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Feet of a baby born to a mother who had taken thalidomide while pregnant. In the late 1950s and early 1960s, the use of thalidomide in 46 countries was prescribed to women who were pregnant or who subsequently became pregnant, and consequently resulted in the "biggest anthropogenic medical disaster ever," with more than 10,000 children born with a range of severe deformities, such as ...
Fetal hydantoin syndrome, also called fetal dilantin syndrome, is a group of defects caused to the developing fetus by exposure to teratogenic effects of phenytoin. Dilantin is the brand name of the drug phenytoin sodium in the United States, commonly used in the treatment of epilepsy .
Teratogens are substances that may cause non-heritable birth defects via a toxic effect on an embryo or fetus. [1] Defects include malformations, disruptions, deformations, and dysplasia that may cause stunted growth, delayed mental development, or other congenital disorders that lack structural malformations. [ 2 ]
The birth defects caused by thalidomide led to the development of greater drug regulation and monitoring in many countries. [9] [11] It was approved in the United States in 1998 for use as a treatment for cancer. [6] It is on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines. [12] It is available as a generic medication. [8] [13]
Teratogens are substances that may cause birth defects via a toxic effect on an embryo or foetus. Wikimedia Commons has media related to Teratogens . See also the categories Carcinogens and Mutagens
[35] [36] Teratogen-caused birth defects are potentially preventable. Nearly 50% of pregnant women have been exposed to at least one medication during gestation. [ 37 ] During pregnancy, a woman can also be exposed to teratogens from contaminated clothing or toxins within the seminal fluid of a partner.
The substances that cause developmental toxicity from embryonic stage to birth are called teratogens. The effect of the developmental toxicants depends on the type of substance, dose, duration, and time of the exposure. The first few weeks of embryogenesis in humans is more susceptible to these agents.
Teratogens are classified in four main categories: Drugs in pregnancy – in addition to environmental chemicals, includes recreational drug use and pharmaceutical drugs. Vertically transmitted infections; Radiation, such as X-rays; Mechanical forces, such as oligohydramnios; Teratogens affect the fetus by various mechanism including: