Teratogens

Description

A teratogen is any medication, chemical, infectious disease, or environmental agent that might interfere with the normal development of a foetus and result in the loss of a pregnancy , a birth defect , or a pregnancy complication . There are a variety of teratogens that are relatively common. Some examples are listed, but there are other teratogens which are not on this list.

• Social Drugs , such as alcohol, cocaine, cigarettes.
• Medications . Examples include seizure medications (such as Dilantin, Valporic Acid, Tegretol), Accutane, thalidomide , chemotherapy, lithium.
• Environmental Agents, such as organic solvents, chemicals, lead, anaesthetic gases, organic mercury.
• Infectious Diseases. Examples include rubella , cytomegalovirus , genital herpes , toxoplasmosis , Fifth disease , chickenpox .
• Other, including diabetes , radiation, hyperthermia (high fever).

The timing of foetal exposure to a teratogen is one of the major determinants of what effects the teratogen will have on prenatal development.

Please refer to the section Drugs & Pregnancy , for more information on this topic

The information in this page is presented in summarised form and has been taken from the following source(s):
1. Illinois Teratogen Information Service, North-western University Medical School/Chicago:
     http://www.fetal-exposure.nwu.edu/