Counseling 5670DDr. Cyndi Matthews

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT I

Life’s beginnings

PRE-NATAL DEVELOPMENTWHAT ARE THE 3 STAGES?

The Germinal Period

• The period of development that takes place two weeks after conception

• Significant biological developments that occur in this stage include• Creation of the fertilized egg

• Cell division

• Attachment of the zygote to the uterine wall (approximately 10-14 days after conception.

• During the cell division that occurs is vary rapid, and results in:• The formation of the blastocyst

• The inner group of cells will develop into the embryo

• The outer group of cells (the trophoblast) will provide nutrition and support for the embryo.

Blastocyst at 5 days

The Embryonic Period• Occurs 2-8 weeks after conceptions,

during which rate of cell differentiation intensifies, support systems form, and organs appear.• Embryo’s three layers form• Endoderm-inner layer of cells which will

develop into digestive/respiratory systems.

• The ectoderm is the outermost layer which becomes nervous system, sensory receptors, and skin parts.

• Mesoderm- middle layer, which becomes the, bones and muscles, as well as the circulatory, excretion, and reproductive systems.

Embryo at 30 days

Embryonic stage (Cont’d)• Development of support systems• Amnion (Amniotic Fluid)• An envelope which contains clear fluid in which the embryo floats.

• It provide temperature control, humidity control, and resistance to shock.

• Umbilical Cord • Two arteries and a vein which the embryo develops that connect it

to the placenta.

• Placenta• A disk shaped group of tissues in which samll blodd vessels from the

mother and offspring intertwine but do not join.

• Very small molecules of O2, H2O, Salt, and nutrients from the mother’s blood pass to the embryo. Virtually any harmful chemical can cross the placenta to some degree, unless it is metabolized or too large.

The Fetal Period• This period lasts about 7 months, and extends from

2 months after conception to birth. It is typified by growth and development of a dramatic rate.• 3 months • The fetus is 3 inches long and about 3 oz. • Most features of the face are distinguishable, as well as

the limbs. • Primary sexual characteristics are distinguishable

• 4 months• Fetus is 6 inches long and about 4-7 oz.• Growth spurts occur in the body’s lower parts, leg/arm

movements can be felt by mother.

• 5 months • The fetus is 12 inches long and weighs approximately

1lbs. • Skins structures have formed, and fetus displays more

activity .

Fetal Development (cont.)• 6 months • Fetus is 14 inches long and weighs approximately 1lb and 6-

12 oz.• Eyes and eyelids are completely formed with a fine layer of

hair covering head.• At six months, the fetus is for the first time viable (able to

exist outside the womb)

• Last months before pregnancy• Fatty tissues develop and the functioning of various organs

develop rapidly• The fetus grows rapidly in length and gains approx. 4 more

pounds.

HAZARDS TO PRENATAL DEVELOPMENT

What is a teratogen? Examples?• A teratogen is any substance that can potentially cause a birth defect or negatively alter cognitive or behavioral outcomes. • Teratogens include

• Drugs• incompatible blood types• environmental pollutants• infectious diseases• nutritional deficiencies• maternal stress• advanced age of biological parents

Teratogens: What Influences the severity of damage?• Dosage (increased if exposed to multiple teratogens)• The greater a dose of a substance, the greater the effect

• Genetic Susceptibility• The genetic predisposition of a mother and her ability to metabolize

the drug affects the severity of damage.

• As well, differences in the placental can affect exposure.

• For unknown reasons, male fetus are more susceptible to damage by teratogens than female fetuses (DiPietro, 2008)

• Time of Exposure• Damage during the germinal period may prevent implantation

• In general the embryonic period is the more vulnerable period.

What kinds of Drugs?• Prescription/Non-Prescription Drugs• Not all prescription/OTC drugs are

teratogens, but some can function as teratogens.

• Can include antibiotics, anti-depressants, some hormones, diet pills, and aspirin.

• Always talk to doctor about taking

• Psychoactive Drugs - drugs that act on the nervous system to alter consciousness, perceptions, and moods.• Caffeine

• Alcohol

• Nicotine

• Cocaine

• Methamphetamine

• Marijuana

• Heroin

What about Caffeine?

• This substance is often consumed in coffee, tea, soft drinks, or in chocolate. • Studies currently conflict on recommendations about high levels of caffeine consumption

and pregnancy • A 2008 study (Weng, Odouli, & Li) reported increase risk of miscarriage in women who consumed more

than 200mgs of caffeine a day.

• A 2011 study (Brent, Christian, & Diener) reported no increased risk of miscarriage, malformations, or retardants of growth.

• The FDA still recommends either abstaining from caffeine or sparing use of caffeine during pregnancy.

• Common Caffeine dosages• 16 oz coffee- 140-206 mg.

