoning Risk
      • 14 million children are at risk for lead poisoning due to exposure to potentially toxic levels of lead. Main sources of lead contamination include lead­based paint (taste sweet), auto exhaust pollution
      • Poor children are particularly susceptible to lead poisoning, and the results of poisoning tend to be worse for them than for children from more affluent families. Live in older housing, urban areas.
      • Even tiny amounts of lead can permanently harm children. Small amounts – lower IQ, problems with verbal auditory processing, hyperactivity/distractibility
      • High levels – antisocial behaviors/aggression, delinquency, illness, death
    • Child Abuse and Psychological Maltreatment
    • In the United States, at least five children are killed by their parents or caretakers every day, and 140,000 others are physically injured every year.
    • a) Child abuse – psychical/psychological maltreatment/neglect of children
    • Physical Abuse
    • a) The cycle­of­violence hypothesis argues that the abuse and neglect children suffer predisposes them as adults to be abusive. Majority of abused kids do NOT abuse their own kids.
    • Psychological Maltreatment
      • Psychological maltreatment ­ parents/caregivers harm the kids’ behavioral, cognitive, emotional, physical functioning.

May involve neglect, emotional abuse, intimidation/humiliation, unrealistic demands/expectations

  • Ignoring kids, emotionally unresponsive
  • Child abuse may cause lasting damage.
    • Low self­esteem, lying, misbehavior, underachievement
    • In extreme cases – criminal behaviors, aggression, murder
    • Depression and suicide
  • Resilience: Overcoming the Odds
    • Resilience refers to the ability to overcome circumstances that place a child at high risk for psychological or physical damage.
    • some kids of abuse grow into psychologically healthy adults
    • resilient kids – affectionate, easy­going, good communicators, intelligent
    • elicit positive responses from others
    • at least one unrelated adult that takes an interest/ makes a difference for that kid.