The Mircle of Life- Prenatal Development
Prenatal Development-The Miracle of Life
Have you ever thought about what an absolute miracle your life is? Imagine how you came to be. Out of thousands of eggs and millions of sperm, one egg and one sperm united to produce you. Had the union of sperm and egg come a day or even a month earlier or later, you might have been every different, maybe the opposite sex or with blonde hair of longer legs. Conception occurs when a single sperm cell from the male unites with an ovum (egg) in the females’ fallopian tube in process call fertilization. The fertilized egg is called a zygote. By the time the zygote ends its three to four day journey through the fallopian tube and reaches that uterus, it has divided into approximately 64 to 128 cells (Eisenberg, Murkoff, & Hathaway, 2002).
The fetus is not immune from the outside world. In fact, some things can be damaging to the unborn child. These are called teratogens, and often result in birth defects. They include such things as maternal disease, poor nutrition, stress, pollutants, and cigarette smoking. Some of the most troubling teratogens are alcohol and drugs. It is critical to the development of the fetus that expectant mothers avoid teratogens, and receive good prenatal care (Baltes, 2003). Other prenatal hazards involve genetic birth defects. A major part in a baby's development is directly linked to the actions of the mother takes. To ensure that the baby stays healthy and continues normal development, it may mean to have to make some changes. Pregnant women are encouraged not to use drugs, alcohol, or nicotine as this can seriously affect the baby's development. A mother should avoid drinking caffeinated beverages such as coffee and soda while increasing water consumption. Though this all may seem difficult, it is taking an active part in keeping the baby healthy (Baltes, 2003). Exercising is also very important when pregnant. Keeping the baby healthy is just one part of prenatal development but to better
Have you ever thought about what an absolute miracle your life is? Imagine how you came to be. Out of thousands of eggs and millions of sperm, one egg and one sperm united to produce you. Had the union of sperm and egg come a day or even a month earlier or later, you might have been every different, maybe the opposite sex or with blonde hair of longer legs. Conception occurs when a single sperm cell from the male unites with an ovum (egg) in the females’ fallopian tube in process call fertilization. The fertilized egg is called a zygote. By the time the zygote ends its three to four day journey through the fallopian tube and reaches that uterus, it has divided into approximately 64 to 128 cells (Eisenberg, Murkoff, & Hathaway, 2002).
The fetus is not immune from the outside world. In fact, some things can be damaging to the unborn child. These are called teratogens, and often result in birth defects. They include such things as maternal disease, poor nutrition, stress, pollutants, and cigarette smoking. Some of the most troubling teratogens are alcohol and drugs. It is critical to the development of the fetus that expectant mothers avoid teratogens, and receive good prenatal care (Baltes, 2003). Other prenatal hazards involve genetic birth defects. A major part in a baby's development is directly linked to the actions of the mother takes. To ensure that the baby stays healthy and continues normal development, it may mean to have to make some changes. Pregnant women are encouraged not to use drugs, alcohol, or nicotine as this can seriously affect the baby's development. A mother should avoid drinking caffeinated beverages such as coffee and soda while increasing water consumption. Though this all may seem difficult, it is taking an active part in keeping the baby healthy (Baltes, 2003). Exercising is also very important when pregnant. Keeping the baby healthy is just one part of prenatal development but to better
References: Baltes, P.B. (2003). On the incomplete architecture of human ontogeny: Selection, optimization, and compensation as foundation of developmental theory. In U. M. Staudinger & U. Lindernberger (Eds.), Understanding human development. Boston: Kluwer. BBC News World Edition. (2003, November 10). Premature babies. Available on the internet at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/medical_notes/3256615.stm. Bush, P.G., Mayhew, T. M., Abramovich, D. R., Aggett, P.J., Burke, M. D., Page, K. R. (2001). Maternal cigarette smoking and oxygen diffusion across the placenta. Placenta, 21, 824-833. Challis, J. R., Lye, S. J., Gibb, W., Whittle, W., Patel, F., & Alfaidy, N. (2001). Understanding preterm labor. Annals of the New York Academy of Science, 943, 225-234. Eisenberg, A., Murkoff, H., & Hathaway, S. (2002). What to expect when you’re expecting (3rd Ed.). New York: Workman. Jimenez, V., Herniquez, M., Llanos, P., & Riquelme, G. (2004). Isolation and purification of human placental plasma membranes from normal and pre-eclamptic pregnancies: A comparative study. Placenta, 25, 422-437. Lester, B. (2000). Unpublished review of J.W. Santrock’s Life-span development. 8th ed. (New York: McGraw-Hill). Wehrens, X. H., Offermans, J. P.,Snijders, M., & Peeters, L. L. (2004). Fetal cardiovascular response to large placental chorionangiomas. Journal of Prenatal Medicine. 32, 107-112.