Teratogens

Front 1

Teratogens

Back 1

Any environmental agent that causes damage
during the prenatal period

Front 2

Sensitive Periods

Back 2

Time when serious defects are likely to occur

Front 3

Thalidomide – A sedative commonly used as an
anti nausea medication in the 1960’s

Back 3

Gross deformities of the arms and legs and less
frequently damage to the ears, heart and
kidneys. Famous as one of the 1st known
teratogens.

Front 4

Diethylstilbestrol (DES)-synthetic hormone -was
prescribed to prevent miscarriages between
1945 - 1970

Back 4

Hormone therapy- Daughters had increased rate
of vaginal malformations, cancers and infertility.
Sons showed increased risk of genital
abnormalities and cancer of the testes

Front 5

Vitamin A derivative called Accutane used to
treat severe acne

Back 5

Exposure during the 1st trimester results in eye,
ear, skull, brain, heart and immune system
abnormalities – Taken by hundreds of thousands
of teenagers of child bearing age

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Aspirin

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A common over the counter medication may
cause, low birth weight, infant death around the
time of birth, poor motor development, lower
intelligence

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Caffeine

Back 7

Low birth weight and miscarriage increase (can
also cause problems with fertility) a common
drug found in coffee, tea and cola drinks, 100
milligrams per day (amounts found in one cup of

Front 8

Antidepressant Medication

Back 8

Increased risk of birth complications, including
respiratory distress, an increasingly common
drug used among young people to treat mood
disorders.

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Cocaine, Heroin, and Methadone

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Drug addicted babies are at risk of prematurity,
low birth weight, physical defects, breathing
difficulties and death around the time of birth.
Also born drug addicted, often feverish, irritable

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Cocaine

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Restricts blood vessels, causing oxygen delivered
to the developing baby to fall for 15 minutes
following a high dose of this illegal drug. Cocaine
causes a wide array of physical defects and

Front 11

Marijuana

Back 11

Low birth weight and prematurity, sleep,
attention and memory difficulties, smaller head
size (smaller brain size). Smoked widely in NZ

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Tobacco

Back 12

Implicated in low birth weight, miscarriage,
prematurity, impaired heart rate, Sudden Infant
Death, asthma and cancer in childhood. Smoking
is a major health risk.

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Alcohol

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Mental, physical, and behavioural functioning
deficits FAS –fetal alcohol syndrome, partial fetal
alcohol syndrome and alcohol related
neurodevelopment disorder, depending on dose

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Radiation

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Major abnormalities and risk of miscarriage of
fetus’ exposed to Chernobyl accident and
Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings. Even
exposure to x-rays can increase the risk of

Front 15

Environmental Pollution

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Researchers have discovered an array of
industrial contaminants in new born babies
blood. These cause developmental problems
and diseases later on in life.

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Toxoplasmosis

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Chickenpox, Cytomegalovirus, rubella, mumps,
herpes and HIV can cause a mix of physical
malformations, mental retardation, miscarriage
and low birth weight

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Listeria

Back 17

Causes still birth and premature labour, found in
refrigerated food