Teratology 

About: Teratology is an academic journal published by Wiley. The journal publishes majorly in the area(s): Pregnancy & Medicine. It has an ISSN identifier of 0040-3709. Over the lifetime, 3394 publications have been published receiving 108418 citations. The journal is also known as: Birth Defects Res.

Incidence of fetal alcohol syndrome and prevalence of alcohol-related neurodevelopmental disorder

Abstract: We critique published incidences for fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) and present new estimates of the incidence of FAS and the prevalence of alcohol-related neurodevelopmental disorder (ARND). We first review criteria necessary for valid estimation of FAS incidence. Estimates for three population-based studies that best meet these criteria are reported with adjustment for underascertainment of highly exposed cases. As a result, in 1975 in Seattle, the incidence of FAS can be estimated as at least 2.8/1000 live births, and for 1979-81 in Cleveland, approximately 4.6/1,000. In Roubaix, France (for data covering periods from 1977-1990), the rate is between 1.3 and 4.8/1,000, depending on the severity of effects used as diagnostic criteria. Utilizing the longitudinal neurobehavioral database of the Seattle study, we propose an operationalization of the Institute of Medicine's recent definition of ARND and estimate its prevalence in Seattle for the period 1975-1981. The combined rate of FAS and ARND is thus estimated to be at least 9.1/1,000. This conservative rate--nearly one in every 100 live births--confirms the perception of many health professionals that fetal alcohol exposure is a serious problem.

Birth defects after maternal exposure to corticosteroids: prospective cohort study and meta-analysis of epidemiological studies

Abstract: Background Corticosteroids are first-line drugs for the treatment of a variety of conditions in women of childbearing age Information regarding human pregnancy outcome with corticosteroids is limited Methods We collected prospectively and followed up 184 women exposed to prednisone in pregnancy and 188 pregnant women who were counseled by Motherisk for nonteratogenic exposure The primary outcome was the rate of major birth defects A meta-analysis of all epidemiological studies was conducted The Mantel-Haenszel summary odds ratio was calculated for the pooled studies with 95% confidence intervals A cumulative summary odds ratio was also calculated by combining studies in chronological order Chi-squared for homogeneity was determined to establish the comparability of the studies Results In our prospective study, there was no statistical difference in the rate of major anomalies between the corticosteroid-exposed and control groups In the meta-analysis, the Mantel-Haenszel summary odds ratio for major malformations with all cohort studies was 145 [95% CI 080, 260] and 303 [95% CI 108, 854] when Heinonen et al ('77) was removed This suggests a marginally increased risk of major malformations after first-trimester exposure to corticosteroids In addition, summary odds ratio for case-control studies examining oral clefts was significant (335 [95% CI 197, 569]) Conclusions Although prednisone does not represent a major teratogenic risk in humans at therapeutic doses, it does increase by an order of 34-fold the risk of oral cleft, which is consistent with the existing animal studies Teratology 62:385–392, 2000 © 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc

The morphology of various types of cell death in prenatal tissues

Abstract: The morphology of physiological cell death and of necroses caused by treatment with various embryotoxic substances (cyclophosphamide, actinomycin D, vitamin A, vincristine, 6-aminonicotinamide, 6-mercaptopurine) and Mg deficiency were studied electron microscopically in rat and mouse embryos and fetuses. Three types of necroses were distinguished in control tissues. (1) Condensation and fragmentation of single cells undergoing phagocytosis, with lysosomal disintegration of the fragments in neighboring cells. (2) Primary formation of lysosomes in dying cells, with activation and subsequent destruction and phagocytosis of the fragments by neighboring cells. This type of cell death in most instances was found during destruction of organs and large cell units. (3) Disintegration of cells into fragments, which were optically no longer detectable, without involvement of the lysosomal system, e.g., in embryonic and epiphyseal cartilage before ossification. In cases of embryolethal toxic agents, e.g., Mg deficiency, cell necroses of large areas prevailed, which were characterized by typical pyknoses (rough, dense chromatin) and lack of lysosomes. In the case of teratogenic effects, however, substances that disturb replication, transcription, and translation (cyclophosphamide, actinomycin D, 6-mercaptopurine) caused an increase in the number of necroses of type 1. It can, therefore, be assumed that under these conditions similar processes take place in physiological and experimentally induced necroses. After administration of vitamin A, labilization of lysosomes and necroses of type 2 were observed.