Developmental Psychology

Heredity, Pre-natal, Childbirth

Source: Papalia (2021), Santrock (2018)
Definition of Terms o Epigenesis – environment can influence when
o Fertilization – also known as conception, is the and which genes turn on and off
process by which sperm and ovum (sex cells) ▪ Refers to chemical molecules attached to a
combine to create a single cell called zygote, gene that alter the way a cell “reads” the
which then duplicates itself again and again by gene’s DNA
cell division. ▪ Cells are susceptible to epigenetic
o Ovulation – rupture of mature follicle in either modification during critical periods such as
ovary and expulsion of its ovum which occurs puberty and pregnancy
every month until menopause Chromosomal Abnormalities
o Dizygotic Twins – also known as Fraternal Name Description Treatment
Twins Extra copy of
Down Surgery,
▪ Two separate eggs being fertilized by two chromosome
Syndrome SPED
different sperms 21
▪ Can be same or different sex Extra X
Klinefelter Hormone
▪ May have genetic basis Chromosome
Syndrome Therapy
o Monozygotic Twins – resulted from the cleaving (XXY)
Abnormality in SPED,
of one fertilized egg and are generally Fragile X
X chromosome Speech
genetically identical Syndrome
causes ID Therapy
o Heredity – genetic transmission of heritable
Missing X
characteristics from parents to offspring Turner Hormone
chromosome
o Deoxyribonucleic Acid – long, spiraling ladder Syndrome Therapy
for females
whose steps are made of pairs of chemical Extra Y No
units called bases XXY Syndrome
chromosome treatment
▪ Adenine, Thymine, Cytosine, Guanine Gene-Linked Abnormalities
o Chromosomes – coils of DNA of smaller Cystic Fibrosis Overproductio Physical
segments called genes n of mucus in Therapy
o Mitosis – cell division of non-sex cells the lungs and
o Meiosis – cell division of sex cells digestive tract
o Mutation – mistake in copying genetic code Diabetes Does not Insulin
which creates permanent alteration in genetic produce
material enough insulin
o Autosomes – not affiliated to sexual expression Hemophilia Delayed blood Blood
clotting transfusions
o Sex Chromosomes – 23rd pair which indicates
Huntington’s CNS
the baby’s sex (XX, female: XY, male)
deteriorates
o Alleles – produce alternative expressions of producing
characteristics problem in
o Homozygous – if two alleles are the same muscles and
o Heterozygous – if two alleles are different mental decline
o Dominant – allele that is always expressed or Phenylketonuri Build up of Special Diet
shows up as a trait in that person a Phenylalanine
o Recessive – usually doesn’t show unless paired in the body
with another recessive trait Sickle-Cell Limits body Penicillin,
o Polygenetic Inheritance – interaction of several Anemia oxygen supply Antibiotics,
genes Pain
o Phenotype – observable characteristics Reliever
o Genotype – underlying genetic makeup
 Developmental Psychology
Heredity, Pre-natal, Childbirth
Source: Papalia (2021), Santrock (2018)
Spina Bifida Incompletely Surgery o Nonshared Environmental Effects – result from
closed spinal the unique environment in which each child in a
canal family grows up
Tay-Sachs Accumulation Medication, o Infertility – inability to conceive a child
Disease of lipids in the Special Diet o In Vitro Fertilization – eggs and sperm are
NS combined in a laboratory dish
Anencephaly Absence of No
brain tissue treatment Prenatal Diagnostic Tests
Polycystic Enlarged Kidney 1. Ultrasound Sonography – high frequency sound
Kidney Disease Kidneys Transplant waves are directed into the pregnant woman’s
Alpha Cirrhosis of the No
abdomen
antitrypsin liver in early treatment
▪ No risk to the woman or fetus
Deficiency infancy
▪ Detect abnormalities, no. of fetuses, and sex
Alpha Severe Frequent
Thalassemia Anemia; nearly Blood 2. Fetal MRI – uses powerful magnet and radio
all die soon Transfusion images to generate detailed images of the
after birth body’s organs and structures
Beta Severe Blood 3. Chorionic Villus Sampling – small sample of
Thalassemia Anemia; fatal in Transfusion placenta is removed
(Cooley’s adolescence or s ▪ Small risk of limb deformity
Anemia) Young 4. Amniocentesis – sample of amniotic fluid is
adulthood withdrawn and tested for chromosomal and
Duchenne Males with No metabolic disorders
Muscular muscle treatment 5. Maternal Blood Screening – identifies
Dystrophy weakness, pregnancies that have an elevated risk for birth
minor mental
defects
retardation
Prenatal Development
o Carriers – carry one bad copy of recessive gene o Gestation – period between conception and
