There are harmful environmental factors, which are different based on the individuals’ hereditary, age, and other influences such as nutrition and healthcare. It is important to understand the implications for actions you partake in before and during pregnancy. While you are pregnant any molecule small enough to pierce the placenta will affect the unborn child.
The health risks of smoking prior to having children can damage our lungs and other vital organs. If you do smoke during pregnancy it can lead to low birth weight, which is the biggest key factor to whether a child lives or dies at birth. When the placenta gets inundated with nicotine; this constricts the blood flow to the red blood cells; causing the placenta to grow abnormally. The nutrients cannot get to the fetus causing low birth weight. It does not matter if the mom smokes or has a husband who is a smoker.
If the husband is a smoker, the expectant mother carries a fifty percent chance of having related pregnancy issues. This means she is at risk for miscarriage and premature delivery. When the baby is born it is at greater risk for infant death, asthma, cancer, colic, behavioral problems, and poor memory and lower intelligence test scores.
It seems like every other week, there are updates about the effects of alcohol and caffeine use during pregnancy. According to a WebMd interview with Diane Ashton, MD assistant medical director of the March of Dimes," no one knows if there is a threshold for alcohol in pregnancy, and if there is, what it is, so it's better to just not drink at all."
When it comes to alcohol as little as one drink per day can lead to Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. Physically, the baby will be slow to grow, could possibly be mentally retarded, and have impaired motor coordination, language, memory skills along with other activity. This does not make for “good times” once the child is born.
Caffeine, on the other hand, can lead to low birth weight, miscarriage, and withdrawal symptoms when the baby is born. If your alcohol and caffeine consumption is important to you, consult your health-care provider. They will be able to provide you with the latest information and give you individual guidance for you and your baby.
When you do become pregnant you might find that your hormones are making your skin break out, and you might have a few more headaches than before as your body is adjusting to the new blood flow. Please, do not use over the counter Accutane for the breakouts. Studies have shown during the first trimester, if you have used Accutane your baby is more at risk for eye, ear, brain, heart and immune system abnormalities.
The acne usually subsides before the start of the second trimester. If you have persistent headaches try using a wet wash cloth over the forehead and lie down for a while in a dark room. If you use aspirin regularly, the baby could end up having low birth weight, poorer motor skills, lower intelligence and even infant death.
All illegal drugs should be avoided. Children who are born addicted to drugs have difficulty feeding, cuddling, and they are hard to calm down. This is the time for mother and child to bond and the experience will be nothing short of torturous if the child is a drug addict. Besides being addicted, the child may never get better. The risk at birth is tremendous. They will be lucky to live due to prematurity, low birth weight and breathing difficulties. If they do live their lives could be plagued with depression, perceptual motor, memory issues and language problems. These children will have a lot of issues to face.
There might be a few risk factors that you may or may not have heard of radiation, lead and mercury poisoning. Radiation can be an issue for the unborn child. If you have a dentist appointment, alert the dentist that you might/and or are pregnant and ask that x-rays not be done during this time. Radiation of any sort can lead to childhood cancers and lower intelligence and emotional disorders.
If you are working on the “baby’s room” and notice old chipped paint get it inspected for lead. High levels of prenatal exposure to lead can have a variety of birth defects. If you love your sushi and crave it while pregnant make sure it is cooked. The raw sushi or fish of any sort can have high levels of mercury and cause brain damage. It is best to stay away from long-lived predator fish such as tuna.
Lastly, before contemplating pregnancy you and your partner should have check-ups. You want to make sure that neither of you has any infectious disease that can harm the baby. If either of you have HIV it has a 20 to 30 percent chance of being passed on to the child. If you are aware that either partner has it, there is a drug ZDV which helps in 95 percent of the cases.
