What is an example of teratogen?
What is an example of teratogen?
Teratogens are substances that may produce physical or functional defects in the human embryo or fetus after the pregnant woman is exposed to the substance. Alcohol and cocaine are examples of such substances.
What are teratogens in pregnancy?
A teratogen is something that can cause birth defects or abnormalities in a developing embryo or fetus upon exposure. Teratogens include some medications, recreational drugs, tobacco products, chemicals, alcohol, certain infections, and in some cases, health problems such as uncontrolled diabetes in pregnant people.
Is smoking teratogenic?
Smoking during pregnancy increases the risk of health problems for developing babies, including preterm birth, low birth weight, and birth defects of the mouth and lip. Smoking during and after pregnancy also increases the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).
When do teratogens affect the fetus?
Experts believe that teratogens can begin affecting a baby growing in the womb about 10 to14 days after conception. Conception is when a woman’s egg is fertilized by a man’s sperm. After conception, it takes about 6 to 9 days for the egg to implant in the uterus.
How do teratogens affect babies?
As a baby grows in the womb, teratogens may affect parts of the baby’s body as they are forming. For example, the neural tube closes in the first 3 to 5 weeks of the pregnancy. During this time, teratogens can cause neural tube defects such as spina bifida.
Is vitamin A teratogenic?
Background. Studies in animals indicate that natural forms of vitamin A are teratogenic. Synthetic retinoids chemically similar to vitamin A cause birth defects in humans; as in animals, the defects appear to affect tissues derived from the cranial neural crest.
Is folic acid a teratogen?
Abstract. Nutritional deficiencies are preventable etiological and epigenetic factors causing congenital abnormalities, first cause of infant mortality. Folate deficiency has a well-established teratogenic effect, leading to an increasing risk of neural tube defects.
