A lecturer in the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Illinois, Chicago, USA, Dr. Marilyn Miller, has advised pregnant women to limit the use of drugs that could cause abnormal and malformation of the foetus during pregnancy.
Dr. Miller, who gave the advise while delivering a public lecture on the topic, “Environmental Agents (Teratogens) and Ophthalmology: What's Old and What's New,” at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH), identified such drugs
The lecturer said, “The use of illicit drugs among women of child bearing age is a rapidly increasing problem in the Western world,” stressing that “intense attention from medical and social authorities is required to make women understand that they are responsible for the future well-being of their unborn children and therefore have to refrain from the use of such drugs during pregnancy.”
The lecture was jointly organised by the College of Health Sciences (CoHS), the Centre for International Education (CIE) and the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH).
Dr. Miller pointed out that “Teratology is the study of abnormal development and malformations with their incidence and mechanism, which is certainly of concern
to Physicians and the Society,” adding that “teratogens are environmental factors causing abnormal and malformation of the foetus during pregnancy.”
According to the lecturer, the environmental factors (teratogens) include alcohol consumption during pregnancy (that is fetal alcohol syndrome, FAS) rubella embryopathy leading to Congenital Rubella Syndrome (CRS), thalidomide embryopathy virus infection during pregnancy, maternal metabolic imbalance (that is maternal diabetes), effects of various drugs and chemicals and their interactions, cocaine and other hard substances and ophthalmological medications.
Dr. Miller however explained that recent studies had debunked earlier claims that alcohol consumed by the mother during pregnancy has no adverse effects, saying, “There was some appreciation in ancient times that various agents such as alcohol consumed by the mother might have an adverse effect on the child but until more recently there was a general belief that most agents did not cross the placenta. This has proven to be very incorrect”. .
Among those who attended the public lecture were the Dean, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, Prof. A. Akande, who represented the Provost, College of Health Sciences, Prof. A.B. Omotosho; the Dean of Clinical Sciences, Prof. Wahab Johnson; the Head of Department of Ophthalmology, Dr. F. O. Olatunji and the Permanent Secretary, Kwara State Ministry of Health, Alhaji Mohammed Mustapha, who represented the State Commissioner for Health.
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