Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 15, 2026

Assessment and Evaluation of the High Risk Neonate: The NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scale
19:15

Assessment and Evaluation of the High Risk Neonate: The NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scale

Published on: August 25, 2014

Infant development and developmental risk: a review of the past 10 years

C H Zeanah1, N W Boris, J A Larrieu

  • 1Division of Infant, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Louisiana State University School of Medicine, New Orleans 70112-2822, USA.

Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
|February 1, 1997
PubMed

Insights

Infant development is influenced by complex interactions of risk and protective factors, with caregiving relationships mediating these effects. Understanding these evolving relationships is key to preventing developmental psychopathology.

Area of Science:

  • Developmental Psychology
  • Pediatrics
  • Child Psychiatry

Background:

  • Infant development is a critical period influenced by numerous intrinsic and extrinsic factors.
  • Understanding developmental risk is crucial for early identification and intervention.
  • Research over the past decade has increasingly focused on the complex interplay of these factors.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To critically review research on infant developmental risk published in the last 10 years.
  • To identify major risk conditions and protective factors impacting infant development.
  • To synthesize current understanding of the complex interactions between risk and protective factors.

Main Methods:

  • A framework of infant development in the first three years was established.
  • A review of pertinent studies on developmental risk was conducted.
  • Key risk conditions (e.g., prematurity, parental psychopathology, poverty) and protective factors were analyzed.

Main Results:

  • Risk and protective factors interact in complex, non-linear ways.
  • Caregiving relationships significantly mediate the impact of risk conditions on infant development.
  • Specific, linear links between risk conditions and long-term outcomes are rare.

Conclusions:

  • Linear cause-and-effect models are insufficient for understanding developmental psychopathology.
  • The interrelationships among risk factors are complex and evolving.
  • Future research should focus on refining risk markers and developing effective preventive interventions.
Abstract

More Related Videos

Neurodevelopmental Reflex Testing in Neonatal Rat Pups09:35

Neurodevelopmental Reflex Testing in Neonatal Rat Pups

Published on: April 24, 2017

Quantified Assessment of Infant's Gross Motor Abilities Using a Multisensor Wearable09:24

Quantified Assessment of Infant's Gross Motor Abilities Using a Multisensor Wearable

Published on: May 17, 2024

Related Concept Videos

Teratogenicity01:07

Teratogenicity

The ability of a drug to produce structural deformations and functional abnormalities in the developing embryo or the fetus is called teratogenicity, and the drug producing this effect is known as a teratogen. Teratogenic effects include stillbirth, miscarriage, intrauterine growth restriction, and neurocognitive delay. A teratogen may affect the embryo at different stages of development, which is important in determining the type and extent of the damage. During blastocyst formation, the early...
Language Development01:22

Language Development

Children master language quickly and with relative ease, supported by both biological predisposition and reinforcement. B. F. Skinner (1957) proposed that language is learned through reinforcement, while Noam Chomsky (1965) argued that language acquisition mechanisms are biologically determined.
The critical period for language acquisition suggests that the ability to acquire language is at its peak early in life. As people age, this proficiency decreases. Language development begins very...
Introduction to Developmental Psychology01:27

Introduction to Developmental Psychology

Developmental psychology explores the changes and continuities in human abilities throughout life, encompassing physical, cognitive, linguistic, and social dimensions. Human development is not restricted to growth, but includes aspects of decline, particularly in physical abilities as individuals age. Developmental psychologists seek to understand how people change as they age and how their mental and social skills evolve.Developmental MilestonesA key concept in developmental psychology is...
Three Developmental Domains01:29

Three Developmental Domains

Human development is typically examined across three main domains: physical, cognitive, and socio-emotional. These domains represent the significant areas of change and continuity throughout the lifespan, from infancy to late adulthood.
Physical Development
Physical processes, also known as maturation, encompass the biological changes that occur across an individual's life. These changes begin with genetic inheritance and continue through various stages, including growth in height and weight,...
The Nativist Approach01:21

The Nativist Approach

The nativist approach to infant cognitive development proposes that infants are born with inherent knowledge structures that allow them to interpret the world almost immediately. This perspective contrasts with earlier developmental theories, such as those proposed by Jean Piaget, which emphasized a more gradual acquisition of cognitive abilities through interaction with the environment. One key concept in this approach is object permanence — the understanding that objects continue to exist...
Development of the Oral Microbiota01:28

Development of the Oral Microbiota

The establishment of the oral microbiome begins before birth, challenging the long-held belief that the fetal oral cavity is sterile. The presence of oral microbes such as Streptococcus and Fusobacterium in amniotic fluid suggests that microbial exposure may occur in utero, potentially through translocation from the maternal oral or gastrointestinal tract. This early colonization primes the neonatal immune system and sets the stage for subsequent microbial succession. Maternal health,...