Module 14: Critical Issues during Prenatal Development Flashcards
What are the chromosomal abnormalities that may develop during prenatal development?
- Down Syndrome (Trisomy 21)
- Klinefelter Syndrome
- Fragile X Syndrome
- Turner Syndrome (Monosomy X)
- XYY Syndrome (Jacob’s Syndrome)
- Edward’s Syndrome (Trisomy 18)
- Patau’s Syndrome (Trisomy 13)
Down Syndrome (Trisomy 21)
Extra copy of chromosome 21
Klinefelter Syndrome
Extra X Chromosome (XXY)
Fragile X Syndrome
Abnormality in X chromosome causes ID
Turner Syndrome (Monosomy X)
Missing X chromosome for females
XYY Syndrome (Jacob’s Syndrome)
Extra Y chromosome
Edward’s Syndrome (Trisomy 18)
Extra copy of chromosome 18
Patau’s Syndrome (Trisomy 13)
Extra copy of chromosome 13
Treatment of Down Syndrome (Trisomy 21)
Surgery, SPED
Treatment of Klinefelter Syndrome
Hormone Therapy
Treatment of Fragile X Syndrome
SPED, Speech Therapy
Treatment of Turner Syndrome (Monosomy X)
Hormone Therapy
Treatment of XYY Syndrome (Jacob’s Syndrome)
no treatment
Treatment of Edward’s Syndrome (Trisomy 18)
no treatment
Treatment of Patau’s Syndrome (Trisomy 13)
no treatment
What are the gene-linked abnormalities that can occur during prenatal development?
- Cystic Fibrosis
- Diabetes
- Hemophilia
- Huntington’s
- Phenylketonuria
- Sickle-Cell Anemia
- Spina Bifida
- Tay-Sachs Disease
- Anencephaly
- Polycystic Kidney Disease
- Alpha antitrypsin Deficiency
- Alpha Thalassemia
- Beta Thalassemia (Cooley’s Anemia)
- Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy
Cystic Fibrosis
Overproduction of mucus in the lungs and digestive tract
Diabetes
Does not produce enough insulin
Hemophilia
Delayed blood clotting
Huntington’s
CNS deteriorates producing problem in muscles and mental decline
Phenylketonuria
Build up of Phenylalanine in the body
Sickle-Cell Anemia
Limits body oxygen supply
Spina Bifida
Incompletely closed spinal canal
Tay-Sachs Disease
Accumulation of lipids in the NS
Anencephaly
Absence of brain tissue
Polycystic Kidney Disease
Enlarged Kidneys
Alpha antitrypsin Deficiency
Cirrhosis of the liver in early infancy
Alpha Thalassemia
Severe Anemia; nearly all die soon after birth
Beta Thalassemia (Cooley’s Anemia)
Severe Anemia; fatal in adolescence or Young adulthood
Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy
Males with muscle weakness, minor mental retardation
Treatment of Cystic Fibrosis
Physical Therapy
Treatment of Diabetes
Insulin
Treatment of Hemophilia
Blood transfusions
Treatment of Huntington’s
no treatment
Treatment of Phenylketonuria
Special Diet
Treatment of Sickle-Cell Anemia
Penicillin, Antibiotics, Pain Reliever
Treatment of Spina Bifida
Surgery
Treatment of Tay-Sachs Disease
Medication, Special Diet
Treatment of Anencephaly
no treatment
Treatment of Polycystic Kidney Disease
Kidney Transplant
Treatment of Alpha antitrypsin Deficiency
No treatment
Treatment of Alpha Thalassemia
Frequent Blood Transfusion
Treatment of Beta Thalassemia (Cooley’s Anemia)
Blood Transfusions
Treatment of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy
no treatment
Anoxia
oxygen shortage
What are some reasons that could cause anoxia?
+ Could be umbilical cord becomes pinched or tangled at birth
+ Could also be the position during birth (breech position)
What could anoxia cause?
