Teratogens, Parental Factors, Birth, and Newborn Risks

Teratogens and Prenatal Development\n\n## Teratogens\n* Definition: Environmental agents that can harm prenatal development; anything that is not genetic.\n* Examples: Primarily drugs and substances, both legal and illegal.\n* Psychoactive Drugs Mentioned: Tobacco, cocaine, opioids, marijuana, and caffeine. The specific effects of these substances should be reviewed in the textbook.\n* Challenges in Studying Teratogens in Humans:\n * Ethical Concerns: Impossible to administer substances like cocaine directly to pregnant humans for study.\n * Confounding Factors: Pregnant individuals often use multiple substances (poly-substance use), and their life circumstances might be complex (e.g., high stress, lack of prenatal care), making it difficult to isolate the effects of a single teratogen.\n* Methods of Study:\n * Human Interviews: Involves talking to individuals who have used substances, but data can be