LIFE SPAN DEVELOPMENT - I- PRENATAL DEVELOPMENT AND INFANCY ( THEORY )

a) Pregnancy- Physiological and psychological changes, Placenta- functions, fetal blood           

circulation;  Amniotic fluid- functions.

1. Hormonal changes in pregnancy and lactation.
2. Complications during pregnancy and child birth.
3. Prenatal Development.- Stages, trimesters, Prenatal Environmental Influences, teratogens.

1. Birth process- methods of delivery, birth complications, uses of analgesia, anesthesia, oxytocics.
2. Women’s rights related to pregnancy and child birth.
3. Prematurity – Preterm, small for date, Impact of prematurity and birth weight on personality.

1. Assessment of newborn- APGAR scale, Brazelton neonatal behavioral assessment scale, Neonatal ICU network neurobehavioral scale ( NNNS )

 Infancy:

a). The neonate upto 4 weeks-Physical, physiological, cognitive, social capabilities.

b. Four weeks upto 2 Years-

1. Physical and motor- fine and gross motor skills, social development.
2. Emotional development - Primary and self conscious emotions.
3. Cognitive - attention, memory, thinking and metacognition in life span .
4. Language  development- Broca’s and Wernicke’s areas in brain, language rules- phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics and pragmatics, metalinguistic awareness, telegraphic speech.
5. Sensory and perceptual development.

1. Physiology of brain and changes during infancy.
2. Reflexes, stimulation and infant response.
3. Early environment (Critical periods). Importance-need for desirable child rearing practices, effects of  environmental deprivation, maternal-child interactions, effects of maternal deprivation, early social  experience, mothering, attachment.

1. Immunization schedule
2. The sleep / wake cycle- REM, NREM.
3. Massage therapy of infants, kangaroo care and bonding.

d). Temperament- classification, biological foundation, environmental factors, parenting babies with different temperaments.

e). SIDS, stranger anxiety/ separation protest/ social referencing.