Question

How is prenatal development influenced by a pregnant woman's age, her nutrition, and the stress she experiences while pregnant? Provide examples.

How do diseases, drugs, and environmental hazards sometimes affect prenatal development? Provide examples.

What are the different phases of labor and delivery? Explain.

What adjustments do parents face after a baby's birth? Explain.

What are some complications that can occur during birth? Provide examples.

Answer 1

1. Effect of Prenatal Development by age; nutrition and stress :- Prenatal Development is the most important part of development in a child's life. It is affected by a number of factors.

• Age : It is an important determinant as it can guide the development of child and any congenital anomaly if associated. The risk of Down's syndrome; Edward's Syndrome and Patau's syndrome are maximum at the extremes of age of a pregnant mother.
• Nutrition : Nutrition is an extremely important factor for good pregnancy outcomes. Malnourished mothers are more expected to get IUGR babies; IUDs and LBW babies.They are also more prone to deliver babies with infections and diseases; obesity or high cholesterol levels. Overnutrition is also bad for the pregnancy.
• Stress: Stress impairs the blood flow to the baby and increases the blood pressure of the mother. It can lead to development of premature babies and LBW babies. Thus, stress has a poor prognosis on the pregnancy with both maternal and fetal complications.

2. Effect of diseases , drugs and environmental hazards:

• Diseases :There are diesease that can cause fetal complication like dumbness ; deafness , mental retardation and brain swelling. They include Herpes, rubella , AIDS virus etc.
• Drugs: Drugs and medications like alcohol; smoking; antiseizure medications are all teratogenic and induce the negative development in a child. It can cause poor respiration ; poor immune system and neurological impairment.
• Environmental Hazards: They include the diseases ; drugs and socialization . But these are within our control and can be minimized unlike inheritable conditions.

3. Phases of labor and delivery:

First stage of labor: It starts from the stage of onset of labor to the full dilation of cervix(10cm). It is also called the stage of cervical effacement and dilation. Duration - 12 hours

Second stage of labor: It is the stage of full dilation of cervix to expulsion of fetus. This is called the stage of expulsion or stage of delivery. Duration: 2 hours

Third stage of labor: This is the stage that starts after the expulsion of the fetus and is completed with expulsion of placenta and membranes. This is the stage of seperation of the placenta and membranes. Duration: 15mins but for active management it is 5 minutes.

4.Adjustments parents face after a baby's birth:

• Different Social life: With baby, comes many responsibilities and one should be prepared to live a different kind of social life after having a baby. Adult conversations, clubbing and socializing are limited in a parenthood.
• Privacy: The love affair and privacy between a mother and her partner are limited after having a baby due to coming of a new member and spending the time in its care.
• Problems with body image : Generally after a pregnancy , a mother gains a weight of 3kgs. The shape of the body changes and it may make a mother feel depressive about herself.

5. Complications during birth :

• Non progressive labor and delivery of an asphyxiated child
• Perineal tears
• Preamture Rupture of membranes
• Perinatal asphyxia
• Shoulder dystocia
• Excessive bleeding