P2- Explain the potential effects of five different life factors on the development of an individual.
Biological influences before birth.

The life choices a mother may chose may affect the health of their unborn baby. These choices could affect the development of their baby. Smoking before the birth of a child can affect their health and development. This is during and after pregnancy. Cigarettes contain nicotine. Once inhaled it runs straight through the bloodstream. A baby will use their mothers blood as a source of oxygen. Here they are then taking on board the nicotine. This means the baby’ heart rate will increase. It also increases the chance of a miscarriage and still birth. It also increases the chance of having a premature birth or and underweight baby. These choices are out of the baby’s control. These life factors change the development of and individual.

What the mother eats can effect the development of a baby. It is vital a mother eats a variety of foods in order to gain all the nutrition needed and to get a good balance. High starch foods such as bread and pasta will provide a source of energy as these are carbohydrates. Eating things such as eggs and chicken will provide protein. This is vital the growth of muscles. Eating roughage such as cereals and grains will provide fibre keeping the digestion of food more easy and keep it flowing. It will also prevent constipation. Having a poor diet during pregnancy can cause damage to their child which is irreversible. A mother who eats a high sugar diet can cause their child to have high cholesterol, diabetes and obesity.

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) id due to the mother drinking alcohol during pregnancy. This is a severe condition. Alcohol can be passed through the placenta. This can restrict oxygen reaching the baby. Alcohol damages cells that are apart of growth. This can also damage the connection of nerves in the brain. If alcohol gets into the womb the baby os prone to more illness. These include physical problems such as poor growth and distinctive facial features. They can also be prone to learning/behavioural disorders, hearing and sight problems, a weak immune system and cerebral palsy.

It is important that Stephens mother maintained good health whilst she was pregnant. There are no apparent physical or mental health issues that shows his mother smoked during pregnancy. However if she had thee would be many health implications if she had. These would include a high chance of Stephen being born prematurely. This could of lead to other health effects such as behavioural problems, neurological disorders, hearing and visual impairments. If his mother consumed alcohol during pregnancy Stephen would of been highly exposed to FAS. This would of caused poor growth, learning and behavioural disorders.

Environment

Pollution occurs in different forms. However all forms of pollution are dangerous in one way or another. Driving, cooking, an other industrial activities means excessive burning of fuels. This is a necessity of every day to day activities. This process releases a massive amount of chemicals in to the air. This is what causes pollution. This can lead to long term health affects on an individual e.g. breathing in polluted air can trigger respiratory problems and can cause asthma. The polluted air can also cause birth defects, cancer and damage to the lungs. These effects can change the development of an individual.

Stephen lived in different places. This could have affected him in certain ways. He has lived in the countryside (Norfolk). This is less likely to affect his health in a negative way because he wasn't exposed to as many cars and industrial building that pollute the air. This means his chances of having respiratory problems is less likely compared to someone who lives some where such as the city. Research shows that a better quality of air means a better quality of life. However Stephen has lived in London which is a highly built up area with many cars and buildings. This means the air is much more polluted here. Living in an area with high pollution reduces the average life expectancy by one year. This is because it affects the cardiovascular system and respiratory system. Stephen hasn't lived there long so is less likely to be affected compared to someone who has lived there all their life.

Where you live is a massive contribution to the environment you are living in. Housing has many factors thats will affect an individual. If an individual is living in an over crowded house this can create a negative environment leading to tension in the family. Due to the over crowding, sleeping arrangements may not be the best. People sleeping on the sofa, on the floor, having to share a room with someone not of the same sex. This mean privacy become a privilege. This can cause conflict. This can be transferred to family relationships. Siblings arguing and difficulties with daily routines adds to the negative environment. With he over crowdedness there is less attention and care received from parents due to this. This could lead to anxiety and depression.

Stephen has one brother and one sister. He lived with his mother and father. Their household would not be classed as over crowded. This means he is less likely to have a negative environment to live in. Due to this he would be able to receive a good amount of attention. This helps with his development as he was able to gain help and support from his family.

Lifestyle

An individuals choices of actions in life can have detrimental affects. Drug misuse is harmful to an individuals health long term and short term. It can also lead to addiction and dependance on the substance. Cannabis, cocaine, mephedrone and ecstasy can have significant changes to the human body. For example cannabis is seen as a ‘gateway drug’ and used to ‘calm’ people. However it can cause perceptions. It has several side effects which include paranoia, feelings of anxiousnesses, feeling paranoid and becoming lethargic. This drug has been linked to cases of schizophrenia. Mixing this with tobacco can cause lung diseases such as asthma, lung cancer and heart disease. Alcohol is the most commonly used drug, although legal has many negative effects on health. These include, cancer, brain damage,stomach ulcers, and inflation of the pancreas. There are also mental effects which include developing schizophrenia, suicidal thoughts, becoming involved in crime and damaging relationships around you such as friends and family.

