An industrial developmental toxicologist's view of behavioral teratology and possible guidelines.
Many events or studies, such as the Minimata episode, during the past three decades have shown that prenatal insults can have lasting effects on the postnatal functioning of the offspring. These have been duplicated in animal models, and animal studies have been extended to other compounds with the eventual goal of being able to establish the risk in humans of neurological damage a priori from prenatal exposures. However, behavioral tests are not standardized with many of them lacking sensitivity, and are so vulnerable to environmental factors, that little confidence can be placed in their ability to predict risk to the human at this time. More research is needed to develop better tests and an understanding of their significance to humans before they are useful in regulatory toxicology.
D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects*; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007880:Legislation, Drug / Q000639:trends*; D008297:Male; D008767:Methylmercury Compounds / Q000633:toxicity; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; D051381:Rats; D013723:Teratogens / Q000633:toxicity*; D014212:Tretinoin / Q000633:toxicity
D008767:Methylmercury Compounds; D013723:Teratogens; D014212:Tretinoin