principles of human growth and development the term growth and development both refers to dynamic process often used interchangeably these terms have different meanings growth and development are interdependent interrelated process growth generally takes place during the first 20 years of life development continues after that growth is physical change and increase in size it can be measured quantitatively indicators of growth includes height weight bone size and dentition growth rates vary during different stages of growth and development the growth rate is rapid during the prenatal neonatal infancy and adolescent stages and slows during childhood physical growth is minimal during adulthood development is an increase in the complexity of function and skill progression it is the capacity and skill of a person to adapt to the environment development is the behavioral aspect of growth development development synonymous with maturation used to indicate an increase in skills or the ability to function qualitative change can be measured by the ff observing child's ability to perform specific tasks by recording the parents description of child's progress by using standardized tests such as denver 2 denver 2 test denver developmental screening test 2 125 easily administered developmental test items with age norm presented in a convenient one-page format principles of growth and development growth and development are continuous process from conception until death growth and development proceed in an orderly sequence different children pass through the predictable stages at different rates all body systems do not develop at the same rate development is cephalocaudal development proceeds from proximal to distal body parts development proceeds from gross to refined skills there is an optimum time for initiation of experiences or learning neonatal reflexes must be lost before development can proceed a great deal of skill and behavior is learned by practice types of development psychosexual development specific type of development that refers to developing instinct or sensual pleasure psychosocial development refers to stages of personality development ericsson moral development is the ability to know right from wrong and to apply this to real life situation kohlberg 4.cognitive development refers to the ability to learn or understand from experience to acquire and retain knowledge to respond to new situation to solve problem measured by intelligence tests and by observing a child's ability to function effectively in his slash her environment freud's psychosexual development theory ericsson's stages of psychosocial development theory havigerst's developmental stage and tasks levinson's seasons of adulthood sullivan's interpersonal model of personality development piaget's phases of cognitive development kohlberg's stages of moral development gilligan's theory of moral development fowler's stages of faith physiologic and structural changes respiratory rate and pulse rate decrease sharply during the first two years and then more gradually throughout childhood blood pressure rises steadily beginning at approximately 6 yrs of age development of the paranasal sinuses continues throughout childhood the ethmoid maxillary and sphenoid sinuses are present from birth the ethmoid reaches its maximum size relatively early in childhood 7 to 14 yrs of age others reach their maximum size after puberty lymphoid tissues develop rapidly reaching adult size by six years of age and continue to hypertrophy throughout childhood and early adolescence before receding to adult size the metabolism of medication and child's response to them change rapidly in the first month of life and again under the hormonal influences in puberty nutritional needs as well as a wide variety of biochemical and hematologic values undergo marked developmental changes developmental stages importance of knowledge of growth and development 1. health promotion and illness prevention 2 health restoration and maintenance factors that affect growth and development genetics environment