Corruption in Sports
Infants (birth to age 1) and toddlers (ages 1 to 2) grow quickly; bodily changes are rapid and profound. Physical development refers to biological changes that children undergo as they age. The first 4 weeks of life are termed the neonatal period. Most babies weigh between 2.5 and 4.5kg, and are between 45 and 55cm long. Male babies are generally slightly heavier and longer than female babies. Both premature and postmature babies are at higher risk of complications such as sickness, brain damage, or death, than are full-term babies. Physical growth is especially rapid during the first 2 years. An infant's birthweight generally doubles by 6 months and triples by the infant's first birthday. Similarly, a baby grows between 25 and 30cm in length (or height), and the baby's proportions change during the first 2 years. The size of an infant's head decreases in proportion from 1/3 of the entire body at birth, to 1/4 at age 2, to 1/8 by adulthood. Fetal and neonatal brain developments are also rapid. The lower, or subcortical, areas of the brain (responsible for basic life functions, like breathing) develop first, followed by the higher areas, or cortical areas (responsible for thinking and planning). Most brain changes occur prenatally and soon after birth. At birth, the neonate's brain weighs only 25% of that of an adult brain. By the end of the second year, the brain weighs about 80%; by puberty, it weighs nearly 100% of that of an adult brain. Because infants cannot endure on their own, newborns have specific built-in or prewired abilities for survival and adaptive purposes. Reflexes are automatic reactions to stimulation that enable infants to respond to the environment before any learning has taken place. For instance, babies automatically suck when presented with a nipple, turn their heads when a parent speaks, grasp at a finger that is pressed into their hand, and startle when exposed to loud noises. Some reflexes, such as blinking, are permanent. Others, such as