Transcript Prenatal Development

• Teratogen: Any environmental agent that
can cause damage during the prenatal
period
General Principles of Teratogenic Effects:
• Dose: Larger doses over longer time periods
usually have more negative effects
• Heredity: The genetic makeup of the mother
and embryo/fetus influence the effect of a
teratogen
• Timing: Effects of a teratogen vary with the
age of the organism at the time of exposure
– Sensitive Period: Time during which basic
structures are being formed
• Each major organ system or body part has its own
sensitive period
– A system is most vulnerable to teratogens during its
sensitive period
• Cumulative Risk: Effect of a teratogen may
be worse if there are other risk factors
present (e.g., poor nutrition, lack of medical
care, other teratogens)
Article: Brown et al. (2004)
Hypotheses:
1. Cocaine-using women would differ from nonusing women
•
Users: Lower socioeconomic status; greater obstetric
risk
2. Children prenatally exposed to cocaine would
differ from children without exposure in social
development but not in physical or cognitive
development
Within the group of women who used cocaine:
3. Mothers who did not keep custody of their
children after birth would differ from
mothers who did keep custody
•
•
Heavier prenatal drug use, lower SES, greater
obstetric risk in mothers who did not have
custody
Their newborns would also show more birth
complications (e.g., prematurity)
Within the group of children with PCE:
4. At 2 years of age, children in non-parental
care would differ from children in parental
care:
•
Non-parental care would be higher-quality
than parental care
•
Children in non-parental care would show
better cognitive and social development than
children in parental care
Findings:
1. Cocaine-using women differed from nonusing women
2. Children with prenatal cocaine exposure
(PCE) did not differ from children without
exposure in terms of physical, social, or
cognitive development
3. Within the group of women who used
cocaine, mothers who retained custody
differed from mothers who did not retain
custody
4. Children with PCE who were in nonparental care:
•
Received higher-quality care than children with PCE
who remained with their biological parents
•
Showed better social and cognitive development than
children with PCE who remained with their
biological parents