TERATOGEN Objectives You will be able to… Analyze environmental factors that affect fetal development Determine ways to prevent some birth defects Create an informational advertisement to new parents about common teratogens.

Teratogen: Anything that increases the risk of prenatal abnormalities Behavioral Teratogen: causes no physical defect, but affects the brain, making the child hyperactive, antisocial, or learning-disabled.

Types of Teratogens Prescription Drugs Pollutants Social/Illegal Drugs Disease/Viruses Radiation/Chemical Warfare Malnutrition Stress

Determining the extent of damage to the fetus depends on……. 1. Critical Time of Exposure If exposure occurs during the embryonic period: will result in major impairments and malformations Exposure during the fetal period: results in growth impairments of the brain, eyes and genitals

2. Duration of Exposure The length of time the mother is exposed to the teratogen greatly influences the effects on the fetus. Example: The mother visits a friend’s house where people smoke inside. She only stays over for a few hours. The mother lives in a house where people smoke inside. She is exposed everyday.

3. Genetic Susceptibility- Genes influence the effects of a teratogen: Example: The way the mother metabolizes a certain drug will determine how much the fetus will be exposed to it.

THINK, WRITE, PAIR, SHARE Think of some examples of TIME (how many weeks gestation) and DURATION (how long was the mother exposed to the toxins) What kinds of toxins could someone be exposed to over a long period of time (When)? How long? Which areas of the body would be affected? Why? What kinds of toxins might need only a little bit of time to cause damage? How long? Which areas? Why?

LEFT HAND SIDE OF NOTEBOOK 1 What? When ? 2 3 Which area? How long? 4 5 Why?

Teratogen Chart

Thalidomide (prescription drug) Was a prescription drug sold mainly during the late 1950’s early 1960’s, used to alleviate morning sickness. Critical period for exposure is during organogenesis Specificity of malformations is linked to time of exposure: 35-37 days- no ears 39-41 days- no arms 41-43 days- no uterus 45-47 days- no tibia 47-49 days triphalangeal thumbs http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8ucuLpECNw

Industrial Chemicals Cleansers, varnishes, lacquers, resins, leads, pesticides, herbicides (agent orange) and mercury (Minimata Disease) http://fyiliving.com/videos/fish-to-avoid-during-pregnancy/

Illegal Drugs, Alcohol and Tobacco Low birth weight Born addicted to drugs Withdrawal symptoms Fetal Alcohol syndrome Behavioral problems/impulse control

Radiation/Chemical Warfare

Maternal Disease Rubella Herpes simplex, AIDS Chickenpox If the mother has these diseases- can cause serious malformations, mental retardation and miscarriage or Infant mortality.

Other Maternal Influences Malnutrition (lack of necessary vitamins, minerals and proteins) FOLIC ACID- Is a B-vitamin that helps create new cells. Spina Bifida http://www.qualityhealth.com/pregnancy-videos/preventing-spina-bifida-newborns-folic-acid Stress/Anxiety Altered Metabolism (Diabetes mellitus)

ACTIVITY Go to www.otispregnancy.org Click on “FACTSHEETS” in the right toolbar Choose 1 factsheet to research Make an informative flyer including: Definition- 5pts Common reason a woman would be exposed to this potential teratogen- 5pts In your own words: Can this potential teratogen cause birth defects?- 5pts Conclusion: What would you suggest if someone asked you if exposure to this potential teratogen was ok? – 5pts 20 POINTS TOTAL!

References http://www.whale.to/a/gulf32.html http://a.abcnews.com/Health/popup?id=4610286&contentIndex=1&page=2&start=false http://www.kianh.org.uk/agentorange.htm http://hidhist.wordpress.com/category/gulf-war-syndrome/ http://www.who.int/violence_injury_prevention/violence/world_report/factsheets/ft_child.pdf http://www.who.int/ceh/risks/en/ http://carolguze.com/text/442-13-teratogens.shtml http://www.pixelpress.org/chernobyl/index.html http://books.elsevier.com/companions/0240804155/crack/crack1.htm http://www.whale.to/a/gulf32.html http://embryology.med.unsw.edu.au/Defect/rubella.htm (awesome website!!) Slater, A. & Lewis, M. (2007). Introduction to infant development. New York: Oxford University Press.