...Prenatal development can be divided into three stages: preimplantation, embryonic, and fetal. The preimplantation period, between fertilization and implantation of the conceptus in the uterine wall, takes an average of 7 days. The embryonic period is considered to be the major period of organogenesis, lasting about 2 months from conception. During the fetal period, lasting until about 38 weeks after conception, growth, functional maturation, and further differentiation of tissues occur. The prenatal period is highly sensitive to disruption by toxic substances because of the high rate of cell division and the intricate and complex coordination among chemical, cellular, and genetic processes that is necessary for normal development. Toxic insults to the conceptus are thought more likely to be lethal during the preimplantation and embryonic periods than the fetal period. The timing of an exposure or event has a dramatic influence on the developmental effects that will likely result. For example, alterations of hormones such as prostaglandins and the progesterone-estrogen balance can prevent implantation, resulting in embryonic death. During organogenesis, when the molecular, cellular, and morphological structural organization of tissues and organs takes place, the embryo is considered to be most susceptible to structural defects. Animal experiments show that the exact timing of exposure to a teratogen affects the pattern of structural malformations. However, malformations usually...
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...Introduction Prenatal development refers to a series of development stages that begins from the fertilization of the egg by the sperm cell to the onset of birth process. It begins with the formation of the zygote to the development of the fetus. It involves three major stages namely, germinal stage, embryonic stage and fetal stage. (Balinsky, 1975) The developmental stages take place partly in the fallopian tube and in the uterus. It usually takes a period of nine month in human being but varies from one species of animal to another. There are several principles of prenatal development which basically guides the whole process. These principles are as follows. Development occurs in head to toe direction also known as cephalocaudal. That is the head develops first before the toes therefore the head and parts of the upper extremity are always more developed than the lower limb at any particular time during development. The basic forms of organs are first developed before they specialize to make functional organs. Therefore development occurs from basic form to specialized form. Development follows the order of importance. Important organs are the first to be developed followed by organs that are less important. Consequently the brain and the heart are the first organs to develop. (Carlson, 1999) The fusion of the egg and the sperm to form a single cell called zygote marks the start of the germinal period and ends after the attachment of the blastocyst to the uterine wall leading...
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...Prenatal development is the period in development from conception to the onset of labor. Perinatal period is the period beginning about the seventh month of pregnancy and continuing until about four weeks after birth. Postnatal development is the period in development the follows directly after birth. The germinal stage is the stage lasting about ten -fourteen days following conception before the fertilized egg becomes implanted in the uterine wall. The embryonic stage is the stage in which major biological organs and systems form. The fetal stage is the stage in which is marked by rapid growth and preparation of body systems for functioning in the postnatal environment. Viability is the ability of the baby to survive outside the mother’s womb. The gestational age is the age of the fetus derived from onset of mother’s last menstrual period. The number of older mothers is on the rise in the U.S. as women postpone pregnancy to establish careers or for other reasons. Healthy women older than thirty-five routinely deliver healthy infants just as other between the ages of twenty and thirty-five do. Teenagers, however, may be at a greater risk for delivering less healthy babies. Lack of prenatal care is a big reason. Diets, while pregnant, must be sufficient not only in number of calories but also with respect to the right amount of proteins, vitamins, and other nutrients. Stress also plays a big role in delivering a healthy baby. Cultural beliefs about potentially...
