GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT

Growing  complex phenomenon of a structure or whole

GROWTH
 Increase in physical size of a structure or whole
 Quantitative
 2 parameters
o Weight
 Most sensitive measurement for growth
Weight gain:

2x = 5 – 6 mos.

3x = 1 year
o Height
 ESTROGEN4x =responsible
2 – 2½ yearsfor increase in height in female
 TESTOSTERONE  responsible for the increase in height in male
 Stoppage of height coincide with the eruption of the wisdom teeth

 - 1”/ mo – 1 – 6 mos

 - 1.5”/ mo – 7 – 12 mos

 - 50 % - 1st Year

HEIGHT COMPARISON
9 y/o  male = female

12 y/o  Male < Female

DEVELOPMENT
13 y/o  Male > Female
 Increase in the skills or capacity to function
 Qualitatively
 How to measure development
o By simply observing the child doing simple task
o By noting parent’s description of the child’s progress
o Measure by DENVER DEVELOPMENTAL SCREENING TEST (DDST)
 MMDST
o Metro Manila Developmental Screening Test
o Philippine Based exam
 Main Rated Categories
o LANGUAGE  ability to communicate
o PERSONAL/ SOCIAL  ability to interact
o FINE MOTOR ADAPTIVE  ability to use hand movements
o GROSS MOTOR SKILLS  ability to use large body movements

MATURATION
 Synonymous with development
 Readiness/ learning is effortless
COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT
 Ability to learn and understand from experiences, to acquire and retain knowledge, to
respond to a new situation and to solve problems

LEARNING  change of behavior

IQ= [Mental Age/ Chronological Age] x 100
Normal IQ = 90 - 110
GIFTED CHILD  > 130 IQ level

BASIC DIVISIONS OF LIFE

 Prenatal
o Conception to birth
 Infancy
o Neonatal  first 28 days
o Formal Infancy  29th – 1 year
 Early Childhood
o Toddler  1 – 3 y/o
o Preschool  4 – 6 y/o
 Middle Childhood
o School Age  7 – 12 y/o
 Late Childhood
o Pre – adolescent  11 – 13 y/o
o Adolescent – 12 – 13 y/o to 21

PRINCIPLES OF GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT

 Growth and development is a continuous process (WOMB TO TOMB PRINCIPLE) 
begins from conception and ends with death
 Not all parts of the body grows at the same time or at the same rate (ASSYCHRONOUS
GROWTH)
 Each child is unique
 Growth and development occurs in a regular direction reflecting definite and predictable
patterns or trends
o Directional Terms
 Cephalocaudal/ Head to Tail
 It occurs along bodies long axis in which control over head, mouth
and eye movemens and precedes control over upper body torso
and legs
 Proximo – Distal/ Centro – Distal
 Progressing from center of the body to the extremities
 Symmetrical/ Each side of the Body
 Develop at the same direction at the same time and at the same
rate
 Mass – Specific
 Differentiation – SIMPLE TO COMPLEX; BROAD TO REFINED
o Sequential Trend
 Involves a predictable sequence of growth and development to which the
child normally passes
 Locomotion
 Creeps  Stands  Walks  Run
 Language and Social Skills
  Cry  coo
o Secular Trend
 Refers to the worldwide tend of maturing earlier and growing larger as
compared to succeeding generation

 BEHAVIOR  most comprehensive indicator of developmental stages

o act @ your age
 PLAY  universal language
 A great deal of skills is learned by practice
 There is optimum time for initiation of experience or learning
 Neonatal reflexes must be lost first before development can proceed
o persistent primitive infantile reflexes is a possible case of cerebral palsy

PATTERNS OF GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT

 Renal  digestive  circulatory  musculoskeletal
o childhood
 Brain  CNS  Neurologic Tissue  rapidly grows with in 1 – 2 years
o Brain achieves its adult proportion @ 5 years
o Rapid growth and development of brain from1 – 2 years
o Malnutrition may result to Mild Mental Retardation
 Lymphatic System (Lymph Nodes)