Developmental Psychology

Heredity, Pre-natal, Childbirth

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