Causes of Birth Defects

Almost 20 percent of deaths in newborns are caused by birth defects. Many act as teratogens, that is, they can cause birth defects. A teratogen is any substance which causes abnormal development of the egg in the mother's womb. Each organ has a critical period in its development when it is susceptible to teratogens if they reach a critical level. Alcohol, tobacco and drugs, either medicinal or recreational, can act as teratogens.

Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) appears in 30 percent to 40 percent of babies born to chronic alcoholics (Teratogens). Another 50 percent to 70 percent of such babies may suffer from fetal alcohol effects, which are milder than FAS. To be diagnosed with FAS a baby must show: growth retardation; central nervous system problems; a characteristic facial appearance, with a small head, flat facial profile, and thin upper lip; other major birth defects (heart, gastrointestinal, etc.); and children with FAS have failure to thrive, mild to moderate mental retardation, and behavior problems. Constant exposure to cigarette smoke decreases the amount of oxygen crossing the placenta and can lead to low birth weight and premature babies.

If a woman smokes marijuana during pregnancy, the fetus is put at risk for low birth rate, developmental difficulties, and drug addiction (Marijuana). One study showed that marijuana use by pregnant women is associated with slow embryo growth and spontaneous abortion in the early stages of pregnancy. Other studies h

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age at which they reach a given milestone (Stages). From six to 8 months, a baby makes babbling sounds. For the first two months, most sounds are reflexive in response to reflexive or vegetative actions such as coughing, sucking, swallowing and burping. There are some nonreflexive sounds other than crying, produced with a lowered velum and a closed or partly closed mouth. From two to four months, infants begin making comfort sounds in response to pleasant interactions with the caregiver. They make grunts and sighs and coos. The vocal tract is held in a fixed position. Laughter appears around four months of age. From four to seven months, infants engage in vocal play, producing squeals and growls and yells, and also manipulate tract closures to produce friction noises, nasal murmurs, "raspberries" and "snorts." At about seven months canonical babbling begins, and infants begin to make external sounds that are chopped up rhythmically by oral articulations into syllable-like sequences, opening and closing their jaws, lips and tongue (Stages). Fricatives, affricatives and liquids are heard more rarely, and clusters are heard even more rarely. Vowels tend to be low and open. It is hypothesized that vocal play and babbling

Category: Medical - C