Pregnancy is a tremendous change in a woman’s life. It is an immense physical and mental transformation. Throughout the nine months, the mother faces many physical and mental challenges in giving birth to the baby. The entire personality of the mother changes within the span of these nine months.
Fun Fact
The voice of the mother can change during pregnancy due to the higher release of the hormones progesterone and estrogen.
A lot of factors have to be taken care of to confirm the right health of the mother and the baby. A peaceful environment is extremely important for the mother and the child as stress can cause premature birth. Babies born like this are susceptible to more risk of health problems. Nutritious food with all the necessary vitamins and minerals is crucial during this period as they are super important for the optimum health of the mother and the child.
In addition to the above-mentioned measures, pregnant women should also avoid exposure to these common chemicals:
- Pesticides used for agricultural use sprayed on vegetables to keep them fresh is harmful and can cause low IQ and impaired fetal growth.
- Paint is extremely harmful to pregnant women as prolonged exposure lead content in the paint can cause preterm labor and behavioral disorders in the child.
- Smoking should be avoided during pregnancy as it can result in learning and behavioral disorders and reduced IQ in the child.
- Using food wrappers is not encouraged during pregnancy as they contain perfluorochemicals that can cause lower weight and other birth defects.
- Pregnant women should limit the use of plastic, detergents, and other cleaning products as the solvents present in these products have adverse effects like fetal loss and miscarriage.
- It is advisable to reduce the use of cosmetics during pregnancy as they cause shortened gestational age and impaired neurodevelopmental in girl fetuses.
- The mercury taken up by fish from oceans and streams when they feed can cause reduced IQ and neurodevelopmental disorders including autism in children.
Finally, although it is difficult to completely avoid some of these chemicals as they are part of our daily life, measures should be drastically limited as these chemicals affect both the mother and the baby inside her. Every step should be taken in order to ensure the safety of the mother and the child.