Developmental Psychology Chapter 4
Terms
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- THe first two weeks of development after conception; characterized by rapid cell dividion and the beginning of cell differentiation. This is the most hazardous period of development
- germinal period
- Approximately the third through the 8th week after conception; the period during which the basic forms of all body structures, including internal organs, develop
- embryonic period
- The stage of prenatal development from the ninth week after conceptionuntil birth; the period during which the organs of the developing person grow in size and mature in functioining. Brain maturation and weight gain occur throughout this period
- fetal period
- Beginning about a week after conception, the burrowing of the zygote into the lining of the uterus, where it can be nourished and protected during growth.
- implantation
- The name for the developing organism from about the third through the eigth week after conception
- embryo
- The name for the developing organism from the ninth week conception until birth.
- fetus
- THe age (about 22 weeks after conception) at which a fetus can survive outside the mother's uterus if specialized medical care is available
- age of viability
- Agents and conditions, including viruses, drugs and chemicals that can impair prenatal development and result in birth defects or even death
- teratogens
- Agents and conditions that can harm the prenatal brain, affecting the future child's intellectual and emotional functioning
- behavioral teratogens
- THe science of weighing the potential effects of a particular event, substance, or experience to determine the likelihood of harm.
- risk analysis
- In prenatal development, the time when a particular organ or other body part of the fetus is most susceptible to damage by teratogens
- critical period
- A situation in which a certain teratogen is relatively harmless in small doses but becomes harmful once exposure reaches a certain level
- threshold effect
- THe result of a combination of teratogens. Sometimes risk is greatly magnified when the embryo is exposed to more than one teratogen at the same time.
- interaction effect
- A cluster of birth defects, including abnormal facial characteristics, slow physical growth, and retarded mental development, caused by the mother's drinking alcohol when pregnant
- fetal alcohol syndrome
- THE virus that causes AIDS, in which the body's immune system is gradually overwhelmed and the individual becomes vulnerable to opportunistic infections
- Human immunodeficiency virus
- A body weight at birth of less than 5.5 lbs. The cause could be slow growth during prenatal development or birth before 36 weeks of gestation, or both
- low birth weight
- A body weight at birth of less than 3 pounds
- very low birth weight
- A body weight at birth of less than 2 pounds
- extremely low birthweight
- Bith that occurs 3 weeks or more before the full term of pregnancy has elapsed- that is, at 35 or fewer weeks after conception
- preterm birth
- A term for a baby whose birthweight is significantly lower than expected, given the time since conception.
- small for gestational age
- A quick assesment of a new born's body functioning. THe baby's color, heart rate, reflexes, muscle tone and respiratory effort are scored (0-2) twice, at one minute and 5 minutes after birth, and the total scores are compared with the ideal score
- Apgar scale
- A surgical birth. Incisions through the mother's abdomen and uterus allow the fetus to be removed quickly, instead of being delivered through the vagina
- cesarean section
- A woman who helps with the birth process. TRaditionally in Latin America, like a midwife, the only professional who attended the birth process. NOw work alongside a hospital's medical staff
- doula
- A disorder that results from damage to the brain's motor centers. People have difficulty with muscle control
- cerebral palsy
- A lack of oxygen that, if prolonged during birth, can cause brain damage or death
- anoxia
- Care that occurs when the mother of a low weight infant spends at least an hour a day holding the infant between her breasts
- kangaroo care
- cooperation between mother and father based on their mutual commitment to their children. Parents agree to support eachother in their shared parental roles
- parental alliance
- A mother's feelings of sadness, inadequacy and hopelessness in the days and weeks after giving birth.
- postpartum depression
- THe strong, loving connection that forms as parents hold their newborn. Bonding probably begins beofre birth and continues throughout infancy
- parent-infant bond