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What happens to the egg after ovulation? What are the functions of the different parts of the sperm? Why are so many sperm necessary for fertilization? Where and how does fertilization occur? What are the acrosome, flagellation, the zona pellucida, and hyaluronidase? How are zygote, conceptus, embryo, and fetus defined? What recommendations are made for improving the chances of conception? |
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When are most of the fetus’s major organs formed? What organs and systems develop from the ectoderm, endoderm, and mesoderm? What is meant by cephalocaudal order of development? How does the placenta develop and how does it function? What is human chorionic gonadotropin? What are the functions of the umbilical cord, the amnion, and amniotic fluid? What are the major developmental milestones for the fetus during each of the trimesters? |
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What are the early symptoms of pregnancy? What pregnancy tests are available and why are early, accurate tests important? What are the presumptive signs, probable signs, and positive signs of pregnancy? What is Nagele’s rule? |
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What are the major physical changes that occur for a woman during each trimester? What information does research provide about the most common psychological changes in women during each trimester? What factors are related to depression during pregnancy? What are Braxton-Hicks contractions? |
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5 | |
What are couvade syndrome and couvade ritual? What hormonal changes have been found in fathers during pregnancy? What emotional changes occur in expectant fathers? |
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6 | |
What have been traditional concerns about sex during pregnancy and what is the current medical opinion on this issue? What is the typical pattern of sexual activities during pregnancy? |
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7 | |
Why is diet during pregnancy so important? What nutritional substances are particularly important to a healthy pregnancy? |
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8 | |
What is a teratogen? What are the risks associated with antibiotic, alcohol, cocaine, steroid, tobacco, marijuana, and other drug use during pregnancy? What is fetal alcohol syndrome? What evidence is there that drug use by fathers has risks for the baby? |
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What signs might indicate that labor is about to begin? What happens during each of the three stages of labor or parturition (and during the three stages of first-stage labor)? What is meant by effacement, dilation, transition,and crowning? What is the purpose of performing an episiotomy? What is a Cesarean section (C section), for what reasons might it be performed, and what reasons have been suggested for their high rates in the United States? |
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10 | |
What is the basic philosophy of “natural childbirth” and prepared childbirth methods? What are the important components of the Lamaze method? What desirable results have been demonstrated by use of the Lamaze method in research studies? |
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11 | |
How has the use of anesthetics in childbirth evolved throughout history? What are the different types of available anesthetics? What are some of the benefits and risks of using anesthetics during labor? What issues should be considered when deciding on a home birth versus a hospital birth? |
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What physical changes occur in a woman after childbirth? What is the range of postpartum depression experienced by women after the baby is born and how likely are these mood swings? What are the symptoms of postpartum depression and what factors contribute to its occurrence? How frequent is post-birth depression in fathers and how is it related to being involved with the parenting role? How do Grete Bibring and her colleagues view the postpartum period? |
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What has research found about the validity of a “critical period” for mother-infant bonding? What factors influence sex during the postpartum period? |
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14 | |
What are prolactin and oxytocin and what role do they play in lactation? When are milk and colostrum first produced? What are the advantages of breastfeeding for the infant and for the mother? How do ethnicity and encouragement by a health care practitioner relate to the incidence of breastfeeding? What mechanisms contribute to sexual arousal during breastfeeding? What are some of the reasons women do not breastfeed? According to research studies, what are the long-term differences between bottle-fed and breastfed children? |
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15 | |
What is an ectopic pregnancy, what are its risks, and why have the rates of ectopic pregnancies increased? What is pseudocyesis? What are the three levels of pregnancy-induced hypertension, what are their risks, and with which groups of women are they most common? |
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16 | |
What are common viral illnesses that can harm the fetus? What factors can cause birth defects? What are amniocentesis and chorionic villus sampling and what are the advantages and disadvantages of each procedure? Why is Rh incompatibility a problem and how is it treated? |
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17 | |
What are the distinctions between spontaneous abortion or miscarriage, induced abortion, and prematurity? How frequent are spontaneous abortions, when are they most likely to occur, and what is their major cause? In what ways is preterm birth defined, what are its risks, and what factors contribute to its occurrence? |
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How is infertility defined and how is it different from saying that someone is “sterile”? How often does infertility occur, what percentages of infertility are caused by male and female factors, and what are the most common causes in males and females? What are some of the psychological effects of infertility and what are the available treatment options? |
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What are the techniques, success rates, and expenses associated with artificial insemination, sperm banks, embryo transfer, in vitro fertilization, GIFT, cloning, and gender selection? |
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