Posts Tagged ‘Nutrition in pregnancy’

Nutrition During Pregnancy

Once you are pregnant it is wise to look at your lifestyle and eating habits. It is important to eat healthy and varied. There are also a number of foods that you should watch. These may, like smoking, are harmful to your baby.

Raw meat
Raw meat and raw meat as half roast beef, steak tartare, steak tartare and sausage you during your pregnancy better leave here. In (semi) raw meat is uncommon for a parasite that causes toxoplasmosis. This is an infectious disease that can lead to birth defects. This parasite can occur in the intestines of kittens and unwashed vegetables or fruits. Was it so good before you eat them and let the change of the litter box to your partner about. If you’re working in the garden, wear gloves. Read the rest of this entry »

Pregnancy and drugs

The need to prescribe drugs to any young woman asks the doctor, be it clinical or specialist gynecologist, problems regarding the possibility of a pregnant woman found in front, who may or may not know your situation. What would obey such a problem?

Pregnancy and drugsDo not forget that when given a drug to a pregnant mother, it also acts, in a variable manner, on the embryo or fetus, who is a subject in active, continuous and dynamic change, physiological characteristics make it particularly sensitive to the action of all substances which cross the placenta. That is why it is essential to tell your physician the possibility or the certainty of a pregnancy, if he omitted question about it. We know today that many factors contribute to the negativity that the drugs administered to pregnant women can have on the unborn baby. Among them we must rank the anatomical and functional characteristics of it’s own time when you are given medicines whose chemical characteristics are also vital. It is based on the foregoing, the doctor will select the type, style, time and dose of therapy chosen. Only someone who is thoroughly familiar with the biological conditions of the mother-child unit can bring to conclusion this process which seeks the good health of the mother should not cause harm to unborn child. Must be inferred from this that the self-medication, which is always risky for anyone who carries out, this is doubly damaging, the possible effect on the mother, compounded by the harmful action of a being in training, who by this condition is highly sensitive activity against external agents.

We believe it may be useful for understanding the influence of drugs on being pregnant, analyze what happens at different stages of gestation, from conception until birth. The embryonic period encompasses the first eight weeks and is characterized by rapid differentiation to acquire most of the anatomical features of the human species. It is the stage of formation of: organ par excellence, hence the action of external agents, both chemical (drugs) and physical (X-rays) can cause birth defects. We had already found that the ability to produce such damage (teratogenicity), varied not only according to the type of drug, but also and especially in relation to the timing of development in which he played. Thus during the first two weeks, or until the implantation of the egg or zygote, there seems to be a low susceptibility to drug action, judging from the little evidence gathered in connection with the production of malformations, could it be because the action foreign agent can cause death of the zygote. It was noted, however, that mothers who consumed lysergic acid during the period immediately following conception, gave birth to babies with malformations in the limbs, this is due to the action that this drug has on the chromosomes (particles of the nucleus carry the genes of heredity). By nesting the embryo in the uterus, at the end of the second week begins the period of very rapid differentiation in the growth of many vital organs.

The same is continued until the eighth week and is characterized by a high sensitivity on the part of the embryo to the action of drugs administered to pregnant women, who often ignores his status. Numerous and important organs may be affected in their development, thus giving rise to congenital malformations. Such is the case of central nervous system, some organs of the senses (sight and hearing), heart, limbs and external genitalia. The negative action can affect several organs are fully developed at that time: the case of rubella virus that can affect both the heart, eyes and ears. In other situations the action is specific to particular organs, as with thalidomide (nervous system depressant), which interferes with the development of arms and legs, while respecting the overall growth and the nervous system and circulatory system. We recall that in the 60s in Germany alone, were born more than seven thousand children with malformations due to consumption of this drug by their mothers in the first two months of pregnancy. In the fetal period, which extends from the eighth week until birth, to complete the development of structures, differentiating the various functions of many organs, which highlights the nervous system and genital tract, which adopts and characteristics of each sex. External agents can then further affect the growth and function of organs, systems and devices, with less chance of malformation.

As you can see, the period of greatest risk in relation to the possibilities of actions harmful to the child in his gestation period corresponds to the first weeks of a pregnancy can still be ignored. We reiterate therefore that it is absolutely essential to avoid any potential self-medication by pregnant as a result to be all women of childbearing age. Confirmed pregnancy should only be used prescription medications by physicians, which should always be advised of this situation when radiological studies indicate start drug treatments. These tips are part of the Childcare antenatal, ie that branch of medicine that deals with the child from conception until birth, always keeping in mind that no values above life itself and health, considered both as biological, such as affective, social and spiritual.

Weight gain during pregnancy: How many kilos is expected to increase?

Weight gain in pregnancy is not the same throughout pregnancy and depends on various factors, such as pre-pregnancy weight (weight in early pregnancy), fluid retention and type of food. All these factors are evaluated by doctors and nutritionists who according to each woman’s personal history will say how many kilos should increase.

Weight gain during pregnancy

So taking into account guidance and pregestational factor we can say that women with:

* Normal prepregnancy weight, should increase 12 kg. (between 10 – 13kg).

* Prepregnancy weight in overweight or obese, should increase at least 7lbs (between 7 – 10kg).
* Low prepregnancy weight should increase more than 13kg (entre15-17Kg).

If we consider quarterly gain weight for a woman with normal prepregnancy weight is:

* 1st Quarter: 0 – 12th week: 0-1 Kg increase
* 2nd Quarter: 13 – 24 th week: 3-4 kg of increase
* 3rd Quarter: 25 º – 40 º week: 8lbs increase

During pregnancy is extremely important to have good food and the nutritional status of pregnant women affects pregnancy and the child’s weight at birth.

Undoubtedly, to have a healthy baby, the safest way is to choose a complete diet by limiting the consumption of fast foods (hamburgers, hot dog), simple sugars (candy, ice cream, soft drinks, cakes, etc..) And increase protein and fibers. To attend regular medical checks, be active, remove the cigarette, alcohol and limit caffeine.

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