Pregnancy and Birth: Lifespan Development - PDF

PREGNANCY AND BIRTH Lifespan Development, Chapter 4  ❖zygote VOCABULARY ❖blastocyst ❖obstetricians ❖embryonic period ❖certified nurse-midwives ❖embryo ❖low birthweight...

PREGNANCY AND BIRTH Lifespan Development, Chapter 4  ❖zygote VOCABULARY ❖blastocyst ❖obstetricians ❖embryonic period ❖certified nurse-midwives ❖embryo ❖low birthweight ❖fetal period ❖stillbirth ❖fetus ❖gestational diabetes ❖Braxton-Hicks contractions ❖caesarean section ❖natural childbirth ❖sexually transmitted infections (STIs) ❖Lamaze method ❖bacterial STIs ❖doula ❖viral STIs ❖episiotomy ❖HIV ❖very low birthweight ❖AIDS ❖induced labor ❖fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) ❖breech birth ❖sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) ❖oxygen deprivation ❖germinal period ❖Rh factor  CARE BEFORE PREGNANCY OCCURS ❖Health and lifestyle behaviors play a large part in becoming pregnant and the success of pregnancy. ❖They also have lifetime effects on both the mother and child. ❖Find good medical care and get a checkup. ❖Have genetic testing to find out risks of birth defects. ❖Observe and manage any known health issues.  CARE BEFORE PREGNANCY OCCURS CONT’D ❖Eat a well-balanced diet, reach or maintain a healthy body weight, and practice physical fitness. ❖Take folate (the natural form of folic acid / vitamin B9), which promotes healthy brain and spinal cord development, and may prevent neural tube and midline defects. ❖Avoid alcohol, drugs, and smoking (including secondhand smoke). ❖Check with a doctor before using medications (include over-the-counter medications). ❖Women use their cognitive, physical, social, and emotional resources to support their developing babies. MEDICAL CARE PROVIDERS ❖Prenatal care – medical care for a pregnant woman and her baby ❖Obstetricians (often OB-GYNs) – doctors who specialize in pregnancy and childbirth; must oversee high-risk pregnancies ❖Family practitioners may also provide prenatal care. ❖Certified nurse-midwives (CNMs) – nurses who specialize in pregnancy and birth ❖What they are permitted or forbidden to do depends on the state. In Texas, they: ❖May attend births at a hospital (if they have admitting privileges at that hospital), birthing center, or home ❖Are permitted to administer antibiotics and nitrous oxide ❖Are not permitted to administer Pitocin ❖Certified professional midwives (CPMs) – have passed the same midwife licensing exam as CNMs, but are not nurses ❖Not permitted to attend births in hospitals and cannot administer any non-OTC medication  PRENATAL APPOINTMENTS ❖First appointment: ❖Health screenings, including blood and urine samples ❖Calculate expected due date (guess date) based on the first day of the last menstrual period (LMP) ❖Appointment schedules: ❖From first appointment until after month 7 – once a month ❖Month 8 – every 2 weeks ❖Month 9 – every week ❖At a typical appointment: measure weight, blood pressure, and fundal height (distance from the pubic bone to the top of the uterus, which helps medical professionals guess the size of the baby)  NUTRITION ❖Additional calorie needs: ❖1st trimester – none ❖2nd trimester – 300 extra calories daily ❖3rd trimester – 500 extra calories daily ❖Normal weight gain during pregnancy is between 25-35 pounds ❖Prenatal vitamins – have extra folate, calcium, and iron ❖Calcium – helps build strong bones and teeth ❖Iron – helps reduce the chance of babies being born at low birthweight ❖Low birthweight – when a baby is born weighing less than 5.8 pounds ❖Some foods should be avoided due to risk of foodborne illness, including raw fish and unpasteurized milk.  LIFESTYLE ❖Stress can have negative effects in all stages of life, including emotional and physical disorders. ❖During pregnancy, it has been associated with early birth and low birthweights. ❖Ways to reduce stress: ❖Surround the mother with a support group (family, friends, medical professionals, doula) ❖Having an accommodating employer ❖Government assistance programs such as WIC (Women, Infants, and Children), if the mother/family qualifies ❖Women who were physically active before pregnancy can safely continue non-contact exercise  GENETIC DISORDERS ❖Genetic – passed down through family genes ❖Some can be tested for before pregnancy, others during ❖The accuracy of the tests varies; false positives are common ❖Some disorders can be treated, but some cannot be. ❖Includes cystic fibrosis, Down syndrome, Fragile X syndrome, Huntington’s disease, phenylketonuria (PKU), sickle-cell anemia, spina bifida, and Tay-Sachs disease (see page 73 in Lifespan Development) ❖Disorders associated with faulty genes or chromosomes are passed down from parent to child ❖Disorders caused by absent, damaged, or extra chromosomes (example: Down syndrome / Trisomy 21) are not hereditary ❖Stillbirth – delivery of a deceased baby  TEEN MOTHER ❖More likely to develop high blood pressure and experience preterm labor and delivery, resulting in low birth weight ❖Low birthweight babies may have physical challenges or developmental delays ❖Often do not receive early prenatal care ❖Adequate emotional and social support is needed, but may be hard to find ❖More likely for both mother and child to be socially and economically disadvantaged throughout their lives ❖Experienced increased stress, especially if social support systems (such as those from schools) are not in place  OLDER MOTHERS ❖Sometimes referred to by doctors as “geriatric pregnancies” ❖When women are pregnant after turning 35 ❖Slightly increased risk of birth defects or abnormalities ❖Causes: mother’s longer exposure to environmental