Theories of Human Development, Nature or Nurture, Prenatal Development Introduction

f you ask parents to name the most memorable experiences of their lives, many immediately mention events associated with the birth of their children. For parents, pregnancy and birth evoke awe and wonder.

The period before birth is the foundation for all human development and the focus of this chapter. In the first section, you’ll see the merger of heredity material from egg and sperm cells that marks the onset of pregnancy. The second section of the chapter traces the events that transform sperm and egg into a living, breathing human. In the third section, we talk about some problems that can occur during pre-development. The last section focuses on labor, delivery, and the newborn baby.

Assignments: Due by Sunday September 10th @5pm

Stages of Labor: After watching the video Labor and Delivery and using lecture 2, answer the questions.

• During stage 1 of labor what happens to the cervix?
• Labor can last 10 to 12 hours for first births, and 4 to 6 hours for subsequent births. What indicates that active labor has started?
• With each contraction, the mother pushes, forcing the baby down the birth canal. What of the baby emerges first?
• In stage 3 with the final pushes, what is delivered?
• What are teratogens and how do they impact development in the prenatal environment?

https://www.babycenter.com/pregnancy/your-body/live-birth-water-birth_3658855