1. By Stacey Philip (investigator) 12/07/08 Ahmara Gibbons Jane McGregor Mast Charter School

2.  Introduction  Hypertensives Benefit the Mother  Beta-Blockers Can Pose Danger to the Fetus  Antihypertensives for preeclampsia can affect the fetus  Hypothesis

3.  Why is it important to study the effects of hypertensives on embryos?  Pregnant women are already prone to hypertension such as pre­eclampsia and need to know if they should treat it, or ignore and try to control it.  Women who take hypertensives may not know they are pregnant and should know if hypertensives are causing harm to the embryo.

4.  Do antihypertensives (medicine that reduces and/or controls blood pressure) affect the perinatal in chronic or late hypertension??  Antihypertensives benefit the mother but the effect of the embryo is less clear. However, certain effects did occur during the study:  Smaller infants for those who were treated with atenolol (a type of antihypertensive.  Respiratory Distress Syndrome was decreased BMJ. Clinical Review. 5 December 2008

5.  Does any type of hypertension drug effect an unborn child?  Beta-blockers:  Delay spontaneous respiration  Cause bradycardia (slow heart rate  Cause hypoglycemia (low glucose in blood)  Cause hyperbilirubinemia (high bilirubin in blood)  Atenolol :  Can cause lower weight  Propanolol:  Can cause all of the above plus growth retardation and birth apnea. Heart Views. Vol 1. No. 4. 1999.

6.  Is the fetus affected when the mother is treated for preeclampsia?  Antihypertensives are given to the mother to lower the blood pressure.  Causes the fetal growth to reduce rapidly.  Causes abruptio placentae (seperation of placenta and uterus) UptoDate. Last literature review version 16.3. 2008.

7.  The question/problem I am planning to do is to see if whether hypertensives or antihypertensives have any effect on the embryo of zebrafish and how it can affect their growth.  Based on the data I collected, the hypertensives will have a small effect on zebrafish embryos, such as stunt growth. If there are severe effects, they will be rare.