Birth Defects

Ms. Joanne L. Tolero

*Centro Escolar University, School of Science and Technology, Department of Biological Sciences

*De La Salle University-Manila, Master of Science in Biology - Student

The Critical Period - The time when
genetic abnormalities, toxic substances, or viruses can
alter a specific structure
BIRTH DEFECTS

 About two-thirds of all birth defects arise from a

disruption during the embryonic period
 More subtle defects, such as learning
disabilities, that become noticeable only after
infancy are often caused by interventions
during the fetal period.
 Some birth defects can be attributed to an
abnormal gene that acts at a specific point
in prenatal development.
Phocomelia - a mutation halts limb development
from the third to the fifth week of the embryonic period,
causing “flippers” to develop in place of arms and legs.
TERATOGENS
 Chemicals or other agents that cause birth
defects
Thalidomide

 mild tranquilizer,
to alleviate
nausea in early
pregnancy.
 Many
“thalidomide
babies” were born
with incomplete
or missing legs
and arms.
Drugs

Agnathia - It includes the

 CYCLOPIA use of antibiotics mainly the
sulfonamides and nitro
furantoin, as well as alcohol
Cocaine
 Cocaine may slow fetal growth,
particularly of the head, but the babies
quickly catch up.
 No effects were seen on either language
skills or IQ.

Cigarettes
 Chemicals in cigarette smoke stress a fetus.
 Carbon monoxide crosses the placenta and
prevents the fetus’s hemoglobin molecules
from adequately binding oxygen.
Clefts
Cigarettes

 Other chemicals in smoke block

nutrients. Smoke-exposed placentas
lack important growth factors,
causing poor growth before and
after birth.
 Cigarette smoking during pregnancy
increases the risk of spontaneous
abortion, stillbirth, prematurity, and
low birth weight
Alcohol
 A pregnant woman who has just one or two
alcoholic drinks a day, or perhaps a large
amount at a single crucial time, risks fetal
alcohol syndrome (FAS) in her unborn child
Nutrients
 Certain nutrients ingested in large
amounts, particularly vitamins, act
as drugs.
 The acne medicine isotretinoin
(Accutane) is a vitamin A derivative
that causes spontaneous abortion
and defects of the heart, nervous
system, and face in exposed
embryos.
Nutrients
 Excess vitamin C can harm a fetus
that becomes accustomed to the
large amounts the woman takes.
 After birth, when the vitamin supply
suddenly plummets, the baby may
develop symptoms of vitamin C
deficiency (scurvy), bruising and
becoming infected easily.
Occupational Hazards

 There are birth defects among

women who work with textile dyes,
lead, certain photographic
chemicals, semiconductor materials,
mercury, and cadmium.
Radiation

 Chernobyl
Accident
Viral Infection

 Viruses are small enough to cross the

placenta and reach a fetus
 HIV can reach a fetus through the
placenta or infect a newborn via
blood contact during birth - Higher
risk for low birth weight,
prematurity, and stillbirth
Viral Infection
 German measles (rubella) is a well-
known viral teratogen.
 Children who were exposed during the
first trimester of pregnancy could
develop cataracts, deafness, and heart
defects.
 Fetuses exposed during the second or
third trimester of pregnancy may have
as a result developed learning
disabilities, speech and hearing
problems, and type 1 diabetes mellitus.
Viral Infection
 Herpes simplex virus can harm a
fetus or newborn whose immune
system is immature
 Hepatitis B - Babies are healthy, but
at high risk for developing serious
liver problems as adults
Other Birth Defects
Folate and Pregnancy: the importance of folic
acid supplementation

 Spina
bifida : is a
malformation
or a birth
defect due to
incomplete
closure of one
or more
vertebrae,
resulting in a
malformation
of the spinal
cord.
Other Birth Defects
 Anencephaly is a
condition that prevents
the normal
development of the
brain and the bones of
the skull. This condition
results when a structure
called the neural tube
fails to close during the
first few weeks of
embryonic
development.
End of Presentation

 Assignment:
Enumerate and describe 5 Rapid
Aging Syndromes (Note book)