While many people understand the importance of ensuring the safe and proper development of a child in the womb, the psychological reasons behind this are not as widely known. During the Germinal Stage, Embryonic Stage, and Fetal Stage, a single cell develops into a Zygote, an Embryo, and finally a Fetus before birth. In order to be born as a healthy baby, the unborn child must be protected from and endure exposure to certain teratogens, depending on the mother's lifestyle. The first stage of prenatal development is the germinal stage. This stage begins when a sperm and egg cell meet within either of the fallopian tubes and lasts about two weeks until the cells attach to the wall of the uterus. Soon after this, the fertilized egg, or zygote, begins to move toward the uterus. This zygote then begins to divide over and over again, eventually making two separate groups as well as 23 pairs of chromosomes. One of these groups will become the placenta, while the other group will become the embryo. If this process is changed in the slightest way, it can result in the development of twins. Next, cells will develop the blastocyst, which contains three layers known as the ectoderm, the endoderm, and the mesoderm. As the zygote grows into a human being, the ectoderm will develop into the skin and nervous systems, the endoderm will become the digestive and respiratory systems, and the mesoderm will become the muscular and skeletal systems. From here, the zygote attaches itself to the uterine wall, where it will remain for the following nine months and receive nourishment. It is estimated that about 58 percent of naturally conceived zygotes do not ever become properly attached to the uterus (Cherry)....
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...While it is common sense to realize the importance of prenatal development, many people may not actually realize the extent of growth and development that occurs before a baby is even born. It seems vital for women expecting to conceive to know any and all risks they are taking that may have an effect on their child before or early on in their pregnancy. The choices a woman makes during the prenatal stages can have an effect on her child for years or often even for its entire life.
The embryos are usually extras that have been created in IVF (in vitro fertilization) clinics where several eggs are fertilized in a test tube, but only one is implanted into a woman (Crosta, Paragraph 3). The blastocyst consists of an inner cell mass (embryoblast) and an outer cell mass (trophoblast). The outer cell mass becomes part of the placenta, and the inner cell mass is the group of cells that will differentiate to become all the structures of an adult organism(Crosta, Paragraph 4). In a healthy pregnancy, the blastocyst stage continues until implantation of the embryo in the uterus, at which point the embryo is referred to as a fetus. This usually occurs by the end of the 10th week of gestation after all the primary organs of the body have been created (Crosta, Paragraph 5). Human embryonic stem cells are the cells from which all 200+ kinds of tissue in the human body originate. When stem cells are obtained from living human embryos, the harvesting of such cells necessitates the destruction of the
Although there are many factors that affect the development of the fetus, research on the specific effects of prenatal maternal stress and the resulting negative outcomes for the development of the fetus will be reviewed. While there is knowledge of these harmful effects in scientific and medical communities, researchers are still in the midst of discovering the results of these negative effects on human development. An overall review of the literature suggests that this topic is still relatively new in research as most of the articles make note that despite the amount of current research studies, there are still many unanswered questions.
Isn 't it crazy to think that we were once just a tiny organism? Nothing more than a group cells forming together? From the time of conception, the baby develops so quickly it is remarkable. The period from conception to birth is a truly beautiful development. And while the baby is quickly being formed from cell to human, the parents are quickly learning the birthing process and all there is to expect. There are three major parts to having a baby, the prenatal development, birth and the postpartum period.
Prenatal brain development is not usually the first topic on a pregnant woman’s mind, if it crosses her mind at all! Many women do not know what adverse effects certain circumstances can have on a child’s development. The most obvious deterrent of brain development would be a physical injury to the child. If any portion of the child’s brain is damaged during pregnancy, the effects will almost certainly be long term. Most pregnant women successfully take the necessary steps to avoid physically damaging the child’s brain. Perhaps even scarier is the thought that continuous exposure to stress can also permanently damage the brain development of a child that has yet to be born. The US National Library of Medicine states that in humans and animals, prolonged exposure to stress that can be controlled by the mother may result in abnormal behavioral, cognitive, and psychosocial outcomes. It is important for mothers to remember that they are no longer taking care of only themselves. Though unborn, there is a lot of damage that can be ...
Conjoined twins are the rarest type of twins. Conjoined twins were once known as “Siamese twins.” Conjoined twins originate from a single fertilized egg so they are always identical and same sex twins. The developing embryo starts to split into identical twins within the first two weeks after conception but stops before completion. A partially separated egg is left of the embryo, and it continues to mature into a conjoined fetus (Hunter 1...
“The results of this study showed women who were looking forward to becoming mothers had children who were healthier on a physical as well as an emotional level than the children of mothers who were not looking forward to the experience. While the prenate does not have an understanding of feelings such as an adult does, the unborn child is able to sense even slight differences in emotions. (Ibid, pg. 18) Sensing and reacting to feelings of doubt and uncertainty as well as stronger emotions such as hate and love is possible and quite probable.”
