Verified Document

Teratogens On The Developing Fetus Research Paper

The children may also luck imaginative skills or curiosity and poor memory. They lack the ability to solve problems and the skill to comprehend language is also not there. Child development stages

According to theorists Piaget, Vygotsky and Erikson, there are three broad stages of childhood development these are the early childhood which is a stage between birth and eight years and the middle childhood which is between eight years and twelve years and adolescence. Alcohol as a teratogen has effects on these stages of development in different ways. In the early childhood stage the child is going through tremendous growth across all areas of development; however FAS children will lag behind in this stage. They have poor skill development when it comes to things like walking, sitting, coordination. They also have poor development in fine and gross motor skills and also the language and cognitive development.

In the middle childhood the cognitive development is slow and steady, the FAS child is still poor in their learning skills .it is at this stage that a child is expected to develop interpersonal and social relationship FAS children however will find it hard to build this relationships and they will learn little or nothing from their family and peers which is the great source of learning at this stage. Since this is the stage where school going begins the children will have a problem of attention in class, they will have a difficulty in focusing and sustaining attention over time. The children are also associated with a problem of reaction times as they have a slower and less efficient information processing system.

Finally the adolescent stage is the period that records an accelerated growth. This stage marks the beginning of adulthood and hence individuals are expected to be more responsible and be able to be good in executing functions.FAS children have deficits in executing functions, this are activities that require abstract thinking like planning and organizing. These children may also become alcoholics since that had prior exposure to alcohol (State university.com, 2011)

Prognosis

These effects...

When alcohol is consumed and metabolized there is an increased susceptibility to damage of the cells that is caused by the free radicals that kill the sensitive population of the brain cells at a very critical time of the development of the brain. Alcohol can also alter the production of natural regulatory substances that help promote the orderly growth and differentiation of neurons (National institute of health, 2012)
Significance of the issue

It is very important for the general public to be educated on the effects of teratogens in the fetus and also the child that is born, as it has been seen there are many effects of alcohol for both the fetus and child and this effects affect the fetus and the effects may be seen long after the child is born, this can be lasting effects that women can avoid for their children if only they are constantly reminded of the effects and the importance of staying away from alcohol when they are pregnant.

References

State university.com (2011). Stages of Growth Child Development - Early Childhood (Birth to Eight Years), Middle Childhood (Eight to Twelve Years). Retrieved November 5, 2012 from http://education.stateuniversity.com/pages/1826/Child-Development-Stages-Growth.html

National institute of health. (2012).Alcohol Alert. Retrieved November 5, 2012 from http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/aa50.htm

Buddy, T. (2012).How Drinking Alcohol During Pregnancy Causes FAS.Retrieved November 5,

2012 from http://alcoholism.about.com/od/fas/a/How-Drinking-Alcohol-Causes-Fas.htm

Gilbert, S. (2009).Teratogens. Retrieved November 5, 2012 from http://toxipedia.org/display/toxipedia/Teratogens

Measom, C,(2010).The Effects of Alcohol on Infants. Retrieved November 5,2012 from http://www.ehow.com/info_7966346_effects-alcohol-infants.html

Sources used in this document:
References

State university.com (2011). Stages of Growth Child Development - Early Childhood (Birth to Eight Years), Middle Childhood (Eight to Twelve Years). Retrieved November 5, 2012 from http://education.stateuniversity.com/pages/1826/Child-Development-Stages-Growth.html

National institute of health. (2012).Alcohol Alert. Retrieved November 5, 2012 from http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/aa50.htm

Buddy, T. (2012).How Drinking Alcohol During Pregnancy Causes FAS.Retrieved November 5,

2012 from http://alcoholism.about.com/od/fas/a/How-Drinking-Alcohol-Causes-Fas.htm
Gilbert, S. (2009).Teratogens. Retrieved November 5, 2012 from http://toxipedia.org/display/toxipedia/Teratogens
Measom, C,(2010).The Effects of Alcohol on Infants. Retrieved November 5,2012 from http://www.ehow.com/info_7966346_effects-alcohol-infants.html
Cite this Document:
Copy Bibliography Citation

Related Documents

Teratology and Teratogens Congenital Malformations
Words: 1809 Length: 5 Document Type: Essay

Teratology Define the term Teratology Teratology refers to the study of abnormal fetal growth. Teratogenic prenatal exposures arise from: infectious agents, chemical and drug agents, metabolic or maternal causes (such as phenylketonuria and diabetes), and physical agents (such as heat, ionizing radiation, and mechanical factors) (Jelinek, 2005). Inbred abnormalities occur commonly, with 2-3% babies, both live and stillborn, as well as aborted fetuses having structural abnormalities. Furthermore, about 10% of infants have

Mortality Rate and Pregnancy
Words: 1552 Length: 4 Document Type: Essay

Fetus Development The author of this brief report has been asked to answer several questions relating to the development of a fetus after conception and what can happen along the way in terms of issues or external influences. Questions that will be answered to include the major periods and developments in pregnancy, what percentage of pregnancies end in life births, the organism most at risk for firth defects, the role of

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Nip in
Words: 4113 Length: 15 Document Type: Research Paper

Mainstream smoke is exhaled from a smoker. Some experts say that side-stream smoke can emit higher levels of toxins than mainstream smoke. In response to these new reports, the Environmental Protection Agency classified secondhand smoke as a carcinogen because of its harmful effects on the health of both adults and the children of smokers. In addition, a lot more about the harm of other substances in tobacco smoke remains

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome: Unkind and Unfair to Babies
Words: 657 Length: 2 Document Type: Essay

Drugs and Alcohol It is a well-known and well-researched fact that a pregnant woman drinking alcohol -- or using other substances that are defined as teratogens -- is taking a risk that her baby could be negatively impacted. In fact there are well over a thousand substances that are considered to be teratogens; Purdue University lists 205 teratogens that begin with the letter "A" -- and even more that begin with

Life Span Development Life-Span Development:
Words: 580 Length: 2 Document Type: Term Paper

Discussion Every one goes through many stages in life beginning at the time of conception, throughout life, and finally in death. Human development is important to psychologists because it can provide insight about a person and the stage he or she may be experiencing in life based on age-related changes in behavior, emotions, personality, and thought processes (Boyd & Bee, 2009). The interest of changes throughout a person's life, from childhood

Promoting Healthy Prenatal Development
Words: 639 Length: 2 Document Type: Essay

Promoting Healthy Prenatal Development Prenatal development is divided into three distinct stages these are the zygote, embryo and fetus.in the real sense these three periods are a representation of continuous phases of development during which the developing organism is sustained and protected by amniotic sac, placenta and umbical cord and after the fifth month it undergoes a series of changes to become an increasingly complex and differentiated organism. There are several

Sign Up for Unlimited Study Help

Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.

Get Started Now