Teratology Flashcards
incidence of birth defects
- 3-5% overall risk
- 1% (~1 in 100) babies born with CHDs
percentage of birth defects due to teratogens
5-10%
miscarrying pregnancies
approximately 20% of all recognized pregnancies
risk perception with medication exposure
- 50-90% of all women exposed to meds in pregnancy, but most of these are not teratogenic
- women and providers tend to estimate their risk for teratogenic effects to be about 25%
teratogen
any medication, chemical, infectious disease or environmental agent that might interfere with normal fetal development and may result in miscarriage, birth defects or adverse pregnancy outcomes
possible teratogenic effects
- SAB
- pregnancy complications
- IUGR
- patterns of major, minor malformations
- metabolic dysfunction
- cognitive dysfunction
- altered social behavior
- malignancy
- complications in the neonatal period
thalidomide
- drug used as a sedative
- resulted in 20-50% of exposed pregnancies having sever limb defects
thalidomide critical period
between 30-50 days post-LMP
principles of teratology
- developmental timing
- dose
- genetic susceptibility
- pattern of malformation
- tissue access
developmental timing
most important factor in determining the risk for a birth defect to affect the pregnancy
heart formation
ends at about 6w post-conception, 8w post-LMP
limb formation
complete by the end of the first tri
brain formation
any teratogen that can affect cognition or behavior can cause issues at any point in the pregnancy
warfarin embryopathy
- nasal hypoplasia that can cause respiratory distress in the newborn period
- stippled epiphyses-calcifications of joints that don’t typically cause physical disability
- limb hypoplasia
warfarin critical period
6-9w post-conception, 8-11w post-LMP
-need moms to switch to alternate anti-thrombotic
ACE inhibitor/ARB embryopathy
- renal tubular dysplasia
- IUGR
- hypocalvaria with large anterior fontanelle
ACE inhibitor/ARB critical period
2nd and 3rd trimester of pregnancy
effects of renal tubular dysplasia
- oligohydramnios
- Potter sequence
- pulmonary hypoplasia
ACE inhibitor mechanism of activity
- reduce intrauterine blood flow, causing placental perfusion and severe fetal hypotension
- block fetal angiotensin-converting enzyme in fetus disrupting fetal hemodynamics
Potter sequence
- renal problems lead to oligo
- this can lead to other abnormalities, including club foot, pulmonary hypoplasia, sometimes eye and cardiac anomalies
- facies: low-set abnormal ears, epicentral folds, micrognathia, flattened nose/profile
SSRI effects in the first trimester
-smaller studies showed no increased risk for birth defects
-larger studies found a range of implications, including
+craniosynostosis
+anencephaly
+omphalocele
+2 fold CHD risk (1 in 200)
SSRI effects throughout pregnancy
- can result in mild short-lived neonatal adaptation syndrome-like a less severe version of withdrawal
- potential effects on gross motor and language development
SSRI effects after 20w of pregnancy
variable opinions on increased risk for pulmonary HTN of the newborn
+would lead to the need for a NICU stay
+risk in the past has been thought to be only about 1%
discontinuation of SSRI effects
untreated depression is likely to lead to recurrence in the first trimester
nausea and vomiting in pregnancy
- common-occurs in ~80% of women between weeks 6-12
- 1% will progress to life-threatening hyperemesis gravidarum
hyperemesis gravidarum treatment
-traditionally includes antihistamines, phenothiazines, and antiemetics
+ondansetron (antiemetic) has recently been seen with a two-fold CHD risk
-Diclegis is now the only FDA approved N&V medication