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Impact of Heredity and Environment on Development

The document discusses the roles of heredity and environment in child development, highlighting factors such as genetics, maternal health, and external influences like drugs and diseases. It emphasizes the importance of prenatal care and the impact of the mother's physical and emotional condition on the child's development. Additionally, it touches on fertility treatments and the various stages of development from conception to birth.

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aubrey.bonds
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3 views3 pages

Impact of Heredity and Environment on Development

The document discusses the roles of heredity and environment in child development, highlighting factors such as genetics, maternal health, and external influences like drugs and diseases. It emphasizes the importance of prenatal care and the impact of the mother's physical and emotional condition on the child's development. Additionally, it touches on fertility treatments and the various stages of development from conception to birth.

Uploaded by

aubrey.bonds
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Heredity

o Factors that are determined at conception


o Skin, hair, and eye color
o (Potential) physical size and proportions
o (Potential) temperament and cognitive characteristics

Environment

o As soon as conception occurs, the environment has a strong influence on the child.
o The mother should be in good physical and emotional condition—can affect child's
temperament and nutrition
o Rh factor: a substance in 85% of humans; when present, the condition is referred to as
Rh positive; when absent, Rh negative. Still birth, brain damage, early birth possible.

Drugs/Disease/Bad Habits

o Thalidomide: limb deformities


o Cocaine: long term effects
o Heroine: delivery complications, babies might have withdrawal symptoms
o AIDS, Diabetes, and German Measles have various effects.
o Smoking cigarettes lead to low birth weight, spontaneous abortion, stillbirth, neonatal
death, etc.
o FAS: can lead to physical deformities

Nature v Nurture

o Influences of genetics and environment are being explored in relation to brain


development and human behavior
o Hereditary characteristics can be controlled by environmental factors.
o Caregivers must learn to read children’s behavior and create environments that meet
children’s needs and temperaments.

Genetics

o Genes: bio unit of heredity.


o Chromosomes: major units that control heredity, arranged in 23 pairs. The 23rd pair
determines sex: females XX, males XY
o DNA: contains genetic info
o Genotype and phenotype

Epigenetics
o Bridges gap between Nature and Nurture.
o Studies chemical reaction that switches a part of the genome off and on.

Dangerous Environment

o Parents using methamphetamine or cocaine or other dangerous substances are more


likely to have children experiencing other serious risk factors including poverty and
deficits in interaction and attachment.
o HIV/AIDS
o HIV can be used to prevent the onset of AIDS
o No breast feeding!

Parents

o Mothers need prenatal care


o Must become acquainted with a pediatrician

Conception/Fertilization

o Sperm joins ovum, creating fertilization


o Zygote: cell formed by ovum and sperm uniting—beginning of development

Fertility

o Ability to successfully contribute to fertilization


o IVF: in vitro fertilization occurs when egg and sperm are united in sterile medium in
laboratory and implanted in the uterus (limit of four embryos is recommended)
o Sperm microinjection: Sperm directly injected into the ovum

Development Periods

o Zygote: first stage, lasts about two weeks


o Embryo: lasts about eight weeks
o Fetus: nine weeks until birth

Birth and Delivery

o Neonate – birth to two weeks


o Neonatal Behavior assessment scale

I genuinely had no idea about how important the role of the mother is in the first nine months
of development. I only knew "do not smoke or drink and get prenatal care." Now after reading,
I know what is truly very important, such as the mother's physical and emotional state, as well
as what all happens during a pregnancy. Lastly, I know about infertility support and genetic
counseling.

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