Download What Can adversely affect a pregnancy?

What Can adversely
affect a pregnancy?
Things that can harm the baby
Over-the-counter drugs
• can be taratogenic (cause fetal
harm)
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antihistamines and cold preparations –
laxatives –
certain pain medications (analgesics)
certain antibiotics –
A pregnant woman should never take a
medication that has not already been
authorized by her doctor.
Smoking
• Blood supply to the fetus is
limited causing low birth weight in
infants and children that stay
below normal weight; possible
learning difficulties and mental
deficiencies in the child.
Alcohol
• Consumption of alcohol in pregnancy
has caused a high incidence of
congenital deformities and mental
retardation.
• Fetal alcohol syndrome: Infant is small
for gestational age, mentally retarded,
and has a characteristic craniofacial
deformity.
• A safe level of alcohol use has not been
determined so it is best to abstain from
alcohol use completely.
Recreational Drug use
• Narcotics such as Demerol and Heroin
have long been associated with causing
harm to the developing fetus. Cocaine
and crack are particularly harmful to the
fetus because it causes vasoconstriction
(blood vessels getting narrower –
constricting). This slows the blood
supply to the placenta (that nourishes the
baby) or cuts off the nutrient supply.
• It can cause spontaneous abortion
(miscarriage), pre-term labor, growth
retardation, limb deformities (arms and
legs), mental and emotional problems,
learning disorders and attention deficit
disorders.
Diseases that can harm the fetus
• Maternal infections such as
toxoplasmosis,(from eating undercooked
meat or from contact with cat stool in cat
litter or the soil) HIV/AIDs, syphilis,
hepatitis and chicken pox can be
teratogenic to the fetus.
• Rubella causes deafness, mental and
motor retardation, cataracts, cardiac
defects, slow growth, and dental and facial
clefts.
• Herpes causes severe abnormalities,
miscarriage, premature birth, and even
death to the fetus.
• Other diseases of the mother also can
harm the fetus