Prenatal Development
Growing fetus
• Reflexes
• Senses
By Drina Madden
•
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www.childhealthlearn.org
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Prenatal Development
 The beginning of life
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Prenatal Development
 The period of the embryo
28 days
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36 days
3
Prenatal Development
 The period of the embryo
48 days
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54 days
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Prenatal Development
 The period of the fetus
Eleventh Week
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Prenatal Development
 Fetus -
24 weeks
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 Fetus – 8 months
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Prenatal Development
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Reflexes
 First responses

5 weeks after conception

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Few days later

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Upper lip touch = withdrawal response
Sensitivity has spread to palms and soles of feet
Before 9 weeks

Sensitivity has spread to whole body
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Reflexes
 9 weeks in utero



Withdrawal reactions lessen
Primitive reflexes appear
Neural development determines timing
Appearance
 Inhibition

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Reflexes
 Primitive Reflexes



Insure protection outside the womb
Automatic, stereotyped movements directed
from the brain stem
No cortex involvement
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Reflexes
 Primitive Reflexes


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Essential for survival in first 2 weeks of life
Lay foundation for all later functioning
If remain after 6 – 12 months = brain
development weaknesses or immaturity
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Reflexes
 Primitive Reflexes – brain stem dominated
Rooting Reflex –
searching
sucking and swallowing
Moro or Startle Reflex
– response to outside
stimuli
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Reflexes
 Primitive Reflexes
Asymmetrical Tonic –
muscle tone, vestibular
awareness
Palmar – grasp reflex
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Reflexes
 Postural Reflexes

Form the framework for effective operation of
other systems
Posture
 Movement
 Stability

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Reflexes
 Postural Reflexes - rolling
Neck Righting
Reaction
Labyrinth Righting
Reaction
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Brain Development
 Connections grow through nature and nurture
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Brain Development
 Heredity and experiences increase
connections
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Brain Development
 Electrical activity increases with brain
growth gained through experience
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Brain Development
 As the body grows – the brain grows
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Brain Development
 The lower brain – attention and mood
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The Senses
 Touch begins in utero
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The Senses
 Vestibular – balance and awareness in space
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The Senses
 Hearing begins in utero and strongly
connects to neonatal life
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The Senses
 Taste begins to connect at birth
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The Senses
 Vision is the last sense to complete its
journey
 In time, sharing occurs
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The Senses
 Vision connects with language and
perception
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The Senses
 Language needs receiving and sending
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After Birth
 Attention and mood govern development
 Each of the brain lobes grows separately.
 Connections begin to reach to other lobes
 The child’s brain grows in awareness and
flexibility
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