Prena ta l

D evelo p ment

Phy sic a l D evelo p me nt

By th e end o f the e mb ry o n ic sta g e (3 -8 we eks) e y es, e a rs, n o se, a rms,
a n d le g s ha ve fo rme d a nd a ll o rg a ns a re p re se nt (L efra n o is, 2 0 1 2 ) .
D uring the third mo nth, e xte rna l g e nita ls a re fo rme d a nd g e nd er c a n b e
d e termine d th ro ug h ultra so und (Be rk, 2 0 1 3 ).

L a ng ua g e D evelo p me nt
By 3 0 w e eks, a fe tus c a n resp o nd to a ud ito ry stimuli thro ug h mo v emen t
a n d rise in h ea rtb e a t.
N ea r the e nd o f th e th ird trimeste r, a fe tus c a n d isting uish b etw e en the
rhy th m a nd to n e o f v a rio us so und s a n d vo ic es (Berk, 2 0 1 3 ).

S o c ia l-E mo tio na l D eve lo p ment

F eta l a c tiv ity ha s b ee n lin ked to infa n t temp e ra men t; mo re a c tive fetuses a re d isc o ve red to b e tter
ha nd le frustra tio n a nd fea r in to d d lerh o o d (Be rk, 2 0 1 3 ).
C hild re n e x p o se d to te ra to g en s in ute ro ma y ha ve ex p erie nc e p sy c h o lo g ic a l d a ma g e , re sulting in
la te r d iffic ulty with so c ia l in tera c tio n s, a s w ell a s la c k o f re silien c y (Be rk, 2 0 1 3 ).

C o g nitive D e velo p ment

N euro n p ro d uc tio n b e g ins a t 7 w ee ks a t a ra te o f 2 5 0 ,0 0 p e r minute w ith ne a rly a ll in p la c e b y
the e nd o f th e sec o n d trimeste r (Be rk, 2 0 1 3 ).
H a b itua tio n to so und b eg in ning a ro un d 3 0 w ee ks ind ic a te s th a t a fetus c a n rememb e r fo r a b rie f
p e rio d (Be rk, 2 0 1 3 ).

S tra teg y F o r
F a milies
D uring p re g n a n c y it is
a d vised tha t w o me n rec eive
re g ula r me d ic a l c hec k-up s,
ma inta in a we ll-b a la n c ed
d ie t, a vo id stress, a n d ta ke
p rena ta l v ita min s (Be rk,
2 0 1 3 ).
Intera c ting w ith a c h ild p rio r
to b irth inc lud ing ta lking ,
re a d in g , o r sing ing to th e
fetus a re use ful in p ro mo ting
la te r d ev elo p me nt.

F a c to rs Influenc ing D evelo p ment

S o c ia l- A c c e ss to a nd q ua lity o f p re na ta l c a re a n d p ro p e r nutritio n ma y va ry d e p e nd ing up o n th e
so c io -e c o n o mic sta tus o f th e mo th er.
C ultura l-T he va lues a n d b e lie fs a sso c ia ted w ith a c ulture ma y imp a c t th e b eh a v io r o f a mo the r-to -b e ,
a s w ell a s the ty p e a nd freq uen c y o f p rena ta l c a re she rec eiv es.

S ig ns o f A ty p ic a l D eve lo p ment
E x p o sure to tera to g en s o r muta g ens in utero c a n p o se d e ve lo p me nta l risks inc lud ing p h y sic a l
a b no rma litie s, c o g nitive imp a irmen ts, a nd g ene tic muta tio n s (Lefran ois, 2012).
D ec rea se in fe ta l mo v emen t d urin g th e fina l trime ste r, le a kin g o f fluid , o r b le ed ing ma y b e in d ic a to rs
o f a p ro b lem.

R eferenc es
Berk, L. E . (2013).C hild development. (9th ed.). U pper S addle River, N J: Pearson.
Lefran ois, G . R. (2012). C hildrens journeys: Exploring early c hildhood . S an D iego, C A : Bridgepoint E duc ation, Inc .