PRENATAL DEVELOPMENT & THE NEWBORN

CONCEPTION

Women are born with all the eggs they will have

Men continuously produce sperm from puberty on

A fertilized egg is called a “zygote”

CONCEPTION

Take time and write your own answer – we can share later, but first YOU THINK

1) Some women harvest their eggs to conceive later in life, building a career before having children.

What are the pros and cons of having children in later life?What societal implications will this practice produce?

2) What should become of unused frozen embryos? Explain your reasons.

3) Should human cloning be allowed? Why or why not?

PRENATAL DEVELOPMENT

About 10 days after conception, cells attach to the uterine wall and are now an “Embryo (This one is 6 days and just beginning the process)

About 9 weeks, the embryo begins to look human and is now a “Fetus”

In a mere 9 weeks, you went from spongy looking

microscopic cells to a mini human

form… CRAZY!!!!!

PRENATAL DEVELOPMENT

18 Weeks 32 Weeks

Placenta

• Transfers nutrients

• Screens harmful stuff

• Teratogens are harmful things that slip through

PRENATAL - THE BAD STUFF

Examples of Teratogens Heroine AIDS Virus Nicotine Alcohol

Leads to Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (physical & cognitive abnormalities)

PRENATAL - THE BAD STUFF

Take time and write your own answer – we can share later, but first YOU THINK

1) How do you think the criminal justice system should deal with mothers who abuse drugs during pregnancy?

2) If states pursue offenders of this crime, how do you think society, in general, would be affected?

As of September 201317 states can terminate parental rights if evidence of substance abuse

during pregnancy14 states require doctors to report evidence of prenatal substance abuse

COMPETENT NEWBORN

Newborns pop out with reflexes for survival

Rooting reflex If touched on the cheek, babies turn and open mouth, searching for

nipple

Moro reflex Arms thrust out and back arches in response to surprise or loud noise

Swimming reflex If submerged, infants hold their breath and pump arms and legs

Stepping reflex Infants move feet up and down if held over a flat surface

COMPETENT NEWBORN

They are not simply confused little blobs as people used to think

Habituation – a decrease in responsiveness with repeated stimulation Ex: You move to a new house across from railroad tracks. Your

first night, the train comes through, honking, and you sit up in bed from a dead sleep. Eventually, you don’t even hear the train.

It’s useful because it allows researchers to “interpret” infant behavior

COMPETENT NEWBORN

APGAR test is a physical test given at 1 and 5 minutes after birth

A – Activity or muscle tone

P – Pulse (newborns should be over 100 bpm)

G – Grimace or reflex irritability (sneeze or cough during mucus suctioning)

A – Appearance (Normal skin color? Blue-gray or pale is not good)

R – Respiration (are they crying and breathing regularly)

Newborn Exam Video