PRENATAL DEVELOPMENT &
THE NEWBORN
CONCEPTION
A fertilized egg is called a
“zygote”
 Women are born with
all the eggs they will
have
 Men continuously
produce sperm from
puberty on
CONCEPTION
Take time and write your own answer – we can share later, but first YOU THINK
1) Some women harvest their eggs to conceive later in life, building a career before
having children.
What are the pros and cons of having children in later life?
What societal implications will this practice produce?
2) What should become of unused frozen embryos? Explain your reasons.
3) Should human cloning be allowed? Why or why not?
PRENATAL DEVELOPMENT
About 9 weeks, the embryo begins
to look human and is now a “Fetus”
About 10 days after conception, cells attach to
the uterine wall and are now an “Embryo
(This one is 6 days and just beginning the process)
In a mere 9
weeks, you went
from spongy
looking
microscopic
cells to a mini
human form…
CRAZY!!!!!
PRENATAL DEVELOPMENT
18 Weeks
Placenta
• Transfers
nutrients
• Screens
harmful
stuff
• Teratogens
are harmful
things that
slip through
32 Weeks
PRENATAL - THE BAD STUFF
Examples of Teratogens




Heroine
AIDS Virus
Nicotine
Alcohol
 Leads to Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (physical & cognitive abnormalities)
PRENATAL - THE BAD STUFF
Take time and write your own answer – we can share later, but first YOU THINK
1) How do you think the criminal justice system should deal with mothers who
abuse drugs during pregnancy?
2) If states pursue offenders of this crime, how do you think society, in general,
would be affected?
As of September 2013
17 states can terminate parental rights if evidence of substance abuse during pregnancy
14 states require doctors to report evidence of prenatal substance abuse
COMPETENT NEWBORN
Newborns pop out with reflexes for survival
 Rooting reflex
 If touched on the cheek, babies turn and open mouth, searching for nipple
 Moro reflex
 Arms thrust out and back arches in response to surprise or loud noise
 Swimming reflex
 If submerged, infants hold their breath and pump arms and legs
 Stepping reflex
 Infants move feet up and down if held over a flat surface
COMPETENT NEWBORN
 They are not simply confused little blobs as people used to think
 Habituation – a decrease in responsiveness with repeated stimulation
 Ex: You move to a new house across from railroad tracks. Your first night, the
train comes through, honking, and you sit up in bed from a dead sleep.
Eventually, you don’t even hear the train.
 It’s useful because it allows researchers to “interpret” infant behavior
COMPETENT NEWBORN
 APGAR test is a physical test given at 1 and 5 minutes after birth
 A – Activity or muscle tone
 P – Pulse (newborns should be over 100 bpm)
 G – Grimace or reflex irritability (sneeze or cough during mucus suctioning)
 A – Appearance (Normal skin color? Blue-gray or pale is not good)
 R – Respiration (are they crying and breathing regularly)
 Newborn Exam Video