Once the embryo reaches two to eight weeks, it begins to differentiate. Differentiation is the process that cells undergo to become specialized; a cell transforms from a general cell to a muscle cell which has differing characteristics in comparison to an unspecialized cell. At this stage as well as all stages of fetal development, it is especially important that the mother does everything possible to avoid anything to harm the baby. As a psychologist, I would suggest that the mother avoid all teratogens. Teratogens are considered to be anything that could potentially harm the baby at the embryo stage of life, such as drugs, toxic chemicals and viruses. A teratogen could hinder the baby’s development and result in birth defects. In the case of alcohol especially, the baby could end up with fetal alcohol syndrome, which is marked by a misshapen head and brain anomalies (Myers 2014). Avoiding teratogens will ensure that the environment does not have any effect on the baby, …show more content…
As a psychologist, I would recommend that a fetus is exposed to (positive) stimuli before its birth. Surprisingly enough, the fetus begins to learn as early as six months. At about six months, the fetus is responsive to sound and is introduced to the sound of its mothers voice, although muffled (Myers 2014). The fetus immediately begins to favor her voice over any other voice. This allows development of the brain to enhance, as the sound must be processed. It also helps to begin attachment earlier than infancy, as hearing the mother adds to the familiarity and being inside the mother provides contact. The fetus is also able to hear the mother’s language, which helps predict how the baby will cry once it is born. Being exposed to stimuli prior to birth will help the newborn form an attachment to its