What Will You Know?

1. Do children eat too much, too little, or just the right amount?

   In cultures in which food is abundant, the most common nutritional problem is overfeeding. Nonetheless, many young children suffer from poor nutrition because they fill up on non–nutritive foods and miss out on necessary vitamins.

2. Does brain maturation make children laugh or cry too quickly?

   As the brain matures, children become better at controlling their emotions. The maturing frontal lobe leads to fewer temper tantrums, uncontrollable laughter, and uncontrollable tears. Impulse control is still developing as the prefrontal cortex is still mostly immature. This leads to impulsiveness and perseveration in young children. Certain structures in the limbic system (e.g., the hippocampus, amygdala, and hypothalamus) can be altered by exposure to stress hormones during development. As a result, there may be impairments of emotional regulation and expression.

3. If children never climb up trees or wade in water, do they suffer?

   Not necessarily. Many North American 5–year–olds can ride a tricycle, climb a ladder, and pump a swing, as well as throw, catch, and kick a ball. A few can do these things by age 3, and some 5–year–olds can already skate, dive, and ride a bike—activities that demand balanced coordination and use of both brain hemispheres. Elsewhere, some 5–year–olds swim in oceans or climb cliffs. Brain maturation, motivation, and guided practice undergird all motor skills. Adults need to make sure children have a safe space to play with time, appropriate equipment, and playmates. Children learn best from peers who demonstrate whatever the child is ready to try, from catching a ball to climbing a tree. Of course, culture and locale influence particulars: Some small children learn to ski, others to sail. However, environmental concerns worry many childhood educators who believe that children need space and freedom to play in order to develop well. Some children, because of dangerous and polluted environments, have underdeveloped motor skills as well as more learning problems than their peers in safe, clean environments.

4. Are accidents accidental?

   Accident implies that an injury is random, unpredictable; if anyone is at fault, it's a careless parent or an accident–prone child. This is called the “accident paradigm”—as if “injuries will occur despite our best efforts,” allowing the public to feel blameless. Injury control suggests that the impact of an injury can be limited if appropriate controls are in place, and harm reduction implies that harm can be minimized. Minor mishaps (scratches and bruises) are bound to occur, but serious injury is unlikely if a child falls on a safety surface instead of on concrete, if a car seat protects the body in a crash, if a bicycle helmet cracks instead of a skull, or if swallowed pills come from a tiny bottle. Reducing harm from childhood behavior can be accomplished by a concerted effort of professionals and parents.

5. Which is worse, neglect or abuse?

   Child maltreatment includes both child abuse, which is deliberate action that is harmful to a child's physical, emotional, or sexual well–being, and child neglect, which is failure to meet essential physical or emotional needs. Neglect may be worse than abuse. It also is the most common and most frequently fatal form of child maltreatment. About three times as many neglect as abuse cases occur in the United States, a ratio probably found in many other nations.

1. Body Changes

   Growth Patterns

   Nutrition

2. Brain Development

   Speed of Thought

   The Brain’s Connected Hemispheres

   Emotions and the Brain

3. Improving Motor Skills

   Gross Motor Skills

   a view from science: Eliminating Lead

   Fine Motor Skills

   Artistic Expression

4. Injuries and Abuse

   Avoidable Injury

   a case to study: “My Baby Swallowed Poison”

   Prevention

5. Child Maltreatment

   Definitions and Statistics

   Frequency of Maltreatment

   Consequences of Maltreatment

   Prevention