Environmental Influences

Genetic influences and environmental influences have the potential to positively or negatively affect the fetus. Genetic influences are inherited and environmental influences pertain to the environment and these are not inherited. For the purpose of this discussion, an explanation of how these influences negatively affect the development of a fetus will be rendered.

In defining and describing the genetic influences, Dominant-Recessive Inheritance transpire when a single allele disturbs the characteristic s of a child it is referred to as dominant. The second allele is referred to as recessive because it does not hold any effect (Berk, 2010). In example, if (P) is dominant/homozygous and (p) is recessive/heterozygous, one parent holds the (P) trait and the other hold the (p) trait, the child trait would be (Pp).
In other words, the environmental influences representing substances and genetic influences representing experiences/inheritances, are all influences that could negatively affect the fetus. How? Infectious Disease and illegal Drugs during the fetal period may result in low birth weight, blindness, hearing loss and brain damage. In example, mothers that are infected with HIV often time pass this virus to the developing organism. Mothers that use illegal drugs such as heroin can inflect physical defects upon the unborn child. (Berk, 2010). Furthermore, X-Linked Inheritance could result in miscarriages, birth defects and mental retardation. Dominant- Recessive Inheritance could result in disorders such as phenylketonuria being passed on to the fetus if both parents have a recessive allele (Berk, 2010). In example, if both parents carry a recessive gene for (PKU/disorder) the PKU can be passed down to the