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Prenatal Development Chapter 3 Study Guide

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Janie Carter
Chapter 3
Prenatal Development
• Prenatal Development
Prenatal Development is the development of an organism before (pre) its birth (natal).

• Conception
The female reproductive system contains two ovaries. The ovaries nourish the eggs as they mature and are ready for fertilization. An egg will come to maturity approximately every 28 days. When the ovum has matured, the ovary releases it in a process called ovulation. After ovulation the ovum moves into the fallopian tube adjacent to the ovary.

• Stages of Prenatal Development
Three stages: the germinal stage, the embryonic stage, and the fetal stage.

• The Germinal Stage: Conception to 2 Weeks.
The germinal stage (0 to 14 days) is the first stage of prenatal development. …show more content…

Potential effects for babies born with syphilis are deafness, malformations of teeth and bones, facial deformities, excess fluid in the brain, and mental retardation.

• HIV/AIDS.
Effects not clear but include infant HIV infection, growth retardation, microcephaly, and head and facial deformities.

• Maternal Age
Factors that tend to relate with teenage pregnancy are low income, poor education, social isolation, drug and alcohol use, and lack of early prenatal care.
As women move to there 30s and late 40s, the risks are prematurity, fetal death, Down syndrome, and complications during birth.

• Critical Periods
The risk for birth defects is small during the first 2 weeks after conception but rises severely and peaks shortly after week 3. But week 8, the risk has declined again, and it will continue to fall until the baby is born.

• The Role of Fathers
Fathers who used alcohol before or after the conception are linked with children’s later learning and memory problems, hyperactivity, and difficulties dealing with stress.
Cocaine accumulates in the testes and can damage sperm cells.
Also the man’s actions/habits/attitudes can affect encourage/contribute to women’s use to of alcohol, drugs, or

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