• 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 reviewThis article has been subject to open peer review and has been checked for plagiarism using automated software
Correspondence Conflict of interestNone 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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