Determinants of Prenatal Development

  

Definition

       Prenatal development refers to the process in which after conception, an embryo develops into a foetus and then into a baby. The Prenatal development is also called antenatal development.

1.         Biological (Genetic) – Genes carry a code that which is the decisive determinants of prenatal growth and development. They contain the distinct biological blue print and time table for development. Genes not only affect the prenatal development but also regulate the development process throughout life. Chromosomes which are the hereditary elements of human body stores thousands of genetic commands in the form of genes. They contain the instructions for the production specific proteins, which regulate the body’s physiological processes and the expression of traits. They determine rate of development, genetic and chromosomal abnormalities etc.

2.         Behavioural

            (i)        Cognitive Health

            (ii)       Substance abuse, passive smoking and alcohol.       

            (iii)      Vaccination,

            (iv)      Emotional components, and

            (v)       Awareness.

(i)        Cognitive Health – Cognitive health means psychological health. Any form of prenatal stress or any other mental pressure felt by the mother can have negative effects on various aspects of foetal development; when a mother is under stress, physiological changes occur in the body that could affect the development of the foetus.

(ii)       Substance Abuse, Passive Smoking & Alcohol – The substance abuse and smoking (Passive as well) leads to low birth weight, reduced head circumference & birth size, preterm delivery, prenatal mortality, retarded intellectual performance and interferes with proper nutritional supply to the foetus. The alcohol can cause physical, intellectual, behavioural, and learning disabilities that can last a lifetime. The most severe disorder is foetal alcohol syndrome (FAS). FAS can cause growth problems, intellectual disability, behavioural problems, and abnormal facial features.

(iii)      Vaccination – It’s a type of biological fortification against future potential diseases. Lack of immunization can harm the unborn child. Though the process of vaccination must occur under the strict vigil of medical expert. Hepatitis B protect the mother and baby against infection both before and after delivery. Influenza (Inactivated) it can prevent serious illness in the mother during pregnancy. Tetanus/Diphtheria/Pertussis (TDP) to protect baby from whooping cough if not administered during pregnancy it should be administered immediately after the birth.

(iii)      Emotional Components – The mother feels a higher level of emotional stress during initial phase of pregnancy. The negative emotional behaviour of mother can have detrimental effect on the intellect of the baby and can retard the psychological development.

(iv)      Awareness – An aware prospective mother can have positive effect on the development of foetus by mitigating pregnancy-related problems and improve perinatal outcome. The do’s and don'ts during the pregnancy such as regular physical exercise, proper nutrition, happy state of mind etc. helps in better birth related outcomes. 

3.         Social – The social factors such prenatal education, income, social environment, social support etc. are important factors that determine the development of the baby. Prenatal education mitigates fears and enhances confidence while income determines the quality of health care and nutrition etc. The immediate social environment and social support makes a prospective mother feel secure. All these factors provide sense of satisfaction that in turn helps in keeping the mother psychologically healthy which is important for prenatal development of child. 

4.         Physical – The physical factors such as access to health care, mother’s body weight, nutrition, parental health and age of parents are important for prenatal development. The regular health check-up and uptake of required medication ensures the correct development of the child. The mother’s, weight, blood sugar levels and blood pressure directly affect baby's weight. The nutrition is a key factor in foetus development. The deficiencies in consumption of proper nutritional diet fortified with iron and calcium can lead to adverse foetal development. The parental health and age of parents also affects the development of foetus. For example, several studies indicate that children born of older people tends to have lower intellect.

5.         Environmental

(i)        Internal environment – The internal environment consists of umbilical blood flow, proteins, nutrient utilization etc. within the womb. The production of hormones at right time and in right proportion plays decisive role in prenatal development. The number of Prenatal Foetus increases the density of uterus leading to space and nutrient constraints that have considerable effect on their development.

(ii)       External environment – Pregnant women are more vulnerable to environmental factors such as pollution etc. It can lead to respiratory diseases, premature birth, birth defects and lung function abnormalities etc.

6.         Cultural – The cultural settings such as joint family or nuclear family, cultural activities and food etc. plays important role in prenatal development. The pregnancy elicits cultural response such as rituals, traditional way of celebrations, cultural prescriptions and cultural expectations influences the prenatal development in a significant way. Most everything the mother ingests, including food, liquid, and even medication, travels through the placenta to the foetus; anything the mother is exposed to in the environment affects the foetus. It is the period of great vulnerability. Foetal development is ultimately determined by dynamic interactions between all of these factors.

 

References:

1.         https://www.verywellmind.com/        environmental-influences-on-prenatal-development-2795112.

2.         Institute of Medicine (US) Committee on Nutritional Status During Pregnancy and Lactation. Washington: National Academies Press (US); 1990.

3.         https://www.acog.org/Patients/FAQs/Tobacco-Alcohol-Drugs-and-Pregnancy?IsMobileSet=false     

4.         https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8176567.

5.         https://www.webmd.com/baby/pregnancy-is-it-safe-to-get-vaccinations#1.

6.         NCERT XI Psychology Textbook.

7.         Morrison, J., & Regnault, T. (2016). Nutrition in Pregnancy: Optimising Maternal Diet and Fetal Adaptations to Altered Nutrient Supply. Nutrients, 8(6), 342. doi:10.3390/nu8060342.

 

 

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