MODULE 4

The Biological and Environmental Causes of Development Disabilities

Learning Activities

Activity 1. Illustrate the stages of human development in utero and discuss each
stages comprehensively.

 Germinal Stage- in this stage of prenatal development covers the first two weeks
after the fertilization; the three significant developments during this stage are
the creation of zygote, continuous cell division/cell and tissue differentiation and
implantation or attachment of the zygote to the uterine wall.
 Creation of the zygote- the reproduction begins with the fertilization of a
female’s ovum by a male sperm.
 Continuous cell division and cell tissue differentiation- the chemical
reactions occur that cause the zygote to divide repeatedly and generate
new cells and tissues of different types.
 Implantation or attachment of the zygote to the uterine wall- the
implantation starts on the sixth to the seventh day when the blastocyst
starts to attach itself to the uterine wall. Two weeks after, from the
eleventh to the fifteenth day, the blastocyst invades or fully attaches
itself into the uterine wall and becomes implanted in it.
 Embryonic Stage- at this stage it covers 3-8 weeks of human development. The
beginning of the third week after conception marks the start of the embryonic
stage plays an important role in the development of the brain. Four weeks after
conception, the neutral tube forms at this point. This tube will later develop into
the central nervous system including the spinal cord and brain, the neutral
begins to form along with an area known as the neutral plate. Once the tube is
fully formed, the cells will start to close and brain vesicles form. These vesicles
 will eventually develop into parts of the brain including the structures of the
forebrain, midbrain, and hindbrain. By the end of the embryonic period, the basic
structures of the brain and central nervous have been established. At this point,
the basic structure of the peripheral nervous system is also defined.
 Fetal Stage- the third phase covers seven months that lasts from the third to
ninth month of pregnancy on the average, once cell is differentiation is mostly
complete, the embryo enters the next stage and becomes known as a fetus, The
fetal period of prenatal develop marks more important changes in the brain. This
period of development begins during the ninth week and lasts until birth, this
stage is marked by amazing change and growth.

Activity 2. List down and discuss the Do’s and Don’ts of a pregnant mother to avoid
birth defects and developmental disabilities to her baby.

 Do’s of pregnant mother to avoid birth defects and developmental disabilities to

her baby;
 Be sure to take micrograms (mcg) of folic acid every day- folic acid is
important because it can help prevent some major birth defects of the
baby’s brain and spine.
 Book a visit with your healthcare provider before stopping or starting any
medicine- creating a treatment plan for your health condition before you
are pregnant can help keep you and your developing baby healthy. It id
also important to see the doctor regularly throughout pregnancy, so keep
all your prenatal care appointments.
 Become up-to-date with all vaccines; including the flu shot- vaccines help
protect you and your developing baby against serious diseases.
 Before you get pregnant, try to reach and maintain a healthy weight- a
woman who is obese before pregnancy is at a higher risk for
complications during pregnancy. Obesity also increases a pregnant
woman’s risk of several serious birth defects.
  Boost your health by avoiding harmful substances during pregnancy, such
as alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs.
 Don’ts of pregnant mother to avoid birth defects and developmental disabilities
to her baby;
 Avoid alcohol at any time during pregnancy- alcohol in a woman’s
bloodstream passes to the developing baby through the umbilical cord. All
types of alcohol are equally harmful, including wine and beer. Drinking
alcohol during pregnancy can cause miscarriage, stillbirth, and a range of
lifelong physical, behavioral, and intellectual disabilities. These disabilities
in the child, which occur because the mother drank alcohol during the
pregnancy, are known as fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs). The
best advice for women is to stop drinking alcohol when trying to get
pregnant.
 Prevent infections- some infections that a woman can get during
pregnancy can be harmful to the developing baby and can even cause
birth defects.
 Avoid marijuana and other drugs- a woman who uses marijuana or other
drugs during pregnancy can have a baby who is born preterm, of low birth
weight, or has other health problems, such as birth defects.
 Avoid overheating and treat fever promptly- during pregnancy, a woman
should avoid overheating and treat fever promptly, because it will increase
a woman’s chance of having a baby with neutral tube defect.
 Avoid smoking cigarettes- the dangers of smoking during pregnancy
include preterm birth, certain birth defects cleft lip or cleft palate, and
infant death. Even being around tobacco smoke puts a woman and her
pregnancy at risk for problems.

