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Features of the development of the body of children, hygienic value. Age characteristics of preschool and school children

During the first six years of life, the child grows and develops intensively. The bone and muscular systems are actively formed. The skeleton of a child is different from that of an adult. The newborn has a large head, a massive torso, and short arms and legs. The length of the lower segment of the trunk (pubic articulation), which is 38% of the total body length in a newborn, increases to 42% at three years old, and at six years old it reaches 49.5%.

The skeletal system of a preschooler is rich in cartilage tissue. The bones are soft, flexible, not strong enough. They contain a significant amount of water and only 13% of mineral salts. The joints are very mobile, the ligamentous apparatus is easily stretched, the tendons are weaker and shorter than in adults. Ossification of the musculoskeletal system begins in children 2-63 years old. During this period, bends are formed in the cervical, thoracic, lumbar spine. However, the lumbar column is very elastic and due to unfavorable environmental conditions, various posture disorders occur.

Muscles in preschool children are relatively poorly developed and account for 20-25% of body weight. The flexor muscles are more developed than the extensor muscles, so children often take the wrong posture: the head is lowered, the shoulders are brought forward, the back is stooped. Muscle development occurs in a specific sequence. First, large muscle groups develop, later small ones. Therefore, small children find it easier to move with the whole hand. Muscle fatigue in preschoolers comes on very quickly.

The skin of a child is much thinner and softer than that of an adult. She is more easily injured. The blood vessels of the skin are elastic and contain large amounts of blood. Through thin skin, blood easily gives off its warmth. The thermal equilibrium of the body is disturbed faster than that of an adult.

The cardiovascular system undergoes morphological and functional changes in the preschool period. The heart mass increases from 70.8 g in a 3-4 year old child to 92.3 g in a 6 year old child. Heart rate (HR) fluctuates in children of younger and preschool age in the range of 85-105 beats / min, older 78-99 beats / min, and girls have 5-7 beats more than boys. The pulse changes depending on the physiological state of the body: during sleep it slows down, during wakefulness it becomes more frequent. Deviations in blood pressure are relatively rare. Normally, systolic pressure at the age of three is 103 mm Hg, 4 years -104, at 5 years-105, at 6 years-106 mm Hg.

Prolonged physical and mental 5 stress can adversely affect the activity of the heart and lead to impaired cardiac activity. Therefore, great care must be taken when dosing physical activity on the child's body.

The developmental feature of the child's respiratory system is different. By the age of 3-4, the thoracic type of breathing is established, but by the age of 6 the structure of the lung tissue is not yet completed. The upper airways are relatively narrow, which limits the possibility of pulmonary ventilation. The ribcage is, as it were, raised, and the ribs cannot descend at the exit as low as in an adult, therefore, children are not able to take deep breaths and exhalations. A significantly larger amount of blood flows through the lungs of a preschool child than an adult. This satisfies the oxygen demand of the child's body caused by the intensive metabolism.

During the period of preschool childhood, the most complex process of formation of the nervous system is carried out. The main differentiation of nerve cells occurs before the age of three and almost ends at the end of preschool age. With the development of the nervous system, static and dynamic functions of balance are formed, however, great excitability, reactivity and high plasticity of the nervous system remain. The most important feature of the development of the nervous system of a preschooler is the predominance of excitement over inhibition, instability of attention, impulsivity in behavior, great emotionality, concreteness of perception and thinking.

The development of a preschooler child from 3 to 7 years old. Every day you notice how your child grows more mature. A three-year-old man already knows how to do a lot himself: he dresses, puts away his toys. He falls asleep adults with endless "why", is very impressionable and mobile. Sometimes it seems that he is mobile even beyond measure. But do not limit the child's need for movement with phrases: “don't run,” “don't jump,” “sit still,” etc. Try to direct the child's mobility in the right direction: for the formation of the necessary skills, for health promotion, for education.

