3.48 Your friend, Kristy, is terribly concerned about getting fat during pregnancy, so she has severely restricted her
calorie intake. What would you tell her about eating during pregnancy?
a. “You’re right to keep your calorie intake low. It’ll make losing weight after the baby’s born much easier,
and the baby won’t be affected because she is going to get all the nourishment she needs from you
anyway.”
b. “Keep restricting your calories! Research shows that mothers who eat low calorie, low fat diets during
pregnancy have healthier, smarter babies.”
c. “You’d better start eating better. Inadequately nourished babies are likely to be born prematurely, are
more vulnerable to illness, and may have damaged nervous systems.”
d. “Eat whatever you want and don’t worry about getting fat. Ninety percent of the weight gained during
pregnancy is the baby, the placenta, and the fluid in the amniotic sac. Just make sure you get plenty of
calories and you’ll have a healthy baby.”
Chapter Module: Influences on Prenatal Development
3.49 Which of the following is TRUE of the relationship between maternal stress during pregnancy and outcomes
for the baby?
a. Maternal stress increases the flow of blood to the fetus.
b. Women who report greater anxiety during pregnancy more often give birth early or have babies who
weigh less than average.
c. Stress does not seem to affect a pregnant woman’s immune system.
d. The effects of occasional, mild anxiety are the same as those associated with prolonged, extreme stress.
Chapter Module: Influences on Prenatal Development
3.50 Stress during pregnancy
a. is harmful even when it is relatively mild.
b. increases the mother’s resistance to illness during pregnancy.
c. is associated with premature birth and low birthweight babies.
d. does not appear to have any harmful effects on the developing child.
Chapter Module: Influences on Prenatal Development
3.51 Regina is pregnant and has heard that maternal stress during pregnancy can be harmful to the unborn baby.
She is generally calm and happy, but becomes a little upset when her favorite basketball team loses and
wonders if she should stop watching basketball until her baby is born. What should she do?
a. Regina should either quit watching basketball or start rooting for a better team. Maternal stress at any
level has been found to have harmful consequences on prenatal development.
b. Regina should keep following her favorite team. Maternal stress has been found to have a positive,
stimulating effect on an unborn child.
c. As long as Regina doesn’t get too upset and stressed when her team loses, she should keep watching
basketball. Although excessive stress may harm prenatal development, mild anxiety is not thought to
have any harmful consequences on prenatal development.