Qualification: Level 3 Diploma for the Early Years Educator
Unit: Unit 1.6: Understand the needs of the mother and baby during pre-conception, pregnancy and the first year of life
Learning outcome: 1. Understand development from conception to end of gestation
Assessment criteria: 1.1 Describe stages of development from fertilisation to end of gestation
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- Germinal Stage
- begins at conception when sperm and egg unite and form a zygote
- cells multiply and develop into embryo and placenta
- ends two weeks after conception
- Embryonic Stage
- lasts 3-8 weeks following conception
- brain and nervous system begin to develop
- head, eyes, nose, ears and mouth begin to form
- by the 8th week all organs have formed (except sexual organs)
- Fetal Stage
- lasts between 9th week after conception and birth
- in latter stages of first trimester (8-12 weeks) reflexes and sexual organs develop
- during 2nd trimester (13-26 weeks) embryo grows, body systems develop further and nails and eyelashes form
- during 3rd trimester (26 weeks to birth) brain activity increases and body (particularly the lungs) prepares for life outside the womb
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