• 7 oz tea-58mg

• 8 oz Soda-35 mg

• 8.4 oz Red Bull-80 mg

What about Alcohol?• Fetal Alcohol Syndrome• Cluster of abnormalities that appear in the children of pregnant women who drink• Facial deformities

• Defective limbs , face and heart

• Learning disabilities

• Intellectual Disabilities

• 1-2 servings of beer/wine or 1 serving hard alcohol can have an effect on the fetus• The Surgeon General recommends no alcohol be consumed during pregnancy, and

some studies recommend not consuming alcohol at the time of conception.

What about Nicotine?• Cigarette smoking is one of the primary

methods of ingesting nicotine, and carries the following risks:• Preterm births and low birth weights (Blood-

Siegried & Rende, 2010)

• Sudden infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)

• Cardiovascular problems (Beyerlein et al., 2011)

• Links to childhood non-Hodgkins Lymphoma (Antonopoulos et al., 2011)

• Links to development of ADHD (Knopik, 2009)

Cocaine• Cocaine

• Risks• Linked to lower arousal, reflexes, and self-

regulation at 1 month of age

• Impaired motor development at 2 years of age

• Decreased rate of growth through 10 years of age

• Impaired language development and information processing

• Susceptibility to developing ADHD

• Increased Behavioral problems, and likelihood being in Special Education.

• Cautions regarding cocaine pregnancy research• Social-Emotional factors in cocaine users lives

• Likelihood to use other substances

Methamphetamine, Marijuana, and Heroin• Methamphetamine• Is a stimulant that speeds up an individual's nervous system.• Has been correlated with infant morality, low birth weight,

memory deficits, and various developmental problems.

• Marijuana• Studies link exposure to lower intelligence, increased use of

marijuana, and other problems.

• Heroin• Studies link exposure to behavioral difficulties, withdrawal

symptoms, attention problems.

What about Emotional Stress?Implications?

• Potential impacts of emotional stress• Smaller hippocampus (reaction

to stress)

• Oxygen reduced to fetus

• Possible sexual orientation (3rd trimester)

• Psychopathology

• Find support (partner, spouse, church, family, friends, counseling)

• Frequently mood disturbances or stress lead to unhealthy behaviors such as using chemicals to regulate mood and failing to engage in appropriate pre-natal care.

• A 2011 study (Class et al.) found that mothers with high levels of stress during the 5th and 6th month of pregnancy were more likely to deliver pre-term

• Maternal depression was found in two research reviews to be linked to pre-term birth and low-birth weight

Discuss in Groups:• You have been asked to put

together a program for a local high school to assist pregnant teens stay in school and graduate.

• Who would you include in your design team?• What factors would you

make sure were a part of the program? And Why?• How long would you keep

those teens in the program? Why?• How would you advertise it

to the teens?

Interpersonal Neuropsychology for Counselors

BRAIN DEVELOPMENTCOUNSELING 5670DDR. CYNDI MATTHEWS

Fetal Brain Developmenthttp://proxy.tamu-commerce.edu:13452/view/1779096

Size of the Brain

Frontal Lobe(Fingers)

Parietal Lobe(Knuckles)

Occipital Lobe(Wrist)

Temporal Lobe(Thumb)

Lobes of the brainBrain• The Different Lobes of the brain may be remembered using this simple mnemonic • Friends• Frontal Lobe

• Pleasant• Parietal Lobe

• Opponents• Occipital Lobe

• Tense• Temporal Lobe

Lobes of the Human Brain

• Parietal Lobe• Spatial locations and attention to spatial locations• Receives input from senses• Locations in Reach-Target• Shape/Size/Orientation of Objects to be manipulated.• Frontal Lobe• Contains most of the dopamine sensitive receptors in the brain

(associated w/ reward, attention, long-term memory, and planning)• Associated with Executive Function• Language function’s in Broca’s Area• Occipital Lobe• Location of the Primary Visual Cortex• Temporal Lobe• Processing Auditory signals• Language functions in Wernicke’s area.• Memory

Midsaggital view of the brain

Limbic System

•Thalamus• Relays and processing sensory stimuli (except olfactory)• Regulates sleeping and waking states•Hypothalamus• Controls emotion, pituitary glands, circadian rhythms.• Autonomic responses: sweating, panting, thirst, etc..•Amygdala• Emotional learning and conditioning.•Hippocampus• Associated with long-term memories and spatial recognition.

Synaptic Firing

• Video

Neurons in the Human Brain

Structures of the Neuron

•Dendrites• Projections from cell-body that send/receive messages

•Axon• Long extension from the cell body of the neuron

•Myelin Sheath• Sheath of glial cells that facilitate message conduction.

•Terminal Endings• End of the axons which contain small sacs of chemicals called neurotransmitters

Function of the Neurons

• Neurons “fire” an electrical impulse due to excitation due to stimuli• The message runs down one of the terminals • The neurotransmitter sacs burst in the gap between axons called the Synaptic Gap• Neurotransmitters stimulate or inhibit “firing” of messages

Growth & Pruning

• Synaptogenesis• Overgrowth of neural material

• Neural Pruning• Much of the neural material will die off over the next 12 years.