Problems in Prenatal Development

1. Problems in Prenatal Development Standard(s): 1.1Workplace Skill(s): 1. Complex Communication

2. 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

3. 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

4. Types of Birth Defects • Cerebral Palsy • Cleft Lip/ Cleft Palate • Cystic Fibrosis • Down Syndrome • Muscular Dystrophy • PKU • Sickle Cell Anemia • Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus • Tay-Sachs Disease

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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’sage

8. 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!

9. 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?

10. 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

11. 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

12. 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

13. 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.

14. 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

15. 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.

16. 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)

17. Hazardous Substances & Chemicals • Paint • Pesticides • Lead • Carbon monoxide • Mercury (found in fish) • Solvents, paint thinners, formaldehyde • X-rays

18. 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

19. 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

20. 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