Issues in prenatal development- this presentation discusses the impacts of genetic and environmental factors towards a developing fetus. created in partial fulfillment of Pysch- 1170

1. ISSUES IN PRENATAL
DEVELOPMENT
HUMAN DEVELOPMENT, PSY- 1170

2. Figure 1
While rare, the fetus is still prone to
diseases and birth defects while it is
still in utero.
Four percent of babies born in
Canada experience congenital
abnormalities at birth. They are
born with abnormal structures and
organs that do not function
properly.

3. GENETIC DISORDERS
There are two types of genetic
disorders.
Autosomal Disorders: caused by
genes located on the chromosomes,
they are generally caused by the
combination of two recessive genes.
Sex Linked: diseases that are caused
genes on the X sex chromosome.
Figure 2

4. CHROMOSOMAL ERRORS
Chromosomal disorders are caused by having too many or too few chromosomes.
A common disorder is a trisomy, a trisomy is the presence of a third chromosome in a pair.
The most common trisomy is the presence of a third chromosome on the twenty-first pair. This
chromosomal error is also known as Down Syndrome.
Figure 3

5. TERATOGENS
Teratogens are harmful
substances that impact the
fetus while still in utero.
They can impact the
development of organ systems,
the most critical time that this
can occur is during the first
eight weeks of fetus
development.

6. TERATOGENS: MATERNAL DISEASES
Sometimes diseases that the mother
has while pregnant can transfer to the
fetus.
Diseases like Rubella, HIV, and syphilis
can be transferred or cause
abnormalities in the baby.
Some are transferred through the
placenta or directly to the fetus, while
others may be transferred during the
birthing process.
Figure 5

7. TERATOGENS: DRUGS
While pregnant it is recommended that you avoid
the use of drugs, things such as alcohol and
tobacco products.
The use of alcohol during pregnancy can result in
fetal alcohol syndrome, which is characterized by
learning and behavior deficits.
The use of street drugs and prescription drugs
during pregnancy can result in heart and lung
defects and low birth weight.
Figure 6

8. MATERNAL INFLUENCES
Figure 7
Nutrition is incredibly important when considering the health of
your child.
Poor nutrition leads to the increased risk of low birth weights and
even possibly miscarriage or still birth.
Figure8
Age and Psychosocial status of the mother can also affect the well being
of the fetus.
With young and elderly mothers, the risk of miscarriage and
chromosomal diseases increases. As well, the mother is at risk for more
complications with birth.
Mothers who are suffering from depression or illness may also affect the
overall health and viability of the fetus.

9. MUTAGENIC, ENVIRONMENTAL, AND EPIGENETIC
Figure 9
Mutagenic: a physical agent that alters the
DNA of the fetus. Changing the DNA and
allowing for fetal deformities.
Epigenetic: the DNA is not physically altered,
but the way the gene is expressed in the
child is different. This abnormalities is
thought to effect all descending generations
from the individual (ex. dietary habits)
Environmental: The damage and alteration
of DNA through environmental factors. This
can be things such as radiation and area’s
with poor air quality.
Figure 10

10. PATERNAL INFLUENCES: GENETIC
More studies have been looking into the fathers role in
prenatal care.
Studies have shown that 55 of the mutations found in the
fetus actually come from the father, versus the 14 that
come form the mother.
Fathers pass on more mutagens with age, the number of
mutagens a father will pass on doubles every sixteen
years after he has reached puberty.
DNA damage to sperm resulting in chromosomal changes
has been seen to increase risks for childhood cancer and
anomalies.
Figure 11

11. PATERNAL AND OTHER INFLUENCES: PHYSICAL
If the mother is abused during the duration of
her pregnancy it can lead to premature
Labour, the detachment of the placenta from
the uterus, and potentially low birth rate.
Emotional abuse can cause premature Labour
due to the stress on the mothers body.
Nearly six percent of pregnant women in
Canada are abused.
Abuse during pregnancy is preventable with
accurate screening and the recognition of
signs of abuse by the health care provider.
Figure 12

12. FETAL ASSESSMENT AND TREATMENT
There are processes you can go through to help
prevent your baby from having a congenital
abnormalities. These tests and procedures can be
done in both the preconception and post conception
stages.
Genetic counsellors can help women who are at risk,
the can preform diagnostic testing and genome
analysis to determine if the fetus is at risk.
Ultrasonography is a routine part of prenatal care in
Canada. It is used in the monitoring of fetal growth.
Other tests can be done such as amniocentesis’, these
are done by sampling some of the amniotic fluid
surrounding the fetus. Fetal cells can be analyzed in
this test.
Figure 13

13. HOW IS THIS CONTENT RELEVANT TO ME?
I found this topic to be relevant to myself because
someday I would like to have children, and I think it
is good to know the issues that can be involved in
pregnancy.
As well, I believe it to be a topic that everyone
should have a general knowledge of. Pregnancy is
something that someone in your life will likely go
through, and having an idea of what can happen will
help prepare you.
Figure 14

14. HOW WILL THIS BE OF USE IN MY PROFESSIONAL LIFE
This topic will be of use in my professional life because I am very interested in maternal nursing and
Labour and delivery. I will be evaluating fetus health and the health of the mother in my everyday
practice. So understanding the complications that can occur during fetal development is essential to be
able to efficiently teach expecting mothers.
Figure 15

15. REFERENCES
Figure 1 retrieved from: http://www.douglas.qc.ca/info/prenatal-stress
Figure 2 retrieved from: http://www.webmd.com/baby/carrier-test-for-autosomal-recessive-diseases
Figure 3 retrieved from: http://diyasblog.com/?page_id=80
Figure 4 retrieved from: http://www.lookfordiagnosis.com/mesh_info.php?term=Teratogens&lang=1
Figure 5 retrieved from: http://www.flyfishingdevon.co.uk/salmon/year2/teratol.htm
Figure 6 retrieved from: http://healthmad.com/health/effects-of-alcohol-on-pregnancy-the-critical-period-2/
Figure 7 retrieved from: http://foodwallpaper.info/nutrition-and-exercise-during-pregnancy/
Figure 8 retrieved from: http://thesocietypages.org/socimages/2013/01/03/poverty-poses-a-bigger-risk-to-pregnancy-than- age/
Figure 9 retrieved from: http://www.ibtimes.com/chilling-images-human-mutation-across-world-photos-840275
Figure 10 retrieved from: http://www.nestle.com/media/newsandfeatures/nestle-research-epigenetics
Figure 11 retrieved from: http://spacecoastdaily.com/2015/06/cdc-alcohol-and-pregnancy-questions-and-answers/
Figure 12 retrieved from: http://veelablog.tumblr.com/
Figure 13 retrieved from: http://www.pregmed.org/amniocentesis.htm
Figure 14 retrieved from: http://www.ucl.ac.uk/news/news-articles/1007/10070201
Figure 15 retrieved from: http://ukandinternationalnannies.co.uk/maternity-nurse
Boyd, D., Johnson, P., Bee, H., (2015) Issues in prenatal development. Lifespan Development (5th ED.) Ontario, Canada : Pearson Canada
Inc.