Prenatal Development Research Paper

However, not just the mere presence of a father is enough to make a difference in a child’s development. Research has shown that a child’s development is affected by both the quantity and quality of father involvement (Wilson & Prior, 2010). Being an involved father means not only investing economic resources into a child, but also time. Wilson and Prior (2010) found that high levels of father involvement was associated with significant and highly desirable children’s developmental outcomes. Similarly, Bronte-Tinkew, Carrano, Horowitz, and Kinukawa (2008) used data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study–Birth Cohort to investigate whether or not a fathers involvement would play role in infant cognitive outcomes. They found that high father involvement reduces the likelihood of infant cognitive delay. Further they found that this was especially true for male infants and infants with disabilities.

The prenatal period is when quick changes in the fetal organs are vulnerable to organizing change and stability but also building internal working system to trigger emotional responses (McEwen et al. 2013). It is a critical time for brain development and the PFC (McEwen et al. 2013). It exposes a selection of long -term modifications on brain development and behaviour (Entringer et al. 2009). Prenatal exposure to stress affects hormones in the body including the physiology and anatomy that relate to increasing drug levels, cortical communication and more (Entringer et al. 2009). Fetal stress is any event that interrupts a fetal process in stability in the body. (Entringer et al. 2009). During pregnancy, maternal stress impends the fetal nervous system and shortens the length of maturation due to many issues and concerns affecting the mother (Entringer et al. 2009). During pregnancy, maternal psychosocial stress threatens the fetal nervous system and contracts the length of gestation (Entringer et al. 2009). High levels of placental corticotrophin- releasing hormone

During pregnancy, there are some factors beyond the mother’s control which can have negative significances for the fetus. Maternal stress occurs when the mother is exposed to psychosocial stressors during pregnancy (Kramer et al, 2009). The mother could also develop depression during or after her pregnancy. This mental illness affects the mother’s ability to function and cope with everyday life (NIHCM, 2010), thus affecting her relationship with her baby. Recent research evidence has highlighted that there is some overlap between the symptoms of maternal depression and stress (Cheng & Pickler, 2014), and that these play a role in affecting the normal development of the fetus. However, other research has indicated that stress and depression do not harm the fetus, and in fact can be developmentally beneficial (DiPetro, 2004). In this essay, a number of symptoms of maternal stress and depression shall be addressed, and the extent to which they affect the developing fetus. First to be discussed is how the emotional stability of the mother may affect the relationship she has with her baby.

Physical development of the human begins at conception when the egg is fertilized by the sperm. Once the ovum is fertilized, the process of mitosis begins, allowing the cells to split and form the human being. Through this process, each parent contributes 23 chromosomes, which are present in every cell of our bodies, and are made up of DNA and genes (Broderick & Blewitt, 2015). The genes that we inherit from our parents determine our physical features, such as hair and eye color, and height. Furthermore, the combination of various genes within the body at the time of conception may result in the individual carrying unexpected traits and illnesses (Broderick & Blewitt, 2015).

ost Partum depression or (PPD) can cause a problematic interruption to a mother and infants newly forming relationship. It should be addressed and interventions should be taken to help show the mothers with PPD how it affects not only their relationship with their child but that it can affect their child's development as a while as well. It affects about 10-15% of women and has an onset of about 4-6 weeks post partum. It can affect the child in numerous ways such as causing them to be insecure of themselves, it can cause them to have lower frustration tolerances, lower cognitive levels, and even lower physical health. All due to a mothers unreliableness and inattentiveness because of PPD. Several factors contribute to PPD; infant factors like

Not being properly educated on being a new mother before and after birth can playa role because during pregnancy a mother’s health, experiences and environment can affect how her fetus develops and the course of the pregnancy. By

There is a multitude of results that can come from children who are born preterm and babies born with a low birth weight. Premature and low birth weight babies face adverse health issues that can cause serious health complications that range from short term and initial symptoms to long standing life altering disabilities. The most common outcomes for preterm babies, or babies most commonly referred to as “preemies” are as followed, cerebral palsy, hearing problems, developmental delays, respiratory problems, bleeding in the brain, difficulties with vision, Retinopathy of prematurity, “ROP”, which affects blood vessels in the eye, and Necrotizing enterocolitis “NEC”, a problem in a baby’s intestines, to name a few. Also, preemies and low birth

Prenatal development is a very fragile phase of fetal development that can be affect by environmental factors and maternal factors. Prenatal development is the process in which a human fetus develops during pregnancy. The development of a new life is an exciting time for most people and this essay will discuss the process in which that new life is created. It will also discuss the things that could be harmful to the development of that new life during its prenatal development term such as environmental factors and maternal factors. Both of these things are important in the field of early child development because these things could cause harm to the development of systems in the body that are important for a child’s body to function properly and for their development to flourish. Prenatal development happens in three stages. The first stage is the germinal stage it happens two weeks after conception occurs. Conception is the process in which the egg from the mom and the sperm from the dad come into contact. The zygote which is a cell formed by the union of the male sperm and the female egg separates after conception, and this leads to the formation of balls that move along the mother fallopian tubes to her uterus. It is at the point that the placenta is formed, which plays a significant role in development throughout pregnancy. It acts as an active transport of blood supply and nutrients between the mom and fetus and helps with fetal growth. For this reason it is important

