Summary:
There is always debate on how a child grows and learns. Some argue that it has to do with genetic factors. Others say it has to do with environmental influences. Whatever the case is, our children learn and grow and become proud babies. There are psychologists who focus their study on child development, and they have found rarity in children, such as prodigies. There are many stages in child development since the time the sperm meets the egg. Parental involvement and environmental influences play a huge role in producing a child and his or her personality and sense of self and belonging.
Tobacco, alcohol, and drugs can affect the infant when he or she is in the womb. The mother’s nutrition is so important that it affects the health of the newborn. There are several tests mothers can take during pregnancy to check on their babies. However, there are still babies born with deficiencies. After birth, the child uses his surroundings, feelings, and other methods and clues to help him or her learn about the world, him or herself and his or her family. Through different stages spread through the child’s lifespan, he or she develops into a grown elderly.
Key Terms:
• Reactive attachment disorder – a psychiatric illness marked by serious problems in emotional attachments to others beginning before age 5
• Nature-nurture question – wonders how much nature and how much nurture contributes to a person’s biological, emotional, cognitive, personal, and social development
• Developmental psychologists – study a person’s biological, emotional, cognitive, personal, and social development across the lifespan
• Prodigy – a child who shows a highly unusual talent, ability or genius at a very early age and does not have mental retardation
• Prenatal stage – extends from conception of birth and last about 266 days
• Ovulation – release of an ovum or egg cell from a women’s ovaries
• Conception/fertilization – occurs if