If up to 3 years of age the child is accustomed to the correct regimen, to hardening, then you need to continue what you started. But in case you missed something, do not despair, everything can be fixed. The main thing is not to put it on the back burner, because with every lost day, damage is done to the health and upbringing of the child. Your son or daughter, grandson or granddaughter needs no less care, knowledge and diligence than in the first years of life.

At the preschool age, habits and character traits begin to form, the necessary skills are acquired and consolidated, the foundation of the child's health and physical development is laid.

Children from 3 to 7 years old grow quickly, lose their roundness and become, as it were, thinner than at an early age. They have insufficient body stability and some limited motor abilities.

Games:

Preschoolers learn life skills through play. While playing, they, first of all, enter into complex relationships with peers, learn to provide help, to give in. The child's abilities are manifested in the game: ingenuity, courage and dexterity. Therefore, children's games should not be treated as something frivolous. Outdoor games should be alternated with calm ones. A child 4 years old and older can already master basic sports skills: swimming, ice skating, skiing. There is an opinion that young children are just getting ready for real life. But this is not true. A small person lives a rich life, with the full dedication of his strength. In order for him to have vivid unforgettable childhood impressions, do not deprive him of the joy of the experiences that physical education gives.

Preschooler child development. Nervous system:

At preschool age, the maturation of nerve cells in the child's brain ends, and at the age of 5-6 years, his brain approaches the brain of an adult in weight and appearance. However, the nervous system of children is still easily excitable, and requires a careful attitude. From prolonged and unbearable loads, the child develops excessive fatigue.

The child's life experience expands, he is deeper interested in others, often asks questions and willingly listens to explanations from adults. The vocabulary increases and the child's speech improves. And although children 3-7 years old are very susceptible, the acquired skills are not immediately consolidated and are easily violated. In preschool age, the processes of excitation of the nervous system prevail over the processes of inhibition - this must be taken into account.

Preschooler child development. Musculoskeletal system:

The development of the musculoskeletal system in this age period is uneven.

  • In children 3-4 years old, weight per year increases by 1.5-2 kg on average, and growth by 4-6 cm.
  • At the age of 5, the weight increases by 1-1.5 kg, and the growth by 2-4 cm, the body becomes stronger.
  • During 6 years of life, the child gains weight by 3 kg, and his height - by 6-8 cm. The proportions of the body change markedly, the body's endurance increases.

The average data of height, weight, chest circumference are given:

Boys:

3 years - height - 92.7 cm, weight - 14.6 kg, chest circumference - 52.6 cm.

4 years - height - 99.3 cm, weight - 16.1 kg, chest circumference - 53.9 cm.

5 years - height - 106.5 cm, weight - 18.1 kg, chest circumference - 55.5 cm.

6 years old - height - 112.8 cm, weight - 20.2 kg, chest circumference - 57.6 cm.

Girls:

3 years - height - 91.6 cm, weight - 14.1 kg, chest circumference - 52.0 cm.

4 years - height - 98.4 cm, weight - 15.8 kg, chest circumference - 53.2 cm.

5 years - height - 105.4 cm, weight - 17.7 kg, chest circumference - 54.7 cm.

6 years old - height - 112.5 cm, weight - 19.9 kg, chest circumference - 56.6 cm.

Despite the fact that in children under 7 years of age, the blood supply to the bones is better than in adults, the bone-educational process is incomplete in most bones. The development of the skeleton in preschoolers is not yet complete, the bones are soft and pliable, cartilaginous tissue predominates in them, which contributes to further growth.

By the age of 6-7 years, the horizontal position of the ribs is gradually smoothed out, which at a young age limited the excursion of the chest.

Ossification of the extremities in children under 7 years old is very intense, and only from 5-6 years old the fusion of the pelvic bones begins.

Muscle tissue grows by thickening muscle fibers - aided by exercise. First of all, the muscles of the legs and pelvis develop, and from 6-7 years the muscles of the arms. But it must be remembered that due to the weakness of the musculoskeletal system and rapid muscle fatigability, children under 7 years of age are not capable of prolonged muscle tension.

