Prenatal Development: Environmental Factors (III)

Drugs Taken by the Parents

1. Thalidomide

• In the 1960s, it was used to treat insomnia and nausea.
• Now, it is used to treat disorders as various as dermatological problems and Kaposi's sarcoma.
• Effects: babies with missing or stunted limbs will be born

2. Antibiotics

• Tetracycline is usually prescribed for bacterial infections.
• Effects: babies with yellowed teeth and bone abnormalities.

Prenatal Development: Environmental Factors (II)

B. Teratogens and Health Problems of the Mother

• Teratogens are environmental agents that can harm the embryo or fetus (e.g., drugs, alcohol, radiation, etc.)
• The harmful effects of teratogens varies according to the critical period that correspond to the times when organs are developing.
• For example, the heart is most vulnerable to certain teratogens in the third to fifth weeks after conception. Thus, the same teratogens that can harm a 4-week-old embryo may have no effect on a 4-month-old fetus.

Prenatal Development: Environmental Factors (I)

There's nothing much we can do if a child's defect in development is due to natural factors, commonly known as the heredity factors (the genetics). But, as technology progresses, scientists have identified more of external factors that could affect baby's development and growth. Compared to natural factors, we could take necessary action and prevention, thanks to sound knowledge and understanding of these factors. So, here I lay out some of the environmental factors that could affect prenatal development and actions that could be taken to address the issue.

A. Nutrition

How a mother's nutrition affects the prenatal development?

• Malnutrition in the mother is associated with low birth weight, prematurity, stunted growth, retardation of brain development, cognitive deficiencies, behavioral problems, and cardiovascular disease.
• Mother's obesity is linked to a higher risk of stillbirth and neural tube defects (brain, spinal cords and related structures don't form properly).

Neural Tube Defects.

What should a pregnant woman eat?

• To give birth a healthy baby, a pregnant women should consume a well-rounded diet, i.e., food high in: 
• protein - red meat, fish, poultry, eggs, beans, milk, cheese
• Vitamin A - milk, vegetables
• Vitamin B - wheat germs, whole grain breads, liver
• Vitamin C - citrus food
• Vitamin D - fish-liver oil, and sunshine exposure
• Vitamin E - whole grains, eggs, peanuts, some vegetables
• calcium - dairy products
• iron - meat (esp. liver), egg yolks, fish, raisins
• minerals zinc and cobalt - seafood
• calories
• folic acid - leafy green vegetables
• Pregnant women who take folic acid supplements reduce the risk of babies having the neural tube defects.
• Those who eat a balanced diet don't require to take supplements but most doctors recommend them to be safe.

Sources of folic acid

What is the normal gain in weight for pregnant women?

• Inadequate weight gain increases the likelihood of having a premature or low-birth-weight baby.
• The desirable weight gain is between 10kg to 15 kg of gain during pregnancy.

To read on other external factors, click here.

Reference:
Rathus, S. A. (2008). Childhood and Adolescence: Voyages in Development. Belmont, CA: Thomson Wadsworth.