Human Development Flashcards
What is the prenatal period?
From conception until bird, 9 months of pregnancy
What are the three phases of the prenatal period?
- Germinal stage (first 2 weeks)
- Embryonic stage (2 weeks to 2 months)
- Fetal stage (2 months to birth)
What happens during the germinal stage?
The zygote travels down the fallopian tube into the uterus, after about a week it begins to try and implant into the uterine wall, which also takes about a week
The placenta begins to form
Less than 1/2 of zygotes successfully implant
What is the placenta?
A structure that allows oxygen and nutrients to pass into the fetus from the mothers bloodstream and for the fetus waste to pass out to the mother
What happens during the embryonic stage?
The vital organs and bodily systems start forming, only about 2.5 cm but it starts devolving arms, legs, feet, fingers, eyes, ears etc
If anything interferes with the formation during this phase it can have very bad consequences (most miscarriages and birth defects happen during this time)
What happens during the fetal stage?
Bones and muscles start to form, continue growing rapidly, sex organs start to develop 3rd month, during the last three months the brain cells quickly multiply and fat is developed to be insulation and the heart and lung system matures
Preparing for life outside uterus
What is the threshold of viability?
The age where a baby can potentially survive in the event of a premature birth
23-25 weeks
What are teratogens?
Any external agents, like drugs or viruses, that can harm an embryo or fetus
Why is maternal nutrition important?
Babies need variety of nutrients to develop and they get them from mom, severe maternal malnutrition increases the risk of birth complications and neurological deficits
What is the problem with maternal drug/alcohol use?
Can slip through the membrane of the placenta and get to the fetus
What can fetus exposed to cannabis cause?
Cognitive and academic difficulties in childhood, impulsivity and attention deficits, later substance use
What can smoking do to a fetus?
Cause stillbirth, miscarriage, premature delivery, and SIDS
What is FASD? What are some symptoms?
Fetal alcohol syndrome, collection of congenital problems associated with excessive alcohol use during pregnancy
Small head, flat nose, flat philtrum, heart defects, irritability, delayed motor devolpment, impaired cognitive development
What effect can stress have on a fetus?
Elevated prenatal stress can be associated with stillbirths, impaired immune response, heightened vulnerability to infectious disease, slow motor development
Can disrupt the hormonal balance that fosters healthy prenatal development
What illnesses can the placenta not prevent from affecting the fetus?
HIv/AIDS, measles, rubella, syphallis, chickenpox
What effects can environmental toxins have on a fetus?
Impairment in cognitive development, increased risk for obesity, deficits in social competence and self regulation
How can you describe physical growth during infancy? Why?
Rapid and uneven
Sudden bursts of growth
What was early progress in motor skills originally attributed to? What does recent research suggest?
Maturation (development that reflects the gradual unfolding of one’s genetic blueprint)
Infant exploration
What is motor development?
The progression of muscular coordination required for physical activities
Is the pacing for motor develop the same across cultures? What does this demonstrate?
No, demonstrates the potential importance of learning
What is attachment?
Close emotional bonds that develop between infants and caregivers
What did Harlow’s study with baby monkeys show?
They prefer comfort over food, will spend more time with cushioned fake mom then mom with food
What are the three categories of infant-mother attachments?
Secure, anxious ambivalent, avoidant
Infants with a secure attachment style generally grow up to be?
Resilient, competent toddlers with high self esteem