Preschooler child development. The cardiovascular system:

The cardiovascular system of preschoolers is well suited to the requirements of their growing body. Unlike adults, blood vessels in children are much wider, blood circulates freely through them, the blood circulation rate is higher, which makes it easy to satisfy the increased need for blood supply to the tissues of the child's body. In children from 3 to 7 years old, the mean arterial pressure is 73-76 mm Hg. The pulse depends on the child's age: the younger the age, the higher the heart rate. At 3-4 years old, the pulse is 100-110 beats per minute, at 5-6 years old - 90-100 beats / min. During physical exertion, the child's heart muscle quickly gets tired and the rhythm of its contractions is easily disturbed, but with a change in activity, the heart quickly calms down.

Preschooler child development. Respiratory system:

In preschool children, the respiratory organs have physiological characteristics. Until 7 years of age, the lung tissue is not yet fully developed. The lungs and nasal passages are narrow and this makes it difficult for air to enter the lungs. The diaphragm (abdominal muscular obstruction) stands high and during breathing it limits the vibrations of the chest. A child has shallower and more rapid breathing than an adult. The high oxygen demand is satisfied by the respiration rate. Younger preschoolers have 26-28 breaths per minute, older preschoolers have 23-25 ​​breaths per minute. Shallow breathing impairs the ventilation of the lungs in children and causes a slight stagnation of air in them. Therefore, it is very important to do physical exercises mainly in the fresh air and teach the child to breathe correctly. Breathe deeply while running and jumping.

Preschooler child development. Metabolism:

The developing body of preschoolers requires continuous replenishment of energy costs and the supply of plastic substances for the construction of organs and tissues. The processes of assimilation of nutrients in children exceed the processes of their combustion and decay. Most of the energy in a child is spent on growth and deposition, and not on muscle work, as in adults.

Preschooler child development. Movement development in children:

At 3-4 years old, children's movements differ significantly from movements at 5-6 years old. When walking and running, younger preschoolers have no clarity of movements, they lose balance and often fall, the pace of movements is uneven, while running - a small mincing step. Many children lean on their entire feet when running and do not push off well from the ground. Such children cannot yet jump high over obstacles, even 5-10 cm from the floor, and cannot jump on one leg.

Younger preschool children willingly play with the ball, but their eyes are poorly developed, their movements are not coordinated enough, so it is difficult for them to hit the target with the ball, catch the ball and throw it far.

Younger preschoolers quickly get tired of monotonous movements, are distracted, their attention is unstable.

Movements become more coordinated by the age of 4.5-5 years - they can jump, they jump over small obstacles, they throw and catch the ball better. But it is still difficult for them to throw the ball at a distance and hit the target, because the eye and muscles are underdeveloped.

At the age of 6, children run easily and rhythmically, jump in length and height, on one leg.

The further development of movements in a preschooler child occurs with systematic exercises.

Knowledge of the age-related characteristics of a child's development facilitates the construction of a physical education system at this age, helps in the correct construction of physical education classes (drawing up programs, selecting and dosing exercises, choosing a method of physical and motor training, etc.). Helps to monitor the physical and mental development of children.

The first years of a child's life are characterized by rapid growth and development of the body. Morphological indicators are intensively increasing: height and body weight, chest girth (table 1).

The weight of newborn girls averages 3.3 kg, boys - 3.4 kg by the year the weight triples. In the second year of life, the child gains 2.5-3.5 kg, in the third year, 1.5-2.0 kg. In the fourth, fifth and sixth years of life, the annual increase is 1.5-2.0 kg. From the age of 7, an increased increase in body weight begins.

Similar to changes in mass, growth gains are uneven. The average height of newborns is 50 cm. During the first year of life, the growth of the child increases by 25 cm. During the second and third years, he is added annually by 8 cm, and from 4 to 7 years, the annual growth rate is 5-7 cm.

