Testing It Up

Pregnancy involves taking a lot of things into consideration. There are several precautionary measures that expectant mothers need to do so that they can avoid potential pregnancy problems.

Healthy Diet

Eating right is always a must during pregnancy. Remember that, as a pregnant woman, you now eat for 2 — yourself and your baby. So, eat the right kind of food with the adequate amounts of minerals and vitamins. It is very crucial that a healthy and well-balanced diet is maintained. Eat a good portion of fruits and vegetables rich in vitamins and fiber and enjoy a good source of calcium like milk. Foods that contain starch like potatoes, whole grain cereals, pasta and breads should be included as well as protein rich sources like lean meat and fish.

Folic Acid Supplement

Folic acid is one of the most important vitamins that should be taken by pregnant women. Folic acid is necessary to synthesize, repair and methylate DNA. It also crucial in the development of healthy red blood cells. Folic acid is also an important ingredient in the development of the baby’s neural spine and brain. Folic acid can also be found in foods like broccoli, peas and fortified breakfast cereals.

Stop Smoking, Alcohol and Drugs

Smoking, alcohol and drugs are three of the main causes of birth defects and infertility. Studies have found that a fair percentage of pregnant women smoke, drink and take drugs, causing serious side effects to the baby, including mental retardation.

Over the past few months, marijuana has found itself in the middle of the spotlight, with debates ringing far and wide calling for its legalization or otherwise. While this is going on, however, the illicit use of marijuana continues to thrive, and with it are side effects that could certainly have been avoided.

Marijuana debates have undoubtedly included arguments that relate to the substance’s “deadly” factor. We have posted features before that presented a comparison between how deadly marijuana use is to the community as opposed to excessive alcohol consumption, and we definitely see where advocates are coming from.

Still, as in anything, not all substances are for everybody. The recreational use of marijuana may have adverse effects on a certain rather delicate group of people — pregnant women.

The effect that marijuana use may have on pregnancy is discussed in a feature on drugfreehomes.org. While the mother herself may not find any noticeable differences to her physical state while using marijuana, or other drugs, studies would show that it is the one we do not see – the unborn child – that takes the brunt of adverse effects. The child, after all, is more sensitive than his or her mother, and it is the child who will suffer highly from the effects of marijuana use.

The active ingredient in marijuana, tetrahydrocannabinol or THC, reportedly hinders neuron development. This can lead to the development of problems pertaining to basic cognitive skills such as memory retention in the child. Basically, marijuana use during pregnancy may have effects to the unborn child’s mental development, which will manifest themselves during the child’s formative years.