Human Growth and Development

NUR 353
(Lecture 1)
 Content
 Definition of growth and Development
 Development Theories
 Factors Influencing Growth & Development
 Trends of Development and Characteristics of
Physical Growth
 Assignment
 Human Growth and
Development
- expresses the sum of numerous changes that take
place during the lifetime of an individual.
 Growth

 physiologic increase in size through cell

multiplication or differentiation.
 cause a quantitative change in the body which is
measurable.
 measured by:
a.) growth in weight: pounds or kilograms
b.) growth in height: inches or centimeters
 Growth
Normal growth can be divided into the following:
1. Prenatal Period – conception to birth.
2. Infancy Period – birth to 1 year.
3. Childhood Period – 1 year to 12 years.
4. Adolescence Period – 12 to 19 years.
5. Adulthood Period - 20 years and above.
 Development
 used to indicate an increase in skill or the ability
to function.
 results in qualitative change.
 measured by:
a) completing a specific tasks.
b) recording parent’s description of the child’s
progress.
c) using standardized test. (Example: Denver II)
 Categories of Development
1. Psychosexual Development Theory (Sigmund Freud)
-instinct or sensual pleasure.
2. Psychosocial Development Theory (Erik Erikson)
-eight stages of personality development.
3. Moral Development Theory (Lawrence Kohlberg)
-to know what is right and what is wrong and to apply this in real
life situations.
4. Cognitive Development Theory (Jean Piaget)
- to understand from experience, to acquire and retain
knowledge, to respond to a new situation and to solve problems.
Psychosexual Development Theory
FOCUS MAJOR EXAMPLE OF ADULT
STAGE AGE OF DEVELOPMENT FIXATION
LIBIDO
Oral 0 to 1 Mouth, Weaning off of breast Smoking, overeating
Tongue, feeding or formula
Lips
Anal 1 to 3 Anus Toilet Training Orderliness, Messiness
Phallic 3 to 6 Genitals Resolving Deviancy, Sexual
Oedipus/Electra Complex Dysfunction
Latency 6 to 12 None Developing Defense None
Mechanisms
Genital 12 & up Genitals Reaching Sexual Maturity If all stages were completed
then the person should be
sexually matured and
mentally healthy.
 Psychosocial Development Theory
STAGES/AGES TASKS CHARACTERISTICS GAINED

Infancy Trust vs. Mistrust Hope that needs will be met.

( 0-1 year)
Toddler Autonomy vs. Shame Self care skills and the determination to exercise
( 1-3 years) and Doubt free choice.
Preschool Initiative vs. Guilt Purpose – the courage to pursue valued goals
(3-6 years) without fear of punishment.
School Age Industry vs. Inferiority Competence – the feeling that one can do things
(6-12 years) that are valued by others.
Adolescence Identity vs. Role Fidelityor Truthfulness – the ability to live up to
(12-20 years) Confusion who you’ve become.
Young Adulthood Intimacy vs. Isolation Love and intimate relationships.
(20-30 years)
Middle Adulthood Generativity vs. A focus on occupational success and creativity.
(30 to 60 years) Stagnation Often interested in training the next generation.
Late Adulthood Integrity vs. Despair Self acceptance and wisdom.
(60 and above)
 Moral Development Theory
Level 1 Stage 1 (Obedience and Punishment Driven)
What is right and what is wrong is determined by what is punishable. Moral action
Pre-conventional is essentially the avoidance of punishment.
(Generally found at the
Stage 2 (Self-Interest Driven)
elementary school level.) What is right and wrong is determined by what brings rewards and what people
wants, other people’s wants and needs come into the picture, but only in a reciprocal
sense.

Level 2 Stage 3 (Interpersonal Accord and Conformity Driven)

Being moral is being “a good person in your own eyes and those of others”. What
Conventional the majority thinks is right by definition.
(Generally found in Stage 4 (Authority and Social Order Obedience Driven)
society). Being good means “doing one’s duty” – showing respect for authority and
maintaining the social order. Laws are unquestionably accepted and obeyed.
Level 3 Stage 5 (Social Contract Driven)
Individuals are viewed as holding different opinions and values. Laws are regarded
Post-conventional as social contracts rather than rigid dictums. Although laws should be respected,
(Not reached by majority individual rights can sometimes supersede these laws if they become too destructive
of adults). or restrictive.
Stage 6 (Universal Ethical Principles Driven)
Moral action is determined by our inner conscience and may or may not be in
agreement with public opinions or society’s laws. Moral reasoning is based on
abstract reasoning using universal ethical principles.
Kohlberg Moral Development
Theory
 Cognitive Development Theory
STAGE AND ACHIEVEMENTS AND
APPROXIMATE AGE ACTIVITIES
Sensorimotor Reacts to sensory stimuli through
(Birth to 1½ years) reflexes and other responses.
Preoperational Develops language; can represent
(1½ to 7 years) objects mentally by words and other
symbols; can respond to objects that
are remembered but not present.
Concrete Operations Understands conservation of mass,
(7 to 11 years) number, and volume; can reason
logically with regard to concrete
objects that can be seen or touched.
Formal Operations Can reason logically about abstract
(11 years onward) and hypothetical concepts; develops
strategies; plans actions in advance.
LIMITATIONS
Little use of language; seems not to
understand object permanence in the
early part of this stage.
Lacks operations (reversible mental
processes); lacks concept of
conservation; focuses on one property
at a time (such as length or width),
not on both at once; still has trouble
distinguishing appearance from
reality.
Has trouble reasoning about abstract
concepts and hypothetical situations.
None beyond the occasional
irrationalities of all human thought.
Piaget’s Cognitive Development
Theory
Factors Influencing Growth &
Development
A. Genetic B. Environmental
 Genetic Factors:
1. Abnormal genes from ancestors may produce different
familial disease. (Example: Hemophilia, Thalassemia)
 Genetic Factors:
2. Growth and development are also affected by
children’s chromosomal abnormalities.