Diet can significantly effect your lifestyle. Unhealthy eating can lead to health problems such as obesity and diabetes. However this can happen at the other end of the spectrum. Being underweight can lead to illness and sometimes death. Eating the right food can protect you from these illnesses. Correcting dietary happens in childhood will help people carry them through into adulthood. By showing children a balanced diet it can help them stay healthy as it is showed children take their habits though to adulthood. Exercise is also a good way of staying healthy. The government suggest we do 30 minutes of exercise a day in order to stay healthy. This means the chances of experiencing health problems stay low.

Stephens body and diet has changed throughout the years. He lost six stone in 2009 as he was believed to be overweight for his age. He cut out high carb foods. He reduced his chances of developing diabetes and other heart diseases. He visits the gym on a regular basis keeping him fit. It will also help keeping the weight off. This will keep him out of the obsess classes. Stephen suffers bipolar disorder. This means he has periods of extreme lows and then periods of mania. During is low period Stephen drank alcohol and abused substances. This may have affected his health in short or long term ways. Drugs can alter the brains chemistry which can have long term effects on Stephens memory. Alcohol will increase the risk of developing liver disease. Stephen has now stop consuming alcohol and abusing substances therefore these effects will hopefully wear of depending on how much damage it has done.

Genetics

Genes are a set of instructions for the development and growth of the cells in the body. They determine certain characteristics. These include hair colour, eye colour and a persons blood group. Humans has 46 chromosomes (23 pairs). The last pair of chromosomes determine your sex. A baby with an XX chromosome will be a female and a baby with an XY chromosome will be a male. Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) is a complex chemical in which all a persons genetic information is stored. This is found in the nucleus of a cell.

If there are abnormalities in an individual DNA that is a genetic disease. This involves mutations in the sequence of DNA. In chromosomal abnormalities the entire chromosome is altered. This can be done through genetic replication. Sometime mutations occur here meaning changed in the sequence. Some genetic disorders include autism, cystic fibrosis, down’s syndrome and neurofibromatosis.

In 1994 Stephen (aged 37) was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. This is where an individual experiences different episodes of depression and mania. As their moods fluctuate from one extent from the other. This disorder isn't classified as a genetic disorder however there is evidence to show that there is a link. Concordance rates between DZ and MZ twins suggest that is is genetic. This suggests that Stephen inherited it from his parents. However there is also evidence supporting the fact that environment causes it. Different phases in people life can cause bipolar. For example a stressful situation of life changing event can trigger bipolar e.g. loss of a close friend, break down of relationship or problems with money could trigger his bipolar symptoms. Socio Economic

Economic status will affect the development of an individual and their family. Children from low economic status generally have a low academic score and have a higher chance of dropping out of school. This is similar to their parents who also have are less educated and less equipped schools. Therefore have fewer learning resources at home. There are also physical and psychological effects that link to an individuals economic status. For example babies from a low income family generally have a low birth weight. This could be due to the fact the mother may not be able to afford food to give a baby all the nutrition it needs. Babies from low economic family also show to have behavioural problems e.g. disobedience. If family member such as parents are unemployed this can affect a persons development because they will have minimum income meaning they cant afford clothes, food or even accommodation.
Education is an important part of development. There are huge differences between public and private schools. The class sizes are a big difference. In public schools there are over 30 pupils in each class. In a private school it tends to be no more than 20 pupils. In a private school there is a lot more one to one attentions. You are able to have more time with the teacher as they do no need to see as many people. This gives a better value of education. Also with a smaller class size you are able to hold class discussions that are more controlled. This encourages better learning. Private schools are more flexible about what is taught in schools. They do not have to follow the laws about what to teach. Therefore they can offer different programmes such as counselling. This means they are more likely to have a better development because they will receive oncoming support from their teachers.

Stephen had a good upbringing and positive development. This is because his parent shad a good income which allowed this and it also encouraged it. He is an intelligent individual. He has a great academic score. This means his parents are more likely to be better educated and have more learning resources. Stephen went to a private school in Norfolk. Hie education has affected his development throughout his whole life. For example private schools encourage participation in extra curricular actives and provide and challenging environment. This is to help stimulate studies. The benefits of private schools have allowed Stephen to gain support and to peruse a further education. If Stephens parent had a low income then they wouldn't of been able to afford to send Stephen to private school. This means he may not be as successful as he is. Also to receive the help and support he would of needed as he showed to be a challenging individual as a child. He wasn't yet diagnosed at this point so it was difficult to know what to do. The support that private schools can provide may be the reason Stephen was able to be so intellectual and successful.