Part 1 Unit 3 Module 9 – UNIT 1: Pre-natal Development

MODULE
UNIT 1: Pre-natal Development
11 LEARNING OUTCOMES
At the end of this Module, you should be able to:

 trace the course of the pre-natal development process that you went through.
 explain the most common hazards to pre-natal development.
“The history of
 become more appreciative of the gift of life manifested in an anti-abortion stand.
man for nine
months preceding
INTRODUCTION
his birth would,
probably, be far All the development theories which we lengthily discussed dwelt on the developmental
process after birth. None of them was concerned with what development went on before birth,
more interesting,
to make the description of human development complete, it may be good to understand the
and contain
beginnings of the child and the adolescent, the learners.
events of greater
moment than all
COURSE CONTENT
three scores and
The stages of Pre-natal Development:
ten years that
follow it.” Pre-natal development is divided into three (3) periods: germinal, embryonic and fetal

– Samuel Taylor 1. Germinal Period (First 2 weeks after conception) - this includes the a) creation of the
Coleridge zygote; b) continued cell division and; c) the attachment of the zygote to the uterine wall.

The following are the details of development during this period:

a) 24 to 30 hours after fertilization- the male (sperm) and female (egg) chromosome unite
b) 36 hours- the fertilized ovum, zygote, divides into two (2); 2 cells
c) 48 hours (2 days)- 2 cells become 4 cells
d) 72 hours (3 days)- 4 cells become a small compact ball of 16-32 cells
e) 96 hours (4 days)- hollow ball of 64-128 cells
f) 4-5 days- inner cell mass (blastocyst) still free in the uterus
g) 6-7 days- blastocyst attaches to the wall of uterus
h) 11-15 days- blastocyst invades into uterine wall and becomes implanted in it (implantation)

In the germinal period, the differentiation of cells already begins as inner and outer layers
of the organism are formed. The blastocyst, the inner layer of cells that develops during the

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germinal period, develops later into the embryo. The trophoblast, the outer layer of cells that
develops also during the germinal period, later provides nutrition and support for the embryo
(Nelson, Textbook of Pediatrics,17th ed., 2004).

2. Embryonic Period (2-8 weeks after conception) - in this stage, the name of the mass cells,
zygote, become embryo.

The following develops take place:

a) Cell differentiation intensifies

b) Life-supports systems for the embryo develop and
c) Organs appear
As the zygote gets attached to the wall of the uterus, two layers of cells are formed. The
embryo‟s endoderm, the inner layer of cells, develops into the digestive and respiratory
systems. The outer layer of cells is divided into two parts - the ectoderm and the mesoderm.
The ectoderm is the outermost layer which becomes the nervous system, sensory receptors
(eyes, ears, nose) and skin parts (nails, hair). The mesoderm is the middle layer which
becomes the circulatory, skeletal, muscular, excretory and reproductive systems. This process
of organ formation during the first two months of pre-natal development is called
organogenesis.

As the three layers of the embryo form, the support systems for the embryo develop
rapidly. These life-support systems are the placenta, the umbilical cord and the amnion. The
placenta is a life-support system that consist of a disk-shaped group of tissues in which small
blood vessels from the mother and the offspring intertwine but do not join. The umbilical cord
contains two arteries and one vein that connects the baby to the placenta. The amnion is a bag
or an envelope that contains a clear fluid in which the developing embryo floats. All these
embryo life-support systems develop from the fertilized egg and not from the mother‟s body.

3. Fetal Period (2 months to 7 months after conception) - growth and development continue
dramatically during this period. The details of the developmental process are as follows
(Santrock, 2002):

a) 3 months after conception- fetus is about 3 inches long and weighs about 1 ounce, fetus
has become active, moves its arms and legs, opens and closes its mouth and moves its
head; the face, forehead, eyelids, nose, chin can now be distinguished and also the upper
arms, lower arms, hands, and lower limbs; the genitals can now be identified as male or
female.

