Pre-School Information for Parents

By now we all know the consequences of smoking and health, especially during pregnancy. In addition to the relationship of snuff with lung cancer and cardiovascular disease, smoking in pregnancy is associated with low birth weight baby and the premature delivery . Let snuff therapy or nicotine patches in pregnancy is an important issue for the health of the mother and fetus, but how?

Quitting smoking in pregnancy

The statistics we confirm that in developed countries, between 13 and 25 percent of women smoke during pregnancy . That percentage is also increasing among women in developing countries. Hence any step to quit smoking during pregnancy has been welcomed among physicians and patients for decades. One of them is based replacement therapy nicotine patches.

The nicotine patch has an advantage over the cigarette and contains only nicotine, but this substance alone is a major risk factor because it produces vasoconstriction and this leads to hypoxia [oxygen deprivation], which may adversely affect the embryo and later in the fetus . For this reason, there is general agreement that the best smoking cessation in pregnancy are behavioral therapies, but experts also admit that the treatment of nicotine replacement is less dangerous than snuff, and its use is recommended in different medical guidelines. However, to date there has been minimal, and little research on this topic. The reason for the dearth of research on nicotine patches in pregnancy is that it is more difficult to conduct clinical trials in pregnancy due to side effects that can cause certain drugs to the fetus.

Nevertheless, a recent study revealed that children of women who used nicotine gum or patches during pregnancy had infantile colic more frequently than those infants whose mothers had not smoked or used any nicotine REPLACING therapy. The study took as a reference to 15,000 women had smoked during pregnancy. Some 1,200 had used nicotine gum or patches and had smoked at some time during pregnancy and 207 women had used any of these therapies with nicotine, but had not smoked. The incidence of colic in infants breastfeeding was higher among children of women who had used the patch or nicotine gum, 11 percent versus 7 percent in the children of nonsmokers.

It seems that more are born more babies with low birth weight (less than 2.5 kg.) or low (less than 1.5 kg). Intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) is a condition in which the fetus is smaller than the corresponding in number of weeks of gestation . IUGR limits the overall growth of the body and the baby’s organs.

How to avoid having a baby with low birth weight

Babies with IUGR may have problems at birth such as hypoxia (low oxygen), low ratings in the Apgar score , respiratory distress meconium aspiration or hypoglycemia. Severe IUGR may cause fetal death or growth problems in the longer term. Infants who have suffered this delay during pregnancy may look pale and emaciated , thin, with big eyes and dry skin . This especially occurs when low weight is not due to be born prematurely , if not improper growth of the baby during pregnancy.

Today it is possible to prevent the growth deficit in the fetus, provided there is proper care of pregnancy and early diagnosis. Some of the factors that can motivate the proper development and growth of the baby in the uterus are:

- Maternal causes: chronic diseases , high blood pressure, malnutrition, anemia , drug addiction, alcoholism or smoking .
- Placental problems or cervical pregnancy: placental abruption, infection of tissues surrounding the fetus, poor blood flow . When there is insufficient blood flow through the placenta, the fetus may only receive low amounts of oxygen. This may decrease the fetal heart rate by placing it in a situation of high risk .
- Problems in baby’s development: chromosomal abnormalities , birth defects, multiple pregnancy or infections.
- Inadequate care that are based on an incorrect or deficient diet , stress, maternal age (under age 17 and 35) and lack of prenatal care can also pose a risk.

Finding the cause and remedy as soon as possible will prevent or greatly reduce the problem of this growth retardation. The diagnosis of IUGR early allows specialists to apply treatments include bed rest , high protein diet or caloric or medication to restore a proper placental circulation.

One concern of parents at this time is the significant increase in rates of teenage pregnancy . The responsibility involved in bringing a child into the world and its consequences can not be tackled maturely by people who have not completed their growth, physical and emotional. It is essential then work to prevent an unwanted pregnancy occurs in our teens.

Reasons for increase in teenage pregnancies

No single reason why this phenomenon is occurring, however, there are a number of co-factors:
Less parental supervision

Increasingly, parents must work to keep the family roof, therefore can not supervise their teenagers as was done before.

Social acceptance

The mass media increasingly accepted as normal the fact that teenage girls become pregnant. Many magazines are celebrities of this age who are expecting a child.
Social stimulation

Along with the acceptance of the phenomenon is the notion that being pregnant and parenting young is great.

Preventing unwanted pregnancies

Parents can take action to ensure that your teens pass into adulthood without having had an early pregnancy:
Be clear about your ideas about sex

Before talking to your child about this issue makes it clear in your mind what you think about sex in adolescence. Thus, you will be aware of your values ​​and attitudes about sexuality and pregnancy.
Do not be only talk about sex

Many parents feel uncomfortable talking these issues with their children, so they avoid it all the time or just give limited information in a case in point. Parents need to have a mature dialogue on sexuality which are open to any questions and do not judge.

Supervises and monitors your child

Establishing norms and standards of conduct. It is important to know what the child from leaving the school until he comes home and when out with friends. Always try to inquire subtly without being disrespectful.

