An expectant mother reacts with amazement on hearing the robust heartbeat of her nearly full-term fetus. High-quality prenatal care and preparation for the events of childbirth enable her to approach labor and delivery with confidence and excitement.

Discuss the following topics in a detailed form. Give examples that are relevant to the main theme.

· Prenatal Development

· Conception

· Period of the Zygote

· Period of the Embryo

· Period of the Fetus

· Prenatal Environmental Influences

· Teratogens

· Other Maternal Factors

· The Importance of Prenatal Health Care

· ■ SOCIAL ISSUES: HEALTH The Nurse–Family Partnership: Reducing Maternal Stress and Enhancing Child Development Through Social Support

· Childbirth

· The Stages of Childbirth

· The Baby’s Adaptation to Labor and Delivery

· The Newborn Baby’s Appearance

· Assessing the Newborn’s Physical Condition: The Apgar Scale

· Approaches to Childbirth

· Natural, or Prepared, Childbirth

· Home Delivery

· Medical Interventions

· Fetal Monitoring

· Labor and Delivery Medication

· Cesarean Delivery

· Preterm and Low-Birth-Weight Infants

· Preterm versus Small-for-Date Infants

· Consequences for Caregiving

· Interventions for Preterm Infants

· ■ SOCIAL ISSUES: HEALTH A Cross-National Perspective on Health Care and Other Policies for Parents and Newborn Babies

· Birth Complications, Parenting, and Resilience

· The Newborn Baby’s Capacities

· Reflexes