“The Journey of Life: From Chromosomes to Birth and Beyond”

n the Beginning: 23 Pairs of Chromosomes
What are chromosomes and genes? How do they carry hereditary information from one generation to the next?
What are common problems involving chromosomes, and what are their consequences?
How is children’s heredity influenced by the environment in which they grow up?
From Conception to Birth
What happens to a fertilized egg in the first two weeks after conception?
When do body structures and internal organs emerge in prenatal development?
When do body systems begin to function well enough to support life?
Influences on Prenatal Development
How is prenatal development influenced by a pregnant woman’s age, her nutrition, and the stress she experiences while pregnant?
How do diseases, drugs, and environmental hazards sometimes affect prenatal development?
What general principles affect the ways that prenatal development can be harmed?
How can prenatal development be monitored? Can abnormal prenatal development be corrected?
Labor and Delivery
What are the different phases of labor and delivery?
What are “natural” ways of coping with the pain of childbirth? Is childbirth at home safe?
What adjustments do parents face after a baby’s birth?
What are some complications that can occur during birth?
What contributes to infant mortality in developed and least developed countries?