and one good one birth
o Genotype-Environment Interaction – effects of ▪ Between 37 and 41 weeks
similar environment conditions on genetically ▪ Gestational Age: dated from the first day of
different individuals an expectant mother’s last menstrual cycle
o Genotype-Environment Correlation – Stages of Prenatal Development
environment often reinforces genetic o Cephalocaudal Principle – development
differences proceeds from head to the lower extremities
a. Passive Correlations: parents tend to o Proximodistal – development proceeds from
provide environment that encourages the the center to outer parts of the body
development of that trait Early Signs and Symptoms of Pregnancy
b. Reactive or Evocative: children with differing Tender, Swollen breasts or nipples
genetic makeups evoke different reactions Fatigue
Slight bleeding or cramping
from others, other people react to the
Food Cravings
children’s genetic makeup
Nausea with or without vomiting
c. Active: actively selects or create
Frequent Urination
experiences consistent with their genetic
Frequent, Mild Headaches
tendencies
Constipation
▪ Niche-Picking – tendency to seek out Mood Swings
environments compatible with one’s Faintness and Dizziness
genotype
 Developmental Psychology
Heredity, Pre-natal, Childbirth
Source: Papalia (2021), Santrock (2018)
Raised Basal Body Temperature o Grows rapidly to about 20x its previous length
Germinal Stage o Finishing touches
o From fertilization to about 2 weeks of o Breathe, kick, turn, etc.
gestational age o Facial expressions of pain at 36 weeks
o Zygote enters into cell division (mitosis) while o Responds to mother’s voice
making its way to the fallopian tube o Fetuses know when they approach the near end
o Differentiation – specialization of the cells to of the pregnancy
perform various tasks o Grasping reflex
o Blastocyst – fluid-filled sphere which floats o 6 months or more fetuses can survive outside
freely in the uterus until 6th day after the womb
fertilization then it implants itself in the uterine o 24-37 months babies need help in breathing
wall Environmental Influences
o Trophoblast – outer layer of cells that later o Teratogen – environmental agent that can
provides nutrition and support for the embryo interfere with normal prenatal development
o Ectoderm – outer layer (becomes outer layers o Teratology – field of study that investigates the
of skin, nails, hair, teeth, sensory organs, and causes of birth defects
the nervous system) Nutrition Maternal Weight
o Endoderm – inner layer (becomes digestive o Women of normal weight are less likely to have
system) birth complications
o Mesoderm – middle layer (becomes inner o Overweight women have risk of having longer
layers of skin, muscles, skeleton, and excretory deliveries, need more health care services,
and circulatory systems) gestational diabetes, cesarean delivery, birth
o Amniotic Sacs – encloses the developing defects etc.
embryo, protecting it and giving it a room and o Omega-E, DHA, Folic Acid for the development
grow of nervous system
o Placenta – allows oxygen, nourishment, and Malnutrition
wastes to pass between mother and embryo o Results to fetal growth restriction and low birth
o Umbilical Cord – connects the embryo to the weight
placenta Physical Activity and Work
Embryonic Period o Moderate exercise is recommended to reduce
o From 2 to 8 weeks (First 2 monts) back pain, risks for gestational diabetes and
o Major body systems (respiratory, digestive, and etc.
nervous system) develop known as Drug Intake
Organogenesis o Thalidomide – caused stunted limbs, facial
o Critical Period – most vulnerable to destructive deformities, and defective organs
influences o Another set of drugs that are harmful for
o Spontaneous Abortion (Miscarriage) – pregnant women: Antibiotics, certain
expulsion from the uterus of an embryo that is Barbiturates, Opiates, Acutane
unable to survive outside the womb o Opioids are associated with small babies, fetal
o Stillbirth – miscarriage occurred after 20 death, preterm labor, and aspiration of
weeks of gestation (approx. 5 months) meconium
o Males are more likely to be spontaneously o Babies born with drug-addicted mothers tend
aborted or to be stillborn to experience withdrawal once they are born
Fetal Period and no longer receive drugs
o From 8 weeks to Birth o Neonate Abstinence Syndrome – sleep
o Appearance of the first bone cells disturbance, tremors, difficulty regulating the
o Final stage of gestation body, irritability, crying and etc.
