The Effects Of Birth Defects On The Development Of The Fetus

A baby’s genes are determined at conception. If something is faulty at this stage, this can have a huge impact on the child’s development. This may be physical or intellectual. If a mother takes drugs or smokes when pregnant, there is an increased chance of delivering an underweight baby at birth. It can also lead to cognitive problems for the child as they get older.

According to, “Teratogens and their effects on Unborn and Nursing Infants,” published by The University of North Texas, there is a list of common teratogens that are known throughout the world and many reasons that lead to a child having chances for these teratogens. According to Kathleen Stassen Berger, writer of, “The Developing Person through Childhood and Adolescence,” she defines behavioral teratogens to be known as agents and conditions that can harm the prenatal brain, impairing the future child’s intellectual and emotional functioning. The teratogen known for behavioral is known to affect the brain in some occasions if damage is affected a lot more so invading the brain and the child intellectuality to function

A teratogen is any agent or factor that can disrupt the development of an embryo or fetus, which may cause a birth defect or malformation. Whether it is a medication, disease or drug, when the mother is exposed the chances of problems arising with the baby increase. Only ten to fourteen days after conception teratogens can affect the fetus. At that stage in the pregnancy the egg has already been fertilized and attached to the uterus. This is known as the embryonic stage where if health isn’t a priority complications can occur. At this point the mother and embryo share a common blood supply therefore anything the mother does affects the embryo. This is also the stage in which most miscarriages occur. There are numerous teratogens but two

These causes specifically are completely biochemical, occurring within the chemical processes that develop the fetus. A single gene defect goes hand in hand with inheritance. All genes are inherited therefore so are bad genes; a single gene defect is that, a gene for a disease is inherited and manifests as a birth defect. Then, there’s chromosomal abnormalities. Chromosomes are those structures within our cells that contain genes. If an abnormality occurs (such as a replacement, of one piece of the gene for another) this will also results in a birth defect within the fetus.

There are some factors that may influence the health and development. Smoking can affect the babies’ oxygen in the womb which could affect the growth and development, low birth weight, high risk of prematurely (birth before week’s gestation), asthma and may lead to cot death. Genetic factors – when the baby has condition, which means that it has been passed down to them by one of their parents. Infections and medical conditions – some babies have medical condition which may affect them during their childhood. This could lead the babies having low self-esteem, feeling distress, not making friends and effect their development. Alcohol – having alcohol during pregnancy can cause Foetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS). This could lead

PKU, also known as Phenylketonuria, is a genetic disorder that builds up the amino acid phenylalanine in the human body. This genetic disorder is known to be an example of the norm of reaction. The norm of reaction defines itself as a phenotype range that a person with a certain genotype reveals due to the differing of a certain environmental condition. Since this genetic mutation targeted the gene that encrypts the enzyme phenylalanine hydroxylase, it shows that if a person has one and/or two copies of that certain gene, that person would have the ability to eat and metabolize foods with phenylalanine. But, if a person has two copies of the mutated gene, they wouldn’t be able to eat nor metabolize foods with phenylalanine because if a person with PKU were to ingest foods with phenylalanine, the amino acid will accumulate in their body and become highly toxic to the person and the PKU homozygotes will lead to an assortment of detrimental symptoms, which currently occurs in about 1 in 10,000 babies.

Phenylketonuria, or PKU, is an autosomal recessive, heritable disease that decreases levels of the enzyme phenylalanine hydroxylase, which is responsible for the metabolism of the amino acid phenylalanine, resulting in an unhealthy buildup that can lead to brain damage, seizures, and intellectual disability. While not curable, PKU, if detected early on, can be treated to allow sufferers to lead full and healthy lives. The symptoms of PKU appear almost immediately after birth, requiring parents and hospitals to make the necessary preparations, including feeding infants with special formula. Lack of such care can result in

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

Just as chromosomal abnormalities cause the majority of miscarriages, certain chromosomal and congenital conditions can increase the risk that a baby will be

