Prenatal Period of Development

The prenatal development is the first stage of development that all human beings will undergo.
During the prenatal period the first physical developmental milestone that takes place happens
during the end of the first month of pregnancy. During this time the embryonic disk forms three
layers of cells: (1) the ectoderm, which will become the nervous system and skin; (2) the
mesoderm, from which will develop the muscles, skeleton, circulatory system, and other internal
organs; and (3) the endoderm, which will become the digestive system, lungs, urinary tract, and
glands (Berk, 2013). This physical development sets way for all the body parts to form. A
second physical developmental milestone during the prenatal period, takes place during the third
month. During developmental milestone the fetus develops the outer genital area. Additionally,
the organs and nervous system begin to work together.

During the prenatal period language developmental takes place at 30 weeks of gestation.
Sensory and brain mechanisms for hearing are developed at 30 weeks of gestational age, and
the new study shows that unborn babies are listening to their mothers talk during the last 10
weeks of pregnancy (McElroy, 2013). The fetus should be able to recognize the mother and
move in response to her voice. An additional way to communicate with the fetus is through
touch. By 20 weeks the fetus should be able to understand the language of touch and to feel the
mother touching her stomach.
The first cognitive developmental milestone that take place during the prenatal period takes place
during the third month. By the third month, this basic brain development allows the embryo to
display reflexes and react to its environment (Roundy, n.d.). The fetus should be able to react to
sound and touch by the end of the third month. A second prenatal cognitive developmental
milestone takes placed at six months. During the sixth month the cerebral cortex splits into two
separate hemispheres. Some researchers believe that the fetus develops the ability to remember at
this stage (Roundy, n.d.).

In the womb the fetus undergoes social-emotional development as well. The fetus can hear the
mother and other in the outside world. Hearing voices outside the womb will also help the baby
determine the difference between happiness and sadness based on pitch and sound level of
voices. In addition, the emotion or feeling of stress is evident in the baby if the mother is also
under stress. A rise in the mother's blood pressure will trigger a response in the baby's blood
pressure as well. (Farrelly, 2017). The state the mother is in will create an emotional reaction in
the fetus. If the mother is cared or like in the picture kissed, the fetus can feel it and in return this
will create a sense of love. A second developmental social-emotional development that occurs in
the womb is when the fetus begins to be able to create facial expressions. In an ultrasound in
fact, the future mother can possibly see the baby smiling or crying.
One sign that may signal atypical development during the prenatal period is low fetal growth.
Expecting mothers will often have a few ultrasounds done during pregnancy. With these
ultrasounds doctors are able to track the fetal development and growth. If the fetus is not
growing, then there might be something wrong. Risk factors for low fetal growth can be; birth
defect, placental abnormality, maternal malnutrition, and the use of drugs. A second sign of
atypical development can be fetal development outside of he womb. In some cases, the fetus can
implant in fallopian tubes. This is called an etopic or tubal pregnancy. If this is discovered it is
more than likely that the fetus will not survive.

A cultural factor that may influence this stage of development could be poverty. If the mother
lives in poverty she may resort to drugs and alcohol to help with the daily stress. This may cause
the fetus to have abnormal development, or for it to be born with a drug addiction.

One strategy families can use to influence fetal learning and development is to read to the child.
The child is able to listen to the mother in the womb and this can bring the fetus a sense of
security. Reading to the fetus can also set a foundation for reading and language development. In
addition, reading to the fetus can help stimulate his/her senses. The bond the mother and fetus
develop can continue after birth.

References

Berk, L. E. (2013). Child development (9th ed.). Boston: Pearson Education.

Farrelly, L. and Farrelly, L. (2017). The Emotional Development of the Baby in the Womb.
Retrieved from http://www.ehow.com/about_5393861_emotional-development-baby-
womb.html
McElroy, M. (2013). While in womb, babies begin learning language from their mothers.
Retrieved from http://www.washington.edu/news/2013/01/02/while-in-womb-babies-begin-
learning-language-from-their-mothers/.

Roundy, L. (n.d.). Prenatal Stages of Brain Development - Video & Lesson Transcript. Retrieved
from http://study.com/academy/lesson/prenatal-stages-of-brain-development.html