Prenatal Development and Birth

Question 1

Environment

Answer 1

any event or condition outside the organism that is presumed to influence, or be influenced by the person’s development.

Question 2

3 stages

Answer 2

germinal
embryonic
fetal

Question 3

Germinal stage

Answer 3

fertilisation to 2 weeks

Question 4

Embryonic stage

Answer 4

3-8 weeks

Question 5

fetal

Answer 5

9 week to birth

Question 6

Sensory ability at 8 weeks

Answer 6

responds to touch around lips and cheeks

Question 7

Sensory ability at 15-16 weeks

Answer 7

responds to flavour of amniotic fluid

Question 8

Sensory ability at 22-24 weeks

Answer 8

responds to sounds

Question 9

Fetal learning

Answer 9

newborns prefer to listen to their mother’s voice and to music and stories they heard prenatally
-also learns about smells and tastes

Question 10

The importance of fetal behaviour

Answer 10

• practice makes perfect
• forming joints and muscles
• getting ready for the breast
• attachment
• language
• boosting brain cells

Question 11

Environmental influences on prenatal development

Answer 11

• teratogens

- the mother’s state (age, emotional and nutritional condition)

Question 12

Teratogens

Answer 12

any disease, drug, or other environmental agent that can harm a developing fetus

Question 13

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

Answer 13

• a characteristic pattern of abnormalities associated with alcohol intake during pregnancy
• growth deficiency
• CNS deficits (intellectual disability)
• Characteristic facial features

Question 14

Safest age to bear a child

Answer 14

20-40 yrs old

Question 15

Emotional condition in mothers

Answer 15

babies of highly stressed mothers tend to be small, premature and irritable

Question 16

maternal malnutrition associated with…

Answer 16

• low birth weight

- intellectual and social deficits

Question 17

Effects of environmental hazards depend on:

Answer 17

• timing
• severity and duration
• genetic makeup of child and mother
• postnatal environment

Question 18

Stage 1 of labour

Answer 18

• dilation of cervix begins
• contractions are greatest and cervix opens completely
• (9 hours for first baby)

Question 19

Stage 2 of labour

Answer 19

• baby’s head appears
• baby passes through
• 1,5 hrs

Question 20

Stage 3 of labour

Answer 20

expulsion of the placenta

Question 21

Baby during labour

Answer 21

• releases stress hormones and adrenalin to help baby through birth and after.
• increases metabolism which increases blood flow

Question 22

APGAR test

Answer 22

• used to provide quick assessment of the newborn’s heart rate, respiration, colour, muscle tone and reflexes
• 0-2 (2 the highest)

Question 23

APGAR stands for…

Answer 23

• Activity
• Pulse
• Grimace
• Appearance
• Respiration

Question 24

Neonates at risk

Answer 24

• premature infants (born before 37 weeks)

- Low-birth-weight babies (less than 2500g at birth)

Question 25

Potential problems with neonates at risk

Answer 25

• respiration
• maintaining body t–emperature
• immune system
• digestion
• parent-infant relations
• Haven’t developed insulating layer of fat
• Digestive system is immature
• Parents feel less confident and scared of hurting it

Question 26

4 components of Kangaroo care

Answer 26

1. Kangaroo position (skin-to-skin contact)
2. Kangaroo nutrition (breastfeeding)
3. Kangaroo support
4. Kangaroo discharge

Question 27

Benefits of Kangaroo Care

Answer 27

• Improves survival
• Infants calmer, less distressed
• Infants show improved cognitive performance
• Mothers feel more positive
• Improves quality of parent-child and family interactions
• Reduces hospital costs
• Parents body just as effective as an incubator. -Keeps warm and protects from infections
• Mothers body produces antibodies from germs and passes them on to baby through milk and skin
• More organised sleeping and waking patterns.
• Some think to be used to all babies to improve development and parent attachment.

Question 28

Infants’ early capacities

Answer 28

• newborn reflexes
• sensory capacities
• cute
• crying
• smiling
• all help to facilitate close parent-child relationship

Question 29

rooting reflex

Answer 29

automatically turn the face toward the stimulus and make sucking (rooting) motions with the mouth when the cheek or lip is touched. The rooting reflex helps to ensure successful breastfeeding.

Question 30

grasping refelx

Answer 30

a flexion of the fingers caused by stimulation of the palm of the hand. The reflex is present at birth and usually disappears by 6 months of age.

Question 31

Sucking reflex

Answer 31

When the roof of the baby’s mouth is touched, the baby will begin to suck. This reflex does not begin until about the 32nd week of pregnancy and is not fully developed until about 36 weeks. Premature babies may have a weak or immature sucking ability because of this.

Question 32

Moro reflex

Answer 32

an infantile reflex normally present in all infants/newborns up to 4 or 5 months of age as a response to a sudden loss of support, when the infant feels as if it is falling. It involves three distinct components:

spreading out the arms (abduction)
unspreading the arms (adduction)
crying (usually)

Question 33

Post natal depression

Answer 33

• affects about 13% of new mothers

- risks increased for those with a history of depression, other life stresses, lack of social support

Question 34

depressed mothers may…

Answer 34

perceive their babies as more difficult
interact less positively with their infants
have trouble responding to their babies’ signals and establishing reciprocal, give-and-take relationships with them