CHARACTERISTICS
OF CHILDHOOD – DEVELOPMENTAL TASKS
“In the growth process
from infancy to adulthood, there are three clear-cut and discrete stages of
growth when one is said to become suddenly different in one stage from the
previous stage”. This means the process of development never ends with the
child’s passing from one stage of development to the next. One stage merges
with the next and that next with the fourth-coming.
Scholars have held widely
different opinions about the stages through which individual development
passes. At this process we are putting forward the classifications offered by
some leading scholars.
The classification
accepted by many scientists is the one given in the following lines. Their
study of development is based upon this classification.
1. Parental
Period – From
conception till 250 to 300 days.
i.
Germinal – 0 to 2 weeks
ii.
Embryonic - 2
to 10 weeks
iii.
Fetal – 10 weeks to
birth
2. Childhood
– From birth
to the age of 12 years
i.
Infancy – From birth
to an age of 2 years
ii.
Early childhood
– 3 to 6 years
iii.
Late
childhood – 6 to 12 years
3.
Adolescence – 13 to 19 years
4. Adulthood
- 20 years and
above
For convenience of study,
here we will classify the developmental process of an individual as follows.
i.
Parental
period - From
conception till birth.
ii.
Infancy - From birth to an age of 5 years
iii.
Childhood - 6 to 12
years of age.
iv.
Adolescence
- 12 to 19 years
Pregnancy lasts for about 280 days. In some
very exceptional cases it goes even up to 334 days or so. In some it may last
even less than 280 days.
This period of development
may be understood in the following three stages which we shall study below:
1. The ovum or
germinal stage.
2. The embryo
stage and
3. The Fetus
stage.
1. In the first germinal stage
the child comes into existence through the union of the sperm and the ova. In
this stage, the first organ to grow is the head and then subsequently the other
organs and limbs begin to sprout.
2. The embryonic stage is the second stage
which lasts from the second to the tenth week, during which various parts of
the body grow.
3. The third stage is designated
the foetal stage, which lasts till the child is born. In this period, the
mother aware of the movement of child’s limbs. Studies in prenatal conditions
begin to the 19th century.
Some of the
conclusions arrived at through these studies are:
i.
In the first two months, the size of the head is half the size of
the entire body.
ii.
In the tenth month, the head is reduced to one-fourth the size of
the body.
iii.
After the fourteenth week, the movement of the foetus becomes
perceptible.
iv.
In four months, the movement as the foetus becomes faster and more
complex. This action and reaction is fully influenced by the internal and the
external environment.
Minkowsky and others studied the foetus after caesarean section at
different stages of growth. It has been found that at the end of the second
month cotaneous stimulation elicits respond and at 14 weeks a spontaneous
reaction of organism as a whole. It is found that before birth, the organism is
capable of reacting to the internal as well as external stimuli in the
appropriate environment.
1.
Infancy: The term ‘Infancy’ is used to describe the period
from the birth of the child till he attains the age of five years. In this
period, the child attains a height of 20 inches and a body weight between 5 to
8 pounds. At this stage, the child is completely dependent upon others, his
development depend almost entirely upon other members of the family\. At this
stage child grows at a faster rate. All sorts of development and growth take a
rapid movement. In the field behavior, smooth functioning occurs.
2.
Childhood: Most scholars
have used the term ‘Childhood’ for
the period extending from 6 to 12 years. In this period, the child continues to
undergo physical development. But, apart from bodily development, the child
also experiences social, cultural and emotional development.
3.
Adolescence:
Adolescence is generally accepted as the
period between 13 years and 19 years. Western scientists have also referred to
it as the teen age. It is believed to be the most complex stage of development.
1.2
DEVELOPMENT – PROCESS AND FORM
We have just stated that there
are various stages in the development of the child in which the child’s person
develops in numerous ways. The nature of the developmental process contains
within itself physiological, mental, emotional and social elements. Hence
development takes the following forms.
i.
Physical growth and development
ii.
Mental growth and development
iii.
Emotional growth and development
iv.
Social growth and development
v.
Motor development
vi.