According to Bradly and Slade (2011), the birth of a child inevitably results in changes to men’s lives and the transition to fatherhood is easier for some men than others. However, fathers experiencing mental difficulties can impact the development of the child. Unfortunately, Bradly and Slade’s clinical implications were based on 20 year old data and focused primarily on depressive symptoms. More research is needed into other areas of mental health as it relates to fatherhood. (Bradley and Slade, 2011) A study by Garfield et al (2014) presented results which showed that depressive symptoms for fathers increased through the child’s first 5 years of life. However, the authors noted several studies reported the positive aspects of being a father, including being less angry, more enthusiastic, happier and increased bonding and attachment to their

As future school nurses, fetal development could be an educational topic that would great benefit high schoolers. As you mentioned in your text, the fetus, children, and young adult are “susceptible to a number of environmental factors including drugs, chemicals, infections, and physical factors…because the brain is still maturing.” Nowadays, we see an increase in pregnancy and drug abuse on teenager population, and they would benefit to know risks factors, safe measurements necessaries to prevent any anomaly even before conception, and drug and chemical effect on the brain because would empower the students to make responsible choices about sexual relationship and life style.

The results of the study showed that 77% of fathers had some involvement with their babies and 23.4% had no contact with their babies. In the families where fathers had some involvement with their babies, 62% of these fathers lived with the child and mother and a majority were present during

Fetal development begins with implantation, when the sperm fertilizes the egg. At this point the fertilized egg is know as a zygote. It splits apart into up to 32 cells which enter the uterus and is then known as the blastocyst. Implantation occurs when the blastocyst begins attaching to the wall of the uterus. From this point the blastocyst is referred to as an embryo until the 9th week of the pregnancy. This 8 week period is called the embryonic period (“Fetal Development”). The first week of the embryonic period differentiation begins to occur. The cells of the embryo multiply rapidly and begin forming different parts of the embryo. The embryo is about 1/100th of an inch long at the beginning of the embryonic period. Blood cells, kidney cells, and nerve cells are forming and a blood vessel has formed. This vessel quickly forms a heart outside of the body still in the first week or so of the embryonic period (Boeree). Later in this first week the brain and spinal cord begin developing as well as the gastrointestinal tract (Storck). In the next two weeks the heart remains outside of the body but beats regularly. The embryo still has a tail but “buds” grow where the arms and legs will begin to form. The spinal cord starts to form vertebra and a larynx or voice box is formed. The brain continues forming and at this point the embryo is about 1/4 an inch (Boeree). The placenta is forming and the embryo is in a sack filled with amniotic fluid keeping it alive (“Fetal

Having a child is both an exciting and significant time in a family’s life. The birth experience of the father can vary from culture to culture and is an important time in both the child’s and the Father’s lives. A lot of new fathers can often be scared or intimidated by being present during the physical birth of the child. It is said that if a father feels scared, or stressed before or during labor that he should not be present during birth because he may transfer feelings to his spouse and further difficult the labor process(Odent,1999, Midwifery Today Int Midwife). According to a study (Singh and Newburn,2000) 96% of newborn babies in the UK had the father present while birth was given, which Would suggest that majority of the time the father felt the need to be present during birth in industrialized western countries.

Adolescent mother has to suffer from several stressful conditions like poor financial condition, social isolation, and physical exhaustion due to increased workload after the birth of a baby. The feeling of neglect from the family, society and peer group has a negative effect on the mother and infant and causing hindrance in the social, emotional and cognitive development of both mother and the child (LePlatte, Rosenblum, Stanton, Miller, & Muzik, 2012). It also has put tremendous pressure on the mother causing them to have symptoms like feeling anxious, shameful and guilty, low mood, not able to care for themselves and the baby and also physical symptoms like weight loss and fatigue (Panda, 2010). This type of signs and symptoms are symptom of depression often termed as post natal depression. If this post natal depression is not treated in time it can lead to mental illness in adulthood.So, post natal depression is the main problem almost every adolescent mother faces today. It is estimated that 48 percentage of adolescent mother suffers from post natal depression today (Birkeland, Thompson, & Phares, 2005).

The literature review examines the father 's role as being very important to a child 's development and brings out positive benefits when they’re actively involved. A father who is involved ensures a sufficient amount of cognitive ability, supports the child 's educational achievements and awareness of overall health and social behavior. Fathers are more than just the second adult in the home. When involved fathers, biological or not, they bring positive benefits to a child that no other person is likely to bring. A child without a father figure in the early stages of childhood can have a negative effect on their social behavior and general health.