Teratogens

The meaning of Teratogens has come from two Greek root words. Terata stands for an
abnormally developed and unusually looking fetus, and -gen means production. Teratogens
are chemical, biological or physical factors that might cause an abnormal development of a
fetus in the mothers womb. Remarkably, during the pregnancy there are a few periods when
the action of teratogens can be more or less severe. The first week of pregnancy reflects a
phenomenal rule all-or-nothing: the conceptus either dies under effect of teratogens or
survives without any harm from them. A period between three to eight weeks of pregnancy is
considered to be the most critical. During this time all organs of the embryo start to form and
they are incredibly sensitive to harmful factors. Exposure to teratogens in this period can cause
severe malformations of the baby, or even death. In a later term, between nine weeks and until
birth, teratogens can be a reason of impaired function of the babys organs and can affect future
mental and physical development.

Harmful Teratogens
Ionizing Radiation
High dose of ionizing radiation over a short period of time leads to abnormal brain development,
mental retardation, and leukemia in children. This information has come from studies of
consequences the atomic bomb explosions over Hiroshima and Nagasaki. However, medical
diagnostic x-ray procedures have much smaller dose of radiation and appear to be safe even
with several performed procedures during pregnancy. There is a different situation with a
computer tomography (CT) diagnostic procedure. Even a single computer tomography scan
(CT-scan) creates a radiation exposure dose that equals to tens of x-rays and should be avoid
during pregnancy.

Chemicals
Organic mercury (methylmercury) compounds can be extremely dangerous for the developing
fetus in a small dose that would not bring any symptoms to an adult human. Pregnant women
should not eat some type of fish with possible high methylmercury levels as this mercury
compound would be easily delivered to the babys body. An individual can find more detailed
information about contaminated fish at www.seafoodwatch.org . Organic mercury exposure can
lead to damage of neural system, mental retardation, behavioral and cognitive problems, and
blindness in a baby.

Category D Drugs
Category D drugs include several drugs with definite teratogenic effect on a human fetus.
However, in some situations these drugs can be used if benefits of drug use outweigh potential
risk. Among these drugs are several antibiotics, neurologic, and psychiatric drugs.

Category X Drugs
Category X drugs should not be used during pregnancy because their teratogenic risks
outweigh drugs benefits. Among these Category X drugs is thalilomide. Thalilomide was widely
used in many countries in the late 1950s as a sedative and anti-nausea drug. In fact, it was
often prescribed to prevent pregnancy related morning sickness. The result of use of this
highly teratogenic drug was catastrophic: thousands of babies were born with severely
underdeveloped arms and legs, multiple defects of internal organs, and facial abnormalities.
Thalilomide use was called, One of biggest medical mistakes and this drug was withdrawn
from the market in the early 1960s. This tragic outcome paved the way for much stricter drug
tests for and drug prescriptions to pregnant women. In fact, in the U.S.A. thalilomide impact was
minimal as FDA inspector Dr. Frances Kelsey had refused to approve thalilomide for sale in the
U.S.A. pharmaceutical market after she analyzed some speculations about possible teratogenic
effects and inquired more investigations.

Toxoplasma
Toxoplasma is a single-celled protozoapre-animalthat can be an infection of other
animals. Cats are known hosts of toxoplasma and a human might be infected after handling the
infected cats feces and not washing hands properly after that action. Toxoplasma may also be
contracted by eating undercooked meats, trying raw minced meat while cooking, or not washing
hands or utensils properly after meat handling. If a pregnant woman was never exposed to
toxoplasma before pregnancy and had not developed the immunity, the obtaining of toxoplasma
infection during pregnancy can be extremely dangerous to the baby. It can lead to spontaneous
abortion or delivery of the dead infant; or the baby might have underdevelopment of the brain,
brain calcifications, blindness, and seizures.

