Psychology Question
A teratogen is any factor or substance that that can cause an abnormality, commonly known as a birth defect, following fetal exposure during pregnancy. Some examples of well-known teratogens are cleaning supplies, drugs, and alcohol. Teratogens are major influences on prenatal development, with potential consequences for individuals, families, and the community as a whole.
Your second assessment gives you the opportunity to explore the developmental risks of teratogens, examine related research, and explain why and how a specific teratogen harms fetal development in a critical trimester. You will also consider how health disparities are related to developmental risks and various medical, social, and economic prevention and intervention strategies.Teratogens are ubiquitous toxins that affect prenatal development and include common items from cleaning supplies to drugs and alcohol.
Use the Capella University Library and the Internet to research scholarly literature and medically reviewed websites, such as Mayo Clinic and The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), for information about teratogens and their effects on prenatal development. Alcohol and tobacco products are widely known teratogens, and their deleterious effects are well publicized. For this assessment, select a teratogen other than alcohol or tobacco.
Scenario
You are teaching at a local college and want to provide your students with an example of how a specific teratogen affects a critical trimester of fetal development, including timing, dosage, duration, and genetics. Prepare a lecture, using relevant and recent references to support your example, that explains the implications of a selected teratogen for prenatal development, considering the impact of this teratogen on the individual, family, and society, as well as ways to minimize the exposure. Be sure to take into account any relevant individual and cultural factors that may come into play and to write in an audience-appropriate tone.
Deliverable
2–3 pages suitable for a lecture to undergraduate students, explaining the implications of a selected teratogen for prenatal development that considers timing, dosage, duration, genetics, et cetera, as well as the associated consequences and costs to families and society, while considering individual and cultural differences. The writing style should be direct and understandable and include scholarly references.
Organize your lecture using the following headings:
- Overview: Provide a summary of the teratogen.
- Identify a specific teratogen and the type or amount of exposure that can harm fetal development.
- Identify a common product or environmental pollutant that would be a concern for expectant parents (such as lead-contaminated water).
- Where is the teratogen found?
- What type, frequency, or amount of exposure is a concern?
- Identify a common product or environmental pollutant that would be a concern for expectant parents (such as lead-contaminated water).
- Identify a specific teratogen and the type or amount of exposure that can harm fetal development.
- Developmental Risks: Identify the specific risks to prenatal development. Identify the trimester that is most critical in prenatal development that the toxin affects (for example, heart and lungs).
- Summarize research that explains how a specific teratogen affects a trimester of prenatal development.
- Describe how a specific teratogen harms fetal development in a critical trimester.
- Explain why it is dangerous (for instance, drugs cross the blood barrier).
- If, for example, the toxin affects lung development, discuss the consequences.
- Consider the role of health disparities as they relate to developmental risk.
- Describe how a specific teratogen harms fetal development in a critical trimester.
- Summarize research that explains how a specific teratogen affects a trimester of prenatal development.
- Implications of Exposure:
- Evaluate the potential impact or outcomes to family and society as a result of prenatal teratogen exposure while considering the role of health disparities.
- What are the short-term and long-term outcomes from the exposure?
- Other related costs or consequences as the result of exposure?
- Special education costs?
- Increased health care costs?
- What are the short-term and long-term outcomes from the exposure?
- Evaluate the potential impact or outcomes to family and society as a result of prenatal teratogen exposure while considering the role of health disparities.
- Minimize Exposure:
- Analyze recommendations from reputable sources for minimizing prenatal or postnatal exposure to a specific teratogen.
- Analyze the quality of the research and the conclusions to prevent a specific teratogen exposure.
- Identify prevention and intervention options.
- Consider medical, social, and economic prevention strategies.
- Analyze the quality of the research and the conclusions to prevent a specific teratogen exposure.
- Analyze recommendations from reputable sources for minimizing prenatal or postnatal exposure to a specific teratogen.
Additional Requirements
- Length: Maximum length is three pages.
- Written communication: Provide key health information using language and format that is comprehensible to a layperson. Write clearly and logically, with correct use of spelling, grammar, punctuation, and mechanics.
- Number of references: A minimum of five scholarly references is required (such as academic journals), additional references from medically reviewed or reputable professional websites such as government sources, the Mayo Clinic, or WebMD may be included.
- APA formatting: References and citations should be formatted according to current APA style and format.