PS275 Study Guide - Isotretinoin, Testicular Cancer, Chromosome Abnormality
Document Summary
Factors that influence prenatal development: heredity and environment. Process of maturation: biologically programmed change and growth. Development that normally happens under ideal conditions. External factors/conditions: nutrition, exercise and physical health of the mother, emotional stress, maternal age, drugs/ external substances. Genetically perfect embryo may be damaged by environmental factors. Moderate genetic problems may be exacerbated by environmental conditions. In either of these situations a child could be born with some kind of developmental difficulty. Teratogen: any environmental agent that disturbs the development of an embryo or fetus. Teras" = monstrosity: e. g. disease or chemical. Helps us to learn how to avoid or prevent these external factors from affecting the fetus. Environmental agents that affect the mother while she is pregnant: physical differences visible at birth, cause by mothers exposure or lack of exposure to something during pregnancy. Suggested at the time it was related to mothers being exposed to a.
