HDFS201 Lecture Notes - Lecture 7: Low Birth Weight, Microcephaly, Preterm Birth
17 Dec 2018
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Teratogen: disease or environmental agent causing harm during prenatal development, diseases: rubella, syphilis, hiv/aids, etc, drugs: thalidomide, tobacco, alcohol, cocaine, environmental hazards: radiation, pollutants. The same defect can come from different teratogens: example: microcephaly, radiation, alcohol, herpes, example: atypically slow growth, alcohol, cocaine, heroin, nicotine. The same teratogen can cause different effects: example: marijuana. Low birth weight or premature birth: compromised motor control. Infant irritability: example: syphilis, central nervous system problems, bone defects, miscarriage. Teething problems: not all fetuses or infants are affected and not all are equally affected, different infants have different genetic predispositions towards risk and resilience. There is an interaction of the timing, dose, and duration of the exposure: that is to say, different reaction ranges. Nugget: equifinality (or equipotential) as a general principle: equifinality different environmental conditions can lead to the same developmental manifestation, same is true of common developmental status like compromised growth or microcephaly there are different.
