Prenatal and perinatal psychology
Prenatal and Perinatal Psychology
Prenatal and perinatal psychology (pronunciation: pre-nay-tal and per-i-nay-tal psy-chol-o-gy) is a subfield of psychology that focuses on the study of mental and emotional processes of the fetus and the newborn during the prenatal (before birth) and perinatal (around the time of birth) periods.
Etymology
The term 'prenatal' is derived from the Latin words 'prae' meaning 'before' and 'natus' meaning 'birth'. 'Perinatal' comes from the Greek words 'peri' meaning 'around' and 'natal' meaning 'birth'. The term 'psychology' comes from the Greek words 'psyche' meaning 'soul' and 'logos' meaning 'study'.
Overview
Prenatal and perinatal psychology explores the psychological and emotional experiences of the unborn and newborn child. It investigates the impact of these experiences on later development and behavior. This field of study is closely related to developmental psychology, child psychology, and neonatology.
Related Terms
- Fetus: The unborn offspring from the end of the 8th week after conception (when the major structures have formed) until birth.
- Newborn: A baby from birth to about 2 months of age.
- Psychology: The scientific study of the human mind and its functions, especially those affecting behavior in a given context.
- Developmental psychology: The scientific study of how and why human beings change over the course of their life.
- Child psychology: The branch of psychology that studies the mental, emotional, and social development of children.
- Neonatology: A subspecialty of pediatrics that consists of the medical care of newborn infants, especially the ill or premature newborn.
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Prenatal and perinatal psychology
- Wikipedia's article - Prenatal and perinatal psychology
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