Language development
1.3 PHYSICAL
GROWTH & DEVELOPMENT
Physical
growth starts when union of sperm with ovum takes place. Generally full growth
of the human body completes at the adolescent stage. How this growth and
development take place is discussed in the following lines.
1.
Physical development
in Prenatal period:
Life has its
beginning not at the moment of birth but as soon as conception takes place. And
in the prenatal stage over a period of 280 days or ten lunar months, the human
body attains its maturity in the mother’s womb.
i.
Foetal or
Embryonic state: Life springs into existence when the sperm and the ovum unite with
each others. The growth that takes place from this moment till the children
emerges from the womb – the foetal or embryonic stage – passes through three
distinct periods before the process achieves completion.
The process
of the child’s birth can be divided into the following three parts, for
convenience:
a. The period
of ovum
b. The period
of embryo and
c. The period
of foetus
The child’s birth is the outcome of
this complex process which occupies a period of 9 calender months or 10 lunar
months or 280 days, although in abnormal conditions the minimum period can be a
low as seven months and the maximum 334 days.
a. The Period of ovum: The period of ovum or what can be called the
period of conception lasts for two weeks from the moment of union between the
sperm and ovum. In this period, the cells to continue to divide and subdivide.
Important changes take place in the zygote or impregnated ovum, while an
emptiness begins to develop within the cells. The impregnated ovum travels
through the fallopian tubes and reaches the uterus. By this time, it reaches a
size roughly equivalent to that of the head of a pin. In the uterus, it wanders
around for a number of days but as soon as it finds afirrns place, I adheres to
the wall of the uterus. In this position it begins to derive nutrition through
the uterus. Sometimes, the ovum sticks to the walls of the fallopian tube and begins
to grow in that place itself. Such a case is called Tubal Pregnancy.
b. The Period of Embryo: This period has its beginning two weeks after
conception and lasts for two months. It is designated the period of embryo. In
this state, as a result of the continuous process of cell division, the child
begins to assume a definite shape.
The ovum divides itself into three
layers – the external layer called the ectoderm, the middle layer the mesoderm and the third or
inner layer, the endoderm.
i.
The ectoderm or the
external layer grows into the skin, hair, nails, tooth, glands, often skin and
the sensory nerve ending.
ii.
The mesoderm grows into
the internal organs, the muscles and the glands which produce various
secretions.
iii.
The endoderm provides
the basis for the growth of the digestive system, lungs, liver, ductless
glands, thyroid, thymus and other glands and some internal organs.
[The Embryo
in the Mother’s womb]
It is, in
this stage that the embryo develops the placenta through which it receives
nutrition. Initially, it has the shape of a thread but gradually it changes
into a vessel or tube. The embryo and the placenta are connected to each other
through the umbilical cord which is connected with the placenta at one end and
the intestinal wall of the embryo at the others. As time passes, it acquires
the thickness of the thumb.
During the embryonic
stage, the ernibioditic sack also grows. It is a sack containing water of fluid
which protects the embryo from injury. As the embryo grows, this sack also
enlarges itself. The fluid filling this sac proves useful in the delivery of
the child at the moment of birth. With the formation of the placenta and the
umbilical cord, the foetus receives oxygen, water and nutrition from the
mother’s blood. Besides, the placenta also performs the important function of a
complex filter.
[Relationship of Mother and Child]
At the end of the second
lunar month, the embryo attains a length between 2 to 4 inches and a weight of
approximately 2 grams. All this time the growth is 2,00,000 times. The head of
the child grows before the other organs are formed. In the head, the sockets
and the various parts of the face become perceptible. At the same time, the
formation of the torso the main part of the body not including head, arms,
legs, liver, intestines, sex organs, arms, bones, etc is also initiated. This
is a very hazardous period because even the slightest lack of caution on the
part of the mother or the father can lead to abortion or miscarriage. It is in
this stage that the woman’s organs to suffer abnormalities and many other
diseases such as RH Factor, deficiency of vitamins, malnutrition, thyroidal
deficiency etc, communicate themselves to the foetus.
