What are the main causes of fetal malformations?

Nowadays, people are more and more particular about pregnancy, whether it is pre-pregnancy check-up and hospitalization or post-pregnancy confinement center. However, the chance of fetal malformation is getting higher and higher. It may be because the mother did not pay attention to diet or lifestyle during pregnancy, or it may be due to family heredity. If there is a genetic disease in the family, then the child’s chance of getting the disease will be greatly increased. Regardless of whether it is external or internal factors, let us listen to the experts’ analysis together!

Causes of fetal malformations

External factors mainly come from environmental influences. Excessive exposure to radioactive substances in early pregnancy may lead to the birth of deformed babies. Therefore, try not to do abdominal X-rays or radiographs in early pregnancy, otherwise there is a risk of congenital heart defects, microcephaly, stillbirth, etc. At the same time, the use of estrogen, androgen and progesterone in early pregnancy can cause changes in the sex of the fetus and other deformities. Continuous use of streptomycin by pregnant women can cause deafness in newborns. In addition, tetracycline and hormone drugs have been reported to be teratogenic, so medication during pregnancy should be used reasonably under the guidance of a doctor. Not only that, long-term heavy drinking and smoking by prospective parents may lead to stillbirth, low birth weight, mental retardation, etc. At the same time, viral infection in pregnant women is also one of the causes of deformed babies. Commonly, mothers suffer from influenza, rubella, cytomegalovirus, herpes simplex virus and other viral infections in early pregnancy, which can cause the fetus to suffer from microcephaly, hydrocephalus, brain calcification and other tissue or organ deformities.

The internal cause of deformed babies mainly comes from genetic factors, which are caused by abnormal genetic material from parents. The genetic material in the human body exists on chromosomes in the cell nucleus. Usually chromosomes are stable, but under the influence of some adverse factors in daily life (such as radiation, drugs, diseases, polluted water, air, etc.), the number and structure of chromosomes may be abnormal, and one or more genes on chromosomes (functional units that determine genetic traits) mutate, which can cause deformed babies.

There are many reasons for the formation of deformed babies, but ultimately it is the mother who pays attention to details during pregnancy to reduce the chance of deformity, such as smoking, drinking, taking medicines, using cosmetics with chemical ingredients, receiving radiation therapy, etc. Not only that, you also need to pay attention to the living environment and eat pollution-free food to ensure your baby's health.