Ch. 3: Prenatal Development, Birth, and Newborns

Question 1

Age of Viability

Answer 1

During the final trimester, if born prematurely, the point at which the baby can first survive - occurs between 22 and 26 weeks.

Question 2

Alcohol-related neurodevelopmental disorder (ARND)

Answer 2

In which at least three areas of mental functioning are impaired, despite typical physical growth and absence of facial abnormalities. (Less severe than FAS)

Question 3

Amnion

Answer 3

During implantation, a membrane is formed, called the amnion, that encloses the developing organism in amniotic fluid, which helps keep the temperature of the prenatal world constant and provides a cushion against any jolts caused by the woman’s movement.

Question 4

Anoxia

Answer 4

An inadequate oxygen supply occurring during labor and delivery that can cause brain damage.

Question 5

Apgar Scale

Answer 5

Used to assess the newborn’s physical condition. quickly in case they require special care.

Question 6

Breech position

Answer 6

The butt or feet are turned and might be delivered first which can cause complications (umbilical cord getting caught around the baby’s neck).

Question 7

Cesarean

Answer 7

Is a surgical birth; the doctor makes an incision in the mother’s abdomen and lifts the baby out of the uterus.

Question 8

Chorion

Answer 8

By the end of the second-week a protective membrane is formed called the chorion which surrounds the amnion. Tiny finger-like villi, or blood vessels emerge.

Question 9

Embryo

Answer 9

This period lasts from implantation through the eighth week of pregnancy. During these six weeks, the most rapid prenatal changes take place as the groundwork is laid for all body structures and internal organs.

Question 10

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD)

Answer 10

A term that encompasses a range of physical, mental, and behavioral outcomes caused by prenatal alcohol exposure. Children are given 3 diagnoses which vary in severity.

Question 11

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS)

Answer 11

Distinguished by (a) slow physical growth, (b) a pattern of three facial abnormalities (short eyelid openings; a thin upper lip, a smooth or flattened philtrum, or indentation running from the bottom of the nose to the center of the upper lip), and (c) brain injury, evident in a small head and impairment in at least three areas of functioning – memory, language, communication, attention span and activity level(overactivity), planning and reasoning, motor coordination, or social skills.

Question 12

Partial fetal alcohol syndrome (p-FAS)

Answer 12

Characterized by (a) two of the three facial abnormalities (b) brain injury, again evident in at least three areas of impaired functioning. Mothers of children with p-FAS generally drank alcohol in smaller quantities, and children’s defects vary with the timing and length of alcohol exposure.

Question 13

Fetal monitors

Answer 13

Electronic instruments that track the baby’s heart rate during labor.

Question 14

Fetus

Answer 14

This period, from the ninth week to the end of pregnancy and the longest prenatal period. This is the “growth and finishing” phase, where the organism increases rapidly in size.

Question 15

Implantation

Answer 15

Occurs between seventh and ninth days: The blastocyst burrows deep into the uterine lining.

Question 16

Infant Mortality

Answer 16

The number of deaths per 1,000 live births – is an index used around the world to assess the overall health of a nation’s children.

Question 17

Lanugo

Answer 17

In the second trimester (between 17 and 20 weeks), while, downy hair appears over the entire body, helping the vernix stick to the skin.

Question 18

Natural and prepared birth

Answer 18

A group of techniques aimed at reducing pain and medical intervention and making childbirth a rewarding experience. During natural birth the mother and companion participate in classes, relaxation and breathing techniques, and may have a labor coach.

Question 19

Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale (NBAS)

Answer 19

Evaluates the newborn’s reflexes, muscle tone, state changes, responsiveness. to physical and social stimuli

Question 20

Neural Tube

Answer 20

During the embryo period, a “primitive” spinal cord develops.

Question 21

Non-rapid-eye-movement, sleep (NREM)

Answer 21

The body is almost motionless, and heart rate, breathing, and brain-wave activity are slow and even.

Question 22

Rapid-eye-movement (REM) sleep

Answer 22

brain-wave activity is remarkably similar to waking state. The eyes dart beneath the lids; heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing are uneven; and slight body movements occur.

