Environmental Influences On Prenatal Development

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In the former years there has been continuous debate pertaining to the factors that influence a child’s development. Some say that child development is influenced by genetics, also known as nature. While others are certain that despite your genetics, environmental influence is the most important determinate. I on the other hand, say that nature and nurture are inseparable constructs of prenatal development. Research done on teratogens, prenatal nutrition, and Down syndrome support this claim. It can’t be denied that nurture has an influence on prenatal development. Many studies have been conducted on the effects of environmental factors on fetuses. It has been proven that teratogens are the culprit of various abnormalities. Teratogens are substances such as alcohol, drugs, and other agents of the environment that can cause complications to the body. A study was performed on 633 women to analyze the effects of maternal use of alcohol on offspring (Ouellete, Rosett, Rosman & Weiner, 1977). All of the women were given a thorough questionnaire to determine their current and former usage of alcohol, drugs, as well as their nutritional status (Ouellette et al., 1977). The women were separated into three groups based off of their usage of alcohol. After delivery, the babies were given an exhaustive evaluation from a healthcare professional. The …show more content…

Babies of alcoholics were more susceptible to abnormalities than the offspring of mothers who refrained from alcohol or consumed less (Ouellette et al.,