Meet your child’s friends and family

Teens are influenced much by their peers. It’s great to know that your child’s friends and family share your same values.

It encourages group activities rather than appointments

There are less chances of a teen getting pregnant more often if you participate in group activities, rather than go out with boys alone. Let your child know when you will allow a date. The age depend largely on the maturity of the adolescent.

Insist that your daughter go out with teens their own age

It is not wise to let the girls go out with boys much older than themselves. The risk increases if pregnant go out with men.

Show your appreciation for education

Teach your child that there are many options in life other than pregnancy and parenthood. Encourage a love of studies and the academic improvement.

Stay tuned to what you read, see or hear your child

Monitors information sources that refer to the teenager. If necessary put control standards for the Internet and TV.

Develop and foster relationships warm, open and affectionate with your children is the best way you can control an unwanted pregnancy in adolescence.

Pay attention to our recommendations and will reduce the risks that occur in your family an early pregnancy .

Pregnancy is a very important period for each woman who comes once, most of them feel elated. However, some increases in hormone levels can cause significant depressive states . Today we will see what are the risks of developing these disorders when expecting a child.
Personal or family history of depression

Women throughout their life have tended to deal with difficult situations depressed are more prone to this disorder while pregnant. Also, those with depressive family records are at increased risk of such symptoms appear during their 9 months.
Problems in the couple

If the relationship has remained difficult since long before pregnancy, this stage is likely to take the mother to feel more sad and downcast than usual. It is a moment of great fragility and women feel vulnerable.

It is important that parents know that the birth of children does not solve the problems between them, however, a couple with conflicts will cost you more work to handle the situation very complex, involving the arrival of a baby. It is therefore recommended to use this time to give solution to the differences and that the future child enters a functional family.

Fertility Treatments

Women who have had fertility problems and eventually become pregnant have accumulated a high stress load whose emotional effects can last for much of the period. Many fear losing your baby, which obviously makes them prone to depression.
Stressful events of reality

The problems of everyday life, such as debt, unemployment, death in the family, among others, they affect pregnant women and can make them fall into states of depression.
Other risk factors

Elements of instability may scare women who are expecting children. The most common are young mothers, unmarried status and the fact that pregnancy is not expected.

A key issue during pregnancy is food. It should be noted that pregnancy is a time when the fetus is formed, and now the mother is responsible not only for their food, but also of being that is brewing inside.

This is why we adopt a special diet for this period is a fundamental condition for a perfect pregnancy to ensure both the feeding baby and the mother, without either suffering or nutritional disorders or problems related to food disproportionately. Here I will mention some basic points that the diet of a pregnant woman should have

Firstly it is important to consider the consumption of bread, cereals and potatoes. These foods have to represent seventy percent of dietary intake.

Also vegetables and fruits are essential. This is presumably because these are basic and essential food either with or without a further pregnancy at any stage of life. At least five servings a day are to be eaten during pregnancy.

Meat, fish, eggs, nuts and legumes are an essential source of protein, vitamins and minerals, so they should not be absent from the diet of the pregnant woman. It is important to try to consume two to three servings daily. Dairy products should also be eaten in this quantity.

The pregnant woman should remember that the ideal is not to exceed 13 kilos of weight gain in pregnancy, and at this point we should not lose weight, not the advice of a doctor. Pay careful attention to the figure, but above all must be the proper development of baby.

Pregnancy is a period not easy. Physically, the mother’s body undergoes changes and hugely significant only for her, which marked a before and after in his physique.

As for the psychological aspect of pregnancy, or we must say that this is probably the most important moment in the life of a woman, and has different psychological implications.

For these reasons it becomes necessary to take extreme care along the same, for oversights in the body or the mind of the mother directly affects the baby, causing possible future problems at all negligible to medium, and long-term after delivery. One of these is schizophrenia.

And this conclusion is not an occurrence on my part, but comes from a study of the universities of Manchester (England), Aarhus (Denmark) Cork (Ireland), which tracked children whose mothers had suffered severe stress during the first trimester of pregnancy.

According to the findings of this research, a baby whose mother has been stressed during the first three months of pregnancy is high risk of schizophrenia in the future as opposed to a baby with a mother who has not had problems with stress during pregnancy.

The data showed this study provide a guideline of how important it is to be careful with the mental state during pregnancy, and that stress is extremely damaging agent to the developing fetus. You can practice gymnastics for pregnant women or to use meditation to eliminate your stress. Do not forget that it also harms your fetus.

At about the twentieth week of pregnancy the baby can close the fingers in the womb.

From that moment comes the grasp reflex, which remains in the first months after birth. When we put our finger on the baby’s hand picks it up and squeezes hard. It is an instinctive act, it is believed that inherited from our ancestors as a measure of defense in case of danger.

By the third month the child begins to open the hands, away from their mouth, trying to catch things, but only around five months when it manages to better calculate distances and manages to catch the objects with whole hand.

Later is able to move things from one hand to another and pick up things with both hands using your thumb as opposed to the four fingers. (more…)