Activity 3. Revisit virtually the class of children with special needs. Ask the teacher for
permission for you to talk to one parent. Ask the parent about the history of child’s
disability. Relate the terms information you have gathered to the content of the lesson.
  According to the parent the history of the child’s disability was started when he
was just a baby, the child was born with a problem in his eyes. He had a
crossed-eyes and because of that he got a vision condition in which he can only
see clearly the objects near to his eyes. In other words he had a
Myopia/Nearsightedness, it is a common vision condition in which you can see
objects near to you clearly, but objects farther away are blurry. It occurs when
the shape of your eye causes light rays to bend (refract) incorrectly, focusing
images in front of your retina instead of on your retina. And because of the
childs condition he is sometimes having a hard time in learning.

Evaluation

1. Fill in the matrix on prenatal development. Write the sequence of growth in each
stage of development. Identify the causes of development disabilities during this
period. Define the terms specific to each stage.

Stages of Prenatal Development Causes of Developmental Disabilities

I. Germinal Stage Causes of developmental disabilities

are traceable to congenital or inherited
genetic materials as well as prenatal
factors associated with teratogens or
toxic substances, maternal disorders,
substances exposure or too much
ingestion of alcohol and drugs and too
much smoking.

II. Embryonic Stage Ingestion of dermatogens or toxic

agents from alcohol, drugs and
nicotine, artificial food additives, stress
and accidents can cause trauma and
effect the development that is taking
 place.

III. Fetal Stage Deliberate termination of pregnancy or

abortion for whatever reasons- poor
health, rape, incest, out-of-wedlock
relations, if unsuccessful can lead to
disabilities.

The Birth Process Physical trauma or mechanical injury

during birth may injure or damage the
brain and impair intellectual
functioning.
Anoxia or asphyxia occurs in breech
delivery and deprives the infant
adequate supply of oxygen for long
period of long enough to damage the
brain.

2. List all the significant terms and define each of them.

 Gametes- are the human reproduction cells which are created in the reproductive
organs.
Meiosis- is the process of cell division in which each pair of chromosomes in the
cell separates, with one member of each pair going into each gemete or
daughter cell.
Organogenesis- refers to that period of time during development when the
organs are being formed. After egg has been fertilized and has been implanted in
the uterus, the developing form is known as the embryo. Organogenesis takes
place during this embryonic phase.
Germinal Phase- Is the first and shortest of the stages of human lifespan, it
involves different processes that change an egg and sperm into a zygote, and
 then into embryo. The process include fertilization, cleavage, blastulation, and
implantation.
Embryonic Phase- is the period after implantation, during which all of the major
organs and structures within the growing mammal formed.
Fetal Phase- during this time, the child will begin to physiologically develop the
tissues, organs, and other structures needed for survival.
Phenotype- refers to the observable physical properties of an organism; this
includes the organism’s appearance, development, and behavior.
Genotype- the genetic constitution of an individual organism.
Zygote- a diploid cell resulting from the fusion of two haploid gametes; a
fertilized ovum.
Ectoderm- the outermost layer of cells or tissue of an embryo in development, or
the parts derived from this, which include the epidermis nerve tissue.
Mesoderm- is a germ layer that arises during gastrulation, and is present
between the ectoderm, which well turn into skin and central nervous system
cells, and the endoderm, which will produce the gut and the lungs.
Endoderm- the innermost layer of cells or tissue of an early development, or the
parts from this, which include the lining of the gut and associated structures.
3. Cite examples of deviations from the normal milestones that you have observed.
 There is a normal range in which a child may reach each milestone, just for
example, walking may begin as early as 8 months in some children. Others walk
as late as 18 months but it is still considered as normal.