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Prenatal Development

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Encyclopedia of Child Behavior and Development

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Synonyms

Embryonic and fetal development

Definition

Prenatal development is defined as the process of growth and development within the womb from fertilization until birth. During this process, the zygote grows into an embryo and then a fetus.

Description

In the process of fertilization, a sperm cell from the male and the ovum (egg) of the female join in the female’s fallopian tube in conception. The prenatal development that occurs during the 38 weeks of pregnancy is typically separated into three periods: (1) the germinal period (the period of the zygote), (2) the embryonic period (the period of the embryo), and (3) the fetal period (the period of the fetus). A different way to describe the passage of time in pregnancy is to use 3-month time periods, immediately following conception, called trimesters [1–4].

The Germinal Period

The germinal period is the period of prenatal development that takes place in the first 2 weeks after conception. During this cell division, the fertilized...

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References

  1. Berk, L. E. (2006). Child development (7th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education.

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  2. Papalia, D. E., Gross, D., & Feldman, R. D. (2003). Child development: A topical approach. New York: McGraw-Hill.

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  3. Patterson, C. J. (2008). Child development. New York: McGraw-Hill.

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  4. Santrock, J. W. (2007). Child development (11th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Neuropsychology Laboratory - TC 904, Ball State University, Teachers College Room 502K, Muncie, IN, 47306, USA

    Raymond S. Dean & Renee Grizzle

Authors
  1. Raymond S. Dean
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  2. Renee Grizzle
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Neurology, Learning and Behavior Center, 230 South 500 East, Suite 100, Salt Lake City, Utah, 84102, USA

    Sam Goldstein Ph.D.

  2. Department of Psychology MS 2C6, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, 22030, USA

    Jack A. Naglieri Ph.D. (Professor of Psychology) (Professor of Psychology)

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© 2011 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC

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Dean, R.S., Grizzle, R. (2011). Prenatal Development. In: Goldstein, S., Naglieri, J.A. (eds) Encyclopedia of Child Behavior and Development. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-79061-9_2222

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-79061-9_2222

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-0-387-77579-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-0-387-79061-9

  • eBook Packages: Behavioral Science

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