Chapter 4.2 * Problems in Prenatal Development
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Transcript Chapter 4.2 * Problems in Prenatal Development
Chapter 4.2 – Problems in Prenatal
Development
Losing A Baby
Miscarriage – when the developing baby
dies prior to the 20th week of pregnancy
Fairly common
15% of recognized pregnancies end in
miscarriage
The cause is usually not known
Losing A Baby
Stillbirth – when the developing baby dies
after the 20th week
Occurs in about 1% of pregnancies
Most common causes are problems with the
placenta, abnormal chromosomes, poor
growth, and infections.
Dealing With Grief
The loss of a child can be very unexpected
and painful
Often go through stages of grief similar to
those experienced by the loss of a child that
was already born
May feel alone or may blame themselves
Most cases – the death was completely out
of the parents’ control
Still able to healthy children later on
Birth Defects
Birth Defect – a serious problem that
threatens a baby’s health, and is present at
birth.
Approximately 120,000 babies are born each
year in the United States with a birth defect.
Scientists and medical professionals are
working hard to understand the causes of
birth defects.
Types and Causes of Birth Defects
Not all birth defects are obvious at birth
Some may cause an abnormality in the
structure of the body
Some may cause one or more systems of the
body to not function properly
Scientists do not full understand the causes
for most birth defects, but they have found
four main causes.
Four Main Causes of Birth Defects
Factors in the environment
Hereditary factors
Errors in chromosomes
A combination of environmental and
hereditary factors
Environmental Causes of Birth
Defects
The nutritional balance of the mother’s diet
Any diseases or infections the mother has during
pregnancy
Harmful substances the mother consumes such
as alcohol, over-the-counter medications,
tobacco, and illegal drugs
Some medicines that benefit the mother but hurt
the baby
Air pollution
Exposure to X-rays and high levels of radiation, or
to certain chemicals such as solvents and
pesticides, especially in early prenancy.
Hereditary Causes
Every person has approximately 20,000 to
25,000 genes that determine traits
Genes direct the growth and development
of all the body systems
Recessive inheritance – when a child
receives two copies of a faulty recessive
gene that causes some type of birth defect
Tay-Sachs disease
Cystic Fibrosis
Dominant inheritance – when a child
receives one defective dominant gene
Huntington’s disease – does not appear until
middle age
Errors in Chromosomes
Several types of birth defects are caused by
problems in the number or structure of
chromosomes.
An error may occur when an egg or sperm
cell is developing.
Can cause a baby to have too many or too
few chromosomes
Or have broken or rearranged chromosomes
Down Syndrome – an extra copy of
chromosome 21
Interaction of Heredity and
Environment
Some birth defects are caused by a
combination of heredity and environment
Child may inherit a tendency that may later
lead to a heart defect
If a factor such as drug use or a virus affects the
baby during pregnancy it will have the heart
defect
If the baby didn’t inherit the gene and get exposed to
the drug or virus then it wouldn’t have the heart
defect.
Examples: Cleft lip, cleft palate, spina bifida
Prevention and Diagnosis of Birth
Defects
Quit smoking and drinking is there is a
possibility of pregnancy
Visit the doctor for prenatal care
Avoid alcohol, drugs, and tobacco the entire
pregnancy
Only take medications approved by doctor
Genetic Counseling
Prenatal Testing
Genetic Counseling
Some family doctors may be able to perform
genetic counseling but usually referred to a
genetic counselor
Examined by genetic counselor:
Family History
Medical History
Diseases
Causes of death in the family
Physical Exam
Blood samples
Body tissue samples
Prenatal Tests
Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP)
Ultrasound
Amniocentesis
Chronic Villi Sampling
New Prenatal Diagnosis