PSY 2105 Lecture Notes - Lecture 5: Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale, Prenatal Development, Nutrition And Pregnancy

• School: University of Ottawa
• Department: Psychology
• Course: PSY 2105
• Professor: Julie Desjardins

Document Summary

Birth process lasts about 16 hours (first child) The fetus initiates the birth process by secreting chemical messages that induce rhythmic contractions of the uterus. Delivery of the placenta and other membranes. Cultural variations exist in attitudes towards pregnancy and birth. Western society treats pregnancy as an illness. Follows medical model of regular doctor visits, birth in hospital, and drugs for pain relief. Other cultures view pregnancy as an everyday occurrence. Follows natural model where there is little, if any, medical interventions and employs alternative pain relief. Risk for developmental delays, and for cognitive and social problems. Those who have a higher likelihood of this risk are referred to as at risk . Focuses on five vital functions (heart rate, respiration, muscle tone, pain response, and skin color) Infant alertness varies across day and night in at least six different states. Recordings of brain electrical activity (eeg) reveal that sleep-waking states change across the lifespan.