[Initial Stages of Development]
c. The Period of Foetus:
This stage
starts from the second month of the pregnancy and continues till the moment of
the child’s birth, that is, it continues till the tenth lunar or ninth calendar
month. In the third month, the foetus is 3.5” long and 4 ounces in weight. Two
months later, it attains a lengths of 10 inches and a weight of about 9 to 10
ounces. In the eight month, it achieves a length between 16 to 18 inches and a
weight from 4 to 5 pounds, while at the time of birth, the foetus has a height
of 20 inches and weight between 7 to 7.5 pounds.
In this period, many important
changes take place in the structure of the nose, mouth, throat etc. Lanugo hair
also grows during this period, though its color changes at the time of birth.
The heart also begins to beat, just as the digestive system begins to grow. In
this period, sensitivity to sensations of beat, hearing, taste, smell, pain,
etc. and the muscles which maintain balance also begin to grow.
Fig: 1 – Position of Foetus Fig: 2 – Birth of Infant
During First Labor Pain
This period
is almost completely free from the problems of pregnancy, the only thing
needing attention being the care to prevent a premature delivery. If such a
coincidence does occurs, very great attention is required.
The mother comes to know
of the time of her child’s delivery because the first pains of labor indicate
this fact. Consequently, the time for making preparations for delivery also
arrives. The position of the foetus in the womb at the time of initial labor
pains is indicated in figure. The second or final labor pain is indicative of
the fact that the child is about to enter the world. The amniotic sack bursts
and the fluid contained inside it lubricates the mother’s vaginal passage to
facilitate the child’s delivery into the world. Fig. 1 shows the position of
foetus during first labor pain and Fig. 2 shows the child’s state at the moment
of birth.
Factors
influencing the prenatal period:
There are
numerous factors which influences the embryo or foetus in the prenatal stage
and these factors have a profound impact upon the physical and mental
development of the foetus. Many researches have been conducted into this state
and it has been proved that the food investigated by the mother has a very deep
impact upon the development of the embryo.
According to
scientists, the factors which influence the embryo are the following:
1.
Food: During
pregnancy, the embryo grows at a very rapid pace and hence it has great need
for proteins, vitamins, carbohydrates and other nutritive elements, since these
alone ensure its balanced growth. In this condition, if the mother does not get
a balanced diet or if she suffers from malnutrition, it is only natural that
this will have an adverse effect upon the growth of the embryo also. Lack of a
balanced diet means the birth of a weak, unhealthy baby or a baby lacking
normal height and weight.
2.
The Health
of the Mother: The embryo will be profoundly and harmfully affected if the mother
is suffered syphilis, gonorrhea, endocrine or any chronic diseases may lead to
miscarriage. Doctors have observed many ill-effects of small pox, the RH factor
in the blood, X-rays and radium upon the health of the foetus. These diseases
and external factors often result in the birth of children with malformed
bodies and defective brains.
3.
Alcohol: It has been
observed that, at present the tendency to consume alcohol is increasing among
ladies in our country. Alcohol has a definite impact upon the health of the
foetus. Confirming the gradual effect of alcohol. Pearl has opined that it does
not have fatal or disastrous effects, but it does weaken the children’s
reproductive organs.
4.
Tobacco: As in case
of alcohol, tobacco also has an adverse effect because it leads to the problem
of blood pressure and this weakens the heart of the child in the uterus. Besides,
it also interferes with lactation and leads to paucity of milk in the mother’s
breasts.
5.
Emotionality:
If the
mother is excessively emotional, her heightened emotions of joy and sorrow,
both affect the child in her womb. Woman inclined to excessively anxiety or
tension after suffer from blood pressure and other problems.
6.
The Age of
the parents: The effect of age of parents has upon the expected child are under
study at present. Despite this, it has already been noticed that children of
young parents usually have a higher intelligent quotient than the children born
to elderly parents. It has also been observed that children of parents having
more or less the same age have a relatively higher intelligence quotient. A
child’s birth involves a physical as well as emotional crisis for the mother
and it is believed that in the act of giving birth to her child a mother is
reborn. As a consequence here entire love, loyalty, faith and maternal feelings
focus themselves upon the child and the mother and her child live in an
exclusive world of their own. In this modern age, which has attained access to
such a vast reservoir of knowledge, it is essential for all young boys and
girls, who are potential mothers and fathers to have proper knowledge of the
care necessary in the prenatal stage.