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b) 4 months after conception - fetus is about 6 inches long; and weighs 4 to 7 ounces; growth
spurt occurs in the body‟s lower parts; pre-natal reflexes are stronger; mother feels arm
and leg movements for the first time.
c) and weighs close to a pound; structures of skin (fingernails, toenails) have formed; fetus is
more active.
d) 6 months after conception - fetus is about 14 inches long; and weighs one and half pound;
eyes and eyelids are completely formed; fine layer of head covers the head; grasping
reflex is present and irregular movements occur.
e) 7 months after conception - fetus is about 16 inches long and weighs 3 pounds.
f) 8 and 9 months after conception - fetus grows longer and gains substantial weight, about 4
pounds
Teratology and Hazards to Parental Development

Teratology is the field that investigated the causes birth defects. It comes from the Greek word
“tetra” which means “monster”.

Below are clusters of hazards to pre-natal development:

1. Prescription and nonprescription drugs - these include prescription as well as non-

prescription drug that can be harmful. examples of harmful of nonprescription drugs are
diet pills, aspirin, and coffee.

Remember the thalidomide tragedy in 1961? Many pregnant women took in thalidomide, a
tranquilizer, to alleviate their morning sickness that gave rise to several deformed babies.

Cocaine exposure during pre-natal development is associated with reduced birthweight,

length and head circumference (Hurt, et al, 1999 cited by Santrock, 2002), impaired -
information processing (Sing, et al 1999 cited by Santrock, 2002) and the poor attention skills
(Bandstra, 2000 cited by Santrick, 2002).

2. Psychoactive drugs - these include nicotine, caffeine and illegal drugs such as
marijuana, cocaine and heroin.

Researchers found that pregnant women who drank more caffeinated coffee were
more likely to have preterm deliveries and newborns with lower birthweight compared to their
counterparts who did not drink caffeinated coffee (Eskanazi, et al, 1999 quoted by Sanstrock,
2002).

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Heavy drinking by pregnant women results to the so called fetal alcoholic syndrome
(FAS) which is a cluster of abnormalities that appears in the children of mothers who drink
alcohol heavily during pregnancy. These abnormalities include facial deformities and defective
libs, face and heart (Santrock, 2002). Most of these children are below average in intelligence
and some are mentally retarded (Olson, 2000 and Burgess, 1996).

Fetal and neonatal deaths are higher among smoking mothers. There are also higher
incidences of preterm births and lower birthweights among children with smoking mothers
(Wang, et al.).

On the average, maternal heroin addicts deliver smaller than average size babies with
more incidence of toxemia, premature separation of placenta, retained placenta, hemorrhaging
after birth, and breech deliveries.

3. Environmental hazards – these include radiation in jobsites and X-rays.

Environmental pollutants, toxic wastes, and prolonged exposure to heat in saunas and
bath tubs. Research found that chromosomal abnormalities are higher among the
offspring of fathers exposed to high levels of radiation in their occupations. Radiation
from X-rays also can affect the developing embryo and fetus, with the most dangerous
time being the first several weeks after conception when women do not yet know that
they are pregnant. Researchers found that toxic wastes such as carbon monoxide,
mercury and lead caused defects in animals exposed in high doses. For instance, early
exposure to lead affects children‟s mental development.
Prolonged exposure of pregnant mothers to sauna or hot tubs raises tee
mother‟ body temperature creating fever that endangers the fetus. The high
temperature due to fever may interfere with cell division and may cause birth defects or
fetal death if the fever occurs repeatedly for prolonged periods of time (Santrock,
2002).

