PSY 213 1nd Edition Lecture 10 Outline of previous lecture I The course of prenatal development II Prenatal tests III Infertility and reproductive technology IV Hazards to prenatal development V Prenatal care Outline of Current Lecture I The birth process II The transition from fetus to newborn III Low birth weight and preterm infants IV Bonding V The postpartum period Current Lecture I The birth process occurs in 3 stages a First stage is the longest Uterine contractions are 15 to 20 minutes apart at the beginning and last up to a minute b Second birth stage When the baby s head starts to move through the cervix and the birth canal Terminates when the baby completely emerges from the mother s body c Third stage Afterbirth Placenta umbilical cord and other membranes are detached and expelled d Childbirth setting and attendants Who helps a mother during birth varies across cultures i Midwives ii Doulas A caregiver who provides continuous physical emotional and educational support for the mother before during and after childbirth e Methods of childbirth i Medication 1 Analgesia Used to relieve pain Include tranquilizers barbiturates and narcotics such as Demerol These notes represent a detailed interpretation of the professor s lecture GradeBuddy is best used as a supplement to your own notes not as a substitute II III 2 Anesthesia Used in late first stage labor and during delivery to block sensation in an area of the body or to block consciousness 3 Oxytocin Synthetic hormone used to stimulate contractions 4 Pitocin is the most widely used oxytocin ii Natural childbirth Method in which no drugs are given to relieve pain or assist in the birth process iii Prepared childbirth Includes a special breathing technique to control pushing in the final stages of labor iv Other nonmedicated techniques to reduce pain v Cesarean delivery The baby is removed from the uterus through an incision made in the mother s abdomen The transition from fetus to newborn a Birth involves considerable stress for the baby b If the delivery takes too long the baby can develop anoxia a condition in which the fetus or newborn has an insufficient supply of oxygen Can cause brain damage c Apgar scale Widely used to assess the health of newborns at one and five minutes after birth i Evaluates infants heart rate respiratory effort muscle tone body color and reflex irritability ii Given 1 minute and 5 minutes after birth Scale of 1 10 10 is best iii Appearance pulse grimace activity respiration Low birth weight and preterm infants a Birth weight is best way to predict developmental success or problems b Conditions that pose threats to many newborns c Low birth weight infants Weigh less than 5 pounds at birth d Very low birth weight newborns Weigh under 3 pounds e Extremely low birth weight newborns Weigh under 2 pounds f Preterm infants Born three weeks or more before the pregnancy has reached its full term g Small for date infants small for gestational age infants Birth weight that is below normal when the length of the pregnancy is considered Tend to have more problems than preterm babies h Incidence and causes of low birth weight Varies considerably from one country to another More common in poverty drug abuse mother doesn t take care of herself i Consequences of low birth weight More health and developmental problems than normal birth weight infants i Learning disability ii Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder iii Breathing problems such as asthma j Nurturing includes i Kangaroo care baby is held to parents chest for most of the day Can help baby gain weight recover faster ii Massage therapy IV V Bonding a The formation of a connection especially a physical bond between parents and the newborn in the period shortly after birth Immediate contact interactions between baby and parents The postpartum period a The period after childbirth or delivery that lasts for about six weeks i Or until the mother s body has completed its adjustment and has returned to a nearly prepregnant state b Physical adjustments c Emotional and psychological adjustments Treatment for postpartum depression in mothers very important Can impact baby s development