Perpetual worries for pregnancy

Informed expectant women abstain from alcohol to prevent fetal alcohol syndrome. Modern moms work to stamp out smoking to reduce potential pregnancy problems and improve their child’s future health. But, just in time for our youngest son’s first child, several new studies underlining new concerns crossed my desk last week.

I’m sure my newest, pregnant daughter-in-love – whose mom is a nurse – has an abundance of  advice. So, I will just sit here and worry all by myself about all the dire things which might affect this child from just the food she does – or does not – eat.

First, and foremost, on my worry wart mind is our nation’s excessive body weight. Lower weight gains in expectant women means the child will not be as likely to develop diabetes or to grow-up obese. The process happens because overweight pregnant women produce higher blood glucose levels. The sugar–rich blood passes through to the baby; the baby’s overfed cells are de-sensitized to insulin which leaves the child with a hearty appetite and tendency to overeat … and weight problems. The Kaiser Permanente study found that even if a woman’s blood sugar was only in the upper levels of normal, the children were 30 percent more likely to be fat by age 7 than those with mothers who had lower blood sugar levels.

For our mom-to-be that means cutting back on the sweets and processed starches such as white bread, bagels and pretzels. Does anyone else hear the distant rumble of the return of the pregnancy pounds police?
In another study, the noisy Parkers in research land had about 2,000 pregnant women write down everything they ate for nine months. They kept the recorded diets and five years later examined the children to find any correlation between pregnancy intake and childhood health. 

They found the truth in the old saying “an apple a day keeps the doctor away.”
Babies of apple eaters had a significantly reduced chance of developing the wheeze of asthma in the first five years