Milestones Of Prenatal Development

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Prenatal development is crucial to a healthy birth for both the mother and the child. Three trimesters define major portions and milestones of prenatal development. The milestones of prenatal development begin with the germinal phase, followed by the embryo phase, ending with the fetus stage. Global, cognitive, behavioral, socio-emotional, and psychomotor are five aspects of infant development which can be potentially impacted by external forces. A greater understanding of the effects of both prenatal and postpartum maternal distress on a larger scope of infant developmental conclusions is essential to prevention and early intervention strategies. A larger foundation for crucial strategies to build upon will lead to better treatment and more accurate prediction of potential outcomes of …show more content…

However, it also urges us to inspect earlier conditions in a child’s life that have not been adequately investigated yet. Teratogens are environmental agents that cause damage to during the prenatal period. Dose, heredity, and age influence the effect of teratogens. Examples of teratogens include prescription and nonprescription drugs, illegal drugs, tobacco, alcohol, radiation, environmental pollution, and infectious disease. Exercise, nutrition (and malnutrition), emotional stress, Rh factor incompatibility, maternal age, and previous births are other maternal factors. If women experience severe emotional stress during the first two trimesters, it can lead to a higher chance of negative outcomes. These negative outcomes include miscarriage, prematurity, low birth weight, infant respiratory and digestive illnesses, colic, sleep disturbances, and irritability during the first three years of a child’s life. Prenatal distress can have an adverse effect on cognitive, behavioral, and

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