Dr. E.N. AUSTIN

EVANDER CHILDS HIGH SCHOOL

SCIENCE DEPARTMENT

More than 80% of pregnant women in the United States take OTC (Over The Counter) drugs during pregnancy. OTC medicines often do more than relieve aches, pains, and itches. Some can prevent diseases like tooth decay, cure diseases like athlete’s foot, and with doctor’s guidance, help manage recurring conditions like vaginal yeast infections, migraine and minor pain in arthritis.

OTC drugs include antimetics, antacids, antihistamines, analgesics, antimicrobials, tranquilizers, hypnotics, diuretics, social drugs and illicit drugs – such as cigarette smoking, alcohol, cocaine, marijuana. These OTC drugs cause 2- 3 % of all fetal congenital malformations.

Parents want someone to assure them that their babies will be OK, but the reality is that pregnant women get sick whether it is with pneumonia or cancer, or come to pregnancy with chronic conditions that require treatment. On the other hand, there is a significant lack of adequate information on medications that sometimes must be used in pregnancy – such as antibiotic, drugs to treat seizure disorders, hypertension, and psychiatric conditions.

A safe amount of medicine for the mother may be too much for the unborn baby. There are times when under-treating or not treating a condition can be dangerous, or even life threatening. For example, parasitic infection – toxoplasmosis resulting from eating infected meat or soil, can infect infants and cause problems with the brain, eyes, heart, and other organs. The infection requires antibiotic treatment.

OTC drugs can be harmful to the unborn child. Pregnant women should leave their body free of "OTC" drugs, prescription drugs, artificial preservatives and colorings. Throughout this period of development, the fetus and infant are extremely susceptible to injuries from foreign chemicals, which may permanently impair their health. It is better to be safe than to be sorry ------- avoid all chemicals unless it is absolutely necessary.

Acetylsalicylate, a common ingredient in many OTC painkillers, may prolong pregnancy and cause excessive bleeding, before and after delivery. Although most OTC drugs can be used during pregnancy with the supervision of a physician, some are known to cause birth defects and should be avoided. For example, aspirin is one OTC drug that should be avoided in the last 3 months of pregnancy.

Your job, in this web quest will be as advisor to the federal government agencies of this problem. You will do research to define, gather evidence for and find causes of this problem. You will evaluate the Public Policy that presently exists and make recommendations for change. The government is impatiently waiting for your answers. Your research could save the health and lives of thousands of babies yet unborn. You have a daunting task. GOOD LUCK !!!

Your objectives will be:

A} You will write a 2-3-page research paper using MS Word.

B} Your paper will show the research you have done using the “SCIENCE PUBLIC POLICY ANAYLST” worksheets. This will be described in the process

Each student is responsible for a completed paper although work will be done in groups.

Your paper should also address the following

· 1.Examine which OTC drugs are safe to be used during pregnancy. (Developing a PUBLIC POLICY)

· 2. Describe OTC drugs that are not safe to be taken during pregnancy. (Evidence for the problem)

· 3. Determine whether it is safe to take medicine during pregnancy (in eradicating some illnesses). (Creating a POLICY)

· 4. Explain why pregnant women should avoid taking any medicine. (Including, natural medications and herbal remedies). (Causes for the problem)

· 5. You have to correct the false thought that medication should be taken during pregnancy, and prove to women that pregnancy is not a disease. (Developing a Public policy)

1. Break into your groups.

2. Check on the hyperlink in the resource section to conduct your research

3. You should also use outside sources and text material for your research.

FOLLOW THE PUBLIC POLICY ANALYST

By using the hyperlinks below

4. DEFINE THE PROBLEM

5. GATHER EVIDENCE ABOUT THE PROBLEM.

6. IDENTIFY CAUSES OF THE PROBLEM.

7. EVALUATE THE EXISTING PUBLIC POLICY.

8. DEVELOP SOLUTIONS TO THE PROBLEM.

9. GIVE THE BEST SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM.

10. Your 3 page paper will include answers to the SPPA listed above as well as addressing the questions in the “TASK”

Read through the website given below to familiarize yourself with the SPPA.

