prenatal critical

• Miscarriages


  Short-lived pregnancies
• Spontaneous Abortion (Miscarriage)


  Expulsion from the uterus of an embryo that is unable to survive outside the womb
• Stillbirth


  Miscarriage occurred after 20 weeks of gestation (approx. 5 months)
• Males are more likely to be spontaneously aborted or to be stillborn
• Teratogen


  Environmental agent that can interfere with normal prenatal development
• Teratogen effects


  • Worst during the critical period, when the organs are developing rapidly
  • The greater the level of exposure and the longer the exposure, the more likely serious damage will occur
  • Susceptibility to harm is influenced by unborn child's and mother's genetic makeup
  • The effects depend on the quality of both the prenatal and the postnatal environment
• Teratology


  Field of study that investigates the causes of birth defects
• Critical Period


  A time during which the developing organism is specially sensitive to environmental influences, positive or negative
• Women of normal weight are less likely to have birth complications
• Overweight women have risk of having longer deliveries, need more health care services, gestational diabetes, cesarean delivery, birth defects etc.
• Omega-E, DHA, Folic Acid are important for the development of the nervous system
• Fetal growth restriction and low birth weight (5 pounds, 8 ounces = 2.5kg) can result
• Moderate exercise is recommended to reduce back pain, risks for gestational diabetes and etc.
• Spina Bifida


  Neural tube fails to close, part of the spinal cord is not fully encased in the protective covering of the spinal column
• Spina Bifida can cause neurological problems
• Anencephaly


  Lethal defect in which main portion of the brain above the brain stem failed to develop
• Neural tube defects occur 25-29 days after conception and are more common due to deficient in folic acid
• Thalidomide


  • Used to relieve morning sickness, caused stunted limbs, facial deformities, and defective organs
  • Now used for treatment of AIDS, tuberculosis, and cancer
• Tobacco


  • Higher risks of miscarriage, prematurity, low birth weight, cleft lips, and cleft palates
  • Restricts blood flow to the fetus which reduces the levels of growth factors, oxygen, and nutrients that reach the fetus
  • Causes CNS impairment
  • Infants are more irritable and score lower on standard assessments of behavioral functioning
  • Higher risks of respiratory infections and breathing difficulties
  • Higher risk for SIDS
  • Mild cognitive difficulties and to conduct and behavior problems
  • Maternal smoking was identified to be the most important factor for low-birth weight babies
• Alcohol


  • Disrupts the normal process of neuronal migration, leading to several outcomes depending on the severity of the effects
  • Fetal Alcohol Syndrome - characterized by a combination of retarded growth, face and body malformations, and disorders of the central nervous system
  • FAS children are smaller and lighter than normal and their physical growth lags behind
  • High risks in CNS damage
  • Children who were exposed prenatally with alcohol but do not have FAS experience Fetal Alcohol Effects or Alcohol-Related Neurodevelopmental Disorder
• Cocaine


  • Causes spontaneous abortion and premature detachment of the placenta
  • Contributes to fetal malnourishment, retarded growth, and low birth weight
  • Deficits on several measures of information-processing and sensory motor skills
• Opioids


  • Associated with small babies, fetal death, preterm labor, and aspiration of meconium
  • Babies born with drug-addicted mothers tend to experience withdrawal once they are born and no longer receive drugs
  • Neonate Abstinence Syndrome - sleep disturbance, tremors, difficulty regulating the body, irritability, crying and etc.
• Caffeine has slightly increased risk for miscarriage, stillbirth, and low birth weight babies
• Rubella is almost certain to cause deafness and heart defects to babies
• Toxoplasmosis


  Caused by parasite in the bodies of cattle, sheep, and pigs, and in the intestinal tracts of cats that causes fetal brain damage, severely impaired eyesight, seizures, miscarriage, etc.
• Diabetic mothers are most likely to have babies that have heart and neural tube defects
• Stress and anxiety has been associated with more irritable and active temperament in newborns
• Chronic stress can result in preterm delivery
• Depression may cause premature birth or developmental delays
• Chance of miscarriage or stillbirth rises with maternal age
• Adolescent Mothers tend to have premature or underweight babies
• Environmental factors that can harm fetal development

  • Air pollution
  • Radiation
  • Chemicals
• Fetal exposure to low level of environmental toxins may result to asthma, allergies, lupus
• 1. Rays could triple the risk of having full-term, low-birth weight babies
• Exposure to lead, marijuana, tobacco, radiation, pesticides, etc may result in abnormal or poor quality sperm
• Babies who fathers had diagnostic x-rays within the year prior to conception or had a high lead exposure at work tends to have low birth weight and slowed fetal growth
• Older fathers may be significant source of birth defects due to damaged or deteriorated sperm such as dwarfism, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, ASD
• Prenatal cell-free DNA Scans


  Fetal DNA is extracted from the mother's blood and tested for early detection of genetic problems
• Infertility


  Not being able to get pregnant even after a year of trying
• Drugs harmful for pregnant women

  • Antibiotics
  • Certain Barbiturates
  • Opiates
  • Acutane