DEVELOPMENTAL

PSYCHOLOGY
Human development across the lifespan

Lauren Wild
 Lecture 1:

INTRODUCTION AND
PRENATAL DEVELOPMENT
 LECTURE OUTLINE
• Introduction
What is development?
Periods of the life span
Nature and nurture

• Prenatal development
The course of prenatal development
Prenatal hazards: Teratogens
 INTRODUCTION
What is development?
• Changes in the individual that occur between
conception and death
• Physical
• Cognitive
• Psychosocial
Periods of the life span
Period of life Approximate age range
Prenatal Conception to birth
Infancy First 2 years
Early childhood 2–6
Middle childhood 6 – puberty
Adolescence Puberty – 19
Early adulthood 20 – 39
Middle adulthood 40 – 59
Late adulthood 60+
Nature and nurture

• Biological and
environmental
factors interact to
shape
development
 PRENATAL DEVELOPMENT
(Conception to birth)

The course of prenatal development

• Germinal stage (fertilisation – 2 weeks)
• Embryonic stage (2 – 8 weeks)
• Foetal stage (8 weeks – birth)
Read the full story
(optional)
Prenatal hazards: Teratogens

• Any disease, drug, or other environmental

agent that can harm a developing foetus
Alcohol and Foetal Alcohol Syndrome
(FAS)
What is FAS?
A characteristic pattern of abnormalities
associated with alcohol intake during
pregnancy:
• Poor growth
• Central Nervous System damage
• Characteristic facial features
Facial characteristics associated with
foetal alcohol exposure

[Image: http://www.niaaa.nih.gov/]
 Who gets FAS?
• South Africa has one of the highest
prevalences of FAS in the world.
• Infants born to heavy drinkers are at
greatest risk, but no amount of alcohol
use in pregnancy is known to be safe.
How can FAS be prevented?

• Avoid alcohol if you

are pregnant or trying
to become pregnant.
• Educate communities.
• Prenatal screening.
• Improve maternal
nutrition.
• Work to reduce
poverty.