210 likes | 1.03k Views
Avoiding Dangers to the Baby. What are things a woman should avoid when pregnant?. Environmental causes of birth defects. The nutritional balance of the mother’s diet Any diseases or infections the mother has during pregnancy Harmful substances the mother consumes Alcohol
E N D
Avoiding Dangers to the Baby What are things a woman should avoid when pregnant?
Environmental causes of birth defects • The nutritional balance of the mother’s diet • Any diseases or infections the mother has during pregnancy • Harmful substances the mother consumes • Alcohol • Over-the-counter medications • Illegal drugs • Some medicines that benefit the mother, but hurt the baby • Prescription drugs • Dietary supplements • Exposer to hazards • X-rays • High levels of radiation • Certain chemicals
Environmental causes of birth defects Factor the mother CAN control Factors the mother CANNOT control Any diseases or infections the mother has during pregnancy Some medicines that benefit the mother, but hurt the baby Exposer to hazards • The nutritional balance of the mother’s diet • Any diseases or infections the mother has during pregnancy • Exposer to hazards • Harmful substances the mother consumes • Some medicines that benefit the mother, but hurt the baby
Alcohol • http://www.marchofdimes.com/pregnancy/smoking-during-pregnancy.aspx# • Drinking alcohol during pregnancy can cause: • Birth defects • Low birth weight • Mental retardation • Learning disabilities • Emotional problems • Behavioral problems • Fetal alcohol syndrome- physical and mental disabilities • Increased risk of miscarriage- death before the 20th week • Increased risk of stillbirth- death after the 20th week
Drugs • Types of drugs: • Illegal drugs • Prescription drugs • Over-the-counter medicines A woman SHOULD NOT take any of these without consulting her doctor first! This includes prescription and over-the-counter medications she was taking before pregnancy.
Taking drugs during pregnancy increases the chance of: • Birth defects • Premature babies • Under weight babies • Stillbirth • Children with behavioral problems • Children with memory and/or attention problems http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3k6TwvSE-iI
Tobacco • What is so harmful about tobacco? • Nicotine • Carbon monoxide • Tar These chemicals can lessen the amount of oxygen your baby gets!
Women who smoke during pregnancy are more likely to have: • Vaginal bleeding • An ectopic pregnancy-fertilized egg implants outside of the uterus • Placental abruption-placenta peels away from the uterine wall • Placental previa-low-lying placenta • Stillbirth- death after 20 weeks
Babies born to women who smoke during pregnancy are more likely to be born: • With birth defects • Prematurely • At low birth weight Second hand smoke can be just as harmful!