 Developmental Psychology
Heredity, Pre-natal, Childbirth
Source: Papalia (2021), Santrock (2018)
o Fetal Alcohol Syndrome – characterized by a o Older fathers may be significant source of birth
combination of retarded growth, face and body defects due to damaged or deteriorated sperm
malformations, and disorders of the central such as dwarfism, schizophrenia, bipolar
nervous system disorder, ASD
o Maternal smoking was identified to be the most Prenatal Care
important factor for low-birth weight babies o Prenatal cell-free DNA Scans – fetal DNA is
o Tobacco also increases the risks of extracted from the mother’s blood and tested
miscarriage, growth retardation, stillbirth, for early detection of genetic problems
SIDS, etc. Birth Process
o Caffeine has slightly increased risk for o Labor – process of giving birth
miscarriage, stillbirth, and low birth weight o Parturition – series of uterine, cervical, and
babies other changes which begins 2 weeks before the
o Rubella almost certain to cause deafness and delivery
heart defects to babies o Braxton-Hicks Contractions – false
o Toxoplasmosis – caused by parasite in the contractions
bodies of cattle, sheep, and pigs, and in the o Real labor contractions are more frequent,
intestinal tracts of cats that causes fetal brain rhythmic, and painful, and they increase in
damage, severely impaired eyesight, seizures, frequency and intensity
miscarriage, etc. Stages of Birth
o Diabetic mothers are most likely to have babies First Stage (Dilation of the Cervix)
that have heart and neural tube defects Longest stage
Maternal Anxiety, Stress, and Depression Contractions are 15 to 20 mins apart
o Stress and anxiety has been associated with Cervix opened about 10cm
more irritable and active temperament in For first born, it can last for 6-12 hrs, then shorter
newborns for the next children
o Chronic stress can result in preterm delivery Second Stage (Descent and Emergence of the
o Depression may cause premature birth or Baby)
developmental delays Baby’s head starts to move through the cervix
Maternal Age Baby is coming out
Approx. 45 mins to hr
o Chance of miscarriage or stillbirth rises with
Third Stage (Expulsion of the Placenta)
maternal age
Afterbirth
o Adolescent Mothers tend to have premature or
Placenta, Umbilical cord, and other membranes
underweight babies
detached and expelled
Outside environmental Hazards Shortest stage
o Includes air pollution, radiation, chemicals
o Fetal exposure to low level of environmental o Midwifery – profession that provides health
toxins may result to asthma, allergies, lupus care to women during pregnancy, birth, and
o X-Rays could triple the risk of having full-term, even postpartum period
low-birth weight babies o Doula – caregiver who provides continuous
Paternal Factors physical, emotional, and educational support
o Exposure to lead, marijuana, tobacco, radiation, for the mother before, during, and after
pesticides, etc may result in abnormal or poor childbirth
quality sperm Methods of Childbirth
o Babies who fathers had diagnostic x-rays o Electronic Fetal Monitoring – used to track the
within the year prior to conception or had a high fetus’ heartbeat during labor and delivery and
lead exposure at work tends to have low birth
weight and slowed fetal growth
 Developmental Psychology
Heredity, Pre-natal, Childbirth
Source: Papalia (2021), Santrock (2018)
to indicate how the fetal heart is responding to ▪ Complications: bleeding, infection,
the stress of uterine contractions damage to pelvic organs, post-operative
▪ can provide valuable information in high- pains, riskier future pregnancies
risk deliveries
▪ extremely high false-positive rate
o Three kinds of drugs are used for labor:
a. Analgesia – pain reliever such as
tranquilizers, barbiturates, and narcotics
b. Anesthesia – used in the late first stage
labor and during delivery to block sensation
in an area of the body or to block
consciousness
▪ Epidural Block – regional anesthesia
that blocks the lower part of the body
▪ Pudendal Block – vaginal anesthesia
c. Oxytocin – hormone that promotes
contraction (Pitocin)
o Natural Childbirth – method that aims to reduce
the mother’s pain by decreasing her fear by
providing information about childbirth and
teaching her and her partner to use breathing
methods and relaxation techniques during Assessing the Newborn
delivery o APGAR Scale – widely used to assess the
o Bradley Method – husbands as coaches, health of newborns at 1-5 mins after birth
relation for easier birth and prenatal nutrition
and exercise
o Prepared Childbirth or Lamaze method –
special breathing technique to control pushing