Another common disease, herpes can get into the mothers' cervix and infect the fetus with likely outcomes of miscarriage, low birth weight, physical malformations and brain damage. Simple blood tests can give you results. You can and either get vaccines necessary for a healthy child or be able to make sound decisions as to whether having a child is a good idea. Remember, always seek the advice of your medical care provider with questions and concerns about your health.
Everything a pregnant women consumes goes to the baby as well. What should a woman eat during pregnancy? What should a pregnant woman avoid? When a life is growing inside of you, it brings with it the necessity to be aware of how to set this life up for success, and healthy nutrition is one of the most important ways to take care of your unborn baby. This can be both an awe-inspiring and intimidating endeavor to undertake.
During pregnancy, it is recommended that a woman only needs to add about an additional 300 calories in her daily intake of food. Calories consumed should be from healthy sources. Focus each day on providing for the life of your unborn baby and this will help in planning out daily meals. Daily food should include whole grains, fruits and vegetables, protein and dairy, but pregnant women should pay specific attention to whether they are obtaining the needed amounts of the following foods and nutrients.
Protein: Protein is a vital aspect of a woman’s diet during pregnancy, playing a very important part in the development of the baby. It helps in nourishing the placenta which delivers nutrients to the baby, and protein helps form the building blocks of the baby’s life. Protein also helps stabilize blood sugars and helps keep you fuller, longer.
Folic Acid: Folic acid is a vitamin that has been found to be directly linked to the healthy formation of a baby’s neural tube. Pregnant women are encouraged to include folic acid as a part of their pregnancy diet because in the first 28 days the baby’s spine and brain form and folic acid helps in the successful and healthy formation of this vital development. Folic acid is so important that the recommended dose is found in prenatal vitamins, though it can be found naturally in leafy greens, among other foods.
Calcium: The developing baby needs calcium as it helps it build strong bones. Calcium is also important because it helps develop a healthy heart and muscles. Calcium can be found in milk, cheese, yogurt, among other dairy products.
Prenatal vitamins: Certain levels of nutrients and vitamins are necessary during pregnancy because of the demands placed on the woman’s body and the needs of the baby. Providing the required levels of these vitamins supplies the very best atmosphere possible for the baby to healthily develop.
Dieting: Each woman will begin her pregnancy at a different fitness and weight level, therefore each will need to gain a different amount of weight to be within a healthy range. But pregnancy is not a time to intentionally try to shed pounds; the developing baby desperately needs nutrients that can only come through what the woman eats.
Unpasteurized cheeses: Pregnant women need to pay special attention to what they eat and what can have a harmful effect on their baby. Listeria is a bacteria that is found in undercooked meat and unpasteurized milk products which a pregnant woman is more susceptible to contracting. Making sure that meats are fully cooked (deli meats or hot dogs are okay to eat as long as they have been re-heated/cooked to steaming hot to make sure the listeria has been killed) and that cheeses are pasteurized protect both the woman and baby.
Excessive junk food: Though giving into cravings and having rewards after a hard day is welcomed in pregnancy, healthy eating is vital for good nutrition for both mother and baby. Sweet treats and highly processed junk food are fine in moderation, but ensure that the right vitamins and foods are eaten each day as well.
Alcohol and smoking: Pregnancy is the perfect time to try to kick that smoking habit as it can have detrimental effects on the unborn baby. No level of alcohol has proven safe during pregnancy, so it is best to avoid it altogether. Considering the risks involved in drinking alcohol during pregnancy (miscarriage and stillbirth as well as fetal alcohol syndrome) most women consider it worth it to put their baby’s best interests first during the important developmental stage of pregnancy.
One of the more important things that a pregnant woman can do for her baby is to eat a healthy, well-balanced diet. This diet includes a variety of foods, paying attention to eating adequate protein, calcium, and vitamins. In pregnancy, a woman has the power to directly influence and shape the life of her unborn baby; a healthy diet during pregnancy is one of the most important means by which to do that.
