During pregnancy, you expose your developing baby to anything you put into your body. When you have an alcoholic beverage, a cigarette or abuse prescription or illegal drugs, your baby feels the effects. No safe amount of alcohol, tobacco or drugs...
Cleft lip and cleft palate are congenital deformities that result in the palate or the lip or both not coming together to fuse in the middle during the fetal formation of facial structures. This occurs early in gestation, as the structures begin...
According to the American Council for Drug Education, there are nearly 15 million alcoholics in America. In addition, alcohol contributes to nearly 100,000 deaths annually. Various drugs produce different effects on the body. Some stimulants or...
Alcoholism is a disease that involves chronic, excessive craving and consumption of alcohol, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. It can arise from the interplay among a variety of factors, including environmental,...
Alcoholism can lead to many complications aside from the disruption in the daily and family life of the alcoholic. Severe illnesses arising from long-term heavy drinking can often be fatal. Disorders from alcoholism can cause deterioration to a...
According to an Institute of Medicine Report to Congress in 1996, cocaine, heroin and marijuana are not as harmful to a developing fetus as alcohol. Alcohol passes easily through the mother's bloodstream into the fetus, causing the fetus' blood...
The Eustachian tubes are the openings that connect the middle part of the ear to an area in the back of the nose called the nasopharynx. Their function is to help keep the pressure stable in the middle ear and drain extra fluid from behind the...
Before a baby is born, he shares circulation of blood with his mother. This means that what his mother ingests--whether food, medication or alcohol--all can cross the placental barrier and enter a baby's bloodstream. A mother who chronically uses...
Those with autism spectrum disorder, or ASD, display social impairments, language difficulties and repetitive or obsessive behaviors. It is a spectrum disorder as its severity and symptoms vary between individuals. The cause of autism is unknown,...
Ethanol is one of the most widely available and abused drugs worldwide. In moderate amounts it is generally well tolerated, however, in excessive amounts it has serious physical and psychological effects. The burden of alcohol abuse is borne by...
Ligaments are tough fibrous bands of tissue that connect one bone to another, and often cover a joint. Ligaments give structure and help define joint function, and help keep bones in close proximity during movement. Ligaments can be easily damaged...
Many factors can affect the development of a fetus. Environmental agents that can negatively affect prenatal development are called teratogens. Teratogen exposure tends to be most detrimental during the first trimester (the first three months) of...
A type of birth defect, cleft lip and palate affect one in every 700 babies born each year in the United States, according to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. MedlinePlus adds that one in 2,500 people have a cleft palate, which...
Many medical personnel suggest having an ultrasound around 20 weeks of pregnancy to check for possible physical problems with the baby, or the placenta or fluid inside the uterus. While you can refuse a scan around 20 weeks, most expectant parents...
Bone growth is governed by a number of factors. Initial bone growth is determined by the growth and proliferation of cartilage cells--the cartilage tissue becomes calcified to become bone tissue. Once initial bone growth is complete, the bones...
According to Save the Children, every year women below the age of 20 give birth to 13 million children worldwide. In America, the teen birth and abortion rate is 55.6 and 30.2 per thousand births, respectively. Medline Plus indicates that there is...
Disease caused by alcoholism may begin in the early stages and becomes more noticeable as the effects of alcohol abuse take hold. Medical professionals consider alcoholism a disease in itself, but excessive drinking over time leads to emotional...
Iron is an essential element that is necessary for good health. Most of the iron in your body is found in your red blood cells. Deficiency does not happen overnight -- it can develop slowly or be caused by your body’s inability to use stored...
The adrenal glands sit just above the kidneys. Their function is to make hormones crucial for life. There are two major areas of each adrenal gland: the outer cortex and inner medulla. The cortex is further subdivided into a zona glomerulosa, zona...
Genetic diseases are caused by gene mutations that are inherited from one or both parents. Certain genetic diseases can cause abnormalities in the teeth, affecting the rate of development of primary (baby) and secondary (adult) teeth or their...
Perhaps nothing awakens maternal or paternal instincts, or evokes stronger judgments, than seeing a pregnant woman drink. Despite popular belief, however, addictions cannot be controlled by willpower alone. The "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual...
Fetal alcohol syndrome, or FAS, was first identified in 1973 as a spectrum of disorders that can result in physical abnormalities, cognitive deficits and behavioral difficulties in children who were exposed to alcohol while in utero. According to...
The jawbones are subject to the same diseases and conditions that affect other bones of the body. Genetic and metabolic bone disorders can affect jaw growth and stability. Additionally, benign and cancerous tumors may arise in the jawbones....
Many issues can affect the delicate skin of the face. Among them are acne, wrinkles, blotchiness, damaged blood vessels, sun spots and scars. These ailments can be embarrassing and difficult to hide. Fortunately, there are several cosmetic...
Epilepsy, a chronic neurological condition characterized by seizures, affects around 2 million Americans, including many women of childbearing age. Seizure activity can range from loss of consciousness and convulsions to brief episodes of staring...
A fetus needs optimum blood flow, nutrition and conditions to grow properly. It's why pregnant mothers are cared for so completely; their actions affect their unborn child's development. Using crack while pregnant can do extreme damage to a fetus....
Children injure their skin more than any other area of their body, according to BabyCenter.com. Bruises form when blood vessels sustain damage and bleed into the skin. Active children are particularly susceptible to bumping themselves and getting...
Allergic rhinitis is inflammation of the lining of the nose caused by allergy. Both seasonal and chronic allergic rhinitis impair sleep in adults and children, leading to fatigue and other deficits in quality of life, according to the Burden of...
Cleft lip and cleft palate is a highly common congenital deformity occurring in about 1 in 700 live births. This congenital deformity occurs early in gestation at about 5 weeks. The formation of a cleft lip and cleft palate is the result of a...