Prenatal Development:

During the first trimester of pregnancy the cell is called a zygote, embryo, and a fetus.
During the first two weeks the cell is called a zygote. The third through eighth week it is called
an embryo. During the ninth through twelfth week it is called a fetus. During the zygote stage is
when the cell is beginning to form and the structures that feed and protect the developing
organism begin to form. The embryo begins to form a brain, spinal cord, muscles, ribs,
backbone, and digestive tract. Also, during the stage of the embryo is when many of the external
body structures and internal organs are being formed. The production of neurons begin to form,
the sense of touch emerges, and the embryo begins to move. During the stage of the fetus is
where there is a rapid increase in growth. This is when the nervous system, organs, and muscles
become organized and connected. The fetus begins to kick, suck its thumb, open its mouth, and
begins to rehearse how to breath. The external genitals are formed and this is most likely when
the sex of the fetus can be detected (Berk, Laura E. 2014 Child development 9th edition).
There has been some research that has been done about language in utero that has proven
there is some language development that is happening. Research has shown that by the time of
birth the neonate brain responds specifically to the native language. By 26 weeks gestation the
peripheral auditory system is mature. The majority of low frequency sounds are transmitted to
the inner ear while in utero. The frequency components that are transmitted are pitch, some
aspects of rhythm, and some phonetic information. The fetus actually has access to the mothers
speech through bone conduction. Even from birth the fetus can hear and remember and
discriminate speech sounds from the womb. This is why newborns prefer their mothers voice at
birth. Infants that are born to monolingual mothers showed a preference to their native language

over an unfamiliar language. Study has shown that these infants had learned about the properties
of their native language while still in the womb (May, Lillian; Byers-Heinlein, Krista; Gervain,
Judit; Werker, Janet F. 2011 Language and the Newborn Brain: Does Prenatal Language
Experience Shape the Neonate Neural Response to Speech? http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/
articles/PMC3177294/ ).
When babies are in utero they can develop cognitively in the third trimester. The fetus
can feel, dream, and listen to a story read to it outside of the womb. At 32 weeks gestation a fetus
acts just like a new born baby. By five weeks gestation the cerebral cortex is forming. This is the
part of the brain that will eventually allow the growing fetus to move, think, speak, plan, and
create. At nine weeks the fetus brain allows it to bend its body, hiccup, and react to loud sounds.
At ten weeks the fetus moves its arms, breathes amniotic fluid, opens its jaw, and stretches.
Within the first trimester the fetus can now yawn, suck, and swallow what smells and tastes
good. Researchers believe that a fetus can see light and shape while in the womb. Researchers
have also done tests that prove an infant when born learned and remembered its mothers voice
from when it was in the womb as a fetus. The fetus can listen, learn, remember to some level,
and likes reassurance of the familiar (Hopson, Janet L. 1998 Fetal Psychology Psychology Today).
There are things that can be socially and emotionally stimulating and harmful to a
fetus while in utero. A fetus can feel the stress of everyday life through the mothers hormones
that are released into the mothers bloodstream. This blood flow is reduced to the mothers organs,
as well as the brain, the heart, muscles in the arms, her trunk and legs, and the uterus. These
stress hormones cross into the placenta which causes a rise in fetal stress. This stress can
permanently alter the fetus neurological functioning which later in life can reduce the

physiological capacity to manage stress. This stress can predict a childs anxiety, short attention
span, anger, aggression, overactivity, and lower mental test scores (Berk, Laura E. 2014 Child
development 9th edition). Many activities are happening in the uterus with a fetus that prepares
them for survival after birth. These activities include hiccups, right or left hand dominance,
thumb sucking, urination, jaw moving, swallowing, yawning, reflexes, REM sleep patterns,
hearing, taste, sensation, and much more. By nine weeks gestation the embryo begins to turns its
neck, move its hands, hiccup, and by ten weeks it will show right or left hand dominance. By
eleven weeks the fetus can open and shut its mouth, move its head back and forth, and sighs and
stretches. The fetus may begin to suck its thumb, and reacts to light touches on the soles of its
feet and the palms of its hands. By thirteen weeks the fetus can make complex facial expressions,
and by fourteen weeks it has taste buds all over its mouth. By twenty six weeks the fetus has
developed a blink-startle response to sudden loud noises. This may increase the fetus heart rate,
movement, and swallowing. All of these factors in the development of a fetus in the womb will
be factors that help them deal with stress and emotions (https://www.ehd.org/prenatalsummary.php).
During the prenatal period a mother can eat properly to help influence the learning and
development of the fetus. Women need to be careful about what they eat while they are pregnant
because it can affect the fetus negatively. They should avoid foods that are high in retinol (liver,
and liver products) because excessive intakes are toxic to the fetus. It is also recommended that
caffeine and alcohol are limited. Alcohol intake can affect the fetus and cause fetal alcohol
syndrome. Pregnant women should avoid eating swordfish and shark because they contain high
levels of mercury which is harmful to the developing nervous system of the fetus. A healthy and

varied diet is important for a mother that is pregnant. The maternal diet needs to provide
sufficient energy and nutrients to meet the mothers usual requirements, as well as the needs of
the growing fetus. This will allow the mother to be able to store nutrients that are required for her
and the fetal development, as well as lactation (Williamson, Claire 2014 Nutrition and
Pregnancy Summary of the BNF Briefing Paper Nutrition Scientist, British Nutrition Foundation
http://www.eufic.org EHD The endowment of human development).
There are many cultural and environmental issues that can effect the fetus. These cultural
and environmental influences that affect the maternal parent will begin to affect the fetus in
utero. There are mental stressors and psychological reactions to these stressors. The
psychological reactions to pre-immigration can be post-traumatic stress; psychological issues
related to war; rape; torture; survival in refuge camps; death of a close relative; and
powerlessness over choice to immigrate. The psychological reactions to adjustment can be stress
related to loss of a job, financial problems, lack of speaking a particular language to be able to
work, lack of housing, and lack of knowledge of skills for everyday activities. The psychological
reactions to lack of support can be loneliness, isolation, and nostalgic feelings. The psychological
reactions to lack of knowledge and skills to care for new born child can be fear that the infant
may die because of inadequate care, anxiety that something is not right with their baby, and selfblame for inadequate care. These types of cultural factors may cause depression or anxiety within
the maternal parent, which will cause fetal complications such as low birth weight and premature
labor (http://www.health.qld.gov).

Label Key:
1. Pigmentation within the retina of the
right eye
2. External portion of right ear
3. Mouth
4. Outline of ribs
5. Umbilical vein within umbilical cord
6. Umbilical arteries
7. Loops of bowel in base of umbilical
cord (a normal event called physiologic
herniation)
8. Right ankle
9. Right knee

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Label Key:
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1. 4th ventricle
2. Pontine flexure
3. Cerebellum
4. Metencephalon
5. Midbrain
6. Mesencephalic flexure
7. Diencephalon
8. Left cerebral hemisphere
9. Filum terminale
10. Myelencephalon
11. Cervical flexure (brain-spinal cord junction)
12. Pons

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Eight months gestation
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The baby can hear and recognize its mothers voice.
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The skin is pink and the cheeks are beginning to
look chunky.

The baby is gaining extra fat that will help it

regulate temperature after birth.