Prenatal Development
Sandra G Smith
Lifespan Development
Ivy Tech Community College
October 7, 2011
1
Envision a journey of being pregnant and you are eagerly awaiting the child that you have longed for. The arrival is drawing near and you never prepared or anticipated your child being born with a defect or later displaying displaced behavioral problems. Only to find out, that the teratogens you had been exposed to or exposed your unborn child to during pregnancy, could be the cause of this abnormality. Would one remain in a constant state of fear with every food, drink, or medication they ingested? Would one remain indoors in a glass bubble? Unfortunately, one cannot hide from all of life’s environmental factors, but one can educate them self enough to know what studies have proven to be harmful teratogens to their unborn child, especially during the embryonic period. “A teratogen is any agent that can potentially cause a birth defect or negatively alter cognitive and behavioral outcomes. The field of study that investigates the causes of birth defects is called teratology. Some exposures to teratogens do not cause a physical defect but can alter the brain that is developing and influence cognitive and behavioral functioning, which is call behavioral teratology. The danger of structural defects caused by teratogens normally occurs earlier in the embryonic development rather than the fetal development, due to the fact it is the critical period for development of the nervous system (Santrock, Thirteenth Edition).
The embryonic period is the period of prenatal development that occurs from two to eight weeks after conception. The rate of cell differentiation strengthens, support systems for cells cultivate, and organs appear. Damage during the germinal period often will prevent implantation. In the beginning of the embryonic period, blastocyst attach to the uterine wall. The mass then becomes the embryo and three layers of cells
Lifespan Development
Ivy Tech Community College
October 7, 2011
1
Envision a journey of being pregnant and you are eagerly awaiting the child that you have longed for. The arrival is drawing near and you never prepared or anticipated your child being born with a defect or later displaying displaced behavioral problems. Only to find out, that the teratogens you had been exposed to or exposed your unborn child to during pregnancy, could be the cause of this abnormality. Would one remain in a constant state of fear with every food, drink, or medication they ingested? Would one remain indoors in a glass bubble? Unfortunately, one cannot hide from all of life’s environmental factors, but one can educate them self enough to know what studies have proven to be harmful teratogens to their unborn child, especially during the embryonic period. “A teratogen is any agent that can potentially cause a birth defect or negatively alter cognitive and behavioral outcomes. The field of study that investigates the causes of birth defects is called teratology. Some exposures to teratogens do not cause a physical defect but can alter the brain that is developing and influence cognitive and behavioral functioning, which is call behavioral teratology. The danger of structural defects caused by teratogens normally occurs earlier in the embryonic development rather than the fetal development, due to the fact it is the critical period for development of the nervous system (Santrock, Thirteenth Edition).
The embryonic period is the period of prenatal development that occurs from two to eight weeks after conception. The rate of cell differentiation strengthens, support systems for cells cultivate, and organs appear. Damage during the germinal period often will prevent implantation. In the beginning of the embryonic period, blastocyst attach to the uterine wall. The mass then becomes the embryo and three layers of cells
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