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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