ABSTRACT
This chapter explores some common environmental and lifestyle factors and teratogens that pose confirmed or potential risks to pregnancy and harm to the developing fetus. The midwife has a role to support women and provide information to enable women make informed choices around matters relating to their exposure to work or lifestyle-based hazards that may threaten the health and well-being of both herself and unborn baby. The midwife has a key role to play in history-taking to elicit a detailed and accurate personal, medical and family history from the pregnant woman to make an initial assessment. Smoking and alcohol are the two leading preventable causes of birth defects and developmental disabilities. Environmental tobacco smoke contains both the waste product of the burned cigarette and the smoke that is exhaled by the smoker. Dioxins and Furans are the abbreviated name for a family of toxic substances all sharing a similar chemical structure.