Table 1 Average indicators of body weight and height of healthy children of early and preschool age (according to Yu.F. Zmanovsky, 1989)

When a baby is born, the circumference of his head is greater than the circumference of his chest. The circumference of the head of a newborn baby is 34 cm, and the circumference of the chest is 33 cm. During the first year of life, the circumference of the head increases by 12 cm, becoming equal to 46 cm; in the second year, the head circumference increases only by 2 cm, over the next 4 years, the head circumference increases by another 3 cm, and by the age of 6 years its size is 51 cm.The chest circumference by the end of the first year of life reaches 48 cm, at 5 years old - 56 cm , at 15 years old - 73 cm.

Age-related changes in body proportions. In a newborn, the length of the head is 1/4 of the total height, in a 2-year-old - 1/5, in a 6-year-old -1/6, and in an adult -1/8. In newborns, the length of the upper and lower limbs is approximately the same and is 1/3 of the height. By the age of 7, the legs are lengthened from 18 cm to 57 cm, that is, more than three times. During the same period, the length of the arms increases slightly more than 2 times and becomes equal to 41 cm. The body increases to 37 cm, i.e., 2 times. Over the entire period of development, the length of the legs increases 5 times, arms - 4 times, and the trunk - 3 times.

From 2-3 years old, the formation of bone tissue with a lamellar structure begins. The process of ossification of the skeleton occurs gradually, throughout the entire period of childhood. The formation of physiological curves of the spine in the cervical, thoracic and lumbar regions continues throughout the preschool period (when the child begins to hold his head, lie on his back, sit, walk). The spine of children is distinguished by mobility, its physiological curves are unstable and smoothed out when the child lies. The soft mass of the skeleton easily lends itself to influences that change its shape: incorrect body position when sitting, standing, lying. Incorrect postures quickly become habitual, posture disorders appear, which negatively affect the function of blood circulation, respiration, and improper bone growth occurs.

The skeletal system in children is richer in cartilage than in adults. Therefore, the bones of the child are soft, flexible, do not have sufficient strength, easily lend themselves to curvature and acquire an irregular shape under the influence of unfavorable external factors (physical exercises that do not correspond to the functional and age-related capabilities of children, clothes, shoes, furniture, etc. that do not correspond to the growth of the child, etc.). ).

The formation of the arch of the foot begins in the first year of life, most intensively - with the beginning of walking and continues in preschool age.

In normal walking, the feet are placed in relation to the median (sagittal) plane of the body at an angle of up to 35 degrees. This is the most advantageous support. In most children, when walking, the feet are parallel, and in small children they are slightly turned inward. If the angle of separation of the feet of children is wider than their own palm, then an overload of the inner arch of the feet is created under the weight of the body. This is one of the reasons for the collapse of the arch, that is, the formation of flat feet.

Therefore, it is necessary to pay special attention to the selection of appropriate shoes (with heels), to use exercises to strengthen and correct the formation of the arch of the foot.

The muscular system in a young child is still insufficiently developed in comparison with an adult, and muscle mass is about 25% of his body weight, while in an adult it is on average 40-43%. In children of younger preschool age, the extensor muscles are underdeveloped and rather weak, so the child often takes incorrect postures: a lowered head, reduced shoulders, stooped back. By the age of 5, the mass of the muscles increases significantly, in particular, the muscles of the lower extremities grow, the strength and performance of the muscles increase. Muscle strength indicators reflect both the characteristics of age-related development and the influence of physical education. The strength of the hand muscles increases from 3.5-4 kg at the age of 3-4 years to 13-15 kg by the age of 7 years. From the age of 4, there are differences in indicators for boys and girls. The strength of the muscles of the trunk (back strength) by the age of 7 increases almost 2 times from 15-17 kg in 3-4 years to 32-34 kg.

A feature of the central nervous system of a child in the first years of life is the incompleteness of the morphological structure and functional development of the cerebral cortex.