Down’s Syndrome Turner’s Syndrome

 Genetic Factors:
3. On average girls are born lighter (by an ounce or two)
than boys.
 Genetic Factors:
4. In prepuberty, girls surge ahead because they begin their
growth spurt 6 months to 1 year earlier than boys. By the end of
puberty (14-16 years), boys again tend to be taller and heavier
than girls.
 Genetic Factors:
5. Growth potential of different racial groups is different in
varying context.
6. A child with high intelligence tend to advance faster in skills,
but do not generally grow faster physically than other children.
 Genetic Factors:
7. Temperament – is the usual reaction of an individual, or an
individual’s characteristic manner of thinking, behaving or
reacting to a stimuli in the environment.
 Environmental Factors:
1. Prenatal Environment
a. Maternal Malnutrition
*Dietary insuffiency and anemia lead to intra- uterine
growth retardation.
*Low birth weight and pre-term babies have poor growth
potentials.
b. Maternal Infections
*HIV,HBV may transmit to the fetus via placenta and
affect fetal growth.
*Congenital anomalies and congenital infections may
occur.
 Environmental Factors:
c. Maternal Substance Abuse
*Intake of teratogenic drugs
(Thalidomide, Phenytoin), tobacco intake and alcohol
abuse by the pregnant woman in the first trimester affects
the organogenesis and lead to congenital malformations or fetal
growth restrictions.
d. Maternal Illness
*Pregnancy Induced Hypertension, Anemia, Heart Disease,
Hypothyroidism, Diabetes Mellitus, Chronic Renal Failure
have adverse effect on fetal growth.
 Environmental Factors:
e. Hormones
*Excess insulin stimulates fetal growth leading to large size
fetus with excessive birth weight due to fetal macrosomia.

2. Postnatal Environment
a. Growth Potential
*The smaller the child at birth, the smaller he/she likely to
be in subsequent years.
b. Nutrition
*A child’s nutrition during the growing years has a major
influence on his/her health and stature.
 Environmental Factors:
*Nutrition also plays a vital role in the body’s susceptibility
to disease in the development of chronic illnesses.
3. Physical Environment
*Housing, conditions, safety measures, environmental
sanitation, etc.
 Environmental Factors:
4. Psychological Environment
*Family members, neighbors, friends, peers and teachers
are important factors for promoting emotional, social and
intellectual development.
5. Cultural Influences
*The childrearing practices, food habit, traditional beliefs,
social taboos, standard of living, etc.
6. Socio-economic Status
*Children born into families of low socioeconomic means
may not receive adequate health supervision or good nutrition.
 Environmental Factors:
7. Play and Exercise
*Play and exercise promote physiological activity and
stimulate muscular development.
 Environmental Factors:
8. Ordinal Position in the Family
*Position of the child in the family and size of the family.
*Oldest child or only child generally excels in language
development because conversations are mainly with adults.
 Trends of Development and
Characteristics of Physical
Growth
These patterns or trends are basic to all human beings, but each human
being accomplishes these in a manner and time unique to that individual.
1. Growth & development are continuous processes from
conception until death.
2. Growth & development proceed in an orderly sequence.

3. Different children pass through the predictable stages at

different rates.
4. All body systems do not develop at the same time.
5. Development is cephalocaudal (head to tail).
CEPHALOCAUDAL PRINCIPLE - The head of the organism
develops first, whereas the lower end takes shape at a later
period.
6. Development proceeds from proximal to distal (near to far)
parts.
PROXIMODISTAL PRINCIPLE - applies to the midline to
peripheral concepts.
7. Development proceeds from gross to refined skills.
8. Neonatal reflexes must be lost before the development can
proceed.
9. There is an optimum time for initiation of experiences or
learning.
CEPHALOCAUDAL PROXIMODISTAL
10. A great deal of skill and behavior is learned by practice.
 Assignment
Which is more decisive for development of a
child – genes or environment?
**white bondpaper
**minimum of 100 words
**no copying from your classmates