Prenatal Fact Sheet

Physical Developmental milestones:

1.
During the first trimester, rapid growth in the nervous system, organs and muscles take
place. Beginning anywhere from 9-12 weeks into the pregnancy, the fetus's internal organs
become more distinct. "The intestines grow, the heart develops separate chambers, and the liver
and spleen take over production of blood cells" (Berk, 2013). The fetus grows rapidly in the first
few months of growth, from their weight to length.
2.
"In the last weeks, most fetuses assume an upside-down position, partly because of the
shape of the uterus and also because the head is heavier than the feet. Growth slows, and birth is
about to take place" (Berk, 2013). Yet, a mother will still feel plenty of movement from the fetus
and he/she could also turn around leading up to birth and deliver as breech. The mother during
this time in the pregnancy is typically very uncomfortable and struggles to find ease in sitting,
lying down, or walking.

Language Developmental milestones:

1.
Phonological development takes place during the third trimester. "A baby in the womb
can hear the mother's voice clearly, and makes use of this ability by learning the rhythms, tones
and sequences of whatever language(s) the mother speaks" (Childs, M, 1998).

Cognitive Developmental milestones:

1.
During the pregnancy, nerves are developed which in turn allows for the fetus to develop
sucking or kicking function. Sometimes during pregnancy, you may have a fetus that does more
kicking than other fetus, it could mean anything from just an active baby, or one that is
responding to sound or such.
2.
Neurons begin to form connections in the brain. For example, around 20 weeks, if you
were to shine a light through the uterus, which is often done by doctor, the fetus may cover its
eyes due to being irritated by light. This formation of synapses is often the making of a fetus's
behavior. Perhaps the fetus will deliver as a more shy baby or more sensitive to noise.

Atypical Sign of Development:

Chromosomal disorders are a noticeable signal of an atypical development in prenatal.

It's "caused by an error in their separation into appropriate daughter cells during meiotic
division" (wwh, 2016). This leads to diseases such as Cystic Fibrosis or Huntington's Disease.

Social Factor:
By talking to your baby when carrying him/her in your belly is a good way to display
healthy and supportive socialization. This will, already, begin to support secure parent
attachment and the infant will happily respond to your voice inside womb and outside.

Cultural Factor:
Depending on your cultural, some mother's may believe it's very important to practice
different breathing methods or yoga stretches to promote a healthy lifestyle to the child.

Strategy to influence a child's learning and Development:

Take care of yourself when carrying for baby in the womb; eat healthy by providing
proper nutrition and exercise or go for walks daily. Also, incorporating fun songs while the baby
is in the womb, will be a supportive strategy in displaying play-based development to the soon to
be newborn

Two Images:

References:
Berk, L. E. (2013). Child development. Boston: Pearson Education.

Childs, Marshall. (1998). Birth Psychology: Prenatal Language Learning. Retrieved from
https://birthpsychology.com/journals/volume-13-issue-2/prenatal-languagelearning