Teratogens During Pregnancy Research

Pregnancy is a very delicate period of time for the pregnant woman and her child since many factors can interfere with the well-being of the baby before and after birth, and the pregnant woman. Although there are several structures and organs that protect the unborn baby, the mother needs to be careful during gestation, to protect the baby. One of the most important structures that supports the embryo and fetus is the placenta. Besides its role metabolic, endocrine and immunologic functions, it is the connection between the mother and the fetus. The placenta is the organ responsible for the exchange of nourishment, oxygen and waste between them (London, Ladewig, Ball, Bindler & Cowen, 2011, p. 72). However, besides transporting the essential

In fact, according to Black & Hill, they are responsible for at least 10% all birth defects (as cited in London et al., 2011, p. 243). Because of its importance, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has created categories to differentiate medications that can cause harm during pregnancy, from the ones that there is no enough study, to the ones that studies show that the harm to the fetus is greater than the benefit of the medication. The five categories are: category A, which is safe to use and there have been enough studies to confirm its safety; category B, which studies in animals shows no harm to the fetus but that there is no human research, or studies in animal shows risks while studies in humans failed to show those risks; category C, which there is no satisfactory study in human or animals, or studies in animals show harm with not enough information about effects in human; category D, which has evidences of risks in human, but that the benefit of its use being greater than the risks related to it; and category X, which are the drugs that are teratogens and the benefits of its use is never greater than the risks to the fetus (London et al., 2011, pp. 243-244). Accutane or isotretinoin is an example of a category X drug; it is an “acne medication, which can cause

It can be harmful to the baby and to the mother. Cunningham et al. explains that the mother that uses cocaine put herself at a higher risk for “acute myocardial infarction, cardiac arrhythmias, ruptured ascending aorta, seizures, cerebrovascular accidents, hyperthermia, bowel ischemia, and sudden death” (as cited in London et al., 2011, p. 245). Cunningham et al., Schempf, and King report that cocaine, when used during pregnancy, can cause “abruption placentae, premature rupture of the membranes, preterm birth, low birth weight, neonatal irritability, (…) neonatal depression (…) sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and developmental delays as a toddler (…) genitourinary anomalies, congenital heart defects, limb reduction defects, and central nervous system anomalies” (as cited in London et al., 2011, p. 245). No women should jeopardize their own life and the life of their future children by using recreational drugs as cocaine. Even if the mother and the fetus are able to survive the pregnancy while using cocaine, the long-term consequences for the baby are cruel. If a cocaine user finds herself pregnant, she should look for help to stop the use of the drug, including attending narcotics anonymous meetings to have a support system to help in this difficult task. That is true about other illegal drugs, because even if there is no known teratogenic effect of a drug, as the case of marijuana, it is