Teratogens Essay

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A teratogen is any agent that causes abnormality in a developing embryo. Teratogens are agents that cross the placental wall and cause physical abnormalities, along with cognitive and behavioral defects. Usually, these malformations show up anywhere from the third to eighth week of pregnancy, or the first trimester, which is when major organ systems are developing. Some types of teratogens consist of certain medications, chemicals, and infections or other diseases in the mother (Things to Avoid During Pregnancy: Teratogens, 2016). One of the possible teratogens that I have been exposed to within the last week was coffee. I have a coffee addiction and the fact that you should not have coffee, or any caffeine for that matter, while you are …show more content…

There are several reasons for this, one reason being that not all pregnancies are planned. According to (Preconception Health , 2010), preconception health means knowing how certain health conditions and risk factors could affect a woman and/or her unborn baby should she become pregnant. For instance, some foods and medicines could harm a baby even before it is conceived. Everyone who is sexually active should be thinking about their health whether or not they are trying to conceive a child because as I said before, not all pregnancies are planned. (Preconception Health , 2010), says that unplanned pregnancies are at a greater risk of low birth rate babies and of preterm …show more content…

You could be at risk of being exposed to mercury if you are around dental fillings, broken fluorescent light bulbs, and even some fish have severely high levels of mercury in them. According to (Teratogens- What to Avoid During Pregnancy, 2016), mercury can stop the duplication process of cells which in turn could lead to the death of a fetus. Mercury is also known to change cells as they divide which could lead to different alterations in the developing fetus’s nervous system. Arsenic is dangerous to a developing fetus because studies have shown that mothers who have been around a high level of arsenic have had babies who were still born, or had to be unexpectedly aborted. You could be exposed to arsenic by some well waters, by living near or working at an industrial furnace that burns waste having arsenic, and some building lumber is treated with arsenic as well. Lead is a threat to a developing fetus due to the fact that exposure to lead is common. Lead can be found in batteries, paint, ammunition, and even certain toys. Exposure to lead can cause a baby to be born prematurely, with a low birth weight, and it could cause abnormal markings on a baby’s body. It should go without saying that anyone who is sexually active should be aware of sexually transmitted diseases. STD’s can be passed on to a baby when a mother gives

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