Risks of Smoking and Second Hand Smoke During Pregnancy
The health risks of smoking prior to having children can damage our lungs and other vital organs. If you do smoke during pregnancy it can lead to low birth weight, which is the biggest key factor to whether a child lives or dies at birth. When the placenta gets inundated with nicotine; this constricts the blood flow to the red blood cells; causing the placenta to grow abnormally. The nutrients cannot get to the fetus causing low birth weight. It does not matter if the mom smokes or has a husband who is a smoker.
If the husband is a smoker, the expectant mother carries a fifty percent chance of having related pregnancy issues. This means she is at risk for miscarriage and premature delivery. When the baby is born it is at greater risk for infant death, asthma, cancer, colic, behavioral problems, and poor memory and lower intelligence test scores.
Alcohol and Caffeine Consumption while Pregnant
It seems like every other week, there are updates about the effects of alcohol and caffeine use during pregnancy. According to a WebMd interview with Diane Ashton, MD assistant medical director of the March of Dimes," no one knows if there is a threshold for alcohol in pregnancy, and if there is, what it is, so it's better to just not drink at all."
When it comes to alcohol as little as one drink per day can lead to Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. Physically, the baby will be slow to grow, could possibly be mentally retarded, and have impaired motor coordination, language, memory skills along with other activity. This does not make for “good times” once the child is born.
Caffeine, on the other hand, can lead to low birth weight, miscarriage, and withdrawal symptoms when the baby is born. If your alcohol and caffeine consumption is important to you, consult your health-care provider. They will be able to provide you with the latest information and give you individual guidance for you and your baby.
Pregnancy Blemishes and Accutane Use
When you do become pregnant you might find that your hormones are making your skin break out, and you might have a few more headaches than before as your body is adjusting to the new blood flow. Please, do not use over the counter Accutane for the breakouts. Studies have shown during the first trimester, if you have used Accutane your baby is more at risk for eye, ear, brain, heart and immune system abnormalities.
The acne usually subsides before the start of the second trimester. If you have persistent headaches try using a wet wash cloth over the forehead and lie down for a while in a dark room. If you use aspirin regularly, the baby could end up having low birth weight, poorer motor skills, lower intelligence and even infant death.
Illegal Drug Use and other Unknown Pregnancy Risk Concerns
All illegal drugs should be avoided. Children who are born addicted to drugs have difficulty feeding, cuddling, and they are hard to calm down. This is the time for mother and child to bond and the experience will be nothing short of torturous if the child is a drug addict. Besides being addicted, the child may never get better. The risk at birth is tremendous. They will be lucky to live due to prematurity, low birth weight and breathing difficulties. If they do live their lives could be plagued with depression, perceptual motor, memory issues and language problems. These children will have a lot of issues to face.
There might be a few risk factors that you may or may not have heard of radiation, lead and mercury poisoning. Radiation can be an issue for the unborn child. If you have a dentist appointment, alert the dentist that you might/and or are pregnant and ask that x-rays not be done during this time. Radiation of any sort can lead to childhood cancers and lower intelligence and emotional disorders.
If you are working on the “baby’s room” and notice old chipped paint get it inspected for lead. High levels of prenatal exposure to lead can have a variety of birth defects. If you love your sushi and crave it while pregnant make sure it is cooked. The raw sushi or fish of any sort can have high levels of mercury and cause brain damage. It is best to stay away from long-lived predator fish such as tuna.
Lastly, before contemplating pregnancy you and your partner should have check-ups. You want to make sure that neither of you has any infectious disease that can harm the baby. If either of you have HIV it has a 20 to 30 percent chance of being passed on to the child. If you are aware that either partner has it, there is a drug ZDV which helps in 95 percent of the cases.
Another common disease, herpes can get into the mothers' cervix and infect the fetus with likely outcomes of miscarriage, low birth weight, physical malformations and brain damage. Simple blood tests can give you results. You can and either get vaccines necessary for a healthy child or be able to make sound decisions as to whether having a child is a good idea. Remember, always seek the advice of your medical care provider with questions and concerns about your health.