At this age, the nervous processes are not strong enough and mobile, however, conditioned reflex connections are very strong and very difficult to alter. Therefore, in the process of physical education, it is necessary to teach children how to correctly perform this or that exercise, since the skill that has arisen is firmly and permanently fixed. Simple movements memorized with mistakes will make it impossible in the future to correctly form more complex motor skills.

During the preschool period, there is a pronounced restructuring of the activity of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems to a more economical and efficient level of functioning, in connection with which the possibilities of children increase when performing muscular activity.

In the first years of life, the child's cardiovascular system undergoes significant morphological and functional changes. The weight of the heart increases from 70.8 g in children 3-4 years old to 92.3 g at 6-7 years old, which increases the strength of heart contractions and increases the efficiency of the heart.

The number of heartbeats in newborns 120-140, at 1 year 120-125, at 2 years 110-115, 3 years 105-110, 4 years 100-105, 5 years 98-100, 6 years 90-95, 7 years 85 -90. There were gender differences in heart rate: in boys, less often than in girls of the same age.

Blood pressure increases with age: in the first year of life, it is 80-85 / 55-60 mm Hg. Art., at the age of 3-7 years ranges from 80-110 / 50-70 mm Hg. Art. The working capacity of the heart increases, the adaptive ability to physical activity increases: the value of the indicators of the cardiovascular system (pulse, blood pressure, stroke and minute volumes of blood circulation) decreases in response to standard muscle load, and the recovery period is shortened.

The respiratory rate decreases with age: by the end of the first year of life it is equal to 30 - 35 per minute, by the end of the third - 25-30, and at 4-7 years - 26-22. With age, the depth of breathing and pulmonary ventilation increase, oxygen consumption increases almost 2 times. These data indicate that the functional capabilities of children are great and fully meet the needs of growth and development.

An increase in the level of morphological and functional development of the main systems of the body also provides an increase in the physical performance of children. The ability to perform continuous work increases from 10 to 25-30 minutes, while the total volume of work increases by about 2.5 times.

Active movements in two-year-old children account for 70% of the waking time, and in three-year-old children - at least 60%. With age, the number of movements in children increases. The intensity of physical activity - the average number of movements per minute - is approximately 38-41 in children 2 years old, 43-50 - 2.5 years old, 44-51 - 3 years old. Children are characterized by frequent changes in movements and postures - up to 550-1000 times a day. Taking into account this feature, it is necessary to provide a variety of motor activity of children, creating conditions for different movements.

Failure to comply with the age characteristics and capabilities of the child in the learning process, and so on. the acceleration of the pace of education of children causes unbearable stress on the body, which is harmful to the health and neuropsychic development of children. Knowledge of the developmental features of the body of preschool children is a prerequisite for building physical education classes.

A person develops throughout his life, but especially intense changes occur in childhood. The development of a growing organism is subject to certain patterns inherent in different age periods.

In children under 7 years of age, three age periods are conventionally distinguished, differing in the developmental features of both individual organs and systems, and the whole organism as a whole: the period of infancy - from birth to 1 year, the period of early age - from 1 to 3 years and the preschool period age - from 3 to 7 years.

Each age period has its own characteristics of the anatomical structure, physiological functions and metabolism, which must be taken into account when organizing the child's nutrition.

The period of infancy is characterized by rapid growth, development and improvement of all organs and systems.

A full-term baby is born with an average body weight of 3200-3400 g, a height of 49-51 cm. Boys are usually larger than girls.

A child grows most vigorously in the first months of life, then the growth rate slows down somewhat. So, in the first 3 months of life, a child on average adds 3 cm in height per month, from 4th to 6th - 2.5-2 cm per month, in the second half of the year - 2-1.5 cm in month. Thus, by 6 months of age, the child grows by 15-16 cm, and for the entire first year of life - by 25-27 cm.

The increase in body weight, as well as growth, is more intense at the beginning: in the first month of life, the child adds 600 g, during the second and third months of life - 800-900 g, and then during each subsequent month the child adds 50 g less than the previous one.

