Physical Development in Late Childhood
Anorexia nervosa
A condition in which individuals intentionally restrict their food intake to a point that it may become life threatening Indicators: Intense fear of gaining weight Having an unusual interest in food, calories, nutrition, or cooking Strange eating habits or routines, such as eating in secret Wearing loose clothing to hide weight loss
Secondary sex characteristics: associated with gender but not directly involved with the sex organs
Breast development for girls, voice deepening for boys, body hair
Bulimia nervosa
Eating disorder that is characterized by eating binges in which enormous amounts of food are consumed, followed by self-induced vomiting. Indicators: Going to the bathroom immediately after eating Damaged teeth and gums Swollen salivary glands in the cheeks (chipmunk cheeks) Sores, scars or calluses on the knuckles or hands Scratchy or raspy voice quality Short-term physical symptoms that develop: Abnormal bowel functioning Bloating Dehydration Fainting Seizure Fatigue Dry skin Long-term effects: Extreme social isolation Inability to sleep Fractured relationships with family and friends Forced withdrawal from school or college Infertility
Compulsive Overeating or "Binge Eating"
Feeling incapable of controlling how much or how often one eats. Indicators: Weight is focus of life Fear of not being able to stop eating voluntarily Self-deprecating thoughts following binges Feeling tormented by eating habits
Timing of Puberty
For some girls, precocious puberty has been reported as early as 6 or 7 years of age Heredity & Weight Timing of puberty can have significant impacts on development: Early Boys - Positive, Successful Early Girls - Negative, ↑ MH, physical, & socio- emotional problems
Short-term physical symptoms of Anorexia Nervosa
Low tolerance of cold weather Brittle hair and nails Dry or yellowing skin Anaemia Constipation Swollen joints Tooth decay New growth of thin hair over the body
Primary sex characteristics: organs necessary for reproduction
Menarche for girls, spermarche for boys
Physical Development in Late Childhood
Period of rapid physical changes. Prepubescence refers to the years immediately before puberty when hormonal changes begin. Timing of prepubescence can have cognitive and socio-emotional implications
Brain Development in Late Childhood
The brain continues to develop through late childhood & adolescence. Development is still occurring in the prefrontal cortex (reasoning, judgment and impulse control). In Late Childhood there is another overproduction of synapses, this time in the frontal lobes of the brain. Synaptic pruning usually complete by age 12. In the prefrontal cortex, the process is not complete until well into adolescence or early adulthood
Puberty
physical changes that occur in adolescence that make an individual capable of sexual reproduction Many factors, including heredity, diet, health, body type, weight, and racial background, affect the timing of puberty