Foods to Avoid and Consume During Pregnancy
Everything a pregnant women consumes goes to the baby as well. What should a woman eat during pregnancy? What should a pregnant woman avoid? When a life is growing inside of you, it brings with it the necessity to be aware of how to set this life up for success, and healthy nutrition is one of the most important ways to take care of your unborn baby. This can be both an awe-inspiring and intimidating endeavor to undertake.
What to Include in a Healthy Pregnancy Diet
During pregnancy, it is recommended that a woman only needs to add about an additional 300 calories in her daily intake of food. Calories consumed should be from healthy sources. Focus each day on providing for the life of your unborn baby and this will help in planning out daily meals. Daily food should include whole grains, fruits and vegetables, protein and dairy, but pregnant women should pay specific attention to whether they are obtaining the needed amounts of the following foods and nutrients.
Protein: Protein is a vital aspect of a woman’s diet during pregnancy, playing a very important part in the development of the baby. It helps in nourishing the placenta which delivers nutrients to the baby, and protein helps form the building blocks of the baby’s life. Protein also helps stabilize blood sugars and helps keep you fuller, longer.
Folic Acid: Folic acid is a vitamin that has been found to be directly linked to the healthy formation of a baby’s neural tube. Pregnant women are encouraged to include folic acid as a part of their pregnancy diet because in the first 28 days the baby’s spine and brain form and folic acid helps in the successful and healthy formation of this vital development. Folic acid is so important that the recommended dose is found in prenatal vitamins, though it can be found naturally in leafy greens, among other foods.
Calcium: The developing baby needs calcium as it helps it build strong bones. Calcium is also important because it helps develop a healthy heart and muscles. Calcium can be found in milk, cheese, yogurt, among other dairy products.
Prenatal vitamins: Certain levels of nutrients and vitamins are necessary during pregnancy because of the demands placed on the woman’s body and the needs of the baby. Providing the required levels of these vitamins supplies the very best atmosphere possible for the baby to healthily develop.
What to Avoid in a Pregnancy Diet
Dieting: Each woman will begin her pregnancy at a different fitness and weight level, therefore each will need to gain a different amount of weight to be within a healthy range. But pregnancy is not a time to intentionally try to shed pounds; the developing baby desperately needs nutrients that can only come through what the woman eats.
Unpasteurized cheeses: Pregnant women need to pay special attention to what they eat and what can have a harmful effect on their baby. Listeria is a bacteria that is found in undercooked meat and unpasteurized milk products which a pregnant woman is more susceptible to contracting. Making sure that meats are fully cooked (deli meats or hot dogs are okay to eat as long as they have been re-heated/cooked to steaming hot to make sure the listeria has been killed) and that cheeses are pasteurized protect both the woman and baby.
Excessive junk food: Though giving into cravings and having rewards after a hard day is welcomed in pregnancy, healthy eating is vital for good nutrition for both mother and baby. Sweet treats and highly processed junk food are fine in moderation, but ensure that the right vitamins and foods are eaten each day as well.
Alcohol and smoking: Pregnancy is the perfect time to try to kick that smoking habit as it can have detrimental effects on the unborn baby. No level of alcohol has proven safe during pregnancy, so it is best to avoid it altogether. Considering the risks involved in drinking alcohol during pregnancy (miscarriage and stillbirth as well as fetal alcohol syndrome) most women consider it worth it to put their baby’s best interests first during the important developmental stage of pregnancy.
Pregnant Women Have Ability to Shape Their Baby’s Life
One of the more important things that a pregnant woman can do for her baby is to eat a healthy, well-balanced diet. This diet includes a variety of foods, paying attention to eating adequate protein, calcium, and vitamins. In pregnancy, a woman has the power to directly influence and shape the life of her unborn baby; a healthy diet during pregnancy is one of the most important means by which to do that.
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