DevPsych - MIDTERMS

• FERTILIZATION

  ● The process by which sperm and ovum—the male and female gametes, or sex cells—combine to create a single cell called a zygote
• PRENATAL DEVELOPMENT

  ● The process of gestation that an embryo undergoes, right from the fertilization stage to childbirth
• PRENATAL PERIOD

  ● Encompasses the most rapid phase of development of our lives, beginning as a single cell (fertilization) and ending as a newborn baby emerging into the world
• ENVIRONMENTAL AGENTS

  ● May adversely affect the development of the fetus, and the environment may determine the functional capacity of the organs of the body.

  ● Genetic function, disease, etc.
• PRENATAL

  ● From Greek pero, “about, around” and Latin nasci “to be born” defines the period occurring “around the time of birth”, specifically from 22 completed weeks of gestation
• PRENATAL OR ANTENATAL

  ● The process in which an embryo or fetus (or foetus) gestates during pregnancy, from fertilization until birth
• PRENATAL

  ● From Greek peri, “about, around” and Latin nasci “to be born”) defines the period occuring “around the time of the birth”, specially from 22 completed weeks (154 days) of gestation

  ● A child takes about 9 months or 40 weeks to reach the stage of birth, and in this period, a lot of changes and processes occur to the child’s body and the mother’s body as well
• ANTEPARTUM PERIOD

  ● From Latin ante “before” and parere “to give birth” is equivalent to prenatal pre–”before” and nasci “to be born”.

  ● Refers to the period between 24th/26th week of gestational age and birth of a child
• POSTNATAL PERIOD

  ● Begins immediately after the birth of a child and then extends for about six weeks. During this period, the mother’s body returns to pre-pregnancy conditions as far as uterus size and hormone levels are concerned.
• THE NATURE OR NURTURE DEBATE -

  how much is development during this period determined by genes and how much by the environment
• THE FUNCTION OF FETAL BEHAVIOR - why does the fetus exhibit the behavior and reactions that it does? Are they a by-product of its maturation, or do they serve a function?
• WHETHER DEVELOPMENT IS CONTINUOUS OR DISCONTINUOUS - at the moment of birth, the behavioral, sensory, and learning abilities of the newborn are suddenly switched on, and these abilities have their origins in the prenatal period, implying a continuity of development across the birth period
• DEVELOPMENT PROCEED IN A CEPHALOCAUDAL DIRECTION (from

  head to foot)

  ○ Any specific time structures nearer the head are more developed than those near the toes
• DEVELOPMENT PROCEEDS IN ORDER OF IMPORTANCE

  ○ It begins with the more important organs for survival ad the less important ones develop later (first is the brain, etc)
• DEVELOPMENT PROCEEDS FROM THE BASIC TO THE MORE SPECIALIZED

  ○ Organs do not initially appear as a miniature version of their final form but first develop their basic characteristics, and detail is added as development proceeds.
• DIZYGOTIC TWINS

  ● Twins conceived by the union of two different ova (or a single ovum that has split) with two different sperm cells
• MONOZYGOTIC TWINS

  • Twins resulting from the division of a single zygote after fertilization
• DEOXYRIBONUCLEIC ACID (DNA)

  • The molecule that forms genes, and multiple genes are grouped into chromosomes
• CHROMOSOMES 

  • Coils of DNA that consist of smaller segments called genes, the functional units of heredity.
• HUMAN GENOME

  • Complete sequence of genes in the human body
• MUTATIONS 

  • Permanent alterations in genes or chromosomes that may produce harmful characteristics
• AUTOSOMES

  • In humans, the 22 pairs of chromosomes not related to sexual expression
• DOMINANT INHERITANCE

  • When a child receives different alleles, only the dominant one is expressed
• RECESSIVE INHERITANCE

  • A child receives identical recessive alleles, resulting in expression of a nondominant trait
• AMNIOTIC SAC

  • Surrounds the fetus during pregnancy
• PERIOD OF THE ZYGOTE

  • The size of the zygote (that of a pinhead) remains unchanged and has no outside source of nourishment. It is kept alive by yolk 
  • The zygote passes down the Fallopian tube to the uterus. It divides many times and separates into an outer and an inner layer
  • The outer layer develops into the placenta, the umbilical cord, and the amniotic sac while the inner layer develops into a new human being
• PERIOD OF  THE EMBRYO

  • Major development occurs in the head region and the extremities last
  • The outer layer develop and protect and nourish the embryo
  • At the end of the second prenatal month, the embryo weighs 1.25 ounces and measures 15 inches in length
• PERIOD OF THE FETUS

  • By the end of the 3rd lunar month, some internal organs are well developed to function. Fetal heartbeat can be detected by about the 15th week
  • By the end of the 5th lunar month, the different internal organs have assumed positions nearly like the ones they will have in the adult body
  • By the end of the 7th lunar month, the fetus is well enough developed to survive, should it be born properly
  • By the end of the 8th lunar month the fetal body is completely formed, through smaller than that of a normal, full-term infant
• • TRADITIONAL BELIEFS ABOUT PARENTAL INFLUENCES - their effects on attitudes and treatment children receive during the early formative years of their life from significant people who hold these beliefs
• • MATERNAL STRESS – heightened emotionality such unpleasant emotions as fear, anger, or grief upsets the normal functioning of maternal endocrine system
• • UNFAVORABLE ATTITUDE ON THE PART OF SIGNIFICANT PEOPLE - unfavorable attitude held by relatives, siblings, neighbors and friends but most importantly parental attitude does affect development
• • STARVATION - the zygote will die of starvation if it has too little yolk to keep it alive until it can lodge itself in the uterine wall or if it remains too long in the tube
• • LACK OF UTERINE PREPARATION - implantation cannot occur if, as a result of glandular imbalance, the uterine walls are not prepared in time to receive the zygote
• • IMPLANTATION IN THE WRONG PLACE - if the zygote becomes attached to a small fibroid tissue in the uterine wall or the wall of the Fallopian tube, it can’t get nourishment and will die
• • MISCARRIAGES - falls, emotional shocks, malnutrition, glandular disturbances, vitamin deficiency, and the serious diseases can cause the embryo to become dislodged from its place in the uterine wall
• • DEVELOPMENT IRREGULARITIES - maternal malnutrition, vitamin and glandular deficiencies, excessive use of drugs, alcohol, tobacco and diseases like diabetes and German measles, interfere with normal development, especially that of the embryonic brain
• • MISCARRIAGES - possible up to the 5th month. The most vulnerable time when the woman’s menstrual period would normally occur
• • PREMATURITY - fetuses who weigh 2-3 ounces have less chance of surviving and greater chance of developing malformations
• • COMPLICATIONS OF DELIVERY - maternal stress affects uterine contractions and is likely to lead to complications during birth
• • TERATOGEN  - agent that causes birth defect