Several risks to prenatal development exist. The risk include maternal malnutrition, spina bifida, teratogens, infectious diseases, smoking, alcohol, and drugs to name a few. Maternal malnutrition places the baby at risk for low birth weight and premature birth. Maternal malnutrition can be mitigated by obtaining nutrition counseling and prenatal care. A common nutrition service is Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). Spina bifida is a causes neural tube defects and the risk can be reduced by consuming folic acid prior to pregnancy and during. Teratogens are various agents and factors that create malformation of an embryo. The effects of teratogens can be reduced by not taking medications that can cause harm to an embryo, limiting x-ray
According to the World Health Organization (WHO, 2016), preterm birth are the birth that happened before 37 ended weeks of pregnancy and is one of the number reason of newborn deaths and the second prominent cause of deaths in children below five. The preterm babies have chances of an amplified risk of illness, disability and death. In the first weeks, the complications of premature birth may include: breathing problems, heart problems, brain problems, temperature control problems, gastrointestinal problems, blood problems, metabolism problems, immune system problems. Long-term complications includes cerebral palsy, impaired cognitive skills, vision problem, hearing problems, dental problems, behavioral and psychological problems, chronic health issues.
Many components are hazardous in the prenatal development stage including intelligence and other congenital disabilities. Drugs whether prescription or illegal, alcohol and smoking are hazardous to prenatal development and may cause long term struggles with intelligence and cause defects.
The Bayley Scales of Infant Development was chosen as the course for developmental assessment. The study found that nutritional supplements have a possibility of preventing and lessening the damage of PAE in the early stages of pregnancy, known as the pre-recognition period. However, many problems with development were identified later, but were impossible to measure at six months old. This has shown that there might be a possibility to reduce the damage of alcohol on a fetus, it is best to refrain from drinking altogether.
Therefore, planned pregnancy is a huge key factor in preventing birth defects, because often times birth defects develop even before women might know they are pregnant. Because women don’t know they are pregnant, they may consume alcohol, causing harm to their babies. Smoking causes harm to infants before, during, and after pregnancies. Even in the womb nicotine, carbon monoxide, and many other poisons women inhale from cigarettes are carried through their bloodstream. Smoking while pregnant causes many developmental issues including birth defects, lung problems, stunted growth, increase in babies heart rates, low birth weight, or result in stillbirths. However, there are many other agents known to cause these developmental defects. For example, drugs and other medications such as; thalidomide, isotretinoin, valproic acid, methotrexate, and mycophenolate mofetil are also known to cause the same birth defects (Simeone, et al., 2015). Putting healthy supplements, unlike these types of drugs into individuals systems when pregnant can help prevent infant
What is a teratogen? How does it affect normal prenatal development? Provide at least two examples to support your response. A definition of “a teratogen” it is a type of drugs that can be harmful to the fetus or a mother that is breastfeeding her baby. The elements of all these drugs all types of illegal drugs over the counter can identified as a dangerous drug that can exposure to a baby. There are chances of risk with a baby can be born with a defect. I would say in 1 percent chances that a woman is pregnant with a baby can have birth defect, it is rarely that it will happen it depend on each and individual women that are exposure to the “teratogen.” For example, a teratogen can happen in a different environment that can be exposure too which is found in the work place, house and the infectious diseases. Although, a major sources of birth defect and developmental of the incapacity intake it alcohol and
Modern day technology has taken the “surprise” out of pregnancy for a large number of parents if they choose to utilize it. An option parents might explore is having a prenatal assessment to determine if there are any identifiable genetic abnormalities in the unborn child. There are risks associated with certain procedures such as false positive results, procedure induced miscarriages or possible fetal limb abnormalities.
Teratogens are harmful exposures that a fetus can be exposed to when they cross the protective
As previously mentioned, environmental factors, such as exposure to taratogens, can affect the development of the unborn child. Broderick and Blewitt (2105) define a teratogen as “substances or agents that can cross the placental barrier and produce fetal deformities when taken or absorbed by the mother during pregnancy” (p.619). These substances include drugs, alcohol, cigarettes, pollution, stress hormones, poor nutrition, and diseases, such as AIDS. Consumption of drugs and/or alcohol can lead to low birth weight, as well as, physical, cognitive, and behavioral abnormalities. Furthermore, more recent studies are showing that exposure to pollutants can affect an individual’s development. For example, a study of the
If during the first four weeks of a baby's birth, baby feeding or health problems, mental faced, or if the mother smokes during pregnancy or alcohol abuse, these children are at increased risk of
The course of pregnancy is both very rewarding and challenging. The end result is a beautiful creation and enjoinment of two people. The fragile aspect of newborn life is not the first time a mother faces protecting the child. The beginning of a successful foundation for life starts the second a women becomes pregnant. Prenatally, many different toxins can create issues surrounding the physical and mental development of a baby. Some of the toxins are very obvious, where many fly under the radar. The toxins a pregnant woman takes in may cause issues with the development of a child. Awareness about the possibility of teratogens causing development issues is needed to ensure a safe, normal, and sociable future for the children. When
When the fetus is exposed to the teratogens during the prenatal stage, then, in that case, there are significantly high chances that the child will suffer from birth defects (4). There are different factors which are related to the level of exposures to the teratogens; amount of damage that a particular teratogen can have along with the level of dosages, heredity, age of the teratogen and the different other negative influences like that of the combination of teratogens with poor health etc. (1). There are different types of teratogens which pregnant women are advised to avoid like alcohol, prescription drugs/illegal drugs and tobacco. Alcohol use is one of the most use and major problem throughout pregnancy (4). Although it hasn’t been determined how much alcohol is detrimental to pregnant women, it has been found to be one of the major cause of mental disabilities in children in the United States (4). Alcohol usually passes from the mother’s blood stream via the placenta to the fetus. Indeed, maternal drinking is tied to fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) with life-long consequences for the new born (1). The research suggests that alcohol exposure to the 19th or 20th of gestation can significantly exposed the new born to facial abnormalities (1). It is unknown how much alcohol is necessary to cause damage, so doctors typically recommend that alcohol should be completely avoided during
The brain has been effected in many different ways. Think of a developing brain as constructing a barn. The first thing you would need to do is prepare the foundation. The first step is always important because it set the base of everything. Just like an infant’s brain, you always want to do everything in your power in order to protect it. The early years of a child's brain seems to be the most important years of their life. The damage that the brain sustain while in the womb could negatively affect them the rest of their life. With the sudden rise of so many different health cases a pregnant mother endures, it is difficult to estimate how many children around the world will be negatively
There are several hazards and risk with prenatal development. I believe that ‘Drugs’ has a huge impact on prenatal development. Prenatal substance abuse continues to be a significate problem in the country and possess import health risk for the developing fetus.
One major factor is knowing that the embryo depend on the mother for feeding. However, maternal malnutrition can cause a lot of damage. Malnutrition has been associated to several cases in the formation of an embryo or fetus, such as; retardation of brain development, cardiovascular disease,
If the mother doesn't eat well it can impact her baby's health environment, because your baby needs nutritious to live. Smoking can make your baby have birth defects because the lack of clean oxygen getting to the baby. Lots of things can hurt the environment for your baby, but most of the causes of defects in babies are due to the mother not staying healthy, but they could be the healthiest person in the world and your baby would still come out with a defect it's very random. Avoiding deli meats to be safe because the risk might be small, but getting Listeria infection when pregnant can lead to a miscarriage, premature delivery, and infection in the child.