+ Can initially cause poor reflexes, seizures, heart rate irregularities, and breathing difficulties
+ Can also lead so Cerebral Palsy
Cerebral Palsy
difficulty controlling muscle movements
What increased risks may individuals with anoxia face?
Increases the risk of learning or intellectual disabilities and speech difficulties
Low Birth Weight Infants
weigh less than 5 pounds and 8 ounces at birth
Very Low birth Weight
less than 3 pounds 4 ounces
Extremely Low Birth
less than 2 pounds
Pre-term Infants
born three weeks or more before pregnancy reach full term (before the completion of 37 weeks of gestation)
Small for Date Infants (Small for Gestational Age Infants)
those whose birth weight is below normal when the length of pregnancy is considered
Progestin
might help in reducing preterm birth
Extremely Preterm
born less than 28 weeks gestation
Very Preterm
less than 33 weeks
Kangaroo Care
involves skin-to-skin contact in which the baby, wearing only diaper, is held upright against the parent’s bare chest to help stabilize the preterm’s heartbeat, temp, and breathing
Respiratory Distress Syndrome
A condition commonly faced by preterm babies wherein there is a lack of surfactant (lung-coating substance) that keeps air sacs from collapsing
Postmature Babies
tend to be long and this because they have kept growing in the womb but have had an insufficient blood supply toward the end of gestation
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome
crib death; sudden death of an infant under age 1 which cause of death remains unexplained
Miscarriages
+ short-lived pregnancies
+ expulsion from the uterus of an embryo that is unable to survive outside the womb
+ also known as Spontaneous Abortion
+ Less than 20 weeks
Stillbirth
miscarriage occurred after 20 weeks of gestation (approx. 5 months)
Between males and females who are the most likely to be spontaneously aborted or to be stillborn?
Males are more likely to be spontaneously aborted or to be stillborn
Teratogen
environmental agent that can interfere with normal prenatal development
At what stage of prenatal development are the effects of teratogen worst?
Effects are worst during the critical period, when the organs are developing rapidly
What happens when the level of exposure to teratogen is high?
The greater the level of exposure and the longer the exposure to teratogen, the more likely it is that serious damage will occur
What is one’s susceptibility to harm influenced by?
Susceptibility to harm is influenced by unborn child’s and mother’s genetic makeup
What do the effects of teratogen depend on?
The effects of teratogen depend on the quality of both the prenatal and the postnatal environment
Teratology
field of study that investigates the causes of birth defects
Critical Period
a time during which the developing organism is specially sensitive to environmental influences, positive or negative
What is the weight of women who are less likely to have birth complications?
Women of normal weight are less likely to have birth complications
What are overweight women at risk for in terms of birth?
Overweight women have risk of having longer deliveries, need more health care services, gestational diabetes, cesarean delivery, birth defects, etc.
What nutrients are important for the development of the nervous system?
Omega-E, DHA, Folic Acid for the development of nervous system
What is recommended to reduce back pain for pregnant women?
Moderate exercise is recommended to reduce back pain, risks for gestational diabetes and etc.
Spina Bifida
+ neural tube fails to close, part of the spinal cord is not fully encased in the protective covering of the spinal column
+ neurological problems
Anencephaly
lethal defect in which main portion of the brain above the brain stem failed to develop
+
When do neural tube defects occur?
Neural tube defects occur 25-29 days after conception and more common due to deficient in folic acid
Thalidomide
+ used to relieve morning sickness
+ caused stunted limbs, facial deformities, and defective organs
+ treatment for AIDS, tuberculosis, and cancer
Tobacco
+ higher risks of miscarriage, prematurity, low birth weight, cleft lips, and cleft palates
+ restricts blood flow to the fetus which reduces the levels of growth factors, oxygen, and nutrients that reach the fetus
+ CNS impairment
+ infants are more irritable and score lower on standard assessments of behavioral functioning
+ higher risks of respiratory infections and breathing difficulties
+ higher risk for SIDS
+ mild cognitive difficulties and to conduct and behavior problems
What is the most important factor for low-birth weight babies?
