Research Paper on "Effects of Teratogens on the Developing Fetus and Child"

Research Paper 4 pages (1373 words) Sources: 4

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Teratogens on the developing fetus and child

Teratogens are toxic agents that can cause abnormal development that may lead to birth defects. It can also be viewed as any exposure that can cause harm to the unborn or a breastfeeding baby. Teratogenic substance does not affect each developing fetus in the same way. The highest risk posed by the teratogens on the fetus is during the development of organs i.e. organogenesis. There are a number of teratogens such as alcohol, prescribed or non-prescribed medications, illegal drugs, vaccines, illnesses, environmental exposures, occupational exposures or even maternal autoimmune disorders. Every woman has 3-5%risk of a baby that is born with a defect, however this risk may be increased greatly and all this is dependent on when exactly during the pregnancy is the teratogen exposed to the woman, the dose or amount that the woman is exposed to and the route of exposure. Defects that will be presented later like growth development and some functional impairment are usually hard to relate to teratogen exposure since the time between birth and impairment detection there can be exposure to other toxicants which may pose a great challenge in identifying the particular toxicant that is responsible (Gilbert, 2009)

This paper will look at alcohol as a teratogen, its effects on fetus and brain. Some of the long-term problems that the child can demonstrate due to the effects of alcohol as a teratogen will also be looked at. Finally the prognosis of their problem will be addressed and the significance of looking at alcohol as a teratogen to the general public.

Alcohol as a teratogen

Alcohol is among the known teratogenic agents, Ethanol-ethyl alcohol to be precise. It all depends on the amount that the pregnant woman consumes of the alcohol; the amounts will therefore determine the risk of miscarriage and the child birth defects. Alcohol when consumed during pregnancy can lead to behavioral, neurological and also skeletal problem in the baby after birth.

Effects of alcohol on the fetus and brain

A small moderate amount can cause Fetal Alcohol Effect which increases the risk of miscarriage, delays in development and child becomes hyperactive. On the other hand heavy use of alcohol eventually leads to Fetal Alcohol Syndrome which sees the increase of risk of miscarriage to a higher rate, the development of a small head size of a baby, some abnormalities in the face such as small eyes and nose, small nails, heart defects, learning difficulties, mental retardation, ear abnormalities and behavioral problems. Fetal alcohol syndrome is therefore is the term, which describes the patterns of birth defects that is found in children of mothers who consume alcohol when they are pregnant.

When MRI images of children with FAS is compared to brains of non-FAS children there is an indication that the brains deep gray matter is reduced in all regions of the brains of children with FAS.The deep gray matter serves as the brains relay station that sends and receives signals between the cortical regions of the brain, a healthy deep gray matter is essential for learning, memory, motor functions and emotions. The alcohol drunk by a pregnant mother therefore cause the deep gray matter of the unborn child not to develop as it would if there was no exposure to alcohol. This therefore causes these children to have les communication between the different regions of their brains (Buddy, 2012).

Long-term effects of alcohol fetus and child

Children who have been exposed to alcohol prenatally will develop a variety of problems in the long run this include; verbal learning, the children will exhibit a variety of problem in language and memory. Infants who are just learning to speak will have a difficulty in their quest to try and speak. On the other hand elementary school children will have a problem in class when they are taught as they only learn fewer words at a go. These problems are attributed to the initial stages of memory formation i.e. encoding but once they encode this they can retain the information and recall it. It will also cause fine and gross motor… READ MORE

How to Reference "Effects of Teratogens on the Developing Fetus and Child" Research Paper in a Bibliography

Related Research Papers:

Children in Foster Care Term Paper

Children in Foster Homes

Children have an entitlement to safe, stable, and nurturing families. However, to most children, this is a dream that is yet to come true, since abuse… read more

Term Paper 4 pages (1240 words) Sources: 4 Style: APA Topic: Child Development / Youth / Teens

---

Child Abuse and How it Relates to the Developmental Stages of Erickson Thesis

Child Abuse & Erik Erikson

On child abuse

Child abuse is a pressing problem that knows no race, color, ethnicity or religion. It transcends geographic lines and cuts across socio-economic… read more

Thesis 5 pages (2148 words) Sources: 6 Style: APA Topic: Child Development / Youth / Teens

---

Child Abuse and Neglect in America Term Paper

Child Abuse and Neglect in America

Child abuse is a problem that has a major cost to society. It is said that more children are reported to have sustained abuse… read more

Term Paper 8 pages (2490 words) Sources: 1+ Topic: Child Development / Youth / Teens

---

Child Soldiers of Sierra Leone Research Paper

Child Soldiers of Sierra Leone

Childhood is supposed to be a time for innocence, the only time in a person's long life where their cares are allowed to be limited… read more

Research Paper 10 pages (3473 words) Sources: 10 Topic: Child Development / Youth / Teens

---

Child Abuse and Neglect Research Paper

Child Abuse and Neglect

How the Aspect of Maltreatment Affects Children in the following areas:

School Performance: A study undertaken by Eckenrode, Laird and Doris in 1993 investigated the relationship… read more

Research Paper 3 pages (870 words) Sources: 6 Topic: Child Development / Youth / Teens

---

View 100+ more related papers  >>