Parsons Chapter 5

The Birthing Process

• Vaginal birth stresses mother/fetus.

• Fetal hormones (cortisol, vasopressin) = analgesics, buffer pain, expand airways/lungs, arouse newborn.

• Five P's of labor: Passenger, Passageway, Powers, Position, Psychologic response.

Physical Characteristics

• Newborns: pointed heads, thin skin, red/purple. Wrinkly, lanugo. Changes occur in weeks.

APGAR Scale

• Health assessment: heart rate, breathing, muscle tone, color, reflexes.

• Scoring:

  • 0-3: Emergency.

  • 4-6: Assistance needed.

  • 7+: Good.

• Times: 1, 5, 10, 15, 20 min.

Sensory Capabilities

• Not deprived.

  • Touch: Soothes. Reduces negativity. Aids visual.

  • Vision: 3D by 16 weeks. Sees faces/shapes.

  • Auditory: Recognizes speech, Filters sounds.

  • Smell: Detects sweat. Milk calms.

  • Taste: Sweet preferred.

Newborn Reflexes

• Motor reactions.

• Evoke care.

• Examples: Rooting, Blink, Withdrawal, Grasp, Tonic Neck, Moro, Stepping.

• Up to 1 year, replaced by voluntary. Retention = neurological issues.

Thinking/Processing

• Learn quickly, attend, show emotions.

Habituation

• Decreased response. Indicates receptivity. Predicts development.

Learning Types

Classical Conditioning

• Pairs stimulus/reflex. Ex: Light = feeding.

Operant Conditioning

• Good outcomes reinforce. Ex: Kicking = mobile.

Modeling

• Imitation. Mirror neurons. Disruption = autism.

Social Connection

• Parent wired in. Oxytocin = calm, attachment.

• Crying = need. Variations/empathy.

Crying: Cultural Diversity

• Culture impacts soothing; breastfeeding/alloparenting used. Universal: mothers talk/pick up.

Takeaway for Counselors

• Stress