Environmental Influences on Human Development Flashcards

1
Q

Toxic or infectious insults occurring in the first few weeks of development are likely to be

A

Fatal

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

States that if an action or policy has a suspected risk of causing harm to the public or environment, even in the absence of scientific consensus, the burden of proof that it is NOT HARMFUL falls on those taking action, such as the introduction of a chemical or a pharmaceutical

A

Precautionary Principle

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

What are three highly potent xenobiotic teratogens?

A
  1. ) Alcohol
  2. ) Cocaine
  3. ) Smoking
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

Begins to form in week three an is particularly vulnerable up to week 8 or 10

A

Heart

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

Rubella infection between weeks 3-8 of embryonic development results in

A

Cardiac defects

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

Can lead to cardiac defects, eye abnormalities, and deafness

A

Rubella infection during pregnancy

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

Points in development at which an insult (pharmaceutical, toxic, or infectious) may have a specific, profound impact on certain targets that are vulnerable at that time

A

“Critical periods” or “Sensitive Windows”

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

Teratogenesis is defined as

A

Birth defects

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

Two of the most pervasive in utero toxicants are

A

Tobacco smoking and alcohol

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

Are among the most important child health problems in the US

A

Developmental disabilities

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

What precentge of children have some developmental disability

A

17%

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

What percentage of children have ADHD?

A

3-7%

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

About 7-12/1,000 children have some form of

A

Autism spectrum disorder

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

Occur in a complex context shaped by genetic determination or predilection (susceptibility), social circumstances, and personal lifestyles

A

Environmental exposures

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

The fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless or race, color, national origin, or income with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies

A

Environmental Justice

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

The process resulting in defects apparent at birth due to some interference with normal development

A

Teratogenesis

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

Agents that have been identified to cause birth defects such as Rubella, alcohol, mercury, lead, etc are called

A

Teratogens

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

A vitamin that is not manufactured in the body and must be consumed in the diet. It is associated with anemia in adults

A

Folic acid

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

During fetal development, folic acid deficiency has been associated with a spectrum of neural tube defects such as

A

Spina bifida

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

The extreme case of folic acid deficiency during pregnancy is

A

Anencephaly

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

When is the vulnerable period for folic acid deficiency in pregnancy?

-when the neural tube is forming and then closing

A

First trimester

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

At birth, small skull circumference and flattened skull are evidence of this severe, usually fatal defect

A

Anencephaly

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

Should be taken as a supplement before and during pregnancy

A

Folic acid

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

What percentage of developmental defects in man are thought to be caused by drugs and environmental chemicals?

A

4-5%

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
Q

Relative teratogenicity is influenced by

A

Maternal factors

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
26
Q

Developmental defects increase with frequency and degree as a function of

A

Fetal dose of teratogen

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
27
Q

Teratogenic susceptibility is greatest during

A

Organogenesis

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
28
Q

What is one example of a human condition that was not predicted by animal studies?

A

Congenital Rubella Syndrome (CRS)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
29
Q

Animal studies predicted some but not all

A

Thalidomide toxicity

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
30
Q

A drug used to prevent miscarriage

A

Diethylstilbestrol (DES)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
31
Q

In the case of diethylstilbestrol (DES), animal studies did not show

A

Vaginal legions in F1 offspring

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
32
Q

What does the acronym TORCH stand for?

A
T = Toxoplasma
O = Other (Zika, chicken pox, syphillis, etc)
R = Rubella
C = Cytomegalic virus
H = Herpes
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
33
Q

Most cause mild maternal morbidity, but have serious fetal consequences

A

TORCH infections

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
34
Q

The treatment of maternal TORCH infection typically has no impact on

A

Fetal outcome

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
35
Q

What are two examples of fetal outcomes from TORCH infections?

A

Microcephaly and mental retardation

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
36
Q

What is the critical window for Rubella and Zika?