I chose to take a closer look at how teratogens have a great impact on the prenatal period. I am a pre-nursing student who wants to become a prenatal nurse. I believe it is imperative for me to understand the effects of all the different teratogens that expecting mothers may be exposed to, in order to prevent any complications. Moreover, teratogens can be described as agents that may cause harm or malformation to the embryo. Teratogens can be found almost everywhere and some are easier to avoid than others. I also want to identify which of and how the different theories that we studied are relevant to the impact of teratogens. I will be discussing an article from the Journal of Genetic Psychology: Research and Theory on Human Development titled

One of the world’s most rare inherited genetic disorders, Phenylketonuria is an autosomal recessive condition that affects 1 out of every 15,000 people in the U.S. It’s well known for causing brain damage and mental disabilities, and central nervous system damage amongst other irreversible symptoms. Although it can now be tested for and is treatable today, it limits what foods the body can eat without serious harm. Phenylketonuria is a metabolic disorder involved with chemical imbalances of proteins and paves the way for harsh symptoms, developmental disabilities, and an incredibly strict diet.

Birth defects are problems that some babies are born with which threaten their health or the baby's ability to live.  Some birth defects are caused by environmental factors.  Environmental factors can not only affect the baby but can also affect the parents as well.  Sexually Transmitted Disease is an illness that is spread from one person to another by sexual contact.  Sexually Transmitted Disease can cause AIDS, Gonorrhea and Genital Herpes.  A mother that drinks alcohol has the chance of her baby being diagnosed with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome.  Alcohol can make the baby mentally retarded.  Alcohol can also slow the growth of the baby.  A mother that takes certain types of medicine at birth can cause the baby bleeding at birth, and slow growth.  Too much caffeine in the mother’s body can cause miscarriage and even death to the baby.  Tobacco can cause premature birth and allergies to the baby.  Illegal drugs taken by the parent can cause the newborn to go through withdrawal from the drug and also cause the baby to have a stillborn birth.  X-Rays can cause birth defects to the baby.  Rubella can cause deaf and heart disease to the baby.  Environmental factors cause many birth defects which can cause problems for the child growing

Birth defects or genetic disorders can be defined as the presence of the deformities or deficiencies in the physical or cerebral formation or function of a child at birth. These disorders range from inconsequential to critically collapsing or life-threatening. A major imperfection of some type happens to be present in just about three percent of all births. Some defects like Down syndrome, Tay-Sachs disease, sickle cell disease, and hemophilia are genetic in origin. On the other hand, some defects like rubella, gonorrhea and syphilis may be caused by infections. Other agents that could cause malformation include drugs or hormones taken by the mother during pregnancy. A defect can also occur in the baby if there is a history of maternal illnesses such as diabetes. The developing fetus can also be affected due to the kind of nutrition mother consumes. If a woman drinks alcohol, uses drugs or smokes, her children are likely to be born defected. In some cases, when a pregnant woman is exposed to toxic chemicals and radiation, the developing fetus is expected to develop poorly. If the male parent is used to of smoking, takes drugs, or is exposed to toxic chemicals, all such things can damage his sperm. This defected sperm may transfer the defect to the embryo in fertilization. Some disorders appear if the mother or father is older. The older age elevates the chances age-related gene mutations. Now the scientific technology has become so advanced

Phenylketonuria also known as PKU is an inherited metabolic disorder that presents itself soon after a baby is born. According to the US Department of Health and Human Services only one child out of 150,000 is diagnosed with phenylketonuria (2011). For a child to inherit this disorder both of parents have to carry the PKU gene even if they do not have the disease (Mayo, 2014). Even if a woman with PKU is pregnant it does not necessarily mean that their baby will also inherit the disease. Complications with the baby only arise if the mother does not follow the dietary restrictions set by this disease. These complications include small heads, low birth weight, and developmental issues (Mayo, 2014). If a child is diagnosed with this disease, their ability to break down amino acids

Phenylketonuria (PKU) is a rare genetic disorder that affects 1 in every 15,000 children. Every child born in the united states of america is tested for PKU with in the first hours of life. There are many ways that it can present itself within the child, from small deformities like head size and small stature to mental retardation.