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Assignment MCN Teratogen

Teratogens are any agents that can disturb fetal development and cause birth defects or miscarriage. Common teratogens include radiation, infections, chemicals, and drugs. During pregnancy, it is best to avoid medications when possible, excessive heat, herbal treatments, ionizing radiation, sick children, and toxoplasmosis from cat litter. Known teratogens to avoid include ACE inhibitors, alcohol, aminopterin, androgens, busulfan, carbamazepine, and others. Some exposures cannot be avoided if medically necessary, in which case consulting a geneticist is recommended.

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151 views

Assignment MCN Teratogen

Teratogens are any agents that can disturb fetal development and cause birth defects or miscarriage. Common teratogens include radiation, infections, chemicals, and drugs. During pregnancy, it is best to avoid medications when possible, excessive heat, herbal treatments, ionizing radiation, sick children, and toxoplasmosis from cat litter. Known teratogens to avoid include ACE inhibitors, alcohol, aminopterin, androgens, busulfan, carbamazepine, and others. Some exposures cannot be avoided if medically necessary, in which case consulting a geneticist is recommended.

Uploaded by

EmmanuelRodriguez
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Teratogen: Any agent that can disturb the development of an embryo or fetus.

Teratogens may cause a birth defect in the


child. Or a teratogen may halt the pregnancy outright. The classes of teratogens include radiation, maternal infections,
chemicals, and drugs.
Teratogens are drugs, chemicals, or even infections that can cause abnormal fetal development. There are billions of potential
teratogens but only a few agents are proven to have teratogenic effects. The majority of agents with which we come in contact are not
proven teratogens. If you have a specific concern about a drug, chemical, or infection exposure during pregnancy, talk to your
provider. From a practical standpoint, the best way to reduce the risk of exposure to teratogens during pregnancy is to avoid taking
medications when possible and to avoid the following types of exposures:
Excessive heat: Avoid prolonged stays in whirlpools, steam rooms, or saunas.
Herbal treatments: Ask your provider before you take any over-the-counter supplements during pregnancy. Products that claim to be
"natural" are not necessarily safe during pregnancy.
Ionizing radiation: If a doctor orders a test with possible radiation exposure during your pregnancy, he or she must strongly believe
that the risk of exposure is less than the risk of an untreated or undiagnosed condition. In most cases, the lower abdomen can be
shielded to prevent exposure.
Children with runny noses, rashes, and fevers: It is not always possible to avoid sick children; fortunately, in the majority of these
situations the exposures are inconsequential. Nonetheless, if at all possible, avoid such exposures while you are pregnant. Every parent
knows that the surest place to acquire an illness is in a day care center or school. Certain infections like rubella, chickenpox,
parvovirus (fifth disease), and cytomegalovirus (CMV) can be passed from child to adult. Adults are immune to many of these
diseases. In some cases, however, the exposure may result in an infection that can affect the baby while in the uterus. If you have been
exposed to a known viral illness, call your provider so that he can decide whether a blood test is warranted.
Toxoplasmosis: Toxoplasmosis is an infection transmitted from cat's feces to humans. If you are pregnant and have a cat you should
minimize your exposure to kitty litter. If possible, have someone else clean the litter box. If you don't have anyone to help you with the
litter, clean the litter box every day to minimize the risk of toxoplasmosis infection. You do not need to get rid of your cats.

In addition to avoiding these exposures, you should also avoid the following known teratogens:
angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors-ACE inhibitors (for example, Zestril, Prinivil, and Lisinopril);
alcohol;
aminopterin;
androgens (Android, Methyltestosterone);
busulfan (Myleran);
carbamazepine (Tegretol);
chlorobiphenyls;
coumarins (Coumadin, warfarin);
cyclophosphamide (Cytoxan);
danazol (Danocrine);
diethylstilbestrol (DES);
etretinate (Tegison);
isotretinoin (Accutane);
lithium (Eskalith);
methimazole (Tapazole);
methotrexate (Rhumatrex);

penicillamine (Depen, Cuprimine);


phenytoin (Dilantin);
radioactive iodine;
tetracycline (Sumycin);
trimethadione (Tridione); and
valproic acid (Depakene).
Some of these agents are easy to avoid. Others may be required for a medical condition and are unavoidable. For example, a woman
with epilepsy may require phenytoin to control her seizures. Despite the risk of teratogenic effects, the woman is better off taking the
phenytoin than risking uncontrolled seizures during pregnancy. If you require treatment with any of the agents listed above, ask your
health care provider to send you to a geneticist. Geneticists have expertise in the effects of teratogens on the fetus and can help you
determine your actual risk given a specific exposure. You may also receive a targeted ultrasound evaluation looking for evidence that
the fetus has in some way been affected.

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