A

3-16 weeks

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
37
Q

Caused by the togovirus and generally show mild flu-like symptoms + rash in children

A

Rubella (German measles)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
38
Q

The incubation period for Rubella is

A

2-3 weeks

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
39
Q

When Rubella occurs during pregnancy, the highest risk percentage for developing Congenital Rubella Syndrome (CRS) is during the

A

1st trimester (50-90% results in CRS)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
40
Q

What percentage of Rubella infection during the 2nd trimester results in CRS?

A

25%

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
41
Q

What are the critical or sensitive developmental periods for the

  1. ) Ears and eyes
  2. ) Upper limbs
  3. ) Lower limbs
A
  1. ) 20th-25th day
  2. ) 26th-30th day
  3. ) 31st-36th day
42
Q

Congenital Rubella Syndrome (CRS) presents as a classic triad of

A
  1. ) Sensorineural deafness (60%)
  2. ) Congenital heart disease (50%)
  3. ) Ocular abnormalities (45%)
43
Q

The reason the MMR vaccine was developed

A

Congenital Rubella Syndrome (CRS)

44
Q

The MMR vaccine is contraindicated during

A

Pregnancy

45
Q

Flavivirus spread primarily by the bite of infected Aedes aegypti or Aedes albopictus

A

Zika Virus

46
Q

Many adults with this virus are asymptomatic or have mild flu-like symptoms

A

Zika Virus

47
Q

However, Zika can cause

A

Severe birth defects, stillbirths, and miscarriages

48
Q

The flavivirus was first recognized in Brazil in early

A

2015

49
Q

The zika virus has been directly correlated to

A

Microcephaly

50
Q

Characterized by fetal death, still birth, neonatal death, and developmental impairment

A

Congenital Zika Syndrome

51
Q

Results in severe thinning of cortex

A

Zika

52
Q

Unlike other flaviviruses, Zika can also be detected in high quantity in

A

Semen

53
Q

Can be transmitted sexually from male to pregnant female

A

Zika

54
Q

Vitamin needed for DNA synthesis

A

Folate (Vitamin B-9)

55
Q

Lack of animal protein and green vegetables in the diet, maternal smoking, alcohol, and kidney dialysis can all cause

A

Folate deficiency

56
Q

What is the most common cause of preventable mental retardation?

A

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

57
Q

What is the incidence of fetal alcohol syndrome?

A

5-12K births / year

58
Q

Characterized by facial abnormalities, marked hyperactivity, delayed gross and fine motor skills, delayed learning and language skills,and hearing loss

A

Fetal Alcohol syndrome

59
Q

How many drinks per day during pregnancy essentially guarantees fetal alcohol syndrome?

A

4-5 drinks per day

60
Q

Clinically significant deficits are not common in children whose mothers drank less than approximately

A

5 drinks per occasion, once a week

61
Q

A sedative used for morning sickness that showed no toxicity in animal studies but causes major problems in human births

A

Thalidomide

62
Q

In adults, thalidomide toxicity leads to

A

Neuropathy, GI stasis, and dizziness/disorientation

63
Q

As a teratogen, leads to phocomelia, amelia, syndactyly, and ear and eye defects

  • > 10,000 affected children worldwide (less than 100 in US)
A

Thalidomide

64
Q

In 2010, it was suggested that the mechanism of action of thalidomide teratogenicity was the arrested development of

A

Critical blood vessels

65
Q

Thalidomide has recently been shown to have beneficial uses and has been used for

A

Multiple myeloma, Leprosy, and difficult dermatology cases

66
Q

Thalidomide has been used to manage leprocy in

A

Brazil

67
Q

One of the most dramatic examples of drug interference during development comes (FOAD) from the experience with which drug that was widely used in pregnant women with “threatened abortion” from the 1940s through the 1960s

A

Diethylstilbesterol (DES)

68
Q

Diethylstilbesterol (DES) was used to prevent

A

Miscarriages

69
Q

Researchers then discovered that DES caused

A

Vaginal tumors in female offspring

70
Q

DES sons are at risk for

A

Non-cancerous epidermal cysts

71
Q

Female offspring of DES-treated mothers developed clear-cell adenocarcinoma of the vagina shortly after the onset of the

A

Menarche

72
Q

What is the critical period of maternal exposure to DES?

