..... With all the things that
can go wrong during pregnancy and labour, the wonder of
it, I think, is that so many of us end up normal, even if
in that so-called normal category one includes all those
people who watch "reality" TV programs, something
that hasn't been officially listed as a mental defect yet,
although I'm sure it will be very soon. Anyway, because
there are so many hazards for pregnant women and their babies
out there, this month's column is a compilation of some
new (and old) findings dedicated to helping parents-to-be
end up with the healthiest babies possible.
..... First and most important,
let me emind every woman of child-bearing years (and with
so many new in-vitro (and with so many new in-vitro techniques
being used by certain doctors who don't seem to have any
ethical concerns about whom they use them on, child-bearing
years now |
especially to the developing neurological system. Thus,
a low intake of folic acid by the mom raises the chance
that the fetus's developing neural tube which forms the
brain and spine will fail to close in the first 4 weeks
of pregnancy, resulting in defects such as spina bifida
(a hole in the spinal canal through which the spinal cord
can protrude) and anencephaly (absence of the brain).
..... It's also important
to stress that enough folic acid is essential from the first
moment of conception, but since 50 % of all pregnancies
are a surprise to the mom only, of course; 100 % of all
pregnancies are a surprise to the dad), women of child-bearing
years should be on this vitamin all the time, that is, way
before they can be surprised by a positive pregnancy test.
It's certainly possible to get lots of folic acid
from the diet (green leafy veggies, legumes, orange juice,
and other foods) but it's not always |
Your pharmacist is a great source of information about this
issue.
..... By the way, extra folic
acid may be vital for men, too, if, they want to become
dads, that is, because a study in the journal Fertility
and Sterility found that low levels of folic acid in men
were associated with lower sperm counts and sperm density.
In other words, folic acid helps increase both the quantity
and the quality of sperm.
..... Women thinking of becoming
pregnant may also want to note another recent study from
the Proceedings of the (US) National Academy of Sciences
that found that people born between October and December
lived "about .6 years" longer than those born
in the spring. Why? The best theory is that pregnant women
have access to more fruits and veggies in the summer and
fall than during the winter and spring - ergo, women who
are pregnant in the summer and fall might have better |
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