The Evolution of heplessness is HUman Infant and it’s Significance for pre-and Peri-Natal Psycology

As with most Primates. optional development in infancy proceeds with a high degree of intimacy and integration between infants and caretakers. Human Infants are lessdeveloped at birth than most primates because of selection for a grater percentage of brain growth to take place after birth than inutero . Reasons for delayed development of brain include the high degree of intimacy between maternal and fetal sysytem because of hemochorial placenta; the upper limits to intrauterine barin development imposed by the maternal pelvis ;and the advantage of having brain develop in the more challenging environment outside the uterus. The impact of delayed developmet on the caretaker is revied. as are the effects of the quality of the neonatal environment on subsequent development of visual . locomotor , lignguistic, and manipula-tive skills