If you are pregnant, you may have many questions about how to properly care for your body, and in turn your developing baby. What you eat, drink, and are exposed to can affect your child's inner environment. The amount of stress you are under, how much sleep you get each night, and how healthy you are will have an impact on the developing cells in your child. Talk to your doctor about your lifestyle and environment; she can help you increase the chances of your baby being born healthy.
Air Quality
Particulate matter in the air can have an impact on your growing baby, particularly in the very early stages of embryonic development. In June 1999, "Environmental Health Perspectives" released a study that attempted to determine whether the amount of particulate matter in the air affected fetal growth. The researchers found that the air quality of the area was worse during the winter months, and the infants conceived during those winter months saw the most intrauterine growth retardation. The study concluded that "initial changes leading to fetal growth retardation may be triggered in early pregnancy, around the time of implantation."
Smoke Inhalation
Whether it is second-hand or direct, cigarette smoke can affect the growth and health of your child, pre- and post-natally. According to the American Lung Association's website, smoking during pregnancy accounts for approximately 20 to 30 percent of low-birth weight babies. If you smoke, your baby may be born early; the site states that up to 14 percent of preterm deliveries are due to smoking. Even more startling, smoking is estimated to be responsible for 10 percent of infant deaths. If the child is born healthy, the site states that smoker's children can have narrow airways and weaker lungs.
Drugs and Medications
Medications and drugs can also impact embryonic growth. During the 1960s some 8,000 babies were born with birth defects because their mothers had taken the tranquilizer Thalidomide, states Time.com. If you are on any medications and are looking to become pregnant, talk to your doctor first. Street drugs such as cocaine and marijuana can potentially harm the fetus, as well. Americanpregnancy.org says that drugs remain in the fetus's system longer than they do in adults, which can cause more extensive damage to cells and tissues.
Diseases
Because the placenta cannot filter out extremely small viruses and bacteria, infants can be born with diseases such as measles, chicken pox, and syphilis. According to social.jrank.org, rubella can cause birth anomalies. If you were to contract rubella during the first three months of pregnancy, your child could be born with congenital heart disease, cataracts, deafness, or experience delayed mental development. HIV is another virus that is passed from mother to child; unfortunately, at this time there is no cure for HIV, although medications can improve length and quality of life.
References
- "Environmental Health Perspectives"; Fetal Growth and Maternal Exposure to Particulate Matter during Pregnancy; J. Dejmek et al: June 1999
- American Lung Association: Smoking Facts
- Time Magazine: "The Thalidomide Disaster"
- American Pregnancy Association: Drugs and Pregnancy
- Social.jrank.org: Prenatal Development
