Developmental Psychology Test 2: Prenatal Development & Infancy

hazards to prenatal development including disease and drugs

Teratogen

Takes place in the first two weeks after conception

Germinal period (Zygote)

Developmental sequence in which the earliest growth always occurs at the top, with physical growth and differentiation of features gradually working their way down from top to bottom

Cephalocaudal pattern

Sequence in which growth starts at the center of the body and outwards

Proximodistal pattern

Brain has two hemispheres, each hemisphere constitutes of ___________lobes

Four

Specialization of function in one hemisphere of the cerebral cortex or the other

Brain lateralization

a layer fat cells that helps electrical signals travel faster down the axon

Myelin sheath

Tiny gaps between neuron's fibers

Neurotransmitters

The Germinal period includes...

Creation of the zygote

Continued cell division

Attachment of the zygote to the uterine wall

Inner layer of cells that develops into the embryo

Blastocyst

Outer layer of cells that provides nutrition and support for the embryo

Trophoblast

Occurs two to eight weeks after conception

Embryonic period

During the Embryonic period, the rate of cell differentiation intensifies and mass of cells is now called....

Embryo

During the Embryonic period, three layers of cells are formed. What are the names of these layers?

Endoderm, mesoderm, ectoderm

Approximately _________of an infant's sleep is REM sleep

Half

Motor skills are developed by:

-Development of the nervous system

-Body's physical properties and its possibilities for movement

-Child's motivation to reach a goal

-Environmental support for the skill

During the Embryonic period, support systems for the cells form and _____________ appear

Organs

Involve large-muscle activities, such as walking

Gross motor skills

Development of posture is a __________ motor skill

Gross

•Involve more finely tuned movements, such as finger dexterity

Fine motor skills

Types of grasps (Fine motor skills)

-Palmer grasp

-Pincer grip

Fertilized egg that has 46 chromosomes organized into 23 pairs

Zygote

During the embryonic period every major organ takes shape, in at least a primitive form, in a process called...

Organogenesis

What trimester does the fetal period start and end in?

First to last trimester

_______________ of neurons involves their multiplying at a staggering rate during the fetal period; by one estimate, the number of neurons increases by hundreds of thousands every minute throughout all of pregnancy, with a concentrated period of proliferation occurring between 6 and 7 weeks after conception

Proliferation

The effects of a teratogenic agent are worst during the ___________ period when an organ system grows most rapidly

Critical

Newborns are routinely screened using the _________ test, which provides a quick assessment of the newborn's heart rate, respiration, color, muscle tone, and reflexes

Apgar

The Apgar test is given _____________ and _____________ minutes after birth

Immediately and 5 minutes

LBW accounts for how many of all infant deaths?

Two-thirds

Possible causes of LBW

Age of mother (younger or older),

low socioeconomic status of mother which is linked with poor nutrition and inadequate prenatal care,

race: black women are twice as likely as white women to experience premature delivery,

Prior premature deliveries which may indicate underlying and persistent health conditions,

tobacco or alcohol use,

stress,

pregnancies with more than one fetus (twins, triplets,etc.),

infections,

high blood pressure

Every major organ takes shape during this time in a process called organogenesis during this period

Embryonic period

The placenta forms and connects the embryo to its mother through the umbilical cord during this period

Embryonic period

Major developments occur during this time, including formation and beating of the heart and the start of sexual differentiation

Embryonic period

The body and brain undergo much growth during this time

Fetal period

Neurons multiply, migrate, and differentiate into what they will finally become

Fetal period

The age of viability is reached at around __________ weeks' gestation

23-24 weeks

Growth during the _________ period is faster than during any other period of the life span

Prenatal

Teratogens are most damaging to an __________ during the time when it is developing most rapidly

Organ

The longer and stronger the exposure to a ______________, the more likely that damage will occur to the developing child

Teratogen

The process of generating new neurons, across the life span

Neurogenesis

Before the cells go down the fallopian tube, they need 100 or more cells to create a...

Blastocyst

The only function of the ____________ is to group together in order to make it down the fallopian tube

Blastocyst

A blastocyst has how many layers?

Three

Prescription drugs that can function as teratogens include:

Antibiotics - Streptomycin and tetracycline

Antidepressants

Hormones - Progestin and synthetic estrogen

Accutane - Acne medication

Nonprescription drugs that can function as teratogens include:

diet pills and high dosages of aspirin

caffeine, alcohol, Nicotine, cocaine, methamphetamine, marijuana, heroin

Psychoactive drugs

Maternal diseases that are teratogens include:

Rubella and syphilis

Genital herpes and AIDS

factors that affect the impact of teratogens

environmental factors

critical period

dosage and duration (timing of exposure)

genetic makeup

Other parental factors that are teratogens include:

Maternal diet and nutrition

Maternal age

Emotional states and stress

Paternal factors

Assessing the health of newborns at one and five minutes after birth

Apgar scale

The Apgar scale evaluates:

Infant's heart rate

Respiratory effort

Muscle tone

Body color

Reflex irritability

Low birth weight infants

Less than 5½ pounds at birth

Eleanor Gibson and Richard Walk constructed a miniature cliff covered by glass. They placed infants on the edge of this visual cliff and had their mothers coax them to crawl onto the glass. Most infants would not crawl on the glass, an indication that they could perceive depth.

Visual cliff experiment

survival reflexes (adaptive)

breathing

blinking

pupillary

rooting (turning cheek to touch)

swallowing

sucking

primitive reflexes (less adaptive)

babinski (fanning of toes)

grasping

moro (loud sound = extending arms + legs)

swimming

stepping