Chapter S

Question 1

What is the perinatal environment?

Answer 1

The environment surrounding birth.

Question 2

Describe the first stage of labour.

Answer 2

The period of the birth process lasting from the first regular uterine contractions until the cervix is fully dilated.

Question 3

Describe the second stage of labour.

Answer 3

The period of the birth process during which the fetus moves through the birth canal and emerges from the mom’s body. Also called delivery.

Question 4

How long does the first stage of labor last?

Answer 4

8-14 hours for firstborn children and 3-8 hour for laterborns.

Question 5

What is the third stage of labour?

Answer 5

Expulsion of the placenta (afterbirth.)

Question 6

How does a fetus adapt to the stressful ordeal of birth?

Answer 6

Activating hormones which increase heart rate and flow of oxygenated blood to the brain (helps withstand oxygen deprivation)
Also ensures they are born awake and ready to breathe.

Question 7

What is the Apgar test?

Answer 7

A quick assessment of newborn’s heat -rate, respiration, colour, muscle tone, and reflexes that is used to gauge perinatal stress and to determine whether a neonate requires immediate medical assistance.

Each characteristic is rate 0-2 and totalled.

Test is repeated 5 minutes later.

Infants 7 or higher are good; 4 or lower are in distress.

Question 8

What is the neonatal behavioral assessment scale?

Answer 8

A test that assesses a neonate’s neurological integrity and responsiveness to environmental stimuli.

Assesses the strength of 20 inborn reflexes & changes in infant’s reactions to comforting and other social stimuli.

Question 9

Where did the natural childbirth movement come from?

Answer 9

Work of Grantly Dick-Read in England

Question 10

Where did the prepared childbirth movement come from?

Answer 10

Fernand Lamaze in France

Question 11

Moms who have more knowledge, training, and confidence:

Answer 11

Require less medication and have fewer interventions

Question 12

What is one benefit of natural and prepared childbirth?

Answer 12

Social support from parters and other close companions

Question 13

What is a birthing centre?

Answer 13

Hospital birthing room or other independent facility that provides a home-like atmosphere for childbirth but still makes medical technology available.

Question 14

Women who deliver at home have:

Answer 14

Shorter labours and use less medication than those who deliver in hospitals

Question 15

Doulas and midwives result in:

Answer 15

Births with less maternal pain, greater satisfaction with the birth experience, and shorter births with less medical interventions.

Question 16

Marshall Lars and John kennell believe that which time period is a sensible period for emotional bonding?

Answer 16

The first 6-12 hours after birth.

Question 17

Engrossment:

Answer 17

Paternal analogue of maternal emotional bonding

Question 18

3 important birth complications that can adversely influence a baby’s development:

Answer 18

Anoxia

Low birth weight

Premature delivery

Question 19

Anoxia:

Answer 19

Lack of sufficient oxygen to the brain; may result in neurological damage or death.

Can occur because umbilical cord gets squeezed or tangled during birth; when the placenta separates prematurely; it mucus ingested during birth gets stuck in baby’s throat.

Question 20

Breech birth:

Answer 20

A delivery in which the fetus emerges feet first or buttocks first instead of head first.

Question 21

RH Factor:

Answer 21

A blood protein that, when present in a fetus but not the mother, con cause the mother to produce antibodies. These antibodies may then attack red blood cells of subsequent fetuses who have the protein in their blood.

Question 22

What are the 2 kinds of low- birth-weight babies?

Answer 22

Preterm infants and small-for-date / small-for-gestational-age babies

Question 23

Respiratory distress syndrome:

Answer 23

Serious condition in which a preterm infant breathes very irregularly and is at risk of dying.

Also called hyaline membrane disease.

Question 24

Babies in ICU become less irritable and more responsive and show quicker neurological and mental development if:

Answer 24

They are periodically rocked, stroked, massaged, or soothed by the sound of a mother’s voice.

Question 25

Long-tern consequences of low birth weight:

Answer 25

Likely to experience more learning difficulties; score lower on IQ tests; suffer more emotional problems

Question 26

Reflex:

Answer 26

Unlearned and automatic response to a stimulus or class of stimuli.

Question 27

Survival reflexes:

Answer 27

Inborn responses such as breathing, sucking, and swallowing that enable the newborn to adapt to the environment.

Question 28

Primitive reflexes:

Answer 28

Babinski reflexes, Palmar grasping, Moro reflex, Swimming reflex, Stepping reflex

Question 29

Survival reflexes:

Answer 29

Breathing, eye blink, pupillary, rooting, sucking, swallowing.

Question 30

Primitive reflexes:

Answer 30

Reflexes controlled by subcortical areas of the brain that gradually disappear over the first year of life.

Question 31

Infant states:

Answer 31

Levels of sleep and wakefulness that young infants display.

Question 32

Infant states of arousal:

Answer 32

Regular sleep
Irregular sleep
Drowsiness
Alert inactivity
Alert activity
Crying

Question 33

Why do fetuses and newborns spend so much time in REM sleep?

Answer 33

Active REM sleep early in life provides them with enough internal stimulation to allow their nervous systems to develop properly.

Autostimulation theory