in the final stages of labor
o Vaginal Delivery – usual childbirth
o Benefits: surge of hormones that clear the
lungs and excess fluid, mobilize stored fuel
to nourish cells, and send blood to the heart
and brain
o Cesarean Delivery – baby is removed from the
▪ 7-10, condition is good
mother’s uterus through an incision made in
▪ 5, developmental difficulties
her abdomen
▪ 3 or below, emergency and the baby might
▪ Performed if the baby is lying crosswise,
not survive
if the baby’s head is too large,
▪ 9-10 score, risk of developing ADHD in
complications, or if the mother is
childhood
bleeding internally
o Brazelton Neonatal Behavioral Assessment
▪ Not recommended prior to 39 weeks of
Scale – performed within 24-36 hrs after birth
gestation unless there is an indication of
to assess neurological development, reflexes,
fetal lung maturity
and reactions
▪ Breech Position – baby’s buttocks are
o Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Network
the first part to emerge from the vagina
Neurobehavioral Scale – assessment of the
which can cause respiratory problems
 Developmental Psychology
Heredity, Pre-natal, Childbirth
Source: Papalia (2021), Santrock (2018)
newborn’s behavior, neurological and stress stabilize the preterm’s heartbeat, temp, and
response, and regulatory capacities breathing
o Newborn Screening for Medical Conditions - o One condition commonly faced by preterm
check for rare genetic, hormone-related, and babies is Respiratory Distress Syndrome
metabolic conditions that can cause serious wherein there is a lack of surfactant (lung-
health problems coating substance) that keeps air sacs from
o Boys tend to be slightly longer and heavier than collapsing
girls o Postmature Babies – tend to be long and this
o First born weigh less that laterborns because they have kept growing in the womb
o Fontanels – where the bones of the skull don’t but have had an insufficient blood supply
meet toward the end of gestation
o Lanugo – fuzzy prenatal hair o Sudden Infant Death Syndrome – crib death;
o Vernix Caseosa – oily protection against sudden death of an infant under age 1 which
infection that dries within the first few days cause of death remains unexplained
o Anoxia – lack of oxygen Postpartum Period
o Hypoxia – reduced oxygen supply o Period after childbirth
o Anoxia or Hypoxia may occur during delivery as o Lasts for about 6 weeks or until the mother’s
a result of repeated compression of the body has completed the adjustment and
placenta and umbilical cord that could leave returned to nearly prepregnant state
permanent brain damage, mental retardation, Physical Adjustment
behavior problems or even death o Loss of sleep that the primary caregiver
o Meconium – stringy, greenish-black waste experiences during this period
matter formed in the fetal intestinal tract o Sudden and dramatic hormone production
o Neonatal Jaundice – skin and eyeballs look o Estrogen and progesterone levels drop steeply
yellow caused by immaturity of the liver and remain low until the ovaries start
Pre-term and Low Birth Weight Infants producing again
o Low Birth Weight Infants – weigh less than 5 Emotional and Psychological Adjustment
pounds and 8 ounces at birth o Emotional fluctuations are common
▪ Very Low birth Weight – less than 3 pounds o Postpartum Blues – 2-3 days after birth they
4 ounces feel depressed, anxious, and upset
▪ Extremely Low Birth – less than 2 pounds o Postpartum Depression – involves a major
o Pre-term Infants – born three weeks or more depressive episode that typically occurs about
before pregnancy reach full term (before the four weeks after delivery or at least a two-
completion of 37 weeks of gestation) week period of having trouble coping with their
o Small for Date Infants (Small for Gestational daily task
Age Infants) – those whose birth weight is o Postpartum Depression could affect how the
below normal when the length of pregnancy is mother interacts with her infant
considered o Fathers may also experience depression or
o Progestin – might help in reducing preterm they may feel replaced by the baby
birth Bonding
o Extremely Preterm – born less than 28 weeks o Formation of connection, especially a physical
gestation bond between parents and the newborn in the
o Very Preterm – less than 33 weeks period shortly after birth
o Kangaroo Care – involves skin-to-skin contact o Newborn MUST have close contact with the
in which the baby, wearing only diaper, is held mother in the first few days of like to develop
upright against the parent’s bare chest to help optimally is NOT true
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