Question

Developmental Psychology

ISBN 0495601713 This is the book we are using

Contemporary research indicates that the short-term effects of perinatal complications such as low birth weight can typically be overcome by “environment”; discuss what aspects of the environment have been found to be effective in this respect.

Answer 1

Perinatal complications are the development of obstacles just before birth or after the birth of an infant. Among many other perinatal complications like premature birth, oxygen depletion, requirement to place the infant in neonatal intensive care, birth asphyxia, sleep disordered breathing, jaundice; low birth weight is also a matter of concern. Low birth weight is the major cause of infant deaths.

The low birth weight of an infant is caused by numerous factors. Many pregnant women do not get adequate nutritional food which deteriorates their health as well as, has an adverse effect on the progress of the fetus. The viability of a fetus is ensured if the mother takes proper care, nutritious food and adopts healthy lifestyle. The lower birth rate makes an infant vulnerable to many disease as it has low immunity power.

The infant mortality rates are higher in developing and underdeveloped countries. Apart from the poor diet of mother, many environmental aspects are also responsible for the unfortunate death of infants. The unhealthy lifestyle followed by a pregnant woman like smoking, consuming alcohol, stress and also if a pregnant woman is either underage(below 18 years) or overage(over 35 years)the baby is born with low weight. Lack of health centers and hospitals in many interior areas, lack of education and awareness about the care of mother and child, poor sanitation, superstitions also lead to low birth weight of an infant. An infant with low birth weight can be saved by the social and medical aspects of environment. Low birth weight can be managed if the infant and mother is taken good care of.

Medical aspects of environment: Educating the pregnant women about the importance of proper nutrition and moderate exercise, regular check-ups by doctors, and helping them to detect any abnormal symptoms like bleeding or pain and advising them to reach to the doctor immediately. The would-be mothers should also take appropriate and prescribed vitamins, folic acid and tetanus injections. If a pregnant woman is suffering from blood pressure issues or any other diseases, she should inform the doctor and regularly monitor her health, to avoid harm to the baby. After the delivery, the new mothers should be instructed to maintain personal hygiene and also to keep the surroundings of a baby clean.The importance of breast feeding and eating nutritious and enough food to help the baby gain weight, should also be emphasized.

Social aspects of environment: If the pregnant woman is a smoker and alcoholic, she should be strictly instructed to quit them. Sometimes, the mothers are underage and just in their teens, special care should be taken of them as their bodies and mental capabilities are not yet developed to handle pregnancy. They should be educated about taking care of themselves. Their family members' support should be sought. Some women have late pregnancies, which are equally risky. They also should be advised to keep themselves fit and undergo frequent check-ups. The environmental pollution has an adverse effect on mothers and infants and therefore, they should be guarded from it to prevent infection. Birth spacing should also be stressed upon as continuous pregnancies make a woman's uterus weak and the babies are born with low weight. The family of a pregnant woman must provide care and support to her, as pregnancy is a difficult time. Even after the birth of a baby, especially if the baby has low weight, the family members should take utmost care of the mother and baby till the time the baby becomes healthy. The society also should ensure that they provide a conducive and supportive atmosphere for the pregnant women, new mothers and babies to ensure healthy mother and child. Low birth weight can thus, be effectively controlled by the environmental aspects.