Teratogens and Fetotoxic Agents: The Role of Nurses
Keywords:
birth defects, fetuses, harmful substances, teratogens and fetotoxic agents, nurses’ roleAbstract
Currently, numerous hazardous substances exist in the environment, including teratogens and fetotoxic agents. Exposure to such substances through food consumption, therapeutic medicines, substance abuse, unsafe work unsafe environments, and unsafe products during pregnancy can result in fetal abnormalities. Therefore, pregnant women should avoid exposure to these harmful substances. Nurses in antenatal care units are the health personnel closest to pregnant women and, as such, are important in helping to prevent exposure to harmful substances among pregnant women. This article aims to present the behavioral issues in pregnant women, policies to reduce the risk of chemical hazards, the meaning of harmful substances and teratogens, fetal development at different stages when exposed to harmful substances, types of harmful substances and effects on the fetus, and nurses’ roles in preventing harmful substances from causing abnormalities in the fetus.
References
Pollution Control Department, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment. Thailand state of pollution report 2022. Bangkok: AP Connex; 2023 (in Thai)
Farrow A, Anhäuser A, Moun-Ob A. The burden of air pollution in Thailand 2021. Bangkok: Greenpeace Thailand; 2022.
world Health Organization. Birth defects [Internet]. 2022 [cited 2023 Dec 3]. Available from: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/birth-defects
National Institute of Child Development. Situations of early childhood development [Internet]. 2020 [cited 2023 Dec 22]. Available from: https://nich.anamai.moph.go.th/th/general-of-50/download/did=204371&id=71945&reload= (in Thai)
Gould GS, Havard A, Lim LL, The Psanz Smoking In Pregnancy Expert Group, Kumar R. Exposure to tobacco, environmental tobacco smoke and nicotine in pregnancy: a pragmatic overview of reviews of maternal and child outcomes, effectiveness of interventions and barriers and facilitators to quitting. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2020;17(6):2034. doi: 10.3390/ijerph17062034.
Hur YM, Choi J, Park S, Oh SS, Kim YJ. Prenatal maternal alcohol exposure: diagnosis and prevention of fetal alcohol syndrome. Obstet Gynecol Sci 2022;65(5):385-94. doi: 10.5468/ogs.22123.
Luke S, Hobbs AJ, Smith M, Riddell C, Murphy P, Agborsangaya C, et al. Cannabis use in pregnancy and maternal and infant outcomes: a Canadian cross-jurisdictional population-based cohort study. PLoS One 2022;17(11):e0276824. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0276824.
National Organization for Rare Disorder. Fetal retinoid syndrome [Internet]. 2023 [cited 2024 Mar 6]. Available from: https://rarediseases.org/rare-diseases/fetal-retinoid-syndrome/
Beasant L, Ingram J, Taylor CM. Fish consumption during pregnancy in relation to national guidance in England in a mixed-methods study: the PEAR study. Nutrients 2023;15(14):3217. doi: 10.3390/nu15143217.
Thammarat R, Polprasarn P, Jantasuwan R. Knowledge and safe consumption behavior of vegetables and fruit from pesticides and serum cholinesterase levels in pregnant women, Nakhon Si Thammarat province. Royal Thai Navy Medical Journal 2020;47(3):660-72. (in Thai)
Pereira G, Surita FG, Ferracini AC, Madeira CS, Oliveira LS, Mazzola PG. Self-medication among pregnant women: prevalence and associated factors. Front Pharmacol 2021;12:659503. doi: 10.3389/fphar.2021.659503.
Choksawat O, Sripichyakan K, Sriarporn P, Baosoung C. Challenges of avoiding congenital disorders: experiences of pregnant women in northeastern Thailand. Pacific Rim Int J Nurs Res 2023;27(4):640-53. doi:10.60099/prijnr.2023.261330.
Thisophin T, Sirintip B. Caffeine, alcohol and tobacco pattern use and risk factors in use risk during pregnancy in the middle zone of Northeastern Thailand. Indian Journal of Forensic Medicine & Toxicology 2020;14(3):2233–6.
Sirivat K. Teratogen and fetotoxic agent [Internet]. 2021 [cited 2024 Mar 29]. Available from: https://w1.med.cmu.ac.th/obgyn/lecturestopics/topic-review/38182/ (in Thai)
Pookpan S, Tachasuksri T, Siriarunrat S. Factors predicting preventive behavior regarding adverse effects of cigarette smoke among pregnant women. Thai J Cardio-Thorac Nurs 2021;32(1):76–89 (in Thai)
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists’ Committee on Obstetric Practice. Reducing prenatal exposure to toxic environmental agents: ACOG Committee opinion, number 832. Obstet Gynecol 2021;138(1):e40-54. doi: 10.1097/AOG.0000000000004449.
Kongtip P, Techasaensiri B, Nankongnab N, Adams J, Phamonphon A, Surach A, et al. The impact of prenatal organophosphate pesticide exposures on Thai infant neurodevelopment. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2017;14(6):570. doi: 10.3390/ijerph14060570.
Addissie YA, Kruszka P, Troia A, Wong ZC, Everson JL, Kozel BA, et al. Prenatal exposure to pesticides and risk for holoprosencephaly: a case-control study. Environ Health 2020;19(1):65. doi: 10.1186/s12940-020-00611-z.
Cunningham FG, Leveno K, Dashe J, Hoffman B, Spong C, Casey B. Williams obstetrics. 26th ed. New York: McGraw Hill/Medical; 2022.
Bureau of Reproductive Health. The 2nd national reproductive health development policy and strategy (2017-2026) on the promotion of quality birth and growth. Nonthaburi: Ministry of Public Health, Thailand; 2017. (in Thai)
Department of Health, Ministry of Public Health, Thailand. Driving guidelines of the miracle of 1,000 days. Bangkok: AV Progressive; 2018. (in Thai)
National Committee on the Development of Chemical Management Strategies. Chemical management master Plan B.E. 2562-2580. Bangkok: Aksorn Graphic and Design; 2018. (in Thai)
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Alcohol use during pregnancy [Internet]. 2023 [cited 2024 Feb 29]. Available from: https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/fasd/alcohol-use.html
Department of Health and Aged Care, Australia. Pregnancy and smoking, vaping and tobacco [Internet]. 2023 [cited 2024 Feb 29]. Available from: https://www.health.gov.au/topics/ smoking-vaping-and-tobacco/audiences/pregnancy
Lyall V, Wolfson L, Reid N, Poole N, Moritz KM, Egert S, et al. "The problem is that we hear a bit of everything…": a qualitative systematic review of factors associated with alcohol use, reduction, and abstinence in pregnancy. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2021;18(7):3445. doi: 10.3390/ijerph18073445.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2024 Srisavarindhira Thai Red Cross Institute of Nursing
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
เนื้อหาบทความหรือข้อคิดเห็นต่างๆ ในวารสารพยาบาลสภากาชาดไทยนี้ เป็นความคิดเห็นของผู้เขียนบทความ ไม่ใช่ความเห็นของกองบรรณาธิการ หรือสถาบันการพยาบาลศรีสวรินทิรา สภากาชาดไทย
