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Scenario:
You are the director of an early childhood program serving teen mothers and their children based in the local alternative high school. Your community is partnering with the high school to work with pregnant teens early in their pregnancy to provide education and resources. You are developing an interactive presentation for these teens that discusses factors that influence prenatal development and why this developmental period is critical.
Framing your answers specifically for teen parents, please respond to the following:
Describe critical periods and sensitive periods of development.
Explain how biological factors can influence prenatal development and provide one example.
Explain how environmental factors can influence prenatal development and provide two examples.
Based on these environmental factors, what preventative measures would you share with these teens?
Critical periods of development refer to a time when particular skills or functions are most easily acquired, while sensitive periods of development refers to a period of greater sensitivity towards learning certain skills during the developmental period.
Biological factors can influence prenatal development in many ways. For example, the health and well-being of the mother during her pregnancy can have an effect on her baby’s physical and mental health, as well as their growth. Poor nutrition, smoking, drinking alcohol or using drugs can all put a baby at risk for poor prenatal development.
Environmental factors can also play an important role in influencing prenatal development. Examples include exposure to toxins such as lead paint or cigarette smoke; living in poverty with limited access to resources; and stress due to lack of support from family and friends. All these things can affect how healthy the baby is developed prior to birth and how ready they are for life outside the womb.
Based on these environmental factors, you would want to share preventative measures with these teens that emphasize creating a safe environment for their unborn child through good nutrition, avoiding smoking cigarettes or drugs and excessive alcohol consumption, minimizing stress levels by seeking out support from family/friends/professionals if needed and ensuring they have access to any necessary resources like proper healthcare throughout their pregnancy. Additionally it may be beneficial for them educationally so they understand any risks associated with environmental toxins like lead paint that may be present in their homes before having a child occupy it so that steps are taken toward removing this toxin if needed