Prenatal Factors Affecting Motor Development

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders

• FAS• FAE• Alcohol related birth defects (ARBD)• Alcohol-related neurodevelopmental disorder

(ARND)

Alcohol

• Leading cause of birth defects in U.S.• ~ 40,000 infants/ year

FAS

• ARND & ARBD = occur ~ 3 times as often as FAS.

• Currently based on Mother• Researchers studying male’s role.

• Full FASD = Intellectual

and physical defects• FAE = less severe (ARND)

• (ARND) children = ignored due to “normalcy”

“If a pregnant woman drinks alcohol but her child does not have all of the symptoms of FAS, it is possible that her child has an alcohol-related neurodevelopmental disorder (ARND).”

retrieved from CDC-2/15/05- (http://www.cdc.gov)

Characteristics of F.A.S

FAS Facts• Secondary problems for FAS & ARND-

difficulties in school, alcohol & drug abuse, problems with law, etc

• 1998- $2.8 billion annual cost• 2006 – $5.4 billion

Smoking• Maternal smoking linked with SIDS• SIDS: 3 to 4 times more likely to die

from SIDS, when Moms smoke before and after birth

Drugs• Possible effects of Cocaine– Fetal Brain damage –Hypertension–LBW–Learning Disabilities

•Why are prescriptive drugs problematic to the fetus?•Would over-the-counter

drugs be problematic?

Chromosomal Disorders• Down Syndrome– AKA ? –Most common chromosomal

alteration– 47 vs 46 chromosomes– seems to be age related

• Atlanto-Axial Subluxation• Cardiovascular defects•Motor development rates

=same sequence, slower rate

Motor Development Research and Infants with Down

Syndrome• Delays in emergence of

reflexes• Delays in attaining motor

milestones• Ulrich Research (p. 96)

Maternal Diseases

• Rubella• HIV• Genital herpes• Chlamydia

Teen Pregnancy

• Gallahue statistics

PrenatalDiagnostic Procedures

• Ultrasound• Amniocentesis