Hazards To Prenatal Development Essay

Today, studies about potential hazards to prenatal development continuously increase. As known, these hazards to prenatal growth negatively influence the fetus or the embryo, especially on the first stages of the development (so-called “a period of vulnerability or instability”). A prenatal woman’s age (for example, pregnant women in their twenties are most likely to have healthy babies than older mothers after age thirty-five), her nutrition, stress and anxiety she experiences significantly influence prenatal growth (Santrock, p. 54). Prenatal development can be harmed because of inadequate nutrition (the possibility to have children with behavioral problems), considerable stress, inadequate prenatal care (especially teenagers), or a miscarriage (spontaneous abortion). Diseases, drugs, and environmental hazards significantly affect prenatal development, too.Hazards To Prenatal Development Essay Teratogens are substances that can have a devastating influence on the embryo or the developing fetus. These harmful agents from the environment can cause abnormal prenatal growth. Howerever, researchers explain that teratogens affects negatively only if exposure occurs during the early months of the development. Many drugs (prescription or nonprescription) that people take are harmful agents, thus it is crucially important to know the dosage and length of exposure safely during pregnancy.

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Pregnant women should try to avoid the teratogens like several diseases in order to escape their negative effects. Scientists have established that environmental agents (radiation, pollution, chemicals or chromosomal abnormalities) are particularly dangerous because a pregnant woman may not know that these teratogens exist in the environment.    Researchers state that the influence of harmful agents changes during the period of prenatal development. Negative consequences are not always evident at birth but may appear later in life.  In conclusion, the influence of teratogens depends on the genotype of the organism, the period of prenatal growth, the dosage of exposure, and the quality of postnatal environment. The period of pregnancy is very challenging, thus it is important to develop healthy habits earlier in order to increase the chances of having healthy babies later in life.Hazards To Prenatal Development Essay