Prenatal Development

LIFE-SPAN
DEVELOPMENT

Prenatal Development
& Birth

Instructor: Gulmeena
Tahir Chapter: 3
Programme: BS PSY 2023
John W. Santrock
 Chapter Outline

• Prenatal development
• Birth
• The postpartum period

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© 2013 by McGraw-Hill Education. This is proprietary material solely for authorized instructor use. Not authorized for sale or distribution in any manner. This
document may not be copied, scanned, duplicated, forwarded, distributed, or posted on a website, in whole or part.
 Prenatal Development

1. The course of prenatal development

2. Teratology and hazards to prenatal development

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© 2013 by McGraw-Hill Education. This is proprietary material solely for authorized instructor use. Not authorized for sale or distribution in any manner. This
document may not be copied, scanned, duplicated, forwarded, distributed, or posted on a website, in whole or part.
Prenatal Development
TRUE OR FALSE…
The study of development begins
at birth.
Prenatal Development
TRUE OR FALSE…
The study of development begins at
birth.

FALSE!

The study of development

begins at the moment of
conception
 Video Link

https://youtu.be/UA-Tk9qlG9A?si=_7vrjJCQ_FdMxyVD
 The real “Amazing Race”
Prenatal Development

• Every human begins very simply with the

meeting of one sperm and one ovum (egg).
 The first form of life
Prenatal Development

• At conception the
genetic material
from each parent
is fused.

• A living cell called

the zygote is
formed within
hours.
Prenatal Development
From Zygote to human??
• The Zygote will become transformed
through a process of three stages:

• Germinal period– The first two weeks after

conception

• Embryonic period- The 3 rd

to the 8th week
after conception

• Fetal period- The ninth week after

conception to birth
Prenatal Development

Periods of prenatal development

Germinal period Embryo

Fetus
 Germinal Stage
Prenatal Development

• Germinal stage is the first stage of development

• 2 Layers of Cells
• Blastocyst: Inner layer of cells
• Trophoblast: Outer layer of cells

11 to 15
days
Prenatal Development
Embryonic Stage
• Occurs two to eight weeks after
conception

• Embryo - Mass of cells

• Three layers of cells –
Endoderm, mesoderm,
ectoderm

• Organogenesis: Organ
formation that takes place during
the first two months of prenatal
development

• The neural tube forms (at 22

days) which serves as the
embryonic brain and spinal
cord
Prenatal Development
4 Week Embryo
Prenatal Development From 4 to 6 weeks…
Look at the difference!
Prenatal Development

6 Week-Old Embryo
Prenatal Development

7 Weeks…
Now what do you see?
 7 Weeks
Prenatal Development

• Legs, feet and

webbed toes have
begun to develop

• A blood vessel that

will become heart
begins pulsating
around this time.

• The embryo is 2 ½
centimeters long
Prenatal Development

8 Weeks

• The embryo is now

recognizable as a human

• The embryo now weighs 1

gram and is 1 inch long

• All the basic organs and

body parts of a human
being (except sex
organs)

• lower spine
Prenatal Development
The Fetus: Week 9-Birth

• The Brain grows dramatically (6 times in

size) and becomes responsive during this
time.

• At 22-26 weeks the fetus reaches the “Age

of viability”, which is the age a preterm baby
can survive.

• There is only a 50% survival

rate at 26 weeks
Prenatal Development

14-16 Weeks
Prenatal Development

24-28 Weeks
Prenatal Development
36-38 Weeks
Prenatal Development

Research shows that

fetuses can develop sight
very early in the womb.
Prenatal Development
It was previously thought that
emotions were only expressed
after birth
Prenatal Development

The Brain MUST be

able to sustain the
body for survival
Without proper brain development,
the most advanced technology
cannot keep the body alive
Prenatal Development

It’s All About the Brain!

