The Expectant Parent Newsletter

Critical Periods of Prenatal Development. 

Fact: At the beginning of every pregnancy, the child already has a 3-5% of birth defect as a woman’s background risk ( Wolsk, Chawes, Litonjua, Hollis, Waage, Stokholm, Weiss, 2017). The critical periods include: 

The first 4 weeks where the embryo may fail to attach to the uterus because of cell damage or weak uterine attachment. 

At 18 gestational weeks or 16 fetal weeks major brain development occurs and exposure to harmful substances often lead to functional defects that change the physiological working of a body part. For example, hearing loss or diminished intellectual ability 

Second and third trimesters if exposed to harmful exposures that affect learning ability 

Teratogens that could impact Prenatal Development 

Teratogens are harmful substances that produce functional and physical defects to the fetus depending on the stage of embryo development and duration of exposure ( Alfadly, Wajid, Abdulghani, Anaam, Bajubair, Ba-Samad, & Mancy, 2017). They include: 

Ionizing agents such as gamma rays or X rays from hot tubs or saunas which cause hyperthermia. Raising a pregnant woman's body temperature beyond 102 degrees Fahrenheit leads to microcephaly, eye and palate defect, limb reduction, preterm labors, central nervous malformation, and spontaneous abortions (Alfady et al., 2017). 

Metabolic teratogens such as thyroid disorders, diabetes, and malnutrition. Such are: 

The woman’s malnutrition leads to inadequate provision of nutrients to fetus. 

Diabetes leads to fetal malformation due to hypoglycemia or low blood sugar 

Thyroid disorders lead to placental abruption, and low IQ scores 

Ways to have a Healthy Pregnancy and to reduce Prenatal Risks 

Adopting healthy habits and managing preexisting health conditions work well to ensure a woman gives birth to a healthy baby. Such examples include: 

Regular visits to healthcare professional to access prenatal care 

Taking 400 micrograms of folic acid as a vitamin B every day to prevent spine and brain malformation reducing chances of spina bifida and anencephaly ( Theagarajan, & Bhanu, 2019). 

Avoiding substance abuse when planning to get pregnant to reduce chances of miscarriage or intellectual ability defects. 

Treat fever and avoiding high temperatures to deal with neural tube defect. 

Infant Risks and how to Minimize those Risks (E.G., SIDS, Injury). 

The following is a list of infant risks and how to minimize them. 

Birth defects should be prevented through taking recommended amounts of folic acid before and during pregnancy. Performing newborn screening also ensures that birth defects are detected early and the infant can start treatment immediately. 

Addressing low birth weight and preterm birth by ensuring the mother gets enough calorie and nutrient intake during pregnancy and treating the mother’s health conditions. 

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) are unexplained and prompt death of infants that are less than 1 year of age ( Wolsk et al., 2017). SIDS can be prevented through placing the infant on their back while discarding any items or loose bedding from the sleeping area. 

Attachment Issues During Infancy 

Attachment is the bond between the infant and their primary caregiver which is crucial in their development of personality traits, coping mechanism, and relationship formation ( Zdolska-Wawrzkiewicz, Chrzan-Dętkoś, & Bidzan, 2018). Attachment issues arise when the infant develops behaviors, mood, and social relationships that were affected by their failure to form conventional attachment with the primary care givers. The reliably warm and sensitive responses of the infants in the first two months establishes preference. Before the age of three, abrupt separation, neglect, excessive number of caregivers, frequent change, lack of responsiveness or abuse, results in the lack of basic trust. 

Tips for Fostering Healthy Development in the Three Areas of Infant Development. 

Ensuring the mother maintains a healthy diet and avoids harmful substances before, during, and after pregnancy so that the child can develop a healthy development ( Zdolska-Wawrzkiewicz, Chrzan-Dętkoś, & Bidzan, 2018). 

The primary caregivers should show attention through listening, responding, holding, snuggling, playing with them, singing, reading to them, conversing, and singing. 

Defining principles by which the child should live by and rewarding conforming behaviors while discouraging deviant behavior. 

Getting help from the family, spouse, relatives, friends, and mentors on new perspectives or solutions in case of challenges. 

References 

Alfadly, S. O., Wajid, S., Abdulghani, M. A. M. M., Anaam, M. S., Bajubair, M. S., Ba-Samad, S. M., ... & Mancy, W. H. (2017). Evaluation of the knowledge and practices of pregnant Yemeni Women regarding teratogens. Tropical Journal of Pharmaceutical Research , 16(9), 2281-2288. 

Theagarajan, R., & Bhanu, B. (2019). DeephESC 2.0: Deep generative multi adversarial networks for improving the classification of hESC. PLoS ONE , 14(3), 1–28. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0212849 

Wolsk, H. M., Chawes, B. L., Litonjua, A. A., Hollis, B. W., Waage, J., Stokholm, J., … Weiss, S. T. (2017). Prenatal vitamin D supplementation reduces risk of asthma/recurrent wheeze in early childhood: A combined analysis of two randomized controlled trials. PLoS ONE , 12(10), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0186657 

Zdolska-Wawrzkiewicz, A., Chrzan-Dętkoś, M., & Bidzan, M. (2018). Maternal attachment style during pregnancy and becoming a mother in Poland. Journal of Reproductive & Infant Psychology , 36(1), 4–14. https://doi.org/10.1080/02646838.2017.1395400