CHAPTER 2
Prenatal Development and the
Newborn Period
JOSE ORTEGA, Mother and Child
,Prenatal Development
Hazards to Prenatal Development
The Birth Experience
The Newborn Infant
THEMES
NATURE AND NURTURE
THE ACTIVE CHILD
THE SOCIOCULTURAL CONTEXT
INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES
CONTINUITY/DISCONTINUITY
RESEARCH AND CHILDREN’S WELFARE
Picture the following scenario: a developmental psychologist is
investigating a very young research participant’s ability to learn.
First, she plays a recording of a nonsense word for the young
participant (tatata). The participant hears this word multiple times a
day, for several months. The psychologist wants to use brain
responses to find out whether the participant has learned the novel
word. But before the psychologist can measure the participant’s brain
waves, something very important has to happen: the participant has
to be born!
This scenario is not at all fanciful. Indeed, as you will discover later in
this chapter, it describes one of many studies that has revolutionized
our understanding of prenatal development (Partanen, Kujala,
,Tervaniemi et al., 2013). Fetuses can detect and learn from a range of
stimuli coming from both the outside world and inside the mother’s
body, and they are affected by these stimuli after birth.
This chapter will examine prenatal development—a time of
astonishingly rapid and dramatic change. We will also consider some
of the ways in which these processes can be disrupted by
environmental hazards. Then, we will explore the birth process and
some of the most salient aspects of neonatal behaviour. Finally, we
will outline issues associated with low birth weight and premature
birth.
Most of the themes described in Chapter 1 play prominent roles in
our discussion of the earliest periods of development. The most
notable will be nature and nurture, because prenatal development
relies on the continual interplay of biological and environmental
factors. The active child theme will also be featured: the activity of the
fetus contributes in numerous vital ways to its development. Another
theme we will highlight is the sociocultural context of prenatal
development and birth. There is substantial cultural variation in how
the birth process unfolds. The theme of individual differences comes
into play throughout prenatal development and early postnatal life.
Continuity/discontinuity is also prominent: despite the dramatic
contrast between prenatal and postnatal life, the behaviour of
newborns shows clear connections to their experience inside the
womb. Finally, the theme of research and children’s welfare is central to
, our discussion of how poverty can affect prenatal development and
birth outcomes, as well as to our description of intervention
programs designed to foster healthy development for preterm
infants.
Prenatal Development and the
Newborn Period
JOSE ORTEGA, Mother and Child
,Prenatal Development
Hazards to Prenatal Development
The Birth Experience
The Newborn Infant
THEMES
NATURE AND NURTURE
THE ACTIVE CHILD
THE SOCIOCULTURAL CONTEXT
INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES
CONTINUITY/DISCONTINUITY
RESEARCH AND CHILDREN’S WELFARE
Picture the following scenario: a developmental psychologist is
investigating a very young research participant’s ability to learn.
First, she plays a recording of a nonsense word for the young
participant (tatata). The participant hears this word multiple times a
day, for several months. The psychologist wants to use brain
responses to find out whether the participant has learned the novel
word. But before the psychologist can measure the participant’s brain
waves, something very important has to happen: the participant has
to be born!
This scenario is not at all fanciful. Indeed, as you will discover later in
this chapter, it describes one of many studies that has revolutionized
our understanding of prenatal development (Partanen, Kujala,
,Tervaniemi et al., 2013). Fetuses can detect and learn from a range of
stimuli coming from both the outside world and inside the mother’s
body, and they are affected by these stimuli after birth.
This chapter will examine prenatal development—a time of
astonishingly rapid and dramatic change. We will also consider some
of the ways in which these processes can be disrupted by
environmental hazards. Then, we will explore the birth process and
some of the most salient aspects of neonatal behaviour. Finally, we
will outline issues associated with low birth weight and premature
birth.
Most of the themes described in Chapter 1 play prominent roles in
our discussion of the earliest periods of development. The most
notable will be nature and nurture, because prenatal development
relies on the continual interplay of biological and environmental
factors. The active child theme will also be featured: the activity of the
fetus contributes in numerous vital ways to its development. Another
theme we will highlight is the sociocultural context of prenatal
development and birth. There is substantial cultural variation in how
the birth process unfolds. The theme of individual differences comes
into play throughout prenatal development and early postnatal life.
Continuity/discontinuity is also prominent: despite the dramatic
contrast between prenatal and postnatal life, the behaviour of
newborns shows clear connections to their experience inside the
womb. Finally, the theme of research and children’s welfare is central to
, our discussion of how poverty can affect prenatal development and
birth outcomes, as well as to our description of intervention
programs designed to foster healthy development for preterm
infants.