Maternal smoking was identified to be the most important factor for low-birth weight babies
Alcohol
+ disrupt hormone functions of the placenta
+ disrupts the normal process of neuronal migration, leading to several outcomes depending on the severity of the effects
+ high risks in CNS damage
Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
characterized by a combination of retarded growth, face and body malformations, and disorders of the central nervous system
What are children with fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) like?
FAS children are smaller and lighter than normal and their physical growth lags behind
What do children who were prenatally exposed with alcohol but do not have FAS experience?
Children who were exposed prenatally with alcohol but do not have FAS experience Fetal Alcohol Effects or Alcohol-Related Neurodevelopmental Disorder
Cocaine
causes spontaneous abortion and premature detachment of the placenta
What does cocaine contribute to?
Contributes to fetal malnourishment, retarded growth, and low birth weight
What kind of deficits does cocaine produce?
Deficits on several measures of information-processing and sensory motor skills
What are opioids associated with?
Opioids are associated with small babies, fetal death, preterm labor, and aspiration of meconium
What do babies born with drug-addicted mothers tend to experience?
Babies born with drug-addicted mothers tend to experience withdrawal once they are born and no longer receive drugs
Neonate Abstinence Syndrome
sleep disturbance, tremors, difficulty regulating the body, irritability, crying etc.
What risks does caffeine give?
Caffeine has slightly increased risk for miscarriage, stillbirth, and low birth weight babies
What can rubella cause in babies?
Rubella almost certain to cause deafness and heart defects to babies
Toxoplasmosis
caused by parasite in the bodies of cattle, sheep, and pigs, and in the intestinal tracts of cats that causes fetal brain damage, severely impaired eyesight, seizures, miscarriage, etc.
What kind of babies are diabetic mothers most likely to have?
Diabetic mothers are most likely to have babies that have heart and neural tube defects
What kind of babies are stress and anxiety associated with?
Stress and anxiety have been associated with more irritable and active temperament in newborns
What can chronic stress result in for pregnant women?
Chronic stress can result in preterm delivery
What can depression in pregnant women result into?
Depression may cause premature birth or developmental delays
Is the chance of miscarriage/stillbirth directly or indirectly proportionate with maternal age?
Directly proportionate. Chance of miscarriage or stillbirth rises with maternal age
What kind of babies are adolescent mothers most likely to have?
Adolescent Mothers tend to have premature or underweight babies
What other chemicals can affect prenatal development of babies?
Includes air pollution, radiation, chemicals
What may fetal exposure to a low level of environmental toxins do to a baby?
Fetal exposure to low level of environmental toxins may result to asthma, allergies, lupus
What risks do X-rays carry for babies?
X-Rays could triple the risk of having full term, low- birth weight babies
What does exposure to lead, marijuana, tobacco, radiation, pesticides, etc. result into for men?
Exposure to lead, marijuana, tobacco, radiation, pesticides, etc. may result in abnormal or poor quality sperm
How can fathers who have had diagnostic x-rays within the year prior to conception and have a high lead exposure at work affect prenatal development in their children?
Babies who fathers had diagnostic x-rays within the year prior to conception or had a high lead exposure at work tends to have low birth weight and slowed fetal growth
What can exposure to mercury cause?
Exposure to Mercury could cause blindness
What kind of risks do older fathers pose for their newborn children?
Older fathers may be significant source of birth defects due to damaged or deteriorated sperm such as dwarfism, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, ASD
Prenatal cell-free DNA Scans
fetal DNA is extracted from the mother’s blood and tested for early detection of genetic problems
Infertility
not being able to get pregnant even after a year of trying
What other drugs are harmful for pregnant women?
Another set of drugs that are harmful for pregnant women: Antibiotics, certain Barbiturates, Opiates, Acutane