Use varied sources to prove your conclusions. You may use surveys, statistics, interviews, expert opinions and case studies as “INFORMATION TOOLS”.

http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/plegal/tips.html

GO TO THE INTERNET AND USE THE FOLLOWING WEBSITES FOR YOUR TASK COMPLETION.

1. http://www.merck.com/mrkshared/mmanual/section18/chapter249/249d.jsp

2. http://content.health.msn.com/content/article/61/67579.html

3. http://www.fda.gov/fdac/features/2001/301_preg.html

4. http://www.4woman.gov/faq/pregmed.html

5. http://www.pueblo.ghttp://www.lifecarechiropractic.com/researchupdateoct19-2000.ht

6. http://www.lifecarechiropractic.com/researchupdateoct19-2000.html

7. http://womenshealth.about.com/cs/pregnancy/a/pregnancydrugs.html

8. http://www.aafp.org/afp/20030615/2517.html

GENERAL INFORMATIONAL WEBSITES

1: www.google.com

2: www.yahoo.com

3: www.askjeeves.com

YOU WILL BE EVALUATED ACCORDING TO THE FOLLOWING RUBRIC:

Name: ________________________

Teacher: Dr. Eric Austin

Criteria

Points

	4	3	2	1
Introduction/ Topic	Student(s) properly generate questions and or problems around a topic.	Student(s) generate questions and or problems.	Student(s) require prompts to generate questions and or problems.	Questions or problems are teacher generated.	____
Conclusions Reached	Numerous detailed conclusions are reached from the evidence offered.	Several detailed conclusions are reached from the evidence offered.	Some detailed conclusions are reached from the evidence offered.	A conclusion is made from the evidence offered.	____
Use of PPA	All the PPA steps are used	Few PPA steps are used	Only about two PPA steps are used	One PPA step is used	____
Organization of paper	Well organized, demonstrates logical sequencing and sentence structure.	Well organized, but demonstrates illogical sequencing or sentence structure.	Well organized, but demonstrates illogical sequencing and sentence structure.	Weakly organized.	____
Punctuation, Capitalization, & Spelling	Punctuation and capitalization are correct.	There is one error in punctuation and/or capitalization.	There are two or three errors in punctuation and/or capitalization.	There are four or more errors in punctuation and/or capitalization.	____
				Total---->	____

ANSWER THIS FIRST: “DID YOUR PAPER MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN BETTERING OUR SOCIETY?”

Teacher Comments:

New York State Learning Standards

SCIENCE

Standard 1: Analysis, Inquiry, and Design

Students will use mathematical analysis, scientific inquiry, and engineering design, as appropriate, to pose questions, seek answers, and develop solutions.

Standard 2: Information Systems

Students will access, generate, process, and transfer information using appropriate technologies.

Standard 4: Science

Students will understand and apply scientific concepts, principles, and theories pertaining to the physical setting and living environment and recognize the historical development of ideas in science.

English Language Arts

Standard 1: Language for Information and Understanding

Students will listen, speak, read, and write for information and understanding. As listeners and readers, students will collect data, facts, and ideas; discover relationships, concepts, and generalizations; and use knowledge generated from oral, written, and electronically produced texts. As speakers and writers, they will use oral and written language that follows the accepted conventions of the English language to acquire, interpret, apply, and transmit information

Standard 3:  Language for Critical Analysis and Evaluation

Students will listen, speak, read, and write for critical analysis and evaluation. As listeners and readers, students will analyze experiences, ideas, information, and issues presented by others using a variety of established criteria. As speakers and writers, they will use oral and written language that follows the accepted conventions of the English language to present, from a variety of perspectives, their opinions and judgments on experiences, ideas, information and issues.

By completing this Web quest, you should have learned:

• About OTC drugs, their effects on pregnant women and their unborn babies
• Some OTC drugs can be safely used during pregnancy.
• Successful pregnancy can be achieved without OTC drugs.
• The SPPA process.
• The importance of a “Public Policy Analyst” in our democratic society