Teratogens Affecting Mothers

Words: 668
Pages: 3
Open Document
Teratogens and Physical Implications Affecting Mothers Teratogens can have a negative effect on anybody that uses them, but they can be especially harmful to mothers that use teratogens during pregnancy. Every woman has a 3-5% risk of having a baby with a birth defect by using teratogens they can only increase this risk (Gilbert, Tait). Teratogens affect mothers and their developing embryo in many different ways. The stage that teratogens are used during pregnancy can have the biggest affect, as certain stages of pregnancy have higher risks of birth defects when mothers use teratogens. Medicines, diseases, and viruses, not the drugs everyone would think of, are also harmful teratogens. Teratogens are any environmental substance that causes …show more content…
“25 percent of U.S. mothers report drinking at some time during their pregnancies (Berk).” One of the main birth defects that comes from using alcohol while pregnant, fetal alcohol syndrome, can cause many different problems. FAS can cause slow physical growth, facial abnormalities, and brain injury, which can affect your language, memory, communication, and more. Babies can be born with hyperactivity disorder because they do not receive the proper nutrients from the mother. There are different stages of FAS and how much alcohol the mother consumes during pregnancy, plays the largest role. Alcohol interferes with neuron production in the brain and leads to reduced brain size, damaged brain structure, and irregular brain functioning. No amount of alcohol is safe for a mother during pregnancy, as less than one drink per day can cause birth defects. Many women that drink during pregnancy gain less weight than they should because they drink more and eat less, which results in less nutrients being delivered to the fetus. One of the worst things that comes from alcohol use is the increased risk of a miscarriage or premature birth. Excessive drinking can make the mother tired and weak, and it can cause the mother to be too weak to get through
Show More

Related Documents: Teratogens Affecting Mothers

Teratogens Prenatal Development

ninety-seven percent of all babies are born without any serious defects or deficiencies, it can and still does occur. Teratogens are agents that can cause birth defects and other problems. The focus of this essay is the impact teratogens have on prenatal development. To begin, I will discuss what teratogens are. Second, I will discuss examples of teratogens…

Words 756 - Pages 4

Brain Development Essay

outside agents that can act as a hindrance in this process. Teratogens are agents that can cause birth defects or even worse, loss of the fetus. To measure the severity of a particular teratogen, scientists must look at the dose, genetic susceptibility and time of exposure. The dose pertains to the amount of the agent that has been consumed. For example, if significant amounts of coffee are consumed on a daily basis by an expectant mother, then it is more likely the caffeine would have an ill effect…

Words 1061 - Pages 5

Teratogens Research Paper

Teratogens can be defined as “any environmental agent that causes damage during the prenatal period” (Burk). These agents are widespread in our modern society and include a wide variety of sources including drugs (including prescription, nonprescription, and street drugs), tobacco, alcohol, radiation, environmental pollution, and infectious diseases. The effects and factors of these substances varies considerably and is influenced by a number of different factors including the dose, amount of time…

Words 780 - Pages 4

Autism: Autism and Environmental Factors Essay examples

Autism is one of the most confusing and popular health conditions known. There is a lot of speculation and theories on the cause but, it still remains unknown. There are three main theories for this that I would like to touch on is genetics, environment, and the Intense World Theory. With the proper research and studies one of these theories may be the answer for a potential cure. Autism spectrum disorder is an umbrella term used to bring together a group of differing brain disorders. In previous…

Words 2619 - Pages 11

Essay about 266 Unit 1

266 M1 Obj 1: Define key words RT women’s health care: (pg. 762-763) Adjuvant therapy additional treatments that increase or enhance the action of the primary treatment Adnexa accessory organs of the uterus, such as the fallopian tubes and ovaries Amenorrhea absence of menstruation. Primary amenorrhea is a delay of the first menstruation. Secondary is cessation of menstruation after its initiation Atrophic vaginitis inflammation that occurs when the vagina becomes dry and fragile, usually as a…

Words 7156 - Pages 29