Syphilis Bacteria
Syphilis is a sexually transmitted disease caused by very small, corkscrew shaped bacteria
Treponemes. If left untreated, this disease progresses through three clinical stages, causing
severe damage to a persons health. If a pregnant woman has syphilis and is not treated
quickly, these tiny bacteria travel with her blood to the babys body. Syphilis infection can be a
cause of fetal death and spontaneous abortion, or can result in the delivery of the dead baby, or
the baby can die within several days of life.

Viruses

Rubella or German measles virus exposure to the fetus can be a culprit of congenital
heart defects, deafness, and blindness. Rubella virus can also be a cause of abnormal
brain development and other internal organs, and creates characteristic bluish-red skin
lesions known as blueberry muffin spots. Fortunately, if the mother had rubella in the past
or was vaccinated against the rubella virus before pregnancy, her immune system will
eliminate the rubella virus before it can reach the fetus.

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is the most common type of fetal infection because of the
ubiquitous nature of this virus. Fortunately, 90% of the babies born with CMV exposure
have no symptoms. However, in some babies, CMV can be a cause of underdevelopment
of the brain, calcifications inside of the brain, blindness, deafness, dysfunction of the liver
and spleen, jaundice or lesions on the skin known as blueberry muffin spots.

Herpes virus infection, in about 5% of cases, can infect a baby in the uterus. The
consequences are catastrophicfrom fetal death to permanent problems like
underdevelopment and/or calcification of the brain, blindness, or abnormal limb formation.
If the herpes virus was acquired by the baby during or just after the delivery, the baby will
get herpetic pneumonia or meningoencephalitis.

Varicella zoster virus is a cause of chickenpox (mostly in children), and herpes zoster or
shingles (mostly in seniors). If a pregnant woman would contract varicella zoster virus for
the first time during the pregnancy, there is a 25-40% risk that the fetus will have
underdeveloped limbs, brain or eye malformations, and specific zig-zag skin scarring. If
varicella zoster virus was transmitted to the baby just before the delivery, an infant can
suffer from severe varicella zoster pneumonia. Like with rubella virus, if the mother had
chickenpox in the past or was vaccinated against the rubella virus in her childhood or
before pregnancy, her immune system will eliminate the rubella virus before it can reach
the baby.

Cocaine and Amphetamine

Cocaine and amphetamine act on nerve cells and nerve fibers. In medical practice, cocaine
compounds are sometimes used for local anesthesia; amphetamine compounds are used to
treat some neurologic or psychiatric disorders. Cocaine and amphetamine are also well-known
recreational drugs of abuse. They belong to the stimulant type of abused recreational drugs,
creating similar affects of euphoria, increased capacity, and self-esteem. Some individuals
develop drug dependence very quickly, and these drugs are easy to overdose. Pregnant women
who use cocaine or amphetamine during pregnancy put their children at risk for the abnormal
development of many organs.

Nicotine
Nicotine is a highly addictive chemical substance found in tobacco products. Smoking, chewing
tobacco or even second-hand cigarette smoke exposure during pregnancy delivers nicotine to
the mothers blood and has a significant impact on the mothers body and on the fetus.
Additionally, cigarette smoke contains other toxic substances like cyanides and carbon
monoxide. One of nicotines effects is an action on blood vessels and the reduction of blood flow
in the uterus. This effect lasts much longer than the time of tobacco exposure.

Alcohol
The most common effect of alcohol impact on an unborn child is mental retardation. Alcohol is
extremely toxic to developing brain cells. In fact, consumption of alcohol during pregnancy is the
leading cause of mental retardation in children. This very sad consequence can be easily

avoided if a pregnant woman would not consume alcoholic beverages during pregnancy.
Alcohol may also be a cause of birth defects like an abnormally small head, abnormally small
eyes or other deformities in the middle portion of the face, congenital heart defects, and
deformities of the legs or arms. Consumption of alcoholic drinks during pregnancy is also a
common cause of delayed fetal growth and a low birth weight that can have a remarkable
negative impact on a childs physical and mental health in the future.
Source: http://akorra.com/2010/11/25/10-harmful-teratogens/