Prenatal Development, Birth, and the Newborn Baby

hapter 3 Prenatal Development, Birth, and the Newborn Baby

An expectant mother reacts with amazement on hearing the robust heartbeat of her nearly full-term fetus. High-quality prenatal care and preparation for the events of childbirth enable her to approach labor and delivery with confidence and excitement.

chapter outline

· When I met Yolanda and Jay one fall in my child development class, Yolanda was just two months pregnant. Approaching age 30, married for several years, and their careers well under way, they had decided to have a baby. To prepare for parenthood, they enrolled in my evening section, arriving once a week after work full of questions: “How does the baby grow before birth?” “When is each organ formed?” “Has its heart begun to beat?” “Can it hear, feel, or sense our presence?”

Most of all, Yolanda and Jay wanted to do everything possible to make sure their baby would be born healthy. Yolanda started to wonder about her diet and whether she should keep up her daily aerobic workout. And she asked me whether an aspirin for a headache, a glass of wine at dinner, or a few cups of coffee during work and study hours might be harmful.

In this chapter, we answer Yolanda and Jay’s questions, along with a great many more that scientists have asked about the events before birth. First, we trace prenatal development, paying special attention to environmental supports for healthy growth, as well as damaging influences that threaten the child’s health and survival. Next, we turn to the events of childbirth. Today, women in industrialized nations have many choices about where and how they give birth, and hospitals go to great lengths to make the arrival of a new baby a rewarding, family-centered event.

Yolanda and Jay’s son Joshua reaped the benefits of his parents’ careful attention to his needs during pregnancy. He was strong, alert, and healthy at birth. Nevertheless, the birth process does not always go smoothly. We will consider the pros and cons of medical interventions, such as pain-relieving drugs and surgical deliveries, designed to ease a difficult birth and protect the health of mother and baby. Our discussion also addresses the development of infants born underweight or too early. We conclude with a close look at the remarkable capacities of newborns.

Prenatal Development