toxins and age of the egg that is fertilized (women are born with all the eggs they will ever have) ❖Increased chance of having multiple babies, such as twins or triplets ❖Older mothers are more likely to have gestational diabetes or caesarian section deliveries ❖Gestational diabetes – diabetes that occurs only during pregnancy ❖Women who have gestational diabetes have a 25% chance of developing Type 2 diabetes later in life ❖Caesarian section – surgical birth SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED INFECTIONS (STIS) ❖Also known as sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) ❖Bacterial STIs – caused by bacteria; can be cured with antibiotics ❖Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) – can cause infertility in women ❖Syphilis can lead to serious mental disorders and death ❖Viral STIs – caused by viruses; cannot be cured ❖Treatments can help symptoms, but symptoms will return ❖Human papillomavirus (HPV) is linked to cervical cancer ❖Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) causes acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), which can be spread through blood or sex ❖Asymptomatic – when a person shows no signs or symptoms ❖STIs can be passed from mother to baby ❖All STIs can pose risks to the developing baby. See Lifespan Development page 77 DRUG USE ❖Can cause severe and long-term birth defects affecting the physical, cognitive, and socio-emotional development of the baby for his or her lifetime ❖“Drugs” can include illegal drugs, prescription drugs, and over-the-counter drugs. Secondhand smoke is also included. ❖Drug use by fathers can also have an adverse effect. ❖Nicotine is a stimulant found in tobacco. It can cause the baby to be premature and low birthweight. ❖Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) – caused by prenatal exposure to alcohol; can cause head and facial abnormalities, along with heart, brain, and skeletal damage ❖Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) – unexpected death for unknown reasons during the first year of life ❖Babies who are exposed to drugs go through drug withdrawal after birth, which is painful. They may also have difficulties breathing, sucking/eating, and keeping food in their stomachs.  PATERNAL FACTORS ❖Quality of sperm – can be affected by lifestyle, health, and age ❖Alcohol use before conception can also increase the risk of birth defects ❖Secondhand smoke can be inhaled by the pregnant mother  FIRST TRIMESTER ❖From conception until week 12 ❖A missed period is often the first sign of pregnancy ❖Women who have irregular periods may not realize they are pregnant during much of the first semester ❖Other signs of pregnancy could include tender breasts, nausea, tiredness, and mood changes ❖Germinal period – from conception until implantation (usually about 2 weeks) ❖Conception – when the sperm and egg join ❖Zygote – single-celled human (often referred to as a fertilized egg) ❖Blastocyst – after the zygote begins to divide into multiple cells; attaches to the lining of the uterus  FIRST TRIMESTER CONT’D ❖Embryonic period – week 2 to week 9 ❖Embryo – term for the developing baby after 2nd week ❖The blastocyst forms three layers ❖Ectoderm (outermost layer) – becomes the nervous system, ears, nose, and eyes ❖Mesoderm (middle layer) – becomes the bones, muscles, circulatory system, and reproductive system ❖Endoderm (innermost layer) – becomes the digestive and respiratory systems ❖Fetal period – term for the developing baby from 3 months to birth ❖Fetus – stage where all parts of the baby’s body are already in place and mature and increase in size  SECOND TRIMESTER ❖Week 13 to week 24 ❖The mother’s body is beginning to show the effect of pregnancy, especially her enlarged “belly” or “baby bump” ❖The baby’s body parts become more distinct, and facial features become clearer ❖Movements (which started during the first trimester) become more coordinated, and may be felt by the mother and others ❖Parents usually find out the sex of the baby at the 20 week anatomy scan ❖By the end of this trimester, the baby weighs 1-1.5 pounds and is 12-14 inches long ❖Usually the most enjoyable part of pregnancy because “morning sickness” (nausea) is usually over and the mother may be experiencing “pregnancy glow”  THIRD TRIMESTER ❖Week 24 to week 40 ❖Organ function continues to increase, especially the lungs, which are very important ❖There is a good chance of survival in the event of premature birth ❖Currently, the earliest surviving age is 22 weeks – this age keeps getting earlier and earlier due to advances in medical technology and knowledge ❖Fatty tissue develops ❖The baby’s body becomes longer and heavier ❖At the end of month 7, baby weighs 3 pounds and is 16 inches long ❖By birth, the average baby weighs 7-8 pounds and is 20 inches long  THIRD TRIMESTER CONT’D ❖The baby turns to a head-down position (ideally facing towards the mother’s back) ❖As the baby moves lower into the pelvis, the mother can breathe more easily ❖Mothers experience “nesting,” the desire to get things ready for the baby (particularly getting items or rooms ready in the home).  BIRTH ❖Full-term – a baby born after 37 weeks ❖Braxton-Hicks contractions = mild cramps or tightening of the belly that are irregular in timing and do not get stronger ❖Signs of labor: ❖Losing the mucus plug ❖“water breaking” – the amniotic sac breaks open and amniotic fluid leaks out ❖Contractions – become stronger, longer, and closer together as labor progresses ❖A mother is not considered to be in active labor until her cervix is 5 centimeters dilated and her contractions are progressing