This document outlines biological and health changes that occur throughout the human lifespan from infancy to late adulthood. It discusses developments in areas such as brain physiology, sleep patterns, nutrition, exercise needs, and health impacts at each life stage. The document suggests that aging effects increase from ages 17-40 as bodily functions decline. Those who maintain healthy nutrition habits from a young age are less likely to have problems in adulthood. In late adulthood, 65+, aging leads to faster changes in abilities and needs as chronic illness rises and life expectancy decreases.

1. WHAT HAPPENS AS WE AGE?
Biological and Health Changes from Birth to Late Adulthood

2. INFANCY AND
EARLY
CHILDHOOD
Infant to 5 years old
The beginning of a child's life, which is
focused on the development of language,
cognition, social competence, emotional
understanding and self regulation (Center
for Research on Culture, Development
and Education, 2018)

3. THE FIRST FIVE YEARS AND YOU
CHANGE EVERYTHING
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GbSp88PBe9E

4. BIRTH, GROWTH AND CHANGE
• The average baby is born 20
inches long and weights 7.5
lbs
• Most newborns lose 5% to 7%
of their body weight in the first
5 to 7 days

5. BIRTH, GROWTH AND CHANGE
• Height and weight increase rapidly in infancy, then
takes a slower course during the childhood years
• Two key patterns of growth after birth:
• Cephalocaudal Pattern: The growth sequence in
which the fastest growth in the human body occurs at
the top (the head). Physical growth in size, weight, and
feature differentiation gradually works its way from the
top to bottom
• Proximodistal Pattern: The growth sequence that
starts at the center of the body and moves towards the
extremities

6. WHY EARLY EXPERIENCE MATTERS
2 Year Old Brain
999 Grams
Newborn Brain
333 Grams

7. WHAT SHAPES THE DEVELOPING
BRAIN?

8. DEVELOPMENTAL CHANGES
3 Months Old
• Lifts head regularly
when on tummy
• Makes cooing noises
• Quiet when spoken to
• Grasps objects placed
in hands
• Begins to bat at objects
6 Months Old
• Sits with light support
• Babbles when alone
with someone
• Reaches for objects
• Holds objects with
either hand
• Turns eyes and head
towards sounds or
voices
9 Months Old
• Sits without support
• Begins to move/crawl
• Imitates cough, bye bye
wave, hand clap, ma ma
• Drops and looks for
objects
• Can find hidden toys
under cloth
• Likes to dump out and
pick up things

9. DEVELOPMENTAL CHANGES
1 Year Old
• Pulls up to a standing
position and moves
along furniture
• Begins to say mama
and dada to refer to
parents
• Finger feeds self solid
foods
• Follows a simple
direction like “bring
me a ball”
1 1/2 Year Old
• Walks well and runs by
18 months
• Can push, pull, carry,
and lift objects
• Can point to simple
pictures
• Brings an object he/she
knows when asked
2 Years Old
• Walks up and down
stair; two feet each step
• Can name more than
three body parts
• Scribbles
• Stacks two or four
objects
• Uses two words
sentences
• Enjoys doing things for
himself/herself
• Uses objects for their

10. DEVELOPMENTAL CHANGES
3 Years Old
• Uses 3-5 word
sentence
• Sings simple songs
• Can jump in place
• Begins to ask
questions
• Enjoys pretend play
• Can help brush
teeth, wash hands,
undress, etc
4 Years Old
• Can use the toilet
• Can balance on one foot,
then the other
• Can name up to three
colors
• Can retell parts of a
familiar story
• Begins to play with other
children rather than
along side them
5 Years Old
• Likes playground challenges
• Can self-dress, including
buttons and beginning to
learn how to zip
• Can play cooperatively with a
small group of children
• Draws people in two parts:
head and arms or legs
• Can tell parents something
that happened while they
were gone
• Says number words to ten

11. NATURE VS NURTURE
• Development
results from an
on-going
reiterative and
cumulative
dance between
Nature and
Nurture
• Experience leads to brain development, which leads to behavior
• Experience also leads to epigenetic changes or external
modifications to DNA that turn genes on or off
• This lead to brain development, which then lead to behavior
• Finally, behavior leads to experience

12. THE FIVE R’S OF EARLY CHILDHOOD
EDUCATION
• Reading: Together as a daily family activity
• Rhyming: Playing, talking, singing, and cuddling together often
• Routines: And regular times for meals, play, and naps; This helps children
know what they can expect and what is expected of them
• Rewards: For everyday successes; Realizing that praise from these closest
to a child is a very potent reward
• Relationships: That are reciprocal, nurturing, and enduring are the
foundation of healthy child development

13. CHILDHOOD
6 to 12 years old
The period in time when children develop
foundational skills for building healthy
social relationships and learn roles that
will prepare them for adolescence and
adulthood (Healthy People, 2018)

