Human Development 03/04

UNIT 1. Genetic and Prenatal Influences on Development Part A. Genetic Influences 1. Brave New World, James Trefil, Smithsonian , December 2001 James Trefil articulates the who, what, where, when, and why of stem-cell research in this article. He answers most of the questions you wanted to know about stem cells, cloning, and genetic engineering. The history of in-vitro fertilization and DNA manipulation in the 1970s is followed by an up-to-date statement of President George Bush's position on stem cells. 2. The First Human Cloned Embryo, Jose B. Cibelli, Robert P. Lanza, Michael D. West, and Carol Ezzell, Scientific American , January 2002 Will human cloning represent the dawn of a new age in biology and medicine? What are the moral and ethical concerns of making genetic materials from cloned humans? Will researchers stop with therapeutic cloning for treatment of diseases or move to reproductive cloning to make new humans? These issues are discussed by three researchers who are very involved in cloning. Part B. Prenatal Influences 3. A State of the Art Pregnancy, Karen Springen, Newsweek , Special Issue, Spring 1999 Prenatal diagnosis in the twenty-first century will assess the health of unborn babies and predict future physical development very early in pregnancy. Fetal DNA analysis will also allow more fetal surgery to repair malformations. A transmitter in the uterus may prevent preterm deliveries. This article also gives 10 tips for a healthy pregnancy without using technological assistance. 4. Shaped by Life in the Womb, Sharon Begley, Newsweek , September 27, 1999 The genetic basis of diabetes and other diseases is undisputed. However, new research suggests that conditions during gestation influence the risk of manifesting adult disease. This new health paradigm is creating a plethora of suggestions for altering nutrition, stress, exercise, and drug use during the prenatal period. 5. The Mystery of Fetal Life: Secrets of the Womb, John Pekkanen, Current , September 2001 Environment affects prenatal development. This article reviews known dangers (e.g., alcohol and drug use, viral infections) and recently discovered endocrine disrupters (e.g., chemicals in our air, food, and water). The author gives advice on exercise, nutrition, and health maintenance to optimize the physical and cognitive status of the offspring. UNIT 2. Development During Infancy and Early Childhood Part A. Infancy 6. Four Things You Need to Know About Raising Baby, Joanna Lipari, Psychology Today , July/August 2000 In this article, Joanna Lipari explains the synthesis of important aspects of areas of infant developmentgenetic inheritance, physical development, cognitive skills, and emotional attachmentinto a new view that equates parenting behaviors to software that promotes the growth of the baby's brain (hardware). Lipari discusses attachment theory and compares "old thinking" about raising baby with research-guided "new thinking." 7. The World of the Senses, Joan Raymond, Newsweek , Special Issue, Fall/Winter 2000 The human infant arrives in the world with physically developed senses, which are fine-tuned at a rapid pace. The most rapid brain metabolism ocFreiberg, Karen L. is the author of 'Human Development 03/04', published 2002 under ISBN 9780072548198 and ISBN 0072548193.