4. Other maternal factors –such as Rubella (German Measles), syphilis, genital herpes,
AIDS, nutrition, high anxiety and stress, age, (too early or too late, beyond 30).
A rubella (German Measles) in 1964-65 resulted in 30,000 pre-natal and
neonatal (newborn) deaths and more than 20,000 affected infants who were born with
malformations, including mental retardation, blindness, deafness and heart problems.
Syphilis damages organs after they have formed. These damages include eye
lesions, which can cause blindness, and skin lesions. When syphilis is present at birth,

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other problems involving central nervous system and gastrointestinal tract, can
develop.
A mother can infect her child in three ways; 1) during gestation across the
placenta, 2) during delivery through contact with maternal blood or fluids, and 3)
postpartum (after birth) through breastfeeding.
Studies show that increased stress during pregnancy leads to premature birth
and reduce birth weight. Other studies have shown that increased stress during
pregnancy is related to ADHD even schizophrenia later in life.
It is recognized that maternal malnutrition during pregnancy may result to
inadequate growth in the fetus. If the fetus does not receive enough nourishment, the
rate of cell division is seriously hampered.
Folic acid is necessary for pregnant mothers. Folic acid can reduce the risk of
having a baby with a serious birth defect of the brain and spinal cord, called the „neural
tube‟. A baby with spina bifida, the most common neural tube defect is born with a
spine that is not closed. The exposed nerves are damaged, leaving the child with
varying degrees of paralysis and sometimes mental retardation.
As maternal age increases, the risks for numerical chromosomal abnormalities
increase.
A baby with Down Syndrome rarely is born to mother under age 30 but the risk
increases after the mother reaches 30. By age 40, the probability is lightly over 1 in
100, and by age 50 it is almost 1 in 10. The risk is also higher before age 18.

5. Paternal Factors – Father‟s exposure to lead, radiation, certain pesticides and

petrochemicals may cause abnormalities in sperm that lead to miscarriage or disease
such as childhood cancer.

As in the case of older mothers, older fathers also may place their offspring at risk
for certain defects. (Santrock 2002)

Human Life Begins at Conception

That which is in the mother‟s womb is indeed a developing human being. An

unborn baby of eight weeks is nit essentially different from one of eighteen weeks or
twenty-eight weeks. From conception the zygote, the embryo, and the fetus are
undeniably human life.
Human life begins from the moment of conception. All that we have and all that
we are have been there at the moment of conception. The fact that you have brown

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eyes and black, straight or curly hair and the fact that you will turn bald at the age of 50
have been there already at the moment of conception. What were added in the process
of development is nutrition.
The development that takes place in 3 stages proves that the developing
embryo in a mother‟s womb is truly a human being.
ACTIVITY
1. Here are 3 boxes for you to write the stages of pre-natal development.

2. Give some hazards of pre-natal development. Use the given graphic organizer.

Prenatal
Development
(zygote, embryo,
fetus)

ASSESSMENT

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1. Pretend that you are “Junior”, 4 months old in the womb. Your mother is concentrating
on doing abortion. Write her a letter convincing her that you are a human being
developing contrary to what she and other pro-abortionists are thinking. Describe to her
the development that has already taken place in 4 months. Reflect what you learned on
pre-natal development in this module. Give your letter this title “A Letter from Junior” (or
you may want to write your name).
2. Answer the following questions:
1. Is it more reasonable to believe that which is developing in the mother‟s womb is a
human being?
2. What are proofs that which is developing in the mother‟s womb is living human
being?
3. Has any realization from today‟s discussion changed your stand on abortion?
Explain your answer.
4. What are the effects of alcohol, caffeine, and nicotine on the developing
embryo/fetus?

TEACHING METHODS & RESOURCES

 reflection Group discussion, group project for an organized lecture on prenatal

development for a mother‟s class; reflection; research; film on prenatal development
 summary of the key characteristics of pre-natal development; application of pedagogical
principles to the pre-natal stage

MONITORING & REVIEWS

Look at yourself. You are perfectly made. The cells of your lips are at your lips, your mouth is
close to your nose. You can breathe normally. Did it ever occur to you that it could have been
otherwise? Any feeling of gratitude? Write down your reflections.
Read and research that is related to one of the big ideas on prenatal development.

REFERENCES

Corpuz, Brenda B., et al, (2018) The Child and Adolescent Learners and Learning Principles.
Lorimar Publishing, INC. Cubao, Quezon City, Metro Manila

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