Congenital Diseases and the Environment pdf

[...]... have a congenital defect, of which 1% is severe Already in 3000 BC, congenital abnormalities like achondroplasia were described and the Romans thought that an abnormal child was born as a predictor of the future, using the word “monstrum” Moreover, in the middle-ages many mothers, together with the midwife and the abnormal child, died at the stake on accusation of being bewitched After Mendel, in the. .. especially the fat soluble persistent bioaccumulating chemicals, pass across the placenta and can damage the developing baby Inhibiting influences on placental enzymes, such as by pesticides, might have long-term effects, for instance on blood pressure This book examines various aspects of congenital diseases and the environment Congenital anomalies are among the most important causes of handicap and mortality... 457 PREFACE For many years, interest in the prevention of diseases in children was concentrated on improvement of the postnatal environment However, since the major problems of infectious diseases and nutrition were solved with the help of vaccinations and better feeding regimes, it became clear that new approaches were needed to prevent and treat the disorders and problems we are facing now - problems... (ADHD); asthma and allergies; auto-immune diseases such as type 1 diabetes and Crohn’s disease (both increasing in recent decades, due to so far unknown environmental factors); cancer; obesity and hearing problems All of these problems can have their roots in prenatal life The idea that the mother is protecting the child while (s)he is developing in utero has been proved to be wrong Environmental toxicants,... effects of compounds and mixtures of substances The acquisition of valuable markers and sources of information, obtained by examining congenital anomalies in wildlife and tracing back exposures and contaminants is discussed Furthermore, this book includes details of the most recent studies on the effects of compounds such as dioxins, thalidomide, PCBs, and phthalates, in the causation of congenital anomalies... that the prenatal period is the most vulnerable one Between conception and birth, the fertilized ovum goes through some forty-two cycles of cell division to develop into a full-term infant; after birth, only another five are needed to attain adult size Credit is due to David Barker, who brought attention to the early origin of adult disease Well-known are the studies done in the Netherlands on the influence... sufficient thyroid hormone and in that period, any problem in the mother is decisive Abnormalities in the estrogen/androgen status in the fetal period can result in abnormal sexual development of the brain, such as trans-sexualism PREFACE xix Genetic causes are becoming better known, but clear-cut genetic reasons for congenital diseases are rare and clinical aspects can be confusing The recognition of epigenetics... that the environment plays a definitive role Genes are activated or inactivated by environmental influences such as hunger periods or Diethylstilboestrol (DES) in pregnancy, or later, and these effects can be transferred to the next generation when the ovum or spermatogonium is susceptible The female oocyte is susceptible for this imprinting around the 26th week of pregnancy of the female baby, while the. .. recent years, increasing attention and resources have been brought to bear on the relationship between environment and congenital diseases These diseases were previously thought to be mostly due to genetic causes Even though the importance of genes as factors in causation is accepted, environmental factors seem to be implicated just as strongly This book explores some further concepts that have arisen... concepts that have arisen from more recent perceptions of environmental effects and their possible interactions with living systems Bearing in mind the difficulty of assessing the cause and extent of congenital diseases, methods of studying environmental impacts are presented and a new approach for toxicology is advocated: assessing low dose and chronic exposure Emphasis is placed on developmental endpoints . examines various aspects of congenital diseases and the environment. Congenital anomalies are among the most important causes of handicap and mortality. About. predictor of the future, using the word “monstrum”. Moreover, in the middle-ages many mothers, together with the midwife and the abnormal child, died at the stake