🌱 Growth & Development Cram
Newborn to adolescent · highest-yield points
1Growth vs development
Growth = size (wt, length, head circ)
Development = skills
Gross motor: head → toe · fine motor: center → periphery. Compare to the child's own trajectory. Preterm? Use corrected age.
2Theories — Erikson / Piaget
Infant: trust / sensorimotor
Toddler: autonomy / → preoperational
Preschool: initiative / preoperational
School age: industry / concrete
Adolescent: identity / formal
Trust = needs met · autonomy = "me do it" · industry = competence · formal = abstract "what if" thinking.
3Infant
Wt doubles 4–5 mo · triples 12 mo
Roll → sit → crawl → stand
Transfer → pincer grasp · coo → babble → words. Respond consistently (builds trust). Back to sleep. Stranger/separation anxiety = normal.
4Toddler
3–5 lb + 3 in / year
Walk → run → climb · 2-word phrases ~2 yr
Two realistic choices, simple directions. Parallel play (beside, not with) = normal. Food jags OK. Dangers: poisoning, drowning, burns, falls.
5Preschooler
4–5 lb + 2.5–3 in / year
Hop → balance → skip · stories
Magical thinking → may believe illness is punishment. Explain in concrete words, use play, invite participation.
6School age
2–2.5 in + 4–7 lb / year
Reading · writing · coordination
Concrete reasoning → teach with real examples. Explain what + why, give a useful role. Watch: peers, body image, bullying.
7Adolescent
Puberty · timing varies
Abstract / hypothetical thought
Speak directly to them · protect privacy · explain confidentiality limits. Assess: body image, mood, sexual health, substances, injuries.
8Play by stage
Infant: solitary sensory
Toddler: PARALLEL
Preschool: associative + imaginative
School age: cooperative, rule-based
Adolescent: peer-centered
Traps: toddler + board game = wrong stage · infant + beads = choking · school-age + rattle = wrong level.
9Safety by stage
Infant: sleep · choking · falls · car seat
Toddler: water · poisons · burns · traffic
School age: bike · sports · pedestrian
Teen: vehicles · substances · firearms
Toddler never alone by water, even briefly. Nutrition: never force a preschooler to finish meals.
10Red flags
No words by 12 mo · loss of a skill
Preschooler avoids peers
Teen: behavior change · isolation · suicidal thoughts
School problems → check hearing, vision, social, learning. Teen red flags → assess safety promptly.