Chapter 3 looks at pregnancy and prenatal development. After conception gestation period of the fetus begins which will last between 37-41 weeks. During this stage there are many influences that can support of hinder the developing fetus. During the gestational phase there will be three stages of development the fetus will go through starting with the Germinal Stage. This stage includes the first two weeks after fertilization and the zygote will divide, become more complex and implant itself into the wall of the uterus. The rapid division that this stage signifies happens within 36 hours and this journey down the fallopian tube when 3-4 days later it implants into the uterus and changes into a blastocyst. An astonishing fact about this stage is that only about 10-20% of fertilized ova’s become implanted and continue to develop. The second stage is the Embryonic Stage which starts at week 2 and goes to week 8. During this stage cells specialize and begin to develop the major bodies organs including respiratory, digestive and nervous systems. During this stage if a sever defect is detected the body will end the pregnancy with a spontaneous abortion (miscarriage) which happens to one in four women. The final stage is the fetal stage and it is signaled by the appearance of the first bone which typically happens about the 8th week. During this time the fetus begins to grow rapidly to about 20x’s its previous length. The fetus is an active participant in their development within the womb. They begin to breathe, kick, turn, flex their muscles and practice other things relevant their preparations toward birth into the world. During all three of these stages the fetus runs risk of coming in contact with factors that could affect its development. These factors include environmental influences, maternal factors and how the role of the father is a factor. This day and age we are luck and have many ways to monitor the development of the fetus throughout the entire process of pregnancy. Technology has brought many new features to monitoring this development including 3D ultra sound and pictures that have color and clarity.
After Reading Chapter 3 create a list of the 8 influences you see as being most influential for prenatal development. Provide an explanation of your rationale, and use your readings as support to your thoughts.