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...should not drink during pregnancy. Some people may believe that moderate drinking during pregnancy is okay, but there are others who believe that even having one drink can be potentially harmful to an unborn child. About 1 out of every 12 pregnant women drinks alcohol during pregnancy. 1 out of every 30 pregnant women report binge drinking during pregnancy. Prenatal alcohol exposure interferes with embryonic and fetal development. There is a wide range of physical and mental birth defects that can occur from an exposure to alcohol before birth, therefore women should not drink during pregnancy. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) is a clinical diagnosis of prenatal alcohol exposure. FAS was “first officially recognized by Jones and Smith (1973)” (Blackburn &Whitehurst 2010). It's estimated that each year in the United States, 1 in every 750 infants is born with a pattern of physical, developmental, and functional problems referred to as fetal alcohol syndrome. This syndrome has received considerable attention in recent years. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome consists of evidence of prenatal alcohol exposure including central nervous system abnormalities (structural, neurological, and behavioral), growth retardation, and dysmorphic facial features. “Although intellectual disability is not a feature of the diagnostic criteria of FAS, it is well reported that children prenatally exposed to alcohol have a compromised level of intellectual function”(Blackburn & Whitehurst...
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...Prenatal Development Prenatal: the time from conception to birth. it is a time of tremendous growth form a single cell to an organism complete with brain and behavioral capabilities, produced in approximately 9 -month period Fertilization When semen is deposited in the vagina, the spermatozoa travel through the cervix and body of the uterus and into the Fallopian tubes. Fertilization of the ovum (egg cell) usually takes place in the Fallopian tube. Many sperm must cooperate to penetrate the thick protective shell-like barrier that surrounds the ovum. The first sperm that penetrates fully into the egg donates its genetic material (DNA). The egg then polarizes, repelling any additional sperm. The resulting combination is called a zygote, a new and genetically unique human organism. The term "conception" refers variably to either fertilization or to formation of the conceptus after uterine implantation, and this terminology is controversial. 3 Stages of Prenatal Germinal stage Embryonic stage Fetal stage Embryonic stage The embryonic period in humans begins at fertilization (penetration of the egg by the sperm) and continues until the end of the 10th week of gestation (8th week by embryonic age). The embryo spends the next few days traveling down the Fallopian tube. It starts out as a single cell zygote and then divides several times to form a ball of cells called a morula. Further cellular division is accompanied by the formation of a small cavity between the cells...
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...infant and mother can develop a wide range of symptoms ranging from mild to severe. Some of these symptoms include neurological, gastrointestinal, and autonomic disorders. Early identification of symptoms is vital to ensure that both the infant and mother receives the best care possible. Another important thing to recognize about NAS is the American Fetal Protection Movement. This law only resides in the United States and it protects the infant’s rights by incarcerating the mother that exposed the infant to the drug. By gaining a better knowledge of NAS, we can understand how the condition is rapidly growing and how important it is to eliminate this disorder. When I began my research, I was unaware that there was a scientific name for prenatal drug abuse. I found the article “Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome” by the Stanford Children’s Hospital (n.d.) which explained that NAS is a term for a group of disorders that a baby can experience when withdrawing from exposure to drugs. Since I have known several infants that were born with NAS, I began to wonder how many infants in the United States were born addicted to drugs. This lead me too research how common NAS is. When researching how common NAS is I found two articles that were related to my research. The first article, “The Triple Aim for Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome” by Patrick (2015), explained that NAS is a relatively new disorder that is becoming increasingly popular due to the growing rate of illegal drug abuse in the United...
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...INFORMATIVE SPEECH OUTLINE Topic: | Music | Title: | Effects of listening to music towards human beings | General purpose: | To inform | Specific purpose: | To inform my audience that listening to music can give many benefits that can affects human mentally and physically. | Central idea: | A speech that I am going to deliver is about the benefits of listening to music which is really helping in many aspects that affect human beings physically and mentally. | Organizational pattern: | Spatial order | I. INTRODUCTION | A. Attention getter: | Do you ever stressed over something? Or feeling depressed? If you have, how do you solve it? Did you know that music has a power of calming and healing certain ailments? | B. Background information of the topic: | Music does many things to human body whether physically or mentally such as slowing down and equalizing brain waves, balancing blood pressure, fights depression, relieves anxiety, boosts confidence, improves memory and speeds healing. | C. Preview of main points / central idea: | Today, music has become another alternative to help patient deal with their pain and also people release their stress by listening to music depends on their music taste either the fast rhythm song or slow rhythm song. | Transition to introduction: | Now, music has become a must to listen to, whether they are old people, adult, teenagers and babies. Different ages have different taste of music. Music is thought to link all...
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...it can also lead to behavior problems and cognition. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome is caused by mothers drinking heavy during pregnancy. The current recommendation of the US Surgeon General is not to drink alcohol at all during pregnancy (Fetal Alcohol Syndrome). According to the book Fetal Alcohol Syndrome one in every 750 infants are born with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome each year in the United States. An additional 40,000 babies are born with Fetal Alcohol Effects. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome occurs when alcohol crosses the placental barrier and it stunts fetal growth or weight, creates distinctive facial stigmata, damage neurons and brain structures, and causes other physical, mental, or behavioral problems. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome is caused by prenatal exposure to high level of alcohol. Many people think of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome as a drunken baby or a baby addicted to alcohol but Fetal Alcohol Syndrome is not either. According to the book Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, Fetal Alcohol Syndrome or FAS is a developmental disability that never goes away and there is no cure. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome is also determined by interviewing the mother or other family members. Once alcohol use is determined the level of exposure is then assessed based on the risk. High risk is when alcohol use is confirmed during pregnancy and known to be at high blood alcohol levels. The high blood alcohol levels...
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...1.1 INTRODUCTION In this chapter, the background to the study, problem statement, rationale of the study, The conceptual framework, the objective of the study and the profile of the study area are reviewed. 1.2 BACKGROUND This research will be conducted in Asankrankwa, a town in the WassaAmenfi West District.The Wassa West District as one of the Districts in the Western Region of Ghana is located between Latitude 400’N and 500 40’N and Longitudes 10 45’ W and 20 10’W(http://wassaamenfiwest.ghanadistricts.gov.gh ). It Bounded to the north of the district is the WassaAmenfi District, the south by the Ahanta West District, the West by the Nzema East District and the East by MpohorWassa East District. The District has a total land area of 2354 sq. km(http://wassaamenfiwest.ghanadistricts.gov.gh). There are three main vegetational zones: semi deciduous forest, the south-west rainforest and the transitional forest, all of which are suitable for the cultivation of both food and cash crops. The forests of the district are part of the only surviving high forests of Ghana. The current population of the WasaAmenfi West District is projected at 186,257 at a growth rate of 3.2% per annum which is the region’s growth rate. According to the 2000 population and Housing census, the district’s population was 156,256(http://wassaamenfiwest.ghanadistricts.gov.gh). This was projected at 3.2% within a period of six (6) years which yielded the projected figure in 2006. The district has a population...
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...Stage 1: Prenatal My parents describe my prenatal development as being generally easy going throughout and was one of my mom’s easiest pregnancies. My mothers’ pregnancy went well and I was born on my exact due date, January 5th 1999. At birth I weighed 8 pounds and 7 ounces and was 20” long; I had lots of light brown hair and my dad described me as being really red and having blue lips in the hours directly after I was born, which was most likely caused by having complications at birth. I had a shoulder dystocia which could have caused severe brain damage or even been fatal for me but doctors were able to get me out quickly enough by breaking my collar bone before any long term consequences could come of the situation. At the hospital...
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...After reading Prenatal Period Development I have learned a healthy lifestyle equals a health baby. There are three factors to promote a health baby, good nutrition, moderate weight gain and regular exercise. Eating a healthy diet is very important since the mother is eating for two! Pregnant woman have to make smart choice about the food they intake since the food is the source of nutrition for the baby. For instance a mother pregnant woman must have a healthy diet of proteins, vitamins, minerals and other nutrition to promote growth and development of the fetus. Without the proper diet it can lead into death of the fetus, neural tube defeats and low birth weight. Not only eating well is good for the fetus but also proper weight gain. Weight...
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...Effects of Folic Acid on Prenatal Development Article Review Week 1 Melissa Cook Davenport University This article discusses how taking folic acid during prenatal development is an asset for proper child development. Folic acid has shown to decrease some birth defects as well as a preventative for other congenital abnormalities. “The World Health Organization and Centers for Disease Control and prevention recommend that women of childbearing age consume 0.4mg of folic acid per day” (Wehby & Murray, 2008). It can be taken as a supplement in a multivitamin, on its own and in certain foods. This vital nutrient has been noted to decrease instances of neural tube defects. The neural tube forms during the embryonic period...
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...PRENATAL GENETIC TESTING Running Head: PRENATAL GENETIC TESTING Prenatal Genetic Testing and The Ethical Controversies SBI3U 15 April 2015 1 PRENATAL GENETIC TESTING 2 Prenatal Genetic Testing and The Ethical Controversies Introduction Every introduction should start with a shocking fact about the topic, generally to piqué the interest of the reader. The problem is, surrounding the topic of prenatal genetic testing, there isn’t anything that is particularly shocking or interesting anymore. Anything that has a potential to injure a ‘helpless’ fetus, the public has already been informed of and the information has already been extremely exaggerated. The myth of prenatal genetic testing being dangerous has been greatly over told, and is a rather old notion according to a great number of medical journals such as: United States National Library (Gates, 2009), UConn (Pennington, 2011), and many others listed in the references page. Prenatal genetic testing is the process of testing for potential genetic disorders or defects. Doctors and geneticist can now test for over 4000 diseases that are caused or influenced by a fetus’ genetic makeup. The tests can be invasive or noninvasive, and the risks associated with both categories of tests have been greatly reduced since genetic testing was first introduced to modern medicine. Although the ...
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...lives with immeasurable benefits. The rewards of this testing outweigh any reservations. Genetic testing are examinations of blood and other tissues of the body that doctors in the medical field prepare to test for possible defects of the body. These DNA based tests generally involves direct examination of the DNA molecule itself and are very sophisticated techniques of testing genetic disorders in the bodies of human beings. Prenatal genetic testing with the procedure of pre-implantation genetic diagnosis, or PGD is a technique whereby testing is performed of an approximate three-day-old embryo to confirm that it does not carry a particular disease or diseases (Naik). The test predicts, with variable confidence, what the possible medical problems will be in the future. Then the doctor implants this embryo, which is free of that syndrome, in the mother's womb. It appears to be relatively easy to check the DNA and eliminate future diseases that are linked to a single malfunctioning gene such as cystic fibrosis or autism. In the 1990s, this type of prenatal genetic testing, PGD, was first introduced with vast numbers of parents utilizing this screening to avoid the potential hereditary passing of many deadly disorders to their children (Naik). In the very near future parents will be able to pick or select the...
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...four to five years of life. Steven Ainsworth says TSD is, “caused by the absence of a vital enzyme called hexosaminidase-A. Without this enzyme, a fatty substance called ganglioside builds up in the cells of the nervous system, causing them to stop working normally and eventually killing them.” (31). This basically stops development, including respiratory, motor, and several other functions. Tay-Sachs disease has plagued mankind for over a century, and with no treatment or cure discovered mankind is left with three main approaches to prevent and reduce the incidence of the disease. According to Hilary Vallance and Jason Ford, it was in 1970 that carrier testing was introduced for TSD by measuring the activity of hexosaminidase isoenzymes (476). This screening allowed individuals from high risk groups, like the Jewish community, to be identified as carriers. Vallance and Ford also said, “In North America since 1983, there have been 3 to 5 TSD-affected children born per year compared with approximately 60 new cases per year prior to screening.” (476). If these high risk couples that choose to try and have children they are left with two options, prenatal diagnosis or preimplantation diagnosis. For couples who choose to go with a preimplantation diagnosis, this is done by in vitro fertilization, where the embryo can be tested for the gene defect prior to implantation. The healthy embryos are taken and placed in the mother’s womb, while the unhealthy embryos are discarded...
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