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Chapter 4. Teratogens

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Teratogens

This activity examines both the effects of various teratogens and the preventive measures that mitigate their risk to a developing fetus.

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Teratogens: Effects of Exposure and Prevention of Damage*

Some of the teratogens listed below cause physical impairment. Others, called behavioral teratogens, harm the brain and therefore impair cognitive abilities and affect personality. Whether a teratogen harms an embryo or fetus depends on timing, dose, and genes. Public and personal health practices can protect against prenatal complications, with some specifics debatable. Always, however, family members affect the pregnant woman’s health.

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Consider your own health habits during the past month—exercise, sleep, nutrition, alcohol and caffeine consumption, tobacco use, medical care, etc. Would you change your behavior if you were pregnant, and would it make a difference if you or your partner did not want a baby?
Answers will vary, but hopefully your health habits would not need to change very significantly if you became pregnant. Everyone needs exercise, adequate rest, healthy food, and, ideally, a drug-free lifestyle, but general health matters even more during pregnancy. Doctors recommend maintaining good nutrition, avoiding drugs and teratogenic chemicals, and receiving regular prenatal care throughout pregnancy.
A factory chimney lets out smoke into the sky.
Gemenacom/Shutterstock
A man smokes a cigarette.
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