HG&D Seminar Week 2 Chapter # 2 Influences on Prenatal Dev’t

General Risk Factors Have widespread effects on prenatal development The most common types of risk factors are associated with a pregnant woman’s;  ____________________

Nutrition Current recommendations for weight gain during pregnancy range from lbs. Inadequate _________________ may result in premature birth and low birth weight. ______________ (B vitamin) is important for the baby’s nervous system and a lack of it may increase the risk of spina bifida.

Stress (prolonged & extreme) ) Seems to cause greater harm when experienced ___________ in pregnancy. Increased stress can harm prenatal development in several ways: Hormones secreted reduce the flow of oxygen, & increase the fetal heart rate & activity level Weaken a woman’s ______________________ When under stress woman are more likely to smoke or drink alcohol and less likely to rest, exercise, and eat properly

Mother’s Age Problems of teenage motherhood – poor ____________ care, incomplete education, poverty, and marital/relationship difficulties. Older mothers are more likely to have difficulty getting pregnant, miscarriages, and stillbirths. Most likely to proceed normally when women are between the ages of ______________, are healthy and eat right, get good health care, and are free of chronic stress.

Teratogens An agent that causes abnormal prenatal development  _________________

Drugs Alcohol, aspirin, caffeine, narcotics, marijuana, & _____________. May cause Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, cognitive deficits, low birth weight, slowed growth, and other effects.

Diseases AIDS, Cytomegalovirus, Genital Herpes, Rubella (German Measles), Syphilis. Effects include neurological disorders, deafness, blindness, mental disability, damage to bones, eyes, ears, or _______.

Environmental Hazards Lead, Mercury, PCBs, _________________. Effects may include mental disability, retarded growth, cerebral palsy, impaired memory and verbal skill, retarded growth, and leukemia. Treacherous because people are unaware of their presence in the environment

How Teratogens Influence Prenatal Development The effect of the teratogen depends upon the _______________ of the organism. The impact of teratogens __________ over the course of prenatal development. Each teratogen affects a ________________ of prenatal development. The impact of teratogens depends on the _______________. Damage from teratogens is not always evident at birth.

The Real World of Prenatal Risk Many infants are exposed to ___________ general risks and multiple teratogens  Ie. Pregnant women who drink alcohol often smoke, possibly drink coffee, & may have poor nutrition When the risks are ____________ prenatal development will rarely be optimal Despite this most babies are born healthy

Short Answer Question: