Pregnancy is a very momentous occasion in a woman’s life. I have yet to experience the miracle of being pregnant, but I could only imagine the various thoughts and emotions that run through a mother-to-bee’s head. In the midst of all the excitement that comes with planning for a new baby, parents tend to forget how important maternal health is for prenatal development; The three factors or hazards feel that are the most important for parents to understand or remember during and for prenatal development are alcohol consumption, smoking and second-hand smoke
Inhalation, and chemical and drug Intake. Alcohol Is a vice of many. According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, 2. 45% of women over the age of 18 in the united States have at least one drink daily (that’s 7,668,500 people). With alcoholism a problem that doesn’t seem to be going away any time soon, It’s important that all women who are expectant mothers need to know about the effects alcohol consumption can have an a fetus during it’s development.
Serious consequences, including a greater risk of miscarriages, stillbirths, premature infants, low-birth-weight in infants, and fetal death, occur when alcohol is consumed during pregnancy (Marmot and Allen, 2012, p. 58). Different amounts of consumption can causes different fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (Fasts): Heavy or binge drinking leads to fetal alcohol syndrome (FAST), causing mental and growth retardation, behavior and learning problems (hyperactivity), poor motor condition, heart defects, characteristic facial deformities, and speech Impairments (Marmot and Allen, 2012, p. 8-bob’ Moderate alcohol consumption leads to fetal alcohol effect (FALL which causes a range of learning and behavior disorders (Marmot and Allen, 2012, p. 58). Since it is still unknown at what amount of alcohol starts to cause Fasts, its better to be safe than sorry and not drink at all during pregnancy. If you look at a box of cigarettes, you would see the U. S. Surgeon General’s warning that reads “Smoking causes lung cancer, heart disease, emphysema, and may complicate pregnancy. Since that warning doesn’t list what these pregnancy-related complications are, many pregnant women ignore them and continue to smoke anyway. Smoking during pregnancy are more likely to experience miscarriage, premature births, stillborn infants, and low-birth-weight infants; Babies are also ore at risk for developing sudden infant death syndrome (KIDS), acute and chronic respiratory problems, and attention deficit disorders (ADD, ADD) (Marmot and Allen, 2012, p. 59).
Research also suggests that secondhand smoke can be almost as dangerous to a baby as having a mother who smokes, at least when referring to stillbirths and birth defects (Wade, 2011). There is no question that if alcohol and cigarette smoking have adverse effect on a developing fetus, that chemical and other drug Intake (ranging from prescription and nonprescription medications to pesticides, fertilizers, and street drugs) would have he same detrimental effects. These drugs can cause severe malformations such as 1 OFF premature birth, and lifelong behavior and learning disabilities (Marmot and Allen, 2012, p. 0). Just like it’s uncertain at what amount of alcohol could lead to Fasts, it is uncertain to if there are any drug or chemicals that are safe or have no harmful effects on a developing fetus, so women who are pregnant or who want to become pregnant should be wary and careful before using any chemical substance or medications (Marmot and Allen, 2012, p. 60). Drinking, smoking, and doing drugs are things that no person should do if they ant to be at their healthiest, but the risks are so much higher when it’s in regards to a developing fetus.
No parent wants any harm to come to their child, so why would they want to be the cause of the harm? These three factors or hazards parents need to understand or remember during and for prenatal development are Just as important, or even more so, than remembering to get all the nursery furniture and food and diapers – remembering to take care of the baby before it’s even here will lead to easier care for the baby after birth. References Drinking Statistics I National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (MANIA). N. D. ). National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (MANIA).
