The influence of the preconception and prenatal period on child development and parent-child relationships.

This book offers recent knowledge, research and theory about the earliest developmental period-from conception to birth. It provides an in-depth exploration of eleven current themes related to prenatal development. The book illuminates how experiences during the preconception, prenatal and early postnatal period impact an individuals physically, cognitively, socially and emotionally, and form enduring response patterns that shape their development, behaviour and health over the lifespan.