Child Development: An Active Learning Approach by Laura E. Levine and Joyce Munsch© 2011 SAGE Publications

Child Development: Chapter 5

Prenatal Development, Birth and the Newborn

Child Development: An Active Learning Approach by Laura E. Levine and Joyce Munsch© 2011 SAGE Publications

Chapter Outline

Prenatal Development The Birth Experience The Newborn

Child Development: An Active Learning Approach by Laura E. Levine and Joyce Munsch© 2011 SAGE Publications

Three stages of prenatal development

Germinal stage – 0-2 weeks Fertilization Cell division Creation of the blastula Implantation in the uterine wall

Child Development: An Active Learning Approach by Laura E. Levine and Joyce Munsch© 2011 SAGE Publications

Blastocyst becomes embryo Trophoblast becomes placenta

Child Development: An Active Learning Approach by Laura E. Levine and Joyce Munsch© 2011 SAGE Publications

Embryonic stage 2 weeks – 2 months Placenta develops to nourish the embryo Three layers develop

Ectoderm (outside) – skin, nervous system Mesoderm (middle) – muscle, blood, bones Endoderm (inside) – internal organs

Cephalocaudal development – head to toe

Child Development: An Active Learning Approach by Laura E. Levine and Joyce Munsch© 2011 SAGE Publications

Critical period: development is occurring rapidly and the organism is especially sensitive to damage

Organogenesis: development of internal organs

Heart begins to beat Miscarriage is common

50-80% are due to chromosomal abnormalities

Child Development: An Active Learning Approach by Laura E. Levine and Joyce Munsch© 2011 SAGE Publications

Fetal stage – 2 months - birth Sexual differentiation Prenatal “breathing” Development of the senses

The Mozart effect – true or false?

Child Development: An Active Learning Approach by Laura E. Levine and Joyce Munsch© 2011 SAGE Publications

Health and risks in pregnancy The mother’s experience Three trimesters First 3 months:

Morning sickness due to hormonal changes Fatigue

Second 3 months: Woman feels the baby moving (“quickening”)

Activity level prenatally predicts activity level of the baby after birth

Child Development: An Active Learning Approach by Laura E. Levine and Joyce Munsch© 2011 SAGE Publications

Final 3 months:Fatigue and discomfortFetus “drops” to get into position for

birth

Child Development: An Active Learning Approach by Laura E. Levine and Joyce Munsch© 2011 SAGE Publications

The Father’s Prenatal Experience

Support for the mother-to-be: emotional, physical and financial

“Couvade”: experience of some of the symptoms of pregnancy

11-65% of men experience weight gain, nausea, indigestion, backaches, mood swings, and/or food cravings

Child Development: An Active Learning Approach by Laura E. Levine and Joyce Munsch© 2011 SAGE Publications

Having a Healthy PregnancyImportance of prenatal medical care maternal diet

Child Development: An Active Learning Approach by Laura E. Levine and Joyce Munsch© 2011 SAGE Publications

Prenatal Risks Does America provide the best care for

pregnant women? http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/hea

_mat_mor-health-maternal-mortality

Worldwide issues of maternal mortality: http://www.unicef.org/sowc09/

Child Development: An Active Learning Approach by Laura E. Levine and Joyce Munsch© 2011 SAGE Publications

Teratogens Agents that can disrupt prenatal development

and cause malformations or termination of the pregnancy: Alcohol: Fetal alcohol syndrome Tobacco (including 2nd hand smoke): asthma and other

respiratory problems; SIDS; ADHD and learning disabilities Prescription drugs – even aspirin is linked with bleeding Illegal drugs;

e.g., cocaine – withdrawal, poor cry signal, brain and cognitive problems

marijuana – tremors, long-term cognitive problems Maternal disease and stress

Child Development: An Active Learning Approach by Laura E. Levine and Joyce Munsch© 2011 SAGE Publications

Labor and DeliveryFirst stage of labor Early labor: contractions are usually not painful;

cervix begins to thin out and dilate. Active labor: contractions become longer,

stronger, and more frequent; cervix has dilated to 4 cms.; lasts on average 3 to 8 hours.

Transition: contractions come in rapid succession and last up to 90 seconds each,; lasts15 minutes to 3 hours; ends when cervix has dilated 10 cms.

Child Development: An Active Learning Approach by Laura E. Levine and Joyce Munsch© 2011 SAGE Publications

Second stage of labor: urge to push delivery of the baby

Third stage of labor: delivery of the placenta

Child Development: An Active Learning Approach by Laura E. Levine and Joyce Munsch© 2011 SAGE Publications

Birthing Options

Where: hospital, home, birthing center

Who helps: doctor, midwife, doula

Child Development: An Active Learning Approach by Laura E. Levine and Joyce Munsch© 2011 SAGE Publications

Learning to be a Mother or a Father: Biology

Effects of hormones:“Baby blues”

Postpartum depression should be treated

Certain hormones promote nurturing behavior in both mothers and fathers (e.g., prolactin)

Child Development: An Active Learning Approach by Laura E. Levine and Joyce Munsch© 2011 SAGE Publications

Learning to be a Mother or a Father: Culture Cultural effects on learning to be a parent How much support is offered in different

cultures? allowing parents to stay home (parental leave

from work) Learning about parenting from knowledgeable

people (including grandparents) social connection with other adults

Child Development: An Active Learning Approach by Laura E. Levine and Joyce Munsch© 2011 SAGE Publications

The Newborn Newborn capabilities the newborn can hear, see, taste, smell, and

respond to touch Infant states: different levels of

consciousness used to regulate the amount of stimulation an infant receives Sleep Quiet alertness Crying

Child Development: An Active Learning Approach by Laura E. Levine and Joyce Munsch© 2011 SAGE Publications

Risks to Infants Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)

Prematurity: birth that occurs before a gestational age of 37 weeks

Low birth weight: full-term newborn weighing less than 5 pounds, 4 ounces

Child Development: An Active Learning Approach by Laura E. Levine and Joyce Munsch© 2011 SAGE Publications

This baby weighed 8.6 ounces

Child Development: An Active Learning Approach by Laura E. Levine and Joyce Munsch© 2011 SAGE Publications

Some premature and low birth weight infants develop normally and some do not.

Modern Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs) are essential to their treatment.

Child Development: An Active Learning Approach by Laura E. Levine and Joyce Munsch© 2011 SAGE Publications

Babies and Parents Becoming a new parent is both joyful and

stressful. In spite of the stress, only 8% of the parents

wish they could be free from the responsibility of being a parent, and over 75% of parents agree that children are “the main satisfaction” in their life.