Precautions during pregnancy

Pregnancy is one of the most exciting times not just for the expecting mothers but also for the whole family. This article deals with certain precautions that one should take during pregnancy to turn these exciting times into the happiness of a newborn smile. One needs to take into account all these precautions to ensure no complications arise and healthy baby is born. Precautions are necessary throughout the nine-month period, but it is advised to follow them religiously during the first three months of the pregnancy. Let us discuss all of them one by one:

Seafood and Fish in the diet: Fish and seafood are rich in nutrients and low in fat. Still, one should choose the variety of seafood cautiously during pregnancy as some types contain high levels of mercury. Also, apart from choosing the right kind of fish or seafood, one should not eat more than 12 ounces of cooked fish in a week.

(post credit: Health Burp)

Alcohol: There has always been conflicting views regarding alcohol consumption during pregnancy. The danger with alcohol consumption during pregnancy is that the child might suffer from the incurable effects of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS), which means that he will grow slowly, have learning problems and might also have abnormal facial features. You should also be careful while taking medicines as many of them like cough syrups contain more than 25 per cent alcohol. As no safe level of alcohol consumption is known, the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism and the March of Dimes advise pregnant women to completely avoid alcoholic beverages.

Caffeine: Effects of caffeine vary from person to person. However, it can cause nervousness, irritability, anxiety, irregular heartbeats and sleeping problems. Some scientists believe that it can cause premature or smaller than normal babies or possible birth defects in them, but the same is still under investigation. Doctors advise to cut down or even stop caffeine intake during pregnancy. However, you are advised to gradually decrease the intake if you are used to consuming large quantity of it regularly.

Smoking: Cigarette smoking has proved to be hazardous for pregnant women. Pregnant smoking mothers have been witnessed to give birth to low weight babies having problems like infections or breathing problems, feeding problems or even Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). Hence, it is advised to avoid smoking, and even going to smoking areas.

Food additives: It is advised to minimize the use of processed food items such as hot dogs or foods containing sodium nitrate. These substances can be cancer-causing. It is also highly advised to wash fruits and vegetables to avoid the intake of any sort of pesticides. It is advised to avoid eating raw fish, meats or eggs. Drinking non-pasteurized milk is also prohibited during pregnancy.

Medications and herbs: Consulting your physician before taking any kind of medication during pregnancy is mandatory. Some medication might harm your or your baby’s health.

Saunas and hot tubs: You are advised to be in room temperature during pregnancy. Hence, sauna baths and hot tubs are not that good an idea as overheating might affect the development of your baby.

Toxoplasmosis: This condition is caused by a parasite found in cat feces, pant soil and raw or overcooked meat. The parasite can cause brain damage in a developing baby if the mother becomes infected during pregnancy. A blood test is available to check the infection.

Video Display Terminals: There is no research backing to prove that computer monitors or Video Display Terminals (VDTs) can cause any harm to the development of the baby. Still, it is advisable to take precaution against the continuous exposure to VDTs. Timely breaks from the work that involves VDT also helps.

Rh Negative Mothers and Rhogam: If the expecting mother is Rh –ve and the blood of the baby is Rh +ve, then some of the baby’s red blood cells can enter into mother’s system, making a mother’s body to produce antibodies to fight the Rh factor as if it were a harmful substance. The produced antibodies will remain in the body and might cause trouble in case of the next baby. This can be prevented by taking an injection of Rhogam at about 28 weeks of pregnancy, and within 3 days after the birth, miscarriage, abortion or amniocentesis. The Rhogam prevents the body from originating these antibodies.

Preeclampsia: It is also called Pregnancy Induced Hypertension (PIH) or toxemia. The cause of the disease is yet to be found. It is found that it occurs in about five per cent of the pregnancies and it is more common in case of first child, twins or other multiple births, women with high BP or diabetes and in case of teenage pregnancies. The symptoms include rise in BP, protein in urine and rapid weight gain because of fluid retention. If not treated properly, it can even cause a threat to the mother’s or baby’s life.

Gestational diabetes: It happens only during pregnancy and is likely to develop if the expecting mother is overweight, has a family history of diabetes, gave birth to a baby weighing 9 pounds or more, had a baby who died before birth, had gestational diabetes in the past or belongs to Latin, American Indian, African or Pacific Islander descent.

Chemicals’ use and precautions: All the pregnant women are concerned about the harmful effects of products like household cleaners, insecticides, hair dyes, permanents, finger nail polish, electrolysis, paint fumes, microwaves and tanning beds on the development of their baby. You are advised to consult every time you feel skeptical about using something.

Pregnancy is the biggest happiness any women can experience in her life span. By taking these small precautions, you can safeguard yourself and your child from all kinds of risks.