Risk Assessment of Prenatally-Induced Adverse Health Effects

This volume studies the numerous aspects of structural and functional abnormal development in both experimental and clinical settings. As the results of prenatally induced lesions may not manifest themselves until late postnatal development, this area is also discussed.

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Since the thalidomide (Contergan) tragedy, the induction of prenatally-induced morphological or functional defects has been an area of extensive research. Risk assessment of prenatally induced adverse health effects is still a difficult task from both experimental data as well as from observations in humans. In the contributions to this book, three major aspects are dealt with: quantitative extrapolations of experimental data with possible relevance for man; the significance of a risk assessment of minor or rare structural abnormalities in man observed in experimental studies; and the future need to assess congenital dysfunctions (of the hormone or the immune system) besides the present evaluation of structural defects. Limitation as well as gaps in the present knowledge in this area of basic and applied research are pointed out. Since the results of prenatally induced lesions may manifest themselves not only prenatally but often not before late postnatally, numerous aspects of structural and functional abnormal development must be studied in experimental and clinical investigations.