Question 1

When 2-year-old Nicholas was first learning to draw, he often moved his whole body, even his tongue. Only later did he confine the action to his fingers, hand, and slight arm motion. This tendency is called the:

Accepted Answer

The gross-to-specific trend refers to the tendency to react to body stimuli with generalized, whole-body movements at first, with these responses becoming more local and specific later.

Question 2

The sequence of growth in which development proceeds from the head toward the feet is known as:

Accepted Answer

The cephalocaudal trend is the sequence of growth and development that proceeds from the head (cephalic region) down to the feet (caudal region). This means that growth and function of the head and upper body develop before growth and function of the lower parts of the body. The other options (gross-to-specific trend, proximodistal trend, and differentiated-to-integrated trend) do not refer specifically to the sequence of development from head to feet.

Question 3

If a woman is age 25, her risk of having a child with Down syndrome is about 1 in ____; if she is age 45, her risk is about 1 in ____.

Accepted Answer

As noted in the textbook, Down syndrome increases from about 1 in 800 births for mothers under age 35 to about 1 in 25 for mothers age 45 or older.

Question 4

At 6 months of age, Alexandra could reach out and grab a toy with her hand, but was unable to pick up a small toy with her finger and thumb until she was 9 months of age. This illustrates what developmental trend?

Accepted Answer

The gross-to-specific trend refers to the tendency to react to body stimuli with generalized, whole-body movements at first, with these responses becoming more local and specific later.

Question 5

According to statistics presented in the text, about what percent of babies born in the United States today are born before 34 weeks' gestation?

Accepted Answer

About 8% of babies born in the United States today are born before 34 weeks' gestation.

Question 6

Generalizing from statistics noted in the text, you would know that Ann's probability of having a child with Down syndrome are:

Accepted Answer

Down syndrome increases from about 1 in 800 births for mothers under age 35 to about 1 in 25 for mothers age 45 or older.

Question 7

If your friend were interested in having a baby at the age where risks to the baby were the lowest, you should advise her that she should consider having her baby at which of the following ages?

Accepted Answer

As noted in the textbook, mothers in their 20s experience the lowest risk of miscarriages, stillbirths, or births of children with congenital anomalies.

Question 8

If Lorraine, who is going to have a baby, gets good prenatal care, you would expect her physician would recommend that she gain about how many pounds during her pregnancy:

Accepted Answer

Regardless of age, mothers who begin pregnancy fit and in good health, eat a balanced diet rich in protein and calcium, and gain about 25 to 35 pounds (11 to 16 kilograms) are more likely to give birth to healthy babies.

Question 9

According to the text, which of the following most correctly describes the relationship between the father's age at conception and the probability that his conceived child will be miscarried?

Accepted Answer

Fathers over age 40 have a higher risk of miscarriage, indicating a relationship between paternal age and miscarriage risk.

Question 10

Which of the following mothers is at the greatest risk of having a miscarriage?

Accepted Answer

Older mothers are also at greater risk for miscarriage and for some congenital anomalies. One study of over 1.2 million pregnancies in Denmark indicated that the miscarriage rate was over 50% for women over age 40 and 75% for women over 45. The miscarriage rate for mothers age 20 to 24 was 9% by comparison.

Question 11

Suppose that Winnie is ill and should deliver her baby as soon as it develops to the point at which it will have a 90% chance of surviving. Willie should expect to deliver her baby at what point?

Accepted Answer

At 28 weeks, over 90% of babies survive with a good outcome, provided that they receive quality intensive care.

Question 12

Marty notices that her baby develops arm coordination well in advance of leg coordination. This finding is best considered an example of which of the following growth trends?

Accepted Answer

The cephalocaudal trend refers to the sequence of growth that occurs first in the head and progresses downward.

Question 13

Malnutrition during pregnancy is especially problematic for the baby if it is:

Accepted Answer

Malnutrition is especially problematic when it occurs over a long period of time. Research with animals has shown that the mother protects the fetus from the effects of short-term malnutrition by drawing on her own stored reserves. Therefore, if previously well-nourished mothers go through a temporary period of malnutrition during pregnancy, but the baby has a good diet and responsive caregivers after birth, there likely will be few long-lasting effects.

Question 14

If the director of a prenatal care clinic had a goal that the percentage of women in the geographic area served by the clinic reached the U.S. national average for prenatal care, the clinic's goal would be to provide prenatal care to ____ % of the local population.

Accepted Answer

Today, the percentage of U.S. women who begin prenatal care in the first trimester is about 82%, and only 3% received no prenatal care at all.

Question 15

Developing the ability to grab with the full hand before the ability to pick up something with a finger and thumb is best considered to be an example of the:

Accepted Answer

The proximodistal trend refers to the development of​ motor skills from the center of the body outward. In this case, the ability to grab with the full hand (center of the body) develops before the ability to pick up something with a finger and thumb (furthest from the center).

Question 16

Which of the following individuals has the lowest risk for a miscarriage?

Accepted Answer

As noted in the textbook, mothers in their 20s experience the lowest risk of miscarriages, stillbirths, or births of children with congenital anomalies.

Question 17

The fetal period of prenatal development begins at ________ and ends at _______:

Accepted Answer

The fetal period of prenatal development begins at the end of the 2nd month (around 8 weeks after conception) and ends at birth. This period is characterized by rapid growth and development of organs, bones, and muscles, as well as the refinement of sensory abilities and the formation of personality traits.

Question 18

If prenatal care was very poor in a particular country, you would expect that the age of viability in that location would be ______ the age of viability in the United States today.

Accepted Answer

The age of viability refers to the age at which the fetus has a 50% chance of surviving outside the womb, provided quality intensive care is available. If such care was not available, we would expect the age of viability to be higher.

Question 19

Dan notices that his son develops the ability to manipulate his hands and arms long before he can coordinate the movements of his fingers. This finding is best considered an example of which of the following growth trends?

Accepted Answer

The proximodistal trend refers to the sequence of growth that occurs first at the body's center (in this case the arms, then the hands) and progresses downward outward (in this case to the fingers). This finding could also be considered an example of the gross-to-specific trend, but this is not one of the options provided.

Question 20

There is a tendency for an infant to react to a stimulus with generalized, whole-body movements at first, with responses becoming more specific and refined later. This trend is referred to as which of the following?

Accepted Answer

This trend is known as the gross-to-specific trend, where infants initially respond with broad, generalized movements that gradually become more precise and targeted.

Quiz 3: Prenatal Development and Childbirth