Biological basis of child health 2: introduction to fertilisation, prenatal development and birth
Intended for healthcare professionals
CPD    

Biological basis of child health 2: introduction to fertilisation, prenatal development and birth

Doreen Crawford Nurse Adviser, Crawford McKenzie, Colsterworth, England
Amy Noakes Senior Lecturer, children’s nursing, School of Health and Social Care, London South Bank University, London, England
Kate Davies Senior Lecturer, children’s nursing, School of Health and Social Care, London South Bank University, London, England

Why you should read this article:
  • To enhance your knowledge of the stages of prenatal development

  • To increase your awareness of the types, causes and detection of congenital anomalies

  • To count towards revalidation as part of your 35 hours of CPD, or you may wish to write a reflective account (UK readers)

  • To contribute towards your professional development and local registration renewal requirements (non-UK readers)

This article is the second in a series called the biological basis of child health. It considers the period of development from fertilisation to birth, outlining the three stages of prenatal development – the germinal, embryonic and fetal stages. The article details how tissues and organs typically develop at each stage, and explains how and when deviations in development and congenital anomalies are likely to occur. It also describes some of the common congenital anomalies, their potential effects and their detection before or after birth. Information is also provided about the delivery of full-term infants, including the stages of labour.

Nursing Children and Young People. doi: 10.7748/ncyp.2020.e1247

Peer review

This article has been subject to open peer review and has been checked for plagiarism using automated software

Correspondence

doreen@crawfordmckenzie.co.uk

Conflict of interest

None declared

Crawford D, Noakes A, Davies K (2020) Biological basis of child health 2: introduction to fertilisation, prenatal development and birth. Nursing Children and Young People. doi: 10.7748/ncyp.2020.e1247

Published online: 09 April 2020

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