Chapter 3 - Prenatal Development -> Influences and Birthing

Maternal Influences

• nutrition

• stress

• age

Environmental Influences

• teratogens

Nutrition

• mother is the child’s sole source of nutrition

• should increase calorie intake by about 10% to 20%

  • expect to gain between 25-35 lbs

• many proteins, vitamins, and minerals are essential for normal prenatal development

  • not enough macronutrients and micronutrients

  • causes issues with attention, memory, intelligence

Stress

• links between maternal anxiety → child outcome

  • babies are born sooner

  • lower birth weight

  • attention problems

  • behavioral issues

• research examining the children of women who were pregnant during Sept. 11 found stress effected

  • physical growth

  • language development

  • cognitive development

Maternal Age

• maternal age at both extremes (youth & advanced age) can be considered a “risk factor” during pregnancy

Youth Issues

• premature birth

• low birth weight

• lower academic performance

• behavioral issues

Youth Reasons and Protective Factors

• social stigmas and challenges faced by teen moms

• certain characteristics are more prevalent in teen mom populations

• protective factors

  • living with a supportive relative

  • home-visiting programs

Advanced Age (40-45) Issues

• miscarriage

• low birth weight

• down syndrome

• however

  • older mothers have been shown to provide effective mothering (sensitivity, responsibility, stability)

Teratogens

• any environmental agent that causes birth defects

• severity and type of damage depends on:

  • dose, genetic susceptibility, presence of other negative factors, timing of exposure

Fetal Alcohol Syndrom (FAS)

• physical traits: slow growth and facial anomalies

  • leading cause of developmental delay in the US

Ultrasound

procedure that uses sound waves to generate a picture of the fetus

• can include

  • due date, position, major anomalies, multiples, determine sex (after 20 weeks)

Amniocentesis

a needle that is inserted through the mother’s abdomen to obtain a sample of amniotic fluid

• typically done at 16 weeks

• ultrasound is used to guide the needle

• results take 2 week

• can detect birth defects

Chronic Villus Sampling (CVS)

a sample of tissue is obtained from the chorion (a part of the placenta)

• can be done at 9-12 weeks

• results take up to 7-10 days

• about a .6%-1.3% risk of miscarriage following

• can detect birth defects

Labor

• 38 weeks after conception

• on average takes 12-26 hours

• divided into 3 stages

Stage 1 (12-24 hours)

• cervix enlarges to 10 cm

• contractions activated through hormonal pathways

  • are weak and irregular at first and end up intense and sometimes without interruption

Stage 2 (1 hour)

• baby moves through the birth canal and out the woman’s body

• crowning

• breech presentation

Crowning

the baby’s head becomes visable

Breech Presentation

when the baby moves down the birth canal feet or bottom first

Stage 3 (10-15 minutes)

• placenta and fetal membranes expelled

  • “after birth”

• small contractions will start again as the placenta detaches from the uterus

The Baby Blues

• a range of negative emotions that typically lasts 1-2 weeks post-birth

  • occurs in 50% of women

  • commonly attributed to adjusting to the demands of a newborn and physiological changes while the body heals

Postpartum Depression (PPD)

mood disorder that affects women after child birth (goes on longer than the “baby blues”)

• 10%-15% of all members

PPD Symptoms

• irritability

• crying spells

• anxiety

• feelings of low self-worth

  • disturbed sleep

• poor appetite

• apathy

PPD Risk Factors

• depression pre-pregnancy

• family members have suffered depression

• previous episodes of PPD

• additional life stressors

• unplanned pregnancy

• lack of support system