A HEALTHY PREGNANCY

MORNING SICKNESS nausea and vomiting often experienced during the first trimester of pregnancy

PICA an eating disorder characterized by the desire to eat nonfood substances such as dirt, clay, or paint chips

Some women have trouble getting the nutrients they need because they suffer from morning sickness, triggered by hormonal changes that can cause nausea and vomiting in the first trimester and may sometimes cause unique food aversions. They are also at a heightened risk for pica, an eating disorder that causes individuals to want to ingest nonfood substances such as clay, paint chips, paste, plaster, dirt, or hair. Pica may be a sign of anemia.

GESTATIONAL DIABETES pregnancy-induced elevated blood glucose levels

With new diagnostic criteria and increasing rates of obesity, it is estimated that as many as 18% of pregnant women may develop gestational diabetes (see Chapter 5), which is characterized by elevated levels of blood glucose that pass to the fetus, causing it to be large for gestational age, increasing the risk of complications. Although gestational diabetes generally resolves after pregnancy, it increases the risk that the mother will develop type 2 diabetes later in life.

FETAL ALCOHOL SYNDROME mental and physical defects observed in infants born to mothers who consumed a significant amount of alcohol during pregnancy

Pregnant women should also avoid alcohol. Fetal alcohol syndrome is a group of conditions causing physical, behavioral, and learning problems in children whose mothers drank heavily during pregnancy. Alcohol consumed by a woman during pregnancy travels through her blood and into the baby’s blood, tissues, and organs, where it breaks down slowly, exposing the fetus to the alcohol for long periods. The CDC says that there is no safe level of alcohol consumption during pregnancy.

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Individuals exposed to alcohol in the womb may suffer lifelong effects. The effects of alcohol on a developing fetus can have profound consequences, including growth problems, brain damage, learning disabilities, physical abnormalities, and behavior issues.
Stuart Wong/KRT/Newscom

Although caffeine is not nearly as dangerous as alcohol, a health care provider might recommend limiting the amount of caffeine consumed because it crosses the placenta into the bloodstream of a developing baby. Although most studies report no adverse effects of maternal caffeine consumption on the infant, there is some evidence that high intakes of caffeine are associated with an increased likelihood of SGA births, miscarriage, and childhood acute leukemia. The World Health Organization recommends a maternal caffeine intake of below 300 mg per day and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends less than 200 mg per day. Brewed coffee contains about 135 mg per 8-ounce cup and caffeine-containing soft drinks generally contain between 40 mg to 50 mg per 12 ounce can.

Smoking—although not a nutritional issue per se—should be discontinued during pregnancy because it increases the risk of miscarriage, puts the baby at risk of premature and SGA birth, and infant mortality.

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