Mother and Her Unborn Child: Pregnancy and Physical Activity

Impact of Pregnancy and Physical Activity on the Physiological, Structural, Social and Cognitive Growth of a Mother and Her Unborn Child Student Name: Student Number: Seminar group (day/time/tutor name): Campus: Date of completion: Impact of Pregnancy and Physical Activity on the Physiological, Structural, Social and Cognitive Growth of a Mother and Her Unborn Child Responses to the questions AT1 case study 1 – Eliose and Liam Question 1: What are the KEY physiological and structural changes, which will occur for the foetus Liam from conception to his current development stage? Maternal physical activity during pregnancy has a role to play in foetal growth and development. Eliose, who is 27 years old, is at 24 weeks pregnancy and has been in active physical exercise prior to her pregnancy to date. With her doctor’s instructions to give up running, she decides not to stop running, but reduce her training since she has a competition due at 32 weeks of her pregnancy. At her current gestational stage, it is critical to understand the role of growth and development in exercise science and the physiological and structural changes that will occur to Liam, her unborn baby, from conception to his present stage of development. In week 1 and 2, Liam will undergo rapid cell division to form a morula. At this stage, the blastocyst will implant on the mother’s uterine wall and by the end of the second week, an embryo will form alongside with the placenta and the umbilical cord (Malina, Bouchard, & Bar-Or, 2004, p.22). The formation of organ and systems takes place during week 3 through 8, and by the end of week 8, the Liam will have complete basic physiological and anatomical features. Between week 9 and 36, there is a rapid growth in mass and size of the foetus alongside a rapid proliferation of neurones. It is during this time when no more anatomical features are established. It is important to note that at Liam’s current developmental stage, he has a functioning brain, ears, eyes, and muscles. Relevant to a Liam’s growth and development is the role of her mother’s physical activity and alcohol consumption before conception and during the gestation period. The general health and physical activity of Eliose before and after pregnancy plays a role in the development of Liam and directly or indirectly affects his health and developmental outcomes. For instance, excessive alcohol intake may result in Liam developing foetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) leading to Liam having a small head size and cognitive issues such as poor impulse control, poor judgement, lower IQ scores, and learning disability (Malina, Bouchard, & Bar-Or, 2004,., p.33). There is no direct evidence pointing to the harmful effects of the mother’s physical activity to the unborn baby and it is recommended that pregnant mothers undertake regular exercise to reduce risks of obesity and chronic illnesses (Moyer, Reoyo, & May, 2016, p.37). However, this should be done under the guidance of a general practitioner. Question 2: What are the KEY physiological, structural, social and/or cognitive changes that Eliose will experience during pregnancy and into the postpartum period? Pregnancy is accompanied with a myriad of structural, physiological, soci...