Factors such as poor
While the cause is not always known, congenital brain malformations may result from inherited genetic defects, spontaneous mutations within the embryo's genes, or damage to the fetus caused by the mother's exposure to toxins, infection, trauma or drug use.
Infections pose perhaps the greatest risk to the developing fetus' brain. Many seemingly harmless infections can seriously interrupt fetal development, including the formation and wiring of brain cells.
The child brain wires differently when prenatally exposed to maternal psychological stress; children born of mothers that experienced high levels of prenatal stress have a higher risk of neurodevelopmental disorders, such as autism, ADHD, and mood disorders.
Neonatal Ultrasound
Neonatal cranial ultrasound is considered the gold-standard screening method for neonatal brain injury, for the detection of major or significant abnormalities of the brain, most notably severe IVH or cystic periventricular leukomalacia in the preterm infant.
Abnormalities detected during the 20 week scan
Anencephaly – abnormal development of the brain and skull (98%)
Anencephaly is a serious birth defect in which a baby is born without parts of the brain and skull. It is a type of neural tube defect (NTD). As the neural tube forms and closes, it helps form the baby's brain and skull (upper part of the neural tube), spinal cord, and back bones (lower part of the neural tube).
Most recently, some studies are suggesting that stress in the womb can affect a baby's temperament and neurobehavioral development. Infants whose mothers experienced high levels of stress while pregnant, particularly in the first trimester, show signs of more depression and irritability.
There is growing evidence that even milder forms of maternal stress or anxiety during pregnancy affect the fetus causing possible long-term consequences for infant and child development.
If the mother is stressed during pregnancy, the child is at increased risk of symptoms of anxiety and depression, attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder, conduct disorder, and of being on the autistic spectrum. There can be other problems, including asthma and preterm delivery.
First Trimester (0 to 13 Weeks)
The first trimester is the most crucial to your baby's development. During this period, your baby's body structure and organ systems develop. Most miscarriages and birth defects occur during this period.
Smoking cigarettes, drinking alcohol and using illegal drugs can put a pregnancy at risk. Maternal health problems. High blood pressure, obesity, diabetes, epilepsy, thyroid disease, heart or blood disorders, poorly controlled asthma, and infections can increase pregnancy risks.
The two most common anomalies depicted at prenatal US are Dandy-Walker malformation and Chiari II malformation.
Omega-3: Omega-3 is a type of fat that is found naturally in many kinds of fish and is important for your baby's brain development both before and after birth. The recommended daily allowance is 1,000-2,000 mg a day, which is the equivalent of two to three ounces of fish or two tablespoons of flax seeds.
Constant fears about pregnancy, loss of life, or losing the baby, as well as trauma or prolonged stress, all increase stress hormones in the amniotic fluid. This level of stress is likely to have an impact on your baby's development.
High levels of stress during pregnancy may also be connected to autism in children. This connection appears to have the most impact when the parent experiences stress between weeks 25 and 28 of pregnancy.
In a follow-up across pregnancy, the fetuses of the high-anger women were noted to be more active and to experience growth delays. The high-anger mothers' high prenatal cortisol and adrenaline and low dopamine and serotonin levels were mimicked by their neonates' high cortisol and low dopamine levels.
Down syndrome, which arises from a chromosome defect, is likely to have a direct link with the increase in stress levels seen in couples during the time of conception, say Surekha Ramachandran, founder of Down Syndrome Federation of India, who has been studying about the same ever since her daughter was diagnosed with ...
Studies have shown that infants as young as one month-old sense when a parent is depressed or angry and are affected by the parent's mood. Understanding that even infants are affected by adult emotions can help parents do their best in supporting their child's healthy development.
The early signs of a brain have begun to form. Even though the fetus is now developing areas that will become specific sections of the brain, not until the end of week 5 and into week 6 (usually around forty to forty-three days) does the first electrical brain activity begin to occur.
In just the fifth week after conception, the first synapses begin forming in a fetus's spinal cord. By the sixth week, these early neural connections permit the first fetal movements–spontaneous arches and curls of the whole body–that researchers can detect through ultrasound imaging.