1) Thinking about the domains of development discussed in your assigned readings and lecture

(physical, cognitive, emotional, and social):

a) Question: What is a risk factor that may influence prenatal development? What domains might it
impact? Why?

Response: Exposure to chemicals, such as pesticides in food, can affect prenatal development. It
could impact cognitive domain by causing birth defects in the brain. The chemicals can affect the
brain development.

b) Question: What is a risk factor that may influence development in infancy? What domains might it
impact? Why?

Response: SIDS is a major concern for infants age 2-4 months. Physicians are unsure why this
occurs but they guess it is because many new born reflexes are waning and infants may not
respond when breathing becomes difficult. It impacts all domains because the child ultimately
dies ending development.

c) Question: What is a risk factor that may influence development in toddlerhood? What domains
might it impact? Why?

Response: Malnutrition is a world-wide risk effecting one in four children. It can impact all domains
because when a child doesn't have nutrition, they can't develop in any fashion. It brings
development to a stop, leaving them small for their age.

2) Thinking about brain development described in your assigned readings and in the class
lecture:

a) Question: At what point in human development does the greatest proportion of brain development
occur?

Response: During infancy, the greatest proportion of brain development occurs. By the age of 3,
the brain achieves 80% of its ultimate weight.

b) In light of this, what public policy recommendations related to resource allocation for children of
different age groups might you advocate for? Why?

Clarification: This is a critical thinking question that is asking you to offer, not find, a policy
recommendation; we are not asking you all to look up the "right answer here". Rather, within the context of
what you are learning about brain development from the readings and the lecture, how do you think
resources should be allocated for different age groups. For example, you might recommend a policy that a
portion of state education dollars be used for early intervention for the birth-3 age group. This is more of
a discussion question based on what you think, so there is no right or wrong answer, as long as you are
thinking critically about your answer to this question.

Response: I would advocate more resources to be allocated towards new born to 3 year old
children. These are highly influenced years and I think that if we put more time and money into
children in these age groups, we will have a more controlled generation. By controlled, I mean we
can influence them to be more educated at an earlier age, expose them to language and culture so
when they do fully develop they can have a bigger contribution to society.