1. Other causes of birth defects

2. Environmental Factors that cause birth defects
Medicines – prescribed and over the counter
Caffeine
Nicotine
Illegal drugs
Inhalants

3. Prescription drugs and over the counter drugs
The chemicals found in some medications can cause severe harm, including cognitive deficit or delay, slow growth, infections or bleeding at birth
Ex.
Thalidomide – 1950’s
5000 babies were born with birth defects

5. Tetra-amelia syndrome, also called Autosomal recessive tetraamelia,[ is a very rare autosomal recessive congenital disorder characterized by the absence of all four limbs.
Other areas of the body are also affected by malformations, such as the face, skull, reproductive organs, and pelvis.
The disorder is caused by mutations in the WNT3 gene.

6.
Tetra-amelia syndrome

7. Caffeine
One 12 oz cup (200 mg) of coffee or caffeinated soft drinks per day is acceptable.
Over this amount could increase miscarriage, low birth weight, and a higher risk of infant death.

8. Tobacco Smoking can cause: Low birth weights Premature birth
Respiratory infections and allergies among newborns.
Nicotine from secondhand smoke has similar effects.

9. Illegal drugs
A mother who is addicted to a drug usually passes the addiction on to her baby.
All drugs in the mother’s bloodstream pass through the placenta directly to the baby.
Infants must go through a painful period of withdrawal.
Learning and behavioral difficulties can result.

10. Illegal Drugs Cocaine can cause sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)
death of a baby under of year of age with no clear cause.

11. X-Rays Radiations from X-rays can cause birth defects.
Abdominal shields should be worn.

12. Hazardous substances and chemicals
Paint
Pesticides
Lead
Mercury
Paint thinners used in work places

13. Infections Some infections pose more risk to the fetus than others.
Rubella, also known as German measles or three-day measles, is an infection caused by the rubellavirus. 
Rubella- can cause blindness, deafness, heart disease and mental retardation in babies.
Toxoplasmosis – infection caused by a parasite which is found all over the world.
Can cause blindness, hearing loss and learning disabilities, and stillbirth.

14. To avoid this infection:
Never clean a cats litter box
Never eat undercooked meat
Wash hands immediately and thoroughly after touching raw meat.

15. Chicken Pox
Depending on when the expecting mother gets chicken pox will depend on the risk.
If an expecting mother gets chicken pox during the first half to her pregnancy the baby is at a slight risk of congenital varicella syndrome.
This condition causes scarring of the skin, limb defects, eye problems and other serious abnormalities.

17. War and birth defects
birth-defects-spike-in-fallujah.html

18. Ice storm stress affected pregnant women's offspring, study suggests Children may be at greater risk of developing asthma, diabetes and obesity
Article

19. Scans and tests Prenatal ultrasound scan images
See how your baby develops from a tiny mass of cells to a fully developed baby by looking at our ultrasound images for every week.
1st -10 and 14 weeks pregnant

20. Amniocentesis
An amniocentesis is a test in which the cells that are floating in the fluid surrounding the fetus are examined for the chromosomal pattern of the fetus.
Test for Down Syndrome when the expectant mother is over 35
Amniocentesis carries a risk of losing the pregnancy of about 1:200 or 0.5%.

21. Amniocentesis carries a risk of losing the pregnancy of about 1:200 or 0.5%.
Chorionic Villis Sampling
Uses a sample of the tissue from the membrane that encases the fetus.

22. Single Screen Test A Single Screen looks for alpha fetoprotein (AFP).
If this were high, it would suggest an increased risk of spina bifida
A low level of AFP suggests an increased risk of Down Syndrome.

23. Pregnancy After Age 35, Does the Risk Birth Defects Increase?
The risk of giving birth to a child with a birth defect does increase as the mother's age increases
. This is probably due to abnormal division of the egg, called nondisjunction. This leads to unequal chromosomes at the end of division.
The traditional age at which a woman is considered to be at high risk for chromosomal abnormalities is 35.
about 1 in 100 babies born with Down syndrome from women in their 40s

24. Pregnancy before 20
Pregnancy and childbirth complications are the second cause of death among 15 to 19 year olds globally.
Early childbearing increases the risks for both mothers and their newborns. 
The younger the mother, the greater the risk to the baby.
Newborns born to adolescent mothers are also more likely to have low birth weight, with the risk of long-term effects.