14. DEVELOPMENTAL CHANGES
• Slow, consistent growth
• Changes in body proportions
• Muscle mass and strength
increase
• “Baby fat” decreases

15. BRAIN PHYSIOLOGY
• Brain and head grow more rapidly than
any other part of the body, due to
increase of myelination and increase
and size of dendrites
• Significant changes in structure and
region of the brain, particularly in the
prefrontal cortex
• Neutrons begin to be “pruned”:
activities that children engage in or do
not engage in can influence which
neutral connections will strengthen or
disappear

16. SLEEP PATTERNS
• Young children should get 11 to 13
hours of sleep each night
• 1st to 5th graders should get 10 to
11 hours of sleep each night
• Children who experience sleeping
problems are more likely to show
depressive symptoms, have
problems at school, experience
family disfunction, have a and live in
an unsafe neighborhood (as cited in
Santrock, 2016)

17. NUTRITION AND EATING BEHAVIOR
• There has been an increase in obesity-related
chronic disease in children, including asthma,
diabetes, and sleep apnea
• Between 25% and 40% of children that are
overweight have Metabolic Syndrome, which
sets the stage for diabetes and heart problems
(UCSF, 2018)
• Children that are overweight as a child are more
likely to remain overweight as an adult
• However, many of these heath problem can be
treated through diet, exercise, and behavior
modification

18. ROLE OF EXERCISE
• Children need daily exercise because of
their activity level and development of large
muscles
• Screen time has been linked with low
activity level and the risk of being
overweight (as cited in Santrock, 2016)
• Aerobic exercise is linked to cognitive
skills and can be beneficial to children’s
attention, memory, effortful and goal-
directed thinking and behavior, and
creativity (as cited in Santrock, 2016)

19. ADOLESCENCE
13 to 19 years old (can vary)
A period of developmental transition
between childhood and adulthood,
involving multiple physical, intellectual,
personality, and social development
changes (Cleveland Clinic, 2018)

20. DEVELOPMENTAL CHANGES
• Rapid growth spurts
• Physical changes
• Sexual maturation
• Hormonal changes

21. BRAIN PHYSIOLOGY
• Neutrons continue to become “pruned”-activities
that adolescent engage in or do not engage in can
influence which neutral connections will strengthen
or disappear
• Changes in the Prefrontal Cortex: Impacts
judgement and decision-making- is not fully
developed until early adulthood
• Changes in Limbic System: Impacts emotion and
development of rewards
• Changes in Corpus Callosum: Nerve fibers
thicken, which allows adolescent to process
information more effectively

22. SLEEP PATTERNS
• On average, only 31% of U.S.
adolescents get 8 or more hours
of sleep each night (as cited in
Santrock, 2016)
• Adolescent who get inadequate
sleep (8 hours or less) are more
likely to feel tired or sleepy, act
cranky and irritable, fall asleep in
school, be in a depressed mood,
and drink caffeinated beverages to
make up for lack of sleep

23. HEALTH IMPACTS
• Adolescent is a critical period where youth adopt
behaviors that affect health
• Many factors are linked to poor health habits and
early death in the adult years
• Social context can affect health: family, peers,
schools, neighborhoods, and culture
• Peer pressure can play a large influence in
health-compromising behaviors, including:
smoking, substance abuse, early sexual activity,
and violence (as cited in Santrock, 2016)

24. NUTRITION AND EATING BEHAVIOR
• Nutrition and being overweight
are key problems among
adolescents
• Eating disorders, such as
Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia
Nervosa, can develop following
episodes of dieting and life stress
• Often begin in the early to middle
adolescent years, although only
1 to 2 percent develop a eating
disorder

25. ROLE OF EXERCISE
• Individuals become less active as they reach
and progress through adolescence (as cited in
Santrock, 2016)
• Exercise is linked to positive outcomes in
adolescence (as cited in Santrock, 2016)
• Helps adolescents maintain an appropriate
weight
• Higher levels are associated with better health
outcomes and brain development
• Regular exercise has been linked with higher
academic achievement

26. SUBSTANCE ABUSE
• Critical period for the onset of substance
abuse in adolescents
• Drug use and cigarette smoking have been
in the decline in recent years, however the
U.S. still has one of the highest rates of
adolescent drug use among industrialized
nations
• Parents play an important role in
preventing drug use and often have little
knowledge of adolescents’ peer relations
and behaviors, friends’ delinquency, and
predicted substance abuse (as cited in
Santrock, 2016)

27. EARLY TO
MIDDLE
ADULTHOOD
17 to 40 years old

28. BIOLOGICAL CHANGES
• Autoimmune Theory: Body
becomes less equipped to determine
between normal and abnormal cells
(Kastenbaum, 1993)
• Free Radical Theory: Age is caused
by chemical waste within cells
referred to as free radicals
• Hormonal Theory

