WGU D202 Human Growth and Development
WGU D202 Human Growth and
Development Study Guide ( 2025 –
2026) – Key Concept s and Exam
Preparation.
What is the embryonic period? Weeks 3-8 of pregnancy, formation of placenta and brain development
What is the fetal period? From the end of the embryonic period until the end of pregnancy, viability at 24
weeks
What influences sexual orientation? Genetics, birth order, hormones
What are some maternal factors that can affect fetal Age, environmental teratogens, diabetes, high blood pressure, Rh factor, weight
development? gain, stress, depression
What are some risks during pregnancy? Ectopic pregnancy, preeclampsia, spontaneous abortion
How many stages are there in labor for vaginal delivery? Three
What are the other types of delivery? Cesarean and induced
What is the APGAR score? Assessment of newborn's heart rate, muscle tone, reflexes, etc.
What is NBAS? Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale used to assess newborns.
When does the postpartum phase begin and end? Begins after birth and ends when mother's body returns to pre-pregnancy form.
What are maternal worries in the postpartum phase? Mother's needs and changes in taking on new responsibilities.
What is postpartum anxiety? Elevated sense of worry about the infant following childbirth.
What is postpartum depression? Unusual sadness occurring after childbirth.
What is postpartum psychosis? Serious mental illness affecting new mothers after childbirth.
,Why should new mothers seek medical assistance for To address elevated worries about the infant.
postpartum anxiety?
What is physical growth? Increase in body size and organ size in babies.
What does physical development aid in? Maintenance of healthy weight, strong bones, muscles, and heart.
What is motor development? Physical growth and strengthening of bones and muscles in children.
What do gross motor skills focus on? Large muscle groups controlling head, torso, arms, and legs.
What is the cephalocaudal path of development? Development that proceeds from head to tail.
What is the proximodistal path of development? Development that proceeds from midline outward.
What is sensory development? Processes used to take in information from the environment.
How can sensory processes be affected? By the infant's developing motor abilities.
Why is nutrition important for health and development? It is related to improved infant, child, and maternal health and stronger immune
systems.
What is kwashiorkor? A disease caused by protein deficiency.
When does kwashiorkor often occur? After the birth of another sibling.
What are genes? Inherited building blocks that determine development.
What is mitosis? Nucleus makes copy of chromosomes and splits into two cells.
What happens in meiosis? Chromosomes duplicate and divide twice, resulting in four cells.
What is genotype? Sum total of inherited genes.
What is phenotype? Features that are expressed.
What are dominant genes? Express themselves in phenotype.
What are recessive genes? Express themselves only when paired with similar gene.
What disorders are linked to genetics? Sickle cell disease, Tay-Sachs disease, Tourette's syndrome, fragile X syndrome,
hemophilia.
What is a chromosomal abnormality? Inheriting too many or too few chromosomes.
What are teratogens? Environmental factors that can cause disorders in infants.
What are examples of teratogens? Smoking, binge drinking, mercury exposure, rubella.
, What is synaptogenesis? Rapid growth of synapses in the brain.
What is synaptic pruning? Elimination of unnecessary synapses.
What is neuroplasticity? Brain's ability to change and adapt.
Where does most neural activity occur in the infant brain? Cortex.
How many hemispheres does the brain cortex have? Two.
How many lobes are in each hemisphere of the brain? Four.
What are the folds separating the lobes called? Fissures.
What is the average amount of sleep for a newborn? Approximately 16.5 hours per 24-hour period.
What percentage of sleep time do newborns spend in Close to 50 percent.
the REM phase?
What are the grasping and stepping reflexes eventually More voluntary behaviors.
replaced by?
Which reflexes disappear within the first few months of Grasping and stepping reflexes.
life?
Which reflexes remain and serve important functions? Eye-blink, swallowing, sneezing, and others.
What is the pincer grasp? Ability to grasp an object using the forefinger and thumb.
What is the palmer grasp? The use of the fingers and palm, but no thumbs.
What are schemata or schemas? Mental frameworks or concepts developed through assimilation and
accommodation.
What is infantile amnesia? The inability to recall memories from the first few years of life.
What is a phoneme? The smallest unit of sound that makes a meaningful difference in a language.
What are phonemes? Distinct sounds used in language.
What is cooing? One-syllable combination of consonant and vowel sound.
How do deaf babies communicate? Through gestures.
When do children start using their first words? Around 12 or 13 months of age.
What is divided attention? Ability to switch focus between tasks or stimuli.