In the United States one in eight births are preterm (“Funding for Premature Related Research”).Premature means that the baby is born early, which is any baby born before thirty-seven weeks but health problems are usually only a problem for babies born before thirty-four weeks (“Funding for Premature Related Research”). Premature births are the leading cause for neonatal deaths and half of all premature births have no known causes (Lynch and Dezen). Babies who survive prematurity face multiple health problems including cerebral disease, vision and hearing loss, mental retardation, and lung problems (Lees, Reynolds,andMcCartan). Obviously with so many premature babies being born today, with so many unknown neonatal deaths in premature babies, and with all of the health problems for premature babies, there is a problem that must be addressed.The government needs to further fund research for the care and prevention of premature babies to prevent unnecessary death and health problems, cut costs in the long run, put previous findings into effect and reduce parental stress.
The merger of two germinal cells, one being a sperm cell and the other being an egg cell, is complete within twelve hours, at which time the egg is fertilized and becomes a zygote containing forty six chromosomes required to create a new human life. It is during this remarkable process when conception occurs. Conception confirms life and makes that undeveloped human one of a kind (Rorvik & Shettles, 1983, p. 16). Many researchers, as well as scientists, identify the first moments of life as the instant when a sperm cell unites with an ovum, o...
Berger, K. S. (1980). 4: Prenatal Development and Birth. The developing person (pp. 93-121). New York, N.Y.: Worth Publishers.
This process is called conception, the female is now officially two weeks pregnant and the fertilized egg is called a zygote. Let’s move on to pregnancy. Pregnancy is a state in which a woman carries a fertilized egg inside her body, it usually lasts up to 40 weeks, and it is divided into three trimesters, each lasting three months. The first month. The embryo is about a third of an inch long. The head, trunk, and the beginnings of the arms and legs have started to develop. By this month, the embryo starts to receive nutrients and releases waste through the umbilical cord and placenta. The heart also starts to beat. The second month. The heart is now pumping and the nervous system, including the brain and the spinal cord begins to develop. The fetus is 1 in 2.5cm now and has developed cartilage skeleton. The arms, legs, facial features and other major organs begin to appear. The third month. The fetus has grown up to 4 in 10cm and weighs a little more than an ounce. The major blood vessels are almost completed and the face starts to show up more. The kidneys and the 4 chambers of the heart are now complete. The fourth month. The fetus is now 4 oz of 112g and can kick and swallow. The
The egg is covered with a hard protein shell that called a zona. No sperm is just strong enough to break this shell, so the sperm has to introduce itself properly first. Once the sperm goes through and completes all of the challenges. The egg and sperm take over and begin developing a baby. The development of a baby goes through three trimesters before the parents get to meet their “Life’s Greatest
The environment can influence a lot during prenatal development. Broderick & Blewitt (2010) state “genes can do nothing without environmental input—and that environmental effects are shaped by genetic constraints” (p. 34). Teratogens and disease can cause birth defects during prenatal development. Pregnant mothers should avoid things like drugs, radiation, and stay away from people or places that could be infested with viruses. These can result in a defect in th...
Developmental Psychology is an area which studies how we as humans change over the period of our life span. The majority of the focus is broken into three categories: cognitive, physical and social change. The creation of who we are today comes down to the everlasting debate of nature versus nurture. This ongoing debate of what makes us who we are and which one is the driving force in development may be so simple that it’s complex. Rather than it being a conflict of nature “versus” nurture, it is very well possible both play an equal part in the development of us as humans. In the beginning, we start off as single cell in the form of a zygote. In that moment, where the DNA begin to form and the first seconds of life take place, the zygote is already experiencing interaction with the womb. In the process of determining why we are who are it is better to look more at the interactions of nature and nurture, analyzing how both have shaped us.
Those who have arrived at the ovum try to drill through its shell. Those sperm cells that were able to drill through the shell are now in a space that is filled with liquid. If a sperm manages to penetrate into the cytoplasm of the cell nucleus, the fertilization takes place: Both the egg cell and the sperm cell have all stored the genetic information necessary for the development of a human being. Both fuse together during fertilization. Essential characteristics of the developing human being (gender, hair color, blood type, etc.) are therefore already defined from this point in time. Fusing of two sperm with just one egg is extremely unlikely. Immediately after fertilization by the first sperm cell, the outer layer of the “egg” becomes impassable for more sperm. Should it nevertheless occur, then the double-fertilized egg in these cases is not viable and will not usually grow. The child (so to say) is not able to correctly develop and severe disabilities can form, in most of these cases the body will discard the fertilized egg at some point. If the child is carried to full term they will most likely be triploid, and have an extra set of chromosomes in their cells. Triploidy is considered a lethal
As I plan to eventually work with young mothers who have children who are in the foster care system or who are fighting to get their children back, I want to have a clear understand of what it will take to establish a healthy pregnancy. It will be important to implement the prenatal development to these future mothers. Making sure that these mothers have an understanding of what is important in the first stages of prenatal care of their children. For example, going to Doctor’s appointments, taking vitamins, eating healthy, and staying active. This will help provide a safe and healthy pregnancy for any children they may have. I also believe that gaining knowledge over the stages of development will be beneficial to know for the mothers who are fighting to have their children back. Some of these mothers I could be working with might not know what to expect of their one-year-old child. For example, how their brain is developing, what they should be doing cognitively or socially. As a future family life educator, it will be important that I have a clear understanding of these concerns of the child and the development process for the mothers who have the urge to get care of their children