Teratogen

This symbol shows that a substance is damaging to human health. This includes substances that cause birth defects.

Ateratogenis a material that can causebirth defects.Teratogens include somechemicals,medications,andinfectious diseases.The name goes back to Ancient Greek "theras", which can be translated as "monster".

About 75% of all birth defects are caused by teratogens.^{p. 23-3}

Types of teratogens

Alcohol and illegal drugs

Alcoholis the most common cause of congenital disorders that can be prevented.Alcohol ispoisonousto afetusand can causebrain damage.Drinking alcoholwhilepregnantcan cause the fetus to getfetal alcohol syndrome.

Illegal drugs,likeheroinandcocaine,are also poisonous to the fetus and can cause many different congenital problems. For example, cocaine use during pregnancy can causemicrocephaly(a smaller head size than usual) and problems with the way the fetus'surinary systemandgenitalsgrow.

Medications

Baby born to a mother who tookthalidomidewhile pregnant

Some medications can also hurt the fetus if its mother takes them while she is pregnant. For example:^{p. 23-6}

• Lithium carbonate(used to treatbipolar disorder) can cause problems in the way the fetus'sheartgrows
• Phenytoinandvalproic acid(anti-seizure medications) can causeintellectual disability,microcephaly, and many other problems in fetuses
• Warfarin(a blood-thinning medication) can cause problems with the fetus'scentral nervous system,including intellectual disability
• ACE inhibitors(a group of medications forhigh blood pressure) can cause problems with the fetus'skidneys

Before the 1960s, many countries did not have rules about testing medications for their effects on fetuses.This changed partly because ofthalidomide.This medication was given to pregnant women fornauseain the 1950s and 1960s. Between 1956 and 1962, more than 10,000 children in 46 different countries were born with birth defects, like arms and legs that had not grown.Thalidomide had not been tested well enough before it started beingprescribed.Now, many countries require more testing before a medication can be said to be safe during pregnancy.

Infections

See the main article:Vertical transmission

This baby was born withcataracts(cloudy whitelensesin the eyes) caused byrubella

If a woman gets an infection while she is pregnant, sometimes the infection can affect her fetus. Theplacentaprotects the fetus from many differentviruses,bacteria,and otherpathogensthat cause infections. However, some pathogens can get through the placenta and infect the fetus. This is calledvertical transmission.Some of these infections can cause birth defects.

Examples of infections that can cause birth defects include:

• Syphilis
• Toxoplasmosis
• Chickenpox
• Rubella(German measles)

Chemicals

Some chemicals can cause birth defects, if a pregnant woman isexposedto enough of them. For example:

• Lead:If a woman ever hadlead poisoning,she can pass lead on to her fetus, even if she is not exposed to lead while she is pregnant. This happens because most lead is stored in a person'sbonesand can come out into thebloodstreammany years later. Lead can causemiscarriageandstillbirthas well as birth defects.
• Mercury:High levels of mercury can causebrain damagein fetuses.

Other things

High levels ofionizing radiationcan cause birth defects.^{p. 23-8}

Things that are not teratogens

Examples of things that do not cause birth defects include:

• Spermicides(these were suspected of causing birth defects in the 1970s and 1980s, but they have been proven to be safe)
• Acetaminophen(paracetamol)
• Prenatal vitamins
• Non-ionizing radiation. This is the type of radiation that comes fromsunlightandmicrowave ovens.It does not cause birth defects.