Prenatal Development

First two weeks are germinal stage.

Plastocyst: ball of cells that eventually form an embryo

Zygote: fertilized egg

Weeks three to eight are embryonic stage.

At twenty-two days brain and spine start to form.

At five weeks head forms and heart beats.

At six weeks arms and legs start to form.

At eight weeks most organs are formed.

Weeks eight on are fetal stage.

During the fetal stage, the intestines, kidneys, liver, and brain begin to function and sex organs form.

At eighteen weeks, the parent can feel the fetus moving.

At nineteen weeks, the fetus can hear.

At twenty-seven weeks, the fetus begins to breathe.

At twenty-eight weeks, the fetus’s brain develops faster and its eyes open.

At thirty-seven weeks, the fetus’s lungs are almost done developing.

A teratogen is an outside factor that negatively affects fetal development. They affect the development in different ways depending on when the teratogen is introduced.

If a parent drinks alcohol while pregnant, the fetus will likely have Small head size and eyes

  • Low body weight and short stature

  • Thin upper lip

  • Droopy eyelids

  • Smooth ridge between the nose and upper lip (this ridge is called the philtrum)

  • Vision or hearing problems

  • Speech and language delays

  • Poor memory

  • Hyperactive behavior

  • Difficulty paying attention

  • Learning disabilities

  • Intellectual disabilities or low IQ

  • Poor reasoning and judgment skills

Babies prefer the face of the parent who birthed them, sweet tastes, and foods their parent commonly ate while pregnant with them.

The grasping reflex causes babies to grab whatever is put in their hand.

The rooting reflex causes babies to turn towards whatever touches their cheek to look for food.

The stepping reflex causes babies to move as though walking when vertical on a flat surface.

The sucking reflex causes babies to suck on whatever is put in their mouth.

The swimming reflex causes babies to hold their breath when placed in water.

An easy baby has consistent biological schedules, adaptability to change, and positive responses to new situations.

A slow to warm baby has difficulty with change, little movement, and a rather negative temperament.

A difficult baby has immense difficulty with change, intense responses to stimuli, a negative temperament, and inconsistent biological schedules.

A critical period starts and ends abruptly and must be met in order for proper development to occur.

A sensitive period starts and ends gradually and is a good time to have a need met in order for proper development to occur.