 Teratology and Hazards to Prenatal
Development
• Teratogen: Agent that causes a birth defect
• Teratology - Field of study that investigates the
causes of birth defects
• Teratogen influence
• Dose
• Genetic susceptibility
• Time of exposure

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document may not be copied, scanned, duplicated, forwarded, distributed, or posted on a website, in whole or part.
 Teratology and Hazards to Prenatal
Development

• Prescription drugs
• Streptomycin and tetracycline
• Hormones - Progestin and synthetic estrogen
• Accutane

• Nonprescription drugs
• Diet pills and high dosages of aspirin

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© 2013 by McGraw-Hill Education. This is proprietary material solely for authorized instructor use. Not authorized for sale or distribution in any manner. This
document may not be copied, scanned, duplicated, forwarded, distributed, or posted on a website, in whole or part.
 Teratology and Hazards to Prenatal
Development

• Psychoactive drugs
• Caffeine
• Alcohol
• Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders: Appear in the off
spring of mothers who drink alcohol heavily during
pregnancy

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document may not be copied, scanned, duplicated, forwarded, distributed, or posted on a website, in whole or part.
 Teratology and Hazards to Prenatal
Development
• Nicotine
• Cocaine
• Methamphetamine
• Marijuana
• Heroin
• Incompatible blood types
• Environmental hazards

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document may not be copied, scanned, duplicated, forwarded, distributed, or posted on a website, in whole or part.
 Teratology and Hazards to Prenatal
Development
• Maternal diseases
• Rubella
• Syphilis
• Genital herpes
• AIDS
• Other parental factors
• Maternal diet and nutrition
• Maternal age
• Emotional states and stress
• Paternal factors
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document may not be copied, scanned, duplicated, forwarded, distributed, or posted on a website, in whole or part.
Preterm and Low Birth Weight Infants

• Preterm and small for date infants

• Low birth weight infants: Weighs less than 5½
pounds at birth
• Preterm infants: Born before the completion of 37
weeks of gestation
• Small for date infants: Infants’ birth weights are
below normal when the length of pregnancy is
considered

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document may not be copied, scanned, duplicated, forwarded, distributed, or posted on a website, in whole or part.
Preterm and Low Birth Weight Infants

• Consequences of preterm birth and low birth

weight
• Extremely preterm
• Very preterm

• Nurturing low birth weight and preterm infants

• Kangaroo care: Involves skin-to-skin contact
• Massage therapy

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document may not be copied, scanned, duplicated, forwarded, distributed, or posted on a website, in whole or part.
 Birth

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document may not be copied, scanned, duplicated, forwarded, distributed, or posted on a website, in whole or part.
 Birth

The Newborn
• Assessing the
newborn
• Apgar to
assess
newborns’
health
• What is
Apgar?
 Assessing the Newborn

• Assessment of the newborns

• Behavior, neurological and stress responses, and
regulatory capacities

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document may not be copied, scanned, duplicated, forwarded, distributed, or posted on a website, in whole or part.
 Assessing the Newborn

• Apgar scale: Assessing the health of newborns at

one and five minutes after birth
• Evaluates an infant’s:

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document may not be copied, scanned, duplicated, forwarded, distributed, or posted on a website, in whole or part.
 The Postpartum Period

• Physical adjustments
• Emotional and psychological adjustments
• Bonding

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document may not be copied, scanned, duplicated, forwarded, distributed, or posted on a website, in whole or part.
Birth

Bonding

• Needs to occur shortly after birth

• Early emotional attachments may
create healthy long life interactions
 Postpartum Period

• Period after childbirth that lasts until:

• Mother’s body has completed its adjustment and has
returned to a nearly prepregnant state

• Adjustments needed are:

• Physical
• Emotional & Psychological

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document may not be copied, scanned, duplicated, forwarded, distributed, or posted on a website, in whole or part.
 Physical Adjustments
Fatigue

Hormonal Changes

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document may not be copied, scanned, duplicated, forwarded, distributed, or posted on a website, in whole or part.
Emotional and Psychological Adjustments

• Postpartum depression: Strong feelings of

sadness, anxiety, or despair
• Have trouble coping with daily tasks in the postpartum
period
• Treatment - Antidepressant drugs, psychotherapy, and
regular exercise

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© 2013 by McGraw-Hill Education. This is proprietary material solely for authorized instructor use. Not authorized for sale or distribution in any manner. This
document may not be copied, scanned, duplicated, forwarded, distributed, or posted on a website, in whole or part.
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document may not be copied, scanned, duplicated, forwarded, distributed, or posted on a website, in whole or part.
Extra Reference Material
Figure 3.1 - Significant Developments
in the Germinal Period

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document may not be copied, scanned, duplicated, forwarded, distributed, or posted on a website, in whole or part.
 Figure 3.2 - The Placenta and the
Umbilical Cord

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document may not be copied, scanned, duplicated, forwarded, distributed, or posted on a website, in whole or part.
 Figure 3.3 - Three Trimesters of Prenatal
Development

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document may not be copied, scanned, duplicated, forwarded, distributed, or posted on a website, in whole or part.