Transcript Problems in Prenatal Dev PPT

Problems in Prenatal Development
Standard(s): 1.1
Workplace Skill(s): 1. Complex Communication
Losing a Baby
• Miscarriage: the baby doesn’t develop
normally and dies prior to the 20th week
• Stillbirth: the baby dies after the 20th week
**Couples may go through stages of grief similar to
those experienced by the loss of a child that was
already born
Birth Defects
• Birth Defects: babies born with serious problems that
threaten their health or even their lives
• There are hundreds of types of birth defects, each
with its own set of symptoms
• Approx. 150,000 babies around the world are born
each year with a birth defect
• Some cause abnormality in the structure of the body,
others cause the body not to function properly
Types of Birth Defects
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Cerebral Palsy
Cleft Lip/ Cleft Palate
Cystic Fibrosis
Down Syndrome
Muscular Dystrophy
PKU
Sickle Cell Anemia
Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus
Tay-Sachs Disease
Causes of Birth Defects
• Environmental Causes:
– The nutritional balance of the mother’s diet
– Any diseases or infections the mother has during pregnancy
– Harmful substances the mother consumers
– Some medicines that benefit the mother, but hurt the baby
– Exposure to hazards; chemicals, X rays, radiation
Causes of Birth Defects
• Hereditary Causes
– Recessive inheritance: both parents pass on the
same imperfect recessive gene
– Dominant inheritance: one parent passes the
dominant gene
– Some inherited conditions only affect one sex
• Ex: colorblindness usually affects only males
Causes of Birth Defects
• Errors in Chromosomes: when an egg or sperm cell is
developing, causing a baby to have too many or too
few chromosomes.
• Not a hereditary defect because neither parent has the
abnormal chromosome
• Down Syndrome is the most common
– 1/800-1000 is born with D.S.
– chances increase with mother’s age
Causes for Birth Defects
• The combination of hereditary and environment
can lead to some birth defects.
– Example: a child may inherit the tendency of a heart
defect, but with a mother who uses drugs or has a
virus, the baby will have the heart defect. If the child
was not exposed, then the child would have been
normal.
– Important: What you do affects the unborn for a
lifetime!
Discussion/Reflection
• With a partner, discuss and debate what would you do
if you were told by a genetic counselor there was a
possibility that any of your future children could have
Tay-Sachs disease.
– Meaning the child would not live past age four.
• Would you choose to not have children? Why or why
not?
Prevention and Diagnosis of B.D.’s
• Genetic Counseling: don’t tell people what to do
about the information; only explain options and risks
– Family history
– Physical examinations
• Prenatal Tests
– More than 100 kinds of B.D.’s can be detected before a
baby is born
– Determine what treatments, if any, are necessary for the
child before or after birth
Prenatal Tests
• Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP)
– blood test performed between weeks 15 & 20
– AFP is a protein produced in the liver of the fetus
• Ultrasound
– Uses sound waves to make a video image, called a
sonogram of an unborn baby
– Monitors the development of the baby, pinpoints the age
and due dates, and checks for multiples
– Monitors skeletal, circulatory, & nervous systems
Prenatal Tests
• Amniocentesis:
– Process of withdrawing a sample of the amniotic fluid
surrounding the unborn baby
– Needle inserted through mother’s abdomen into the
amniotic sac
– Used to test for Down Syndrome in mother’s over age 35
– Risk to fetus/may cause miscarriage
• Chorionic Villi Sampling:
– Uses a sample of the tissue from the membrane that
encases the fetus
Recap Activity
Scenario:
Your friend has just become pregnant (you are
now 30 years old, not 15).
Describe to her the options of different prenatal
testing, and what are the risks associated with
each test.
Alcohol and Pregnancy
• Doctors don’t know just how much alcohol it
takes to endanger a developing baby.
– There is no known “safe” amount of alcohol that
pregnant woman can drink.
• Doctors recommend that women do not
consume alcohol when they are trying to
become pregnant and throughout the
pregnancy
Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS)
• FAS is an incurable conditions that lasts a lifetime.
• One in five babies (20%) born with FAS does not live
to see his or her first birthday.
• Babies born with FAS suffer problems such as facial
deformity, delayed physical growth, heart defects,
hyperactivity, mental retardation or severe learning
problems.
Other Drugs to Avoid During
Pregnancy
• Prescription Drugs & Over-the-Counter Drugs
• Caffeine (when consumed in large quantities)
– Increased risk of miscarriage, low birth weight, & higher risk of infant
death
• Tobacco
– Low birth rate & premature birth
• Illegal Drugs
– Mother passes addiction on to the baby
– Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)
Hazardous Substances &
Chemicals
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Paint
Pesticides
Lead
Carbon monoxide
Mercury (found in fish)
Solvents, paint thinners, formaldehyde
X-rays
Infections
• Rubella: German measles
– Blindness, deafness, heart disease, mental
retardation
• Toxoplasmosis: infection caused by parasite
– Never clean a cat litter box while pregnant
• Chicken Pox: viral infection
Sexually Transmitted Diseases
(STDs)
• Disease can be passed by the mother to the
baby during birth or through the blood stream
– Serious illnesses, physical disabilities, death
• AIDS
– 35-65% chance baby will be born with the disease
if mother has the disease
Ad Campaign
• You will be researching a birth defect of your
choice and a resource organization that
supports the particular disease
• After you’ve complied your research, you will
make a print ad to present to the class, and sent
to the corresponding organization