29. BIOLOGICAL CHANGES
• Meissen Corpuscles: Related to the
ability to feel and recognize senses, and
may become detached during adulthood
(Kastenbaum, 1993)
• Development of the corpus callous
begins to plateau around 17 years old,
which may be the reason why
development and functionality begins to
decrease around the same time (Tanaka-
Arakawa et al, 2015)

30. HEALTH IMPACTS
• Stereotypes and general assumptions suggest a
decline in functionality and health appearance
in the early 20’s, with a steady decline into late
adulthood
• In the late 20’s, the entire body system is
operating 20% less efficiently than it was during
peak
• Adults reach a flat-line of growth and
development with many bodily functions
(Aiken, 2002)
• Research suggests that this decline is attributed
to environmental and hereditary factors

31. HEALTH IMPACTS
• Vital capacity and other
cardiovascular functioning begins to
diminish after the the age of 20
(Aiken, 2002)
• Some theories suggest that many
individual’s BMI (Body Mass Index)
increases steadily after the age of
20, as well (Araujo, Barros, & Li,
2016)
• This could be the result of various
factors including stress, lifestyle,
and metabolic function decline

32. NUTRITION AND EATING BEHAVIOR
• It is recommended that adults (16-60 years old) consume
a nutrient dense diet that is heavy in protein and grain
• Adults (18-64) should be active 2 to 3 hours a week,
which is an important factor in energy and muscle support
• Adults 20 years and older should maintain a BMI
between 18.5-24.9
• This is an individuals established healthy weight thats
is based upon each individual’s health and weight
• Adults who have a consistently healthy BMI are more
likely to have less heath issues throughout their lifespan

33. SUMMARY
• Many of the theories and reach outlined in recent studies focus on
development between the ages of 17 and 40 as a deteriorating
period of time.
• Theories suggest that aging increases during this time and, as
a result, bodily functions and cognitive development decline or
slow down.
• Those who carry out healthy nutritional habits are less likely to
have nutrition related problems in adulthood

34. LATE
ADULTHOOD
65 years and older
As individuals age into late adulthood, the
aging process leads to faster changes in
the physical, cognitive, and social abilities
and needs, and life begins to come to its
natural conclusion

35. DEVELOPMENTAL CHANGES
• Decline in body functioning
• Change in physical appearance
• Change in circulatory system

36. BRAIN PHYSIOLOGY
• Slowing of function in the brain and
spinal cord: impacts physical
coordination and intellectual
performance
• Decline in the production of some
neurotransmitter:
• Reduction of Acetylcholine is linked
to memory loss, while reduction of
Dopamine is linked to reduction in
motor control

37. SLEEP PATTERNS
• The average American gets just under 7 hours of
sleep each night
• Beginning at 40 years old, wakeful periods are
more frequent and less deep sleep is achieved
• Many older adults go to bed earlier and wake up
earlier, and some may also rely on an afternoon
nap
• Napping and getting more than 6 1/2 of sleep
each night has been associated with a lower risk
of cognitive decline over 10 years (as cited in
Santrock, 2016)

38. HEALTH IMPACTS
• Chronic disorders increase in middle adulthood and are
common in late adulthood.
• Most common in females: arthritis, hypertension, sinus
problems, while the most common in males:
hypertension, arthritis, hearing impairments, heart
disease
• Nearly 60% of U.S. adults 65 to 74 years old die of cancer
or cardiovascular disease (as cited in Santrock, 2016)
• Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death for
U.S. adults 75 years and older (as cited in Santrock, 2016)

39. NUTRITION AND EATING BEHAVIOR
• Obesity and eating behavior continue to play
an role in adult physical development and
heath
• Overweight and obesity are linked to
increased risk of hypertension, diabetes, and
cardiovascular disease (as cited in Santrock,
2016)
• Environmental factors can play an important
role in obesity, including the great availability
of food, energy-saving devices, and decline in
physical activity (as cited in Santrock, 2016)

40. ROLE OF EXERCISE
• Health benefits from exercise include: reduced risks for obesity,
cardiovascular disease, and diabetes (as cited in Santrock, 2016)
• Current recommendation for older adults’ physical activity is 2 1/2
hours of moderate intensity aerobic activity ((as cited in Santrock,
2016)
• Exercise has been linked to:
• increased longevity, improves outcomes of many diseases,
• improved older adults’ cellular function,
• can optimize body composition and reduce the decline in motor
skills,
• reduces the onset of mental health problems or is a effective part of
treatment for mental health problems,
• and is linked to improved brain and cognitive functioning in older
adults (as cited in Santrock, 2016)

41. SUBSTANCE ABUSE
• Substance abuse rates decline considerably in
middle to late adulthood, however binge
drinking rates are at their highest in older adults
(as cited in Santrock, 2016)
• Research has found a protective effects of
moderate alcohol use in older adults, including
better physical and mental health and increased
longevity (as cited in Santrock, 2016)
• Drinking Red wine has been especially linked
to increased heath and increased longevity, by
lowering stress and reducing the risk of
coronary heart disease

42. Resources
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