FORMING NEW LIFE

Prepared by: Neslyn Nicole B. Esguerra, RPm, MA

CONCEIVING NEW LIFE
Fertilization or conception
◦ Is the process by which sperm
and ovum-combine to create a
single cell called a zygote.
MULTIPLE BIRTHS

◦ Dizygotic twins or fraternal

twins
◦ Monozygotic twins or
identical twins
MECHANISM OF HEREDITARY

◦ Hereditary – the genetic

transmission of heritable
characteristics from parents to
offspring.
The Genetic Code

◦ The stuff of heredity is a chemical

called DNA.
◦ Chromosomes are coils of DNA that
consist of smaller segments called
genes.
◦ Every cell in the normal human body
except the sex cells (sperm and ova)
has 23 pairs of chromosomes—46 in
all.
What Determines Sex?

◦ Twenty-two pairs are autosomes,

chromosomes that are not related to
sexual expression. The twenty-third
pair are sex chromosomes—one
from the father and one from the
mother—that govern the baby’s
sex.
Patterns of Genetic Transmission

Dominant inheritance
◦ - When a child receives different
alleles, only the dominant one is
expressed.
Patterns of Genetic Transmission
Recessive inheritance
◦ - A child receives identical alleles,
resulting in expression of a
nondominant trait.
Patterns of Genetic Transmission
CHROMOSOMAL ABNORMALITIES
◦ Typically occur because of errors in
cell division, resulting in an extra
or missing chromosome.
CHROMOSOMAL ABNORMALITIES
XYY
◦ - 1 in 1, 000 male births
◦ - Tall stature, lower IQ
CHROMOSOMAL ABNORMALITIES
XXX (Triple X)
◦ - 1 in 1,000 female births
◦ - Learning disorders, mental
retardation
◦ - Special Education
CHROMOSOMAL ABNORMALITIES
◦ XXY (Klinefelter)
◦ – 1 in 1,000 male births
◦ - Male, sterility, underdeveloped
secondary sex characteristics
◦ - Hormone therapy, special
education
CHROMOSOMAL ABNORMALITIES
XO (Turner)
◦ - 1 in 1,500 to 2,500 female births
◦ - Short stature, webbed neck,
impaired spatial abilities, no
menstruation, infertility,
underdeveloped sex organs.
◦ - Hormone therapy, special
education
CHROMOSOMAL ABNORMALITIES
Fragile X
◦ - 1 in 1,200 male births; 1 in 2,000
female births
◦ - Minor-to-severe mental
retardation; more severe in males
◦ - Educational and behavioral
therapies when needed
STAGES OF PRENATAL DEVELOPMENT

Prenatal development takes place in three

stages:
◦ Germinal, embryonic, and fetal.
◦ Both before and after birth, development
proceeds according to two fundamental
principles:
◦ Cephalocaudal principle
◦ “head to tail,” dictates that development
proceeds from the head to the lower part
of the trunk.
STAGES OF PRENATAL
DEVELOPMENT
◦ Proximodistal principle - “Near to
far”, development proceeds from
parts near the center of the body to
outer ones.
STAGES OF PRENATAL
DEVELOPMENT
◦ Germinal Stage (Fertilization to 2
Weeks)
◦ During the germinal stage, from
fertilization to about 2 weeks of
gestational age, the zygote divides,
becomes more complex, and is implanted
in the wall of the uterus.
STAGES OF PRENATAL
DEVELOPMENT
◦ After 3 or 4 days, its form changes into
blastocyst.
◦ Ectoderm – the upper layer
the outer layer of the skin, the nails, hair, teeth,
sensory organs, and the nervous system.
◦ Endoderm – inner layer
digestive system, liver pancreas, salivary glands,
and respiratory system.
◦ Mesoderm – the middle layer
muscles, skeleton, and excretory and circulatory
systems
STAGES OF PRENATAL
DEVELOPMENT
Embryonic Stage (2 to 8 Weeks)
◦ the organs and major systems--respiratory,
digestive, and nervous—develop rapidly.
Fetal Stage (8 Weeks to Birth)
◦ The final stage of gestation
◦ During this period, the fetus grows rapidly to
about 20 times its previous length.
ENVIRONMENTAL INFLUENCES: MATERNAL FACTORS

◦ Malnutrition
Some expectant mothers suffer from
a calorie deficit. This can result in
fetal growth restriction and low birth
weight.
ENVIRONMENTAL INFLUENCES: MATERNAL FACTORS

◦ Physical Activity and Work

Regular exercise prevents constipation
and reduces back pain, and it may
reduce the risk of complications.
ENVIRONMENTAL INFLUENCES: MATERNAL FACTORS

◦ Drug Intake
Drugs may cross the placenta, just as
oxygen, carbon dioxide, and water do.
◦ Medical drugs
◦ Opioids
◦ Alcohol
◦ Nicotine
◦ Marijuana, Cocaine, and Methamphetamine
ENVIRONMENTAL INFLUENCES: MATERNAL FACTORS

◦ Maternal Illness
Both perspective parents should try to
prevent all infections
◦ Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome
(AIDS): If an expectant mother has the virus in
her blood, perinatal transmission may occur
◦ Rubella (German Measles): If a pregnant
woman is contracted, it might cause deafness
and heart defects in her baby
ENVIRONMENTAL INFLUENCES: MATERNAL FACTORS

◦ Maternal Anxiety, Stress, and

Depression
- Moderate maternal anxiety may even
spur organization of the developing
brain.
◦ Depression may have negative effects
on development.
ENVIRONMENTAL INFLUENCES: MATERNAL FACTORS

◦ Maternal Age
- Women 30 to 35 are more likely to
suffer complications
- Adolescent mothers tend to have
premature or underweight babies
ENVIRONMENTAL INFLUENCES: MATERNAL FACTORS

◦ Outside Environmental Hazards

- Prenatal development can also be
affected by air pollution, chemicals,
radiation, extremes of heat and
humidity, and other environmental
hazards
ENVIRONMENTAL INFLUENCES:
PATERNAL FACTORS
◦ Exposure to lead, marijuana or tobacco
smoke, large amounts of alcohol or
radiation, or pesticides.
◦ Men who smoke
◦ Older fathers may have significant
source of birth defects