Dear Abby,

We’ve been married for several years and have been unable to get pregnant, though we’ve
tried almost from the beginning. Are fertility problems common? Is it usually the man or the
woman who may have a problem? Are there ways we still might be able to have a child?

Dear Fred,

I’m so sorry to hear that you have been struggling to get pregnant. Although fertility problems are not
rare, they are not uncommon. Roughly 10 percent of women have difficulty getting for staying
pregnant. (Eiseberg, E. (2019, April 1). Infertility. Womenshealth.gov.) There are higher infertility
rates with women, but I can also come from the man. About 9% of men and roughly 11% of
women have experienced fertility problems. (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
(n.d.). National institutes of health. National Institutes of Health. https://www.nih.gov/.) Yes there
are other ways you can still have a child! One way being invitro fertilization. This is a process
where the ovum will be removed, and the sperm will fertilize them in a laboratory. Once they are
fertilized the embryo will be surgically placed in the women's uterus. (Berger, K. S. (2021). The
developing person through childhood and adolescence. Worth Publishers.)

Dear Abby,
I just came from a biology class where they mentioned genotype and phenotype and I would
love to learn more. My mom, healthy and happy, has an identical twin sister who has diabetes!
My question is how? Does the environment interact with our genes? What role does agency
play in the development of the phenotype?

Dear Felicia,

Great questions! I love to see this curiosity. First the Phenotype and Genotypes are very confusing, and
they take a lot of time to understand. The phenotype of a person is their appearance, personality,
intelligence and many other traits. Meanwhile the Genotype is basically the genetic makeup of an
organism. What's happened with your mom and her sister can happen from many ways. First way being
that they might be monozygotic twins, so they don’t have the same DNA which caused your aunt to get
diabetes and your mom to not. Yes, the environment can interact with your genes! Some genetic
activation occurs because of RNA or by biological and phycological factors. Some of these factors include
pollution social rejection and maybe even lifestyle which plays into the agency. (Berger, K. S. (2021). The
developing person through childhood and adolescence. Worth Publishers.)
Dear Abby,
I’m pregnant and still in high school. I’m not sure I’m ready to have a baby. I’m still in my first
trimester and my friend said the baby is more like a clump of cells than a baby at this point.
When does my pregnancy turn into a real baby? My friend had a baby and it came several
months early. Is that more common for teenagers? How old does a baby have to be before it
can survive outside the womb? Are there certain things that have to develop before it can
survive?

Dear Addie,

During the Germinal period or the first two weeks after conception the cells are rapidly reproducing.
Then during the embryonic period which is the 3 rd through the 8th week your baby is starting to form
basic body structures such as internal organs. Then during the Fetal period which is the 9 th week up into
the baby is born, the fetus gains about 7 pounds and the organs mature and start to function on their
own. So, although the first two weeks your baby is a clump of cells during your 3 rd through 8th week your
baby is forming and is a real baby. Yes, it is more common for teenagers aged 14-17 to have premature
babies that have a low birth weight. (Berger, K. S. (2021). The developing person through childhood and
adolescence. Worth Publishers.)

Dear Abby,
My physician says I am at risk for a “low birth weight baby.” WHY? She did not explain why, just
that my child is at risk. What are the common reasons? And even if she is skinny, what’s the big
deal? Don’t we have an obesity epidemic anyway?
Sincerely,

Dear Kelsie,
Some of the common reasons and causes of low birth rate include weight of mother is under
100 pounds, poor nutrition, use of alcohol and drugs, heart lung or kidney problems, and high
blood pressure. These are the most common and I’m sure there’s more. If any of these pertain
to you that could be why your physician said that. Some reasons it’s not ideal to have a baby
born with low birth weight is because that can lead to more complication down the road. The
baby’s body may not be strong enough, they might have a hard time eating or gaining weight, it
will be harder for them to fight infections and lastly it may be hard for the baby to get and stay
warm at normal temperatures. (Berger, K. S. (2021). The developing person through childhood and
adolescence. Worth Publishers.)