Prenatal Exposures

Section I: Introduction.- The importance of the prenatal central nervous system development.- Overview prenatal central nervous system development.- Section II: The demography of normal and abnormal childbirth.- Normal birth patterns.- Demographic characteristics resulting in fetal death: a model for fetal developmental risk.- Section III: Prematurity and low birth weight: The great mediator of developmental pathologies.- Prematurity and low birth weight: Defining the problem.- Prematurity and low birth weight: Learning and behavior outcomes.- Section IV: Maternal ingested toxins.- Maternal smoking.- Maternal alcohol use.- Maternal use of other recreational drugs.- Sections V: Maternal medical and psychological conditions.- Prenatal nutrition.- Maternal infection.- Maternal illness other than infection.- Maternal stress during pregnancy.- Other maternal characteristics.- Perinatal events: delivery complications.- Section VI: Environmental factors.- Environmental toxins: Air, water, and food pollutants.- Temperature, photoperiod, and other geophysical factors.- Section VII: Summary.- A model of prenatal perturbations to development.- Screening for prenatal perturbation in clinical work.- Appendix.

Roy Martin, Ph.D., obtained his Ph.D. at the University of Texas. He is a licensed psychologist and a diplomate in professional psychology. He has spent his career training school psychologists, first at Temple University, then at the University of Georgia. At the University of Georgia he served in various administrative positions including Head of the Department of Educational Psychology. He also has been elected president of the School Psychology Division of the American Psychological Association, and is a fellow of three divisions of APA. He is the recipient of the Jack Bardon Award in School Psychology, and the Aderhold Distinguished Professor Award from the University of Georgia. He has been an active contributor to research on temperament in young children, and to prenatal factors that are associated with adverse psychological and educational outcomes for children.

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