No Teratogens During Pregancy Essay

The quality of life for these children is unfortunately not the best. They can have limb, facial, and organ defects, and will have stunted physical growth throughout young adult life. Prenatal exposure can also have a negative effect on motor skills, especially fine motor tasks such as writing and balancing. The disabilities depend on the mother and her drinking habits. The children of heavy drinkers while pregnant, have many more developmental problems than of those whose mother was a light drinker. The most common problems among these children with alcohol exposure are with balance, coordination, and how they are able to play and handle a ball.

Did you or someone you know smoke cigarettes while pregnant? Were you ever around someone smoking while pregnant? Have you been smoking, and recently discovered you were pregnant? “A teratogen is an environmental agent such as a drug, chemical, virus, or other factor that produces a birth defect” (Feldman, 2011 pg. 64). Nicotine is a well-known harmful chemical that is used in cigarettes. It is also a known teratogen.

Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) is physical and mental damage in a child due to alcohol exposure while in the womb. Every year, 1 in 750 infants in the U.S. are born with fetal alcohol syndrome, which is the leading known preventable cause of birth defects in the U.S. Another 40,000 children are born with fetal alcohol effects. Some infants born with fetal alcohol syndrome have symptoms such as a low birth weight, small head circumference, and facial abnormalities (e.g. smaller eye openings, flattened cheekbones, etc.). Children born with fetal alcohol syndrome also experience developmental delay, organ dysfunction, lack of imagination or curiosity, and behavioral problems (including hyperactivity, anxiety, impulsiveness, and social withdrawal. Some other symptoms include poor coordination, learning difficulties, poor social skills, and epilepsy. These symptoms are the same ones that children with fetal alcohol effects, but children with fetal alcohol effects experience them display them to a lesser degree.

The subject of trying to save children from the debilitating effects of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders is a tricky one to say the least. According to the textbook, fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) refer to certain defects in children exposed to alcohol during prenatal development. In an article entitled “The long-term neurocognitive consequences of prenatal alcohol exposure: A 14-year study” Streissguth et. al. discuss the notable effects of alcohol exposure on children directly after birth, a few years after, and several years after. Children with fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) and FASD had poor motor skills, noticeable dysmorphic facial features, learning disabilities, and slow/impaired development of social skills (Streissguth, 1999).

FAS is defined as a medical diagnosis involving four key features: alcohol exposure, growth deficiently, certain facial features, and brain damage. Infants who have been exposed to prenatal alcohol rarely show all symptoms of the medical condition FAS. Other terms have been used to describe the implication involved with FAS. Frequently used terms are: Partial Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, Alcohol-related Neurodevelopmental Disorder and Alcohol-related Birth Defects. A child with Partial Fetal Alcohol syndrome exhibits only some of the physical signs of FAS and will likely have both learning and behavioral difficulties. A child suffering from Alcohol-related Neurodevelopmental Disorder will demonstrate signs of neural damage, problems with memory, poor social skills, and learning difficulties. Children diagnosed with

In 1996, the United States Institue of Medicine published Fetal Alcohol Syndrome: Diagnosis, Epidemiology, Prevention and Treatment. The book created four diagnostic categories for disorders caused by prenatal alcohol exposure. They were: Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS), Partial Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (PFAS), Alcohol Related Birth Defects (ARBD) and Alcohol Related Neurodevelopmental Disorders (ARND)(Stratton,1996). The differences between the disorders include the types of defects expressed and whether or not maternal alcohol consumption is confirmed. For example, ARND is characterized by intellectual disabilities and behavior and learning problems in the absence of physical defects. ARBD, on the other hand, lacks apparent neurobehavioral or brain disorders, but physical defects linked to prenatal alcohol exposure are present. (NOFAS)

1308). Fetal alcohol syndrome is a condition which may exist in infants when their mothers have abused alcoholic beverages during the term of their pregnancy. Fetal alcohol syndrome generally results in physical, mental and emotional damage to the offspring. For example, such infants are almost always of a smaller size and weight than normal infants at birth, and are found to have a smaller overall brain size as well. It has been noted that these factors often lead to developmental delays, fine-motor problems, and a higher risk of academic problems once the child enters school (Streissguth, 1986, p. 23). Fetal alcohol syndrome has also been related to such malformations in infancy as mental retardation, cerebral palsy and hyperactivity. In terms of learning disability, it has been found that fetal alcohol syndrome often results in decreased attention span and other difficulties which may require special education needs when the child reaches school age (Abel & Sokol, 1986, p. 330). Studies with laboratory animals have also indicated that fetal alcohol syndrome may be responsible for the impairment of learning and memory functions in the hippocampus area of the brain (p. 330). It has been noted that many of the incidental problems in infants caused by fetal alcohol syndrome can be overcome with corrective surgery;

Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) refers to the physical and mental disabilities or abnormalities resulting from maternal alcohol use while fetal alcohol effects (FAE) or partial FAS refer to other abnormalities such as social, sensory, or behavioral. The uniformity of FASD is utilized to include those suffering from substantial impairment to include not only those with FAS but also comprising alcohol neuro-developmental disorder (ARND) and/or alcohol related birth defects (ARBD). Estimates suggest that individuals having the complete range of partial FAS or ARBD equates to “at least 10 in 1000…translating to 40,000 children born every year…and far more common than other more well known developmental disabilities, such as Down syndrome and autism”

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder is a preventable disorder that affects many youth in our society. It is a cognitive disorder that affects their lives in many different ways such as relationships, education, employment, financially and socially. Olson, Feldman, Streissguth, Sampson, and Brookstein (1998) describe “Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) as a serious developmental disability caused by the teratogenic effects of prenatal alcohol exposure on the growing fetus. FAS are defined by a characteristic pattern of prenatal and/or post-natal growth deficiency, specific cranio facial malformations and variable central nervous system (CNS) dysfunction”. One of the most debilitating affects of the disorder is that it is an invisible disorder if not detected

Within the foetus, embryonic nerve cells grow exponentially, then migrate to their destinations and develop into a vast collection of distinctive neuronal cell categories unique to their specific function. In prearranged patterns, the cells later form networks with other brain cells. The metabolic process of alcohol instigates makes the cells vulnerable to cell damage by free radicals (harmful substances). Research has suggested that “free radical damage can kill sensitive populations of brain cells at critical times of development in the first trimester of pregnancy (Cartwright, M.M).” Additional experiments have suggested that the third trimester is a particularly susceptible stage for damage to brain cells linked to FASD. The metabolic breakdown of alcohol interferes with brain development through the alteration of the function or production of natural regulatory substances that assist in the promotion of the differentiation and orderly growth of

Exposure to alcohol during prenatal development is one of the leading causes of preventable birth defects and mental impairments (Bower, Szajer, Mattson, Riley, & Murphy, 2013; Nuñez, Roussotte, &Sowell, 2011; Sowell et al., 2008a). Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS), the more severe form of PAE, affects two to seven out of every 1000 individuals in the United States (May et al., as cited in Simmons, Thomas, Levy & Riley, 2010). The term Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) describes an individual with varying levels of PAE. Sampson et al. (as cited in Simmons at al., 2010) estimated that one in every 100 individuals suffers from some form of FASD. With such a high prevalence in the population, numerous studies have been done showing the

Part (1)The embryonic period is considered the critical period where teratogens are more likely to have a lasting effect among developing creatures (Arnett, 2015). Arnett (2015) stated that Teratogens are triggered by environmental factors, bad decisions done by the mother, or being unhealthy. During the embryonic period, important organs are developing rapidly; therefore, teratogens can harm the development because the embryo and fetus are susceptible to them. Those organs include the brain, limbs, and heart. Additionally, the main teratogens are due to diseases, drug usage, and lack of proper nutrition. Some of the health consequences that can arise are heart abnormalities and mental retardation (Arnett, 2015). Part (2) The advice that I

Fetal alcohol syndrome is caused when women during their pregnancy drink alcohol and cause developmental problems that can affect the fetus and infant for the rest of his or her life. Fetal alcohol syndrome can cause facial abnormalities, mental retardation, and a significant decrease in overall growth of the fetus.1 There are numerous studies about prevalence of fetal alcohol syndrome, and its effects on physical, neurological, and socioemotional functions of children. Many studies highlight that the risk of fetal alcohol increases by the amount of alcohol a woman drinks during her pregnancy. Many studies also support the idea that the more alcohol that is consumed during pregnancy, the greater the severity of the associated abnormalities that are found in the child. Because there is no cure for fetal alcohol syndrome, researchers have tried to achieve successful prevention plans by studying several options that could be implemented. The work that has been done to try and help children who have fetal alcohol syndrome is extensive but allows for further research.2

Even a small amount of alcohol has the potential to hurt the child. The unborn child of a person who occasionally drinks is at risk of receiving fetal alcohol effects. This condition causes children to receive some of the same of the same effects that come from fetal alcohol syndrome. A child may not receive any of these conditions due to a mother’s alcohol consumption, but there are still some potential effects. Evidence shows that when a pregnant mother consumes an average of two alcoholic beverages per day, her child may have a lower amount of intelligence and is also at risk for having mental retardation. Also, there is research that suggests that even low quantities of alcohol consumed during pregnancy can have contrary effects on the child’s behavioral and psychological functions, and can cause a child to exhibit behaviors such as hyperactivity, unusual nervousness or anxiety, and poor impulse control. Alcohol consumption during pregnancy can also cause children to have less accuracy in their spatial and visual reasoning later in their lives. Due to these results, Sarah should be advised to not drink alcohol while she is

Teratogens can harm an embryo. Most will not kill an embryo. However, any large quantity of teratogens like nicotine will