Question 23

Placenta

Answer 23

Permits food and oxygen to reach the developing organism and waste products to be carried away.

Question 24

Preterm Infants

Answer 24

Are born several weeks or more before their due date.

Question 25

Small-for-date infants

Answer 25

Are below their expected weight considering the length of pregnancy.

Question 26

Reflex

Answer 26

An inborn, automatic response to a particular form of stimulation. Examples; eye blink, rooting, sucking, more, palmar grasp, tonic next, stepping, babinski

Question 27

Rh factor Incompatibility

Answer 27

When the mother is RH-negative (lacks the Rh blood protein) and the father is Rh-positive (has the protein), the baby may inherit the father’s Rh-positive blood type. If even a little of a fetus’s Rh-positive blood crosses the placenta into the Rh-negative mother’s bloodstream, she begins to for antibodies to the foreign Rh protein. If these enter the fetus’s system, they destroy red blood cells, reducing the oxygen supply to organs and tissues.

Question 28

States of arousal

Answer 28

Degrees of sleep and wakefulness. Ex: Regular or NREM sleep, Irregular or REM sleep, Drowsiness, quiet alertness, waking activity and crying

Question 29

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)

Answer 29

The unexpected death, usually during the night, of an infant younger than 1 year old.

Question 30

Teratogen

Answer 30

Refers to any environmental agent that causes damage during the prenatal period. Examples’ Dose (alcohol, prescription/non-prescription drugs, illegal drugs, tobacco, heredity, poor nutrition, lack of medical care, age),

Question 31

Trimesters

Answer 31

Prenatal periods is often divided into three equal periods. At the end of the third month, the first trimester is complete.

Question 32

Umbilical cord

Answer 32

Appears as a primitive body stalk and grows to a length of 1 to 3 feet. The umbilical cord contains one large vein that delivers blood loaded with nutrients and two arteries that remove waste products.

Question 33

Vernix

Answer 33

During second trimester: A white, cheeselike substance that emerges on the skin, protecting it from chapping during the long months spent bathing in amniotic fluid.

Question 34

Visual Acuity

Answer 34

Newborns cannot focus their eyes well, fineness of discrimination of site is limited.

Question 35

Germinal Period

Answer 35

First Trimester (1-2 weeks). The one-celled zygote multiplies and forms a blastocyst. The blastocyst burrows in the uterine lining. Structures that feed and protect the developing organism begin to form - amnion, chorion, yolk sac, placenta, and umbilical cord.

Question 36

Embryo Period

Answer 36

3-4 weeks: A primitive brain and spinal cord appear. Heart, muscles, ribs, backbone, and digestive tract begin to develop. The baby is 1/4 inch long.

5-8 weeks: Many external body structures (face, arms, legs, toes, fingers) and internal organs form and production and migration of neurons in the brain begin. This sense of touch starts to develop, and the embryo can move. The baby is 1 inch long.

Question 37

Fetus Period

Answer 37

9-12 weeks: A rapid increase in size begins. The nervous system, organs, and muscles become organized and connected, touch sensitivity extends to most of the body, and new behavioral capacities (kicking, thumb sucking, mouth opening, and rehearsal of breathing) appear. External genitals are well-formed, and the fetus’s sex is evident. The baby is 3 inches long.

Question 38

Second Trimester

Answer 38

13-24 weeks: The fetus continues to enlarge rapidly. In the middle of this period, the mother can feel fetal movements. Vernix and lanugo keep the fetus’s skin from chapping in the amniotic fluid. Most of the brain’s neurons are in place by 24 weeks. Eyes are sensitive to light, and the fetus reacts to sound.

Question 39

Third Trimester

Answer 39

25-38 weeks: The fetus has a good chance of survival if born during this time. Size increases. Lungs mature. Rapid brain development, in neural connectivity and organization, enables sensory and behavioral capacities to expand. In the middle of this period, a layer of fat is added under the skin. Antibodies are transmitted from the mother to the fetus to protect against disease. Most fetuses rotate into an upside-down position in preparation for birth.