Thus, a child born with average body weight doubles by 5 months of age and triples by 11-12.

To find out what height and body weight a child should have in the first year of life, it is necessary to add the corresponding indicators of an increase in height and body weight over the lived period to the indicators at birth. At the same time, it is convenient to use a table of average indicators of an increase in height and body weight of children in the first year of life.

The first year of a child's life is also distinguished by the intensive development of the central nervous system, the formation of active movements, various skills and abilities. At the age of one month, the baby already holds his head well, reacts to sounds, smiles. At 3 months, the range of motion increases: the child turns from back to side, begins to grasp objects, clearly determines the direction of sound, recognizes loved ones. At 6 months, the baby turns well from back to stomach and back, begins to crawl, pronounces individual syllables. At 8-9 months, the child sits down on his own, gets up and moves around the support, babbles a lot. At the age of one year, the baby usually begins to walk without support, pronounces 10-12 words, knows how to drink from a cup, and tries to eat with a spoon on his own.

During the first year of life, many significant changes occur in the child's body, consisting in the maturation and formation of all organs and tissues. The bone skeleton becomes more dense, muscle mass grows, the subcutaneous fat layer develops, the skin becomes denser, becomes less vulnerable, the functions of the respiratory and cardiovascular systems improve.

After 6 months, the child's first teeth erupt; by the year of life, the child usually has 8 teeth.

The gastrointestinal tract continues to develop. Compared with the first months of life, the volume of the stomach increases significantly, reaching 250 ml by the year of life (30-35 ml in a newborn). In connection with the introduction of new types of food into the child's diet, the secretion of digestive juices increases, their activity increases. The processes of digestion and assimilation of nutrients are improved. By the end of the first year of life, the child can receive all the basic foodstuffs.

Stool frequency by the year of life decreases to 1-2 times a day (in a newborn 4-5 times a day). Some babies, especially those who are bottle-fed, may have stools every other day. With a good general condition of the child, this should not cause alarm and does not require any intervention.

Early age - the period of a child's life from 1 to 3 years.

During this period, there is a gradual improvement in all the functional capabilities of the child's body. However, young children are still very vulnerable, susceptible to various diseases, including eating disorders. A kid at this age is easily susceptible to any environmental influences.

The pace of physical development of a child in the second and third years of life slows down somewhat. In the second year of life, the child's height increases by 10-11 cm, body weight - by 2.5-3 kg, in the third year of life these indicators are 7-8 cm and 2 kg, respectively.

In young children, the maturation and differentiation of bone and muscle tissues continues, motor skills become more complicated and improved. During this period of life, the child is good at walking, running, jumping. By the age of three, he has mastered more complex skills: he eats, dresses himself, begins to button up, tie shoelaces with a little help from an adult.

The development of the child's intellectual abilities is especially noticeable. His stock of ideas is significantly enriched, a conscious attitude to the surrounding reality expands, speech develops quickly, and a need arises to communicate with other children. By the age of three, the baby begins to use complex sentences, knows and names the four basic colors, and acquires the necessary hygiene skills. In communication with peers, elements of a role-playing game appear.

In children over one year old, the digestive organs are significantly improved. By the age of two, the child already has 20 teeth and can chew food well. The volume of the stomach in 2-3-year-old children increases to 350-400 ml. The digestive capacity of the gastrointestinal tract is increased. All this makes it possible to introduce into the child's diet more diverse products in terms of assortment. However, the susceptibility of a young child to various eating disorders remains high. When deviating from the diet, he easily develops indigestion in the form of vomiting, loose stools.

The preschool age includes the period of a child's life from 3 to 7 years. Children of this age differ markedly in development from young children. They have further development and improvement of the body.

