1 / 18

Problems in Prenatal Development

Problems in Prenatal Development. Losing a Baby. Miscarriage – when developing baby dies prior to the 20 th week of pregnancy About 15% of pregnancies end in miscarriage Medical experts not sure of cause Stillbirth – when baby dies after the 20 th week of pregnancy

flavio
Download Presentation

Problems in Prenatal Development

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript


  1. Problems in Prenatal Development

  2. Losing a Baby • Miscarriage – when developing baby dies prior to the 20th week of pregnancy • About 15% of pregnancies end in miscarriage • Medical experts not sure of cause • Stillbirth – when baby dies after the 20th week of pregnancy • Occurs in 2% of pregnancies • Causes include problems with placenta, abnormal chromosomes, poor growth, and infections

  3. Losing a Baby • Very unexpected and painful • Stages of grief • Feel alone • May blame themselves • Couples may need support

  4. Birth Defects • Some babies are born with serious problems • Problem that threatens health and is present at birth is a birth defect • Hundreds of types of birth defects • Some are mild, some are severe, and some can result in death • About 120,000 babies are born with birth defects

  5. Types and Causes of Birth Defects • Some cause abnormality in the structure of the body • Misshapen foot • Extra or missing finger • Some cause one or more systems of the body not to function properly • Blindness • Deafness • Mental retardation

  6. Types and Causes of Birth Defects • Not all are obvious at birth and may not be discovered until months or years later • Scientists do not fully understand • Four main causes • Factors in the environment • Hereditary factors • Errors in chromosomes • A combination of environmental and hereditary factors

  7. Environmental Causes • First few weeks of conception are important for development of embryo • Choices the mother makes are important • Environmental factors that can affect embryo • Nutritional balance • Diseases or infections • Harmful substances • Some medicines • Air pollution • Exposure to X-rays, radiation, or chemicals

  8. Hereditary Causes • Every person has approximately 20,00 to 25,000 genes • Genes direct growth and development of body systems • In most cases, a single copy of a faulty recessive gene will have no effect on development • Sometimes both parents pass on same faulty gene, which causes birth defect. • Called recessive heritance • Two conditions caused by this • Tay-Sachs disease • Cystic fibrosis

  9. Hereditary Causes • Sometimes child will inherit a dominant defective gene • Only necessary for one parent to pass on gene for child to have defect • Called dominant inheritance • Huntington’s disease • Some inherited condition only affect one gender • Color blindness, Duchenne muscular dystrophy, and hemophilia usually only affects males

  10. Errors in Chromosomes • Several types of birth defects are caused by problems in number or structure of chromosomes. • Can occur when egg or sperm are developing\ • Most common birth defect of this type • Down Syndrome – may have some degree of mental retardation, plus physical problems • One in 800 babies has this condition • Instead of having two copies of chromosome 21, child has three

  11. Interaction of Heredity and Environment • Some defects caused by a combination of hereditary and environmental factors • Cleft lip • Cleft palate • Spina bifida • A genetic predisposition, or tendency, for spina bifida, combined with certain medications during pregnancy will increase chance of defecgt

  12. Prevention and Diagnosis of Birth Defects • Can be challenging for a child born with a serious, or severe, birth defect to lead a normal, productive life. • Family members are affected by emotional and financial strain • Not all birth defects can be anticipated or controlled

  13. Prevention and Diagnosis of Birth Defects • Several things couples can do to lessen the chance of having a child with birth defects • Get a checkup prior to getting pregnant to evaluate overall health • Discuss lifestyle changes • Stop smoking and drinking • Prenatal care after woman becomes pregnant • Do not take medications without doctors approval

  14. Genetic Counseling • Some couples seek genetic counseling to assess their risk based on their genes • May have family history of defects • Counselors can explain options and risks • Counselor evaluates family history • Medical history • Diseases • Causes of death of family members

  15. Genetic Counseling • Counselor may request • Physical exams • Blood and body tissue samples • Counselor can then determine risks of birth defects

  16. Prenatal Tests • Some common prenatal tests • Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) – performed between weeks 15 and 20 • AFP is a protein produced in the liver of the fetus and abnormal levels can indicate defect • Ultrasound • Uses sound waves to make a video image of baby • Helps monitor baby’s development, pinpoint baby’s age, and detect certain birth defects • Problems with skeletal, circulatory, and nervous systems can be detected

  17. Prenatal Tests • Ultrasound • Usually done near 20th week of pregnancy • Many doctors now do 3D ultrasounds, which give more detail • Poses no threat to baby or mother • Amniocentesis • Withdraw a sample of amniotic fluid • Some cells from fetus are in fluid, which is then taken to the lab and tested • Used to test for Down Syndrome when mother is over age of 35 • Involves some risks only if strong reason to do so and done in 15th and 20th week of pregnancy

  18. Prenatal Tests • Chorionic Villi Sampling • Uses sample of tissue from membrane that encases the fetus • Samples are cut or suctioned off • Used to tests for same disorders as amniocentesis • Done much earlier • New Prenatal Diagnosis • Several methods are in experimental stages • Possible to view fetus through a laparoscope • Doctors can get samples of fetal blood and tissue and even do surgery on unborn child • Carry risks

More Related