WGU D202 Human Growth and
Development Study Guide ( 2025 –
2026) – Key Concept s and Exam
Preparation.
What is the embryonic period? Weeks 3-8 of pregnancy, formation of placenta and brain development
What is the fetal period? From the end of the embryonic period until the end of pregnancy, viability at 24
weeks
What influences sexual orientation? Genetics, birth order, hormones
What are some maternal factors that can affect fetal Age, environmental teratogens, diabetes, high blood pressure, Rh factor, weight
development? gain, stress, depression
What are some risks during pregnancy? Ectopic pregnancy, preeclampsia, spontaneous abortion
How many stages are there in labor for vaginal delivery? Three
What are the other types of delivery? Cesarean and induced
What is the APGAR score? Assessment of newborn's heart rate, muscle tone, reflexes, etc.
What is NBAS? Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale used to assess newborns.
When does the postpartum phase begin and end? Begins after birth and ends when mother's body returns to pre-pregnancy form.
What are maternal worries in the postpartum phase? Mother's needs and changes in taking on new responsibilities.
What is postpartum anxiety? Elevated sense of worry about the infant following childbirth.
What is postpartum depression? Unusual sadness occurring after childbirth.
What is postpartum psychosis? Serious mental illness affecting new mothers after childbirth.
,Why should new mothers seek medical assistance for To address elevated worries about the infant.
postpartum anxiety?
What is physical growth? Increase in body size and organ size in babies.
What does physical development aid in? Maintenance of healthy weight, strong bones, muscles, and heart.
What is motor development? Physical growth and strengthening of bones and muscles in children.
What do gross motor skills focus on? Large muscle groups controlling head, torso, arms, and legs.
What is the cephalocaudal path of development? Development that proceeds from head to tail.
What is the proximodistal path of development? Development that proceeds from midline outward.
What is sensory development? Processes used to take in information from the environment.
How can sensory processes be affected? By the infant's developing motor abilities.
Why is nutrition important for health and development? It is related to improved infant, child, and maternal health and stronger immune
systems.
What is kwashiorkor? A disease caused by protein deficiency.
When does kwashiorkor often occur? After the birth of another sibling.
What are genes? Inherited building blocks that determine development.
What is mitosis? Nucleus makes copy of chromosomes and splits into two cells.
What happens in meiosis? Chromosomes duplicate and divide twice, resulting in four cells.
What is genotype? Sum total of inherited genes.
What is phenotype? Features that are expressed.
What are dominant genes? Express themselves in phenotype.
What are recessive genes? Express themselves only when paired with similar gene.
What disorders are linked to genetics? Sickle cell disease, Tay-Sachs disease, Tourette's syndrome, fragile X syndrome,
hemophilia.
What is a chromosomal abnormality? Inheriting too many or too few chromosomes.
What are teratogens? Environmental factors that can cause disorders in infants.
What are examples of teratogens? Smoking, binge drinking, mercury exposure, rubella.
, What is synaptogenesis? Rapid growth of synapses in the brain.
What is synaptic pruning? Elimination of unnecessary synapses.
What is neuroplasticity? Brain's ability to change and adapt.
Where does most neural activity occur in the infant brain? Cortex.
How many hemispheres does the brain cortex have? Two.
How many lobes are in each hemisphere of the brain? Four.
What are the folds separating the lobes called? Fissures.
What is the average amount of sleep for a newborn? Approximately 16.5 hours per 24-hour period.
What percentage of sleep time do newborns spend in Close to 50 percent.
the REM phase?
What are the grasping and stepping reflexes eventually More voluntary behaviors.
replaced by?
Which reflexes disappear within the first few months of Grasping and stepping reflexes.
life?
Which reflexes remain and serve important functions? Eye-blink, swallowing, sneezing, and others.
What is the pincer grasp? Ability to grasp an object using the forefinger and thumb.
What is the palmer grasp? The use of the fingers and palm, but no thumbs.
What are schemata or schemas? Mental frameworks or concepts developed through assimilation and
accommodation.
What is infantile amnesia? The inability to recall memories from the first few years of life.
What is a phoneme? The smallest unit of sound that makes a meaningful difference in a language.
What are phonemes? Distinct sounds used in language.
What is cooing? One-syllable combination of consonant and vowel sound.
How do deaf babies communicate? Through gestures.
When do children start using their first words? Around 12 or 13 months of age.
What is divided attention? Ability to switch focus between tasks or stimuli.