The physical development of children during this period is uneven. At the age of 4-5 years, the growth rate slows down somewhat, the child grows by an average of 4-6 cm per year, and during the sixth-seventh year of life, the increase in height reaches 8-10 cm per year. The rapid increase in the growth of children aged 6-7 years is called the first period of stretching. It is associated with functional changes in the endocrine system (strengthening the function of the pituitary gland). By the age of 7, the child's upper and lower extremities are noticeably lengthened, the chest circumference increases.

The increase in body weight in children by the age of 4 slows down somewhat and averages 1.2-1.3 kg per year, and then it increases again: in the fifth year of life, the child adds on average 2 kg, in the sixth - 2.5 kg, for the seventh - about 3.5 kg. By the age of 6-7 years, the child has a doubling of body weight compared to the weight at one year of age.

In preschool children, further development of the musculoskeletal system is noted. Bone tissue becomes denser, muscle mass increases. By the age of 5, the muscles of the lower extremities significantly increase, its strength and efficiency increase. The contractile ability of muscles improves, their strength increases.

The development and differentiation of the central nervous system is expressed in the improvement of static and motor functions, the development of coordination of movements. Preschool children are more resilient to physical activity compared to young children. They have a well-developed speech, children of this age already have certain skills in self-service, work, prepared for school.

Disease resistance in preschool children is much higher.

The activity of the digestive tract in children by the end of preschool age reaches the level of an adult. By the age of 7, the child's permanent molars are erupting. From 6-7 years old, the change of all milk teeth begins. The volume of the stomach reaches 400-500 ml by the age of 5-7, and its muscle layer increases. The salivary glands function actively, the amount of digestive juices increases significantly and their enzymatic activity increases. In children of this age, disorders of the gastrointestinal tract are much less common.

The first three years of a child's life are characterized by a rapid rate of growth and development. However, these three years are far from being equal in terms of pace and content.

First year of life - Infancy

A special place in the development of a child of the first year of life is occupied by the period newborns(3-4 weeks after birth), which is characterized by the adaptability of the child's body to the conditions of extrauterine life. During this period, the main functions of the body are in a state of unstable equilibrium. This is due to the morphological and functional incompleteness of the structure of organs and systems, and primarily of the central and peripheral nervous system. During this period, the processes of inhibition prevail over the processes of arousal (the newborn sleeps 20-22 hours a day). A manifestation of the incompleteness of the development of the newborn's body is various borderline states bordering on pathology: physiological jaundice, physiological drop in body weight, physiological mastitis, uric acid infarction, etc. ...

For infancy(from the neonatal period to 12 months) is characterized by:

The rapid pace of physical development - in the first 4-5 months in a child doubles, and by 12 months, more than triples body weight at birth; growth increases by 23-25 ​​cm per year;

The fast pace of neuropsychic development: from the first months, the activity of all the senses develops, positive emotions are formed, by the year the child can walk independently, the preparatory stages of speech development are formed;

The development of higher mental functions begins: attention, memory, thinking;

The efficiency of the nervous system is still small, the duration of wakefulness increases from 30-40 minutes in 1 month to 2.5-3 hours by the end of the year;

Some relative functional weakness of organs and systems against the background of their intensive growth and development, which can lead to an increased frequency of acute diseases, to deviations in health (exudative diathesis, rickets, anemia, various eating disorders - dyspepsia, malnutrition);

Great vulnerability of the body and low resistance to various acute diseases due to the weakening of the initial passive immunity received from the mother, and the lack of acquired immunity.

1 to 3 years old - Preschool age

Preschool age is characterized by the gradual improvement of all functional capabilities of the child's body.

Secondyear a child's life takes a special place in this period in connection with the beginning of the formation of complex brain functions, the rapid development of speech. Higher nervous activity improves, the limit of its working capacity increases (by the beginning of the second year, the child can stay awake for 5 hours in a row), conditioned connections are easily and quickly formed, speech develops, sensory perception is improved (discrimination of shape, size, color, etc.).

