Prenatal Development

Theories and ideas for understanding human life-span development, particularly for behavioral and psychological development, emphasize postnatal development and postnatal exposures. That interest is intensely subdivided according to theories, disciplines, and research traditions. For example, much of the field of developmental psychology focuses on the normative changes in social, emotional, cognitive, and physical health in the first two decades of life. The implicit notion is that these early years compose a particularly important period in the life span for understanding development qua development, and that there might also be salutary lessons for study of these years for understanding how best to promote healthy development. Somewhat less attention focuses on development in the later years, although that is fast changing because there is now wide appreciation for ...