A

1st trimester

73
Q

DES causes problems because there are Estradiol sensitive adenomatous tissues in the

A

Vagina

74
Q

Researchers learned that the placenta is NOT a

A

Complete barrier

75
Q

Studies showed that fetal susceptibility is maternally determined and is dependent on

A

Gestational stage

76
Q

In utero, toxicity can be manifested at what four stages?

A
  1. ) At birth
  2. ) Shortly after birth
  3. ) Delayed until puberty
  4. ) Decades after birth
77
Q

How many generations can show toxicity in utero?

A

F2+n generations

78
Q

Probably the only known example of F2 effects in humans are

A

DES effects

79
Q

Many teratogens cause restriction of

A

Intrauterine growth

80
Q

Showed how prenatal and infant events or exposures can program an individual for adult disease

A

Fetal Origins of Adult Disease (FOAD)

81
Q

FOAD showed that birth size (small babies that become obese children) predicts

A

Hypertension, cardiovascular disease, glucose intolerance, and dyslipidemias

82
Q

Chronic stress and corticoid stimulus leads to

A

Intrauterine Growth Restrictions (IUGR)

83
Q

The Dutch famine of 1944-45 showed that first trimester exposure had no effect, but third trimester exposure led to

A

Glucose intolerance

84
Q

Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) occurs during which weeks of the fetal period?

A

16-38

85
Q

Substances that interfere with normal hormone functions cause

A

Endocrine Disruption

86
Q

Can be do to up or down regulation of hormone production, release, or receptor expression

A

Endocrine disruption

87
Q

Hormone agonists or antagonists can lead to

A

Endocrine disruption

88
Q

All forms of this element are toxic to all animals

A

Mercury

89
Q

Used as an antiseptic, a biocide in paints and on crops, and as a diuretic

A

Mercury

90
Q

What are the three main forms of mercury

A
  1. ) Elemental mercury (quicksilver)
  2. ) Inorganic mercury (mainly pigments)
  3. ) Organic mercury
91
Q

What are the two organic forms of mercury

A
  1. ) Ethyl mercury (Thimerosal)

2. ) Methyl mercury (mainly from fish)

92
Q

People who eat fish that are high on the food chain several times a week are susceptible to

A

Methylmercury poisoning

93
Q

Elemental and inorganic mercury are mainly a problem

for

A

Industrial exposures

94
Q

The more highly toxic form of mercury

-Targets the CNS

A

Methylmercury

95
Q

A ubiquitous contaminant that is mainly of concern for fetal development if mothers consume large amounts of fish that are high on the food chain

A

Mercury

96
Q

An amount of a substance that can be consumed on a daily basis without causing adverse effects

A

Reference dose

97
Q

Merely exceeding a reference dose does not predict

-would have to exceed by a lot

A

Harm

98
Q

There were two conflicting studies done on mercury in fish, one by Harvard and one by Rochester university. The EPA decided to base it’s reference dose on the

A

Harvard study (0.1 ug/kg body weight)

99
Q

The FDA decided to base it’s allowable daily intake on the Negative findings from the Rochester study and set it at

A

0.3 ug/kg body weight

100
Q

The Rochester study in the Republic of Seychelles measured maternal hair samples for Hg during pregnancy. The study showed no significant impact from prenatal exposure of Hg on

A

Neurodevelopment

101
Q

Since the reference dose of Hg is 0.1 ug/kg body weight/day, this means that during pregnancy, if mercury intake is below 0.1 ug/kg body weight/day, there should be

A

NO adverse effects