By the age of two, the child walks well, movements take a large place in his life. However, the rapidly emerging mental processes, skills, and abilities are still in their infancy, so they are not stable enough. In addition, children in the second year of life are easily excitable and difficult to adapt to any changes in living conditions, are distinguished by great vulnerability of the central nervous system. The resistance of the child's body to various disease-causing influences still remains sharply reduced, therefore, at this age, children are more susceptible to acute diseases than children of the first year of life.

Onthirdyear the child's life, the intensity of physical development slows down, so characteristic of the first two years. The efficiency of the nervous system increases (the duration of wakefulness increases to 6-6.5 hours). Further development of speech, sensing, orienting and cognitive activity takes place, movements are improved. The developmental progress of a third year child depends on the level he has reached by the age of two. At the same time, as experts note, great changes in the psyche of children of the third year of life, as well as in mental development, are associated with the development of speech. Vocabulary is growing rapidly. At this age, speech becomes the main means of communication with adults and with each other.

The body's resistance to the harmful effects of the external environment and the physical endurance of children gradually increase. Characterizing young children, experts say that a child at birth cannot utter a single articulate sound. In the first months of life, during humming (the stage of pre-speech development of a child, following a cry and preceding babbling), the child's articulation apparatus improves, and from 7-8 months, hearing the sounds of a human voice, he begins to pronounce repeated syllables. At 1 year old, a child of these babbling syllables forms the first 10-12 words. Then comes a period of some kind of calm - a slow increase in new words. During the first half of the second year, there is a rapid accumulation of understandable words, the establishment of connections between the audible word and the object. The number of words that the child actively uses increases insignificantly, by the age of 1 year 5 months he has only 30-40 words. At the age of 1 year 5 months - 1 year 7 months, there is a rapid leap (a rapid increase in new words), by the age of 2 years the active vocabulary is equal to about 300-400 words. In the 3rd year, there is a further growth rate of vocabulary (by the age of 3 years it is 1200-1300 words), improvement of the quality of speech - pronunciation, construction, comprehension.

The rapid pace of morphological and functional development of all organs and systems, incomplete immunity contribute to the fact that young children fall ill from the most insignificant disturbances in nutrition and hygienic care, in contact with any infection. At the same time, each acute illness suffered can lead to the development of chronic diseases, entail a lag in the physical or neuropsychic development of the child, between which there is a very great interdependence and unity.

In ensuring the normal development and good health of young children, the role of an adult is enormous. The kid still cannot organize his life outside of close contacts with adults, therefore his health and development is ensured only when fulfilling the tasks of physical, mental, moral and aesthetic education.

From 3 to 6-7 years old - Preschool age

Preschool age is characterized by the beginning of the child's independent existence, the expansion of contacts with the outside world. During this period, further morphological growth and functional improvement of all organs and systems continues. By the end of the preschool period, the change of milk teeth begins. The intensive development of the child's intellectual abilities continues. At this age, injuries easily occur due to the child's great curiosity and lack of personal experience. Therefore, the correct organization of the environment in a childcare institution and at home, the introduction of elements of labor and social education into the upbringing process are the best means of preventing possible defects in the development and health of a preschool child. We must not forget that children at this age are still distinguished by increased vulnerability, they are easily exposed to acute childhood infections and other diseases.

One of the main tasks solved by a preschool institution is preparing children for admission to school. Studies have shown that for some children (10-12%), the regime and curriculum of elementary school are difficult, they do not cope with the requirements that school places on them. The problem of the functional readiness (maturity) of individual organs and systems of the child's body to meet the requirements of the school ("school maturity") is currently being dealt with by teachers, psychologists, and doctors.

It has been proven that some, so-called "immature" children do not fully master the curriculum, while others cope with the load, but with excessive stress on the body, which leads to various disorders of their health, in particular to neuroses. Children who do not master the skills and abilities provided for by the kindergarten program in a timely manner, that is, immature, are sent by the educator to a doctor. Taking into account his recommendations, the teacher conducts individual lessons with such children. Thus, in the implementation of the tasks of preparing children for school, the joint efforts of doctors and teachers are important.