Problems and Solutions
Harmful Substances
teratogen: a harmful thing that could be result in birth defects
behavioral teratogens: Harmful things and conditions that impair intellectual and emotional functions
Some children might seem fine but it still is damaging
teratology: the study of birth abnormalities
The Critical Time
Some teratogens cause damage only during a critical period
avoid drugs
- balance your diet
- update immunizations
gain or lose weight
All before pregancy
Cigarettes are before and after harmful to the baby
Alcohol is throughout pregnancy
How Much Is Too Much?
threshold effect: the tetragon has a level before it becomes harmful
fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS): A cluster of birth defects, including abnormal facial characteristics, slow physical growth, and reduced intellectual ability, that may occur in the fetus of a woman who drinks alcohol while pregnant.
Innate Vulnerability
Twins might react differently to alcohol during pregancy because of genes
Applying the Research
Many over-the-counter drugs were grandfathered in with no studies of their possible effects during pregnancy”
Prenatal Diagnosis
false positive:The result of a laboratory test that reports something as true when in fact it is not true. This can occur for pregnancy tests, when a woman might not be pregnant even though the test says she is, or during pregnancy, when a problem is reported that actually does not exist.
Low Birthweight: Causes and Consequences
low birthweight (LBW): A body weight at birth of less than 2,500 grams (5½ pounds).
very low birthweight (VLBW):A body weight at birth of less than 1,500 grams (3 pounds, 5 ounces).
extremely low birthweight (ELBW)
A body weight at birth of less than 1,000 grams (2 pounds, 3 ounces).
Maternal Behavior and Low Birthweight
preterm
A birth that occurs before 38 weeks
small for gestational age (SGA): a term were the baby is under weight than expected
What about the Father?
Each person that has social has an affect. the stress might produce an under weight baby
immigrant paradox
The surprising, paradoxical fact that low-SES immigrant women tend to have fewer birth complications than native-born peers with higher incomes.
Complications During Birth
cerebral palsy
A disorder that results from damage to the brain’s motor centers. People with cerebral palsy have difficulty with muscle control, so their speech and/or body movements are impaired.
Anoxia often occurs for a second or two during birth, indicated by a slower fetal heart rate, with no harm done. Because their birth takes longer, twins and breech births are more likely to experience anoxia. To prevent prolonged anoxia, the fetal heart rate is monitored during labor,