1.3 Describe Factors That May Impact Upon The Development of The Baby During: Pre-Conception

1.
3 Describe factors that may impact upon the development of the baby during:
 Pre-conception
A. Maternal Characteristics
Mothers who have their first child when they are over 35 or under 15 are likely to
experience more problems during pregnancy and difficulties during delivery than
women between these ages. In both groups, the risks are related to maternal
health. Young adolescents are less likely to eat properly or to get prenatal care;
older women are more likely to have hypertension, diabetes, alcoholism, and
other problems related to age.
Deficiencies in maternal diet are related to increased rates of prematurity,

stillbirth, infant mortality, physical and neural defects, and small size. The
specific form a defect takes is related to the age at which the malnutrition occurs
and its duration. Dietary supplements provided during pregnancy and after birth
have been successful at reducing some of these effects, but the extent of the
reversibility of such damage is not known. Continued ill effects seem to be
related to the mother's history of dietary deprivation, the length and severity of
the malnutrition, and continuing adverse nutritional, social, and economic factors
following birth.
Maternal emotional disturbance has been related to complications during

pregnancy and delivery and to hyperactivity and irritability in infants after birth. It
is difficult to discover the causes underlying these relationships because women
who are emotionally upset during pregnancy may be poorly adjusted in a variety
of ways that affect their caretaking and their infant's adjustment after birth.
B. Mother's Nutrition
Maternal blood carries glucose that crosses the placenta, providing energy for
fetal metabolism. It also contains amino acids, which also cross the placenta and
help produce proteins needed for fetal development. Finally, factors called
"growth factors" also cross from the mother's blood into fetal blood; they help
support development of many different fetal tissues.
If a pregnant woman becomes malnourished, the fetus might not get sufficient
nutrients or other factors, slowing its growth and possibly resulting in an
underdeveloped newborn. If maternal blood glucose is too high, the mother might
develop gestational diabetes, which could cause the baby to be too large and
have a difficult birth.
C. Diseases and Disorders
A wide range of maternal diseases and disorders can affect prenatal

development, including Rh factor incompatibility; high blood pressure; diabetes;
rubella; and sexually transmitted diseases such as toxoplasmosis, gonorrhea,
syphilis, chlamydia, genital herpes, and acquired immune deficiency syndrome,
or AIDS. The effects of maternal diseases are related to the stage of fetal
development during which they are contracted, and the length of time that they
last.
D. Legal and Illegal Drugs
Mothers who smoke cigarettes or drink alcohol are more likely to bear premature
or low-birthweight babies than women who do not smoke or drink. In addition,
maternal drinking is related to fetal alcohol syndrome, which results in facial
abnormalities, short stature, and mental retardation. Even modest amounts of
alcohol and passive smoking have been related to negative effects in the
offspring. Moreover, genetic effects of fathers' smoking and drinking may be
passed to their offspring.
In the case of illegal drugs like cocaine or heroin, drug-addicted infants may
exhibit symptoms that disrupt parenting and result in long-term adverse
outcomes for both child and parent. Drug-using mothers may have particular
problems dealing with such infants because of their own troubles.
Drugs taken by the mother during pregnancy, whether legal or illegal, may have a
negative impact on the developing fetus. Sometimes, as in the case of
thalidomide and diethylstilbestrol, the effects of the prescription drug on the
infant are not known until much later.
 Each stage of pregnancy

 During the first year of life

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1.

Deficiencies in maternal diet are related to increased rates of prematurity,

Maternal emotional disturbance has been related to complications during

A wide range of maternal diseases and disorders can affect prenatal

D. Legal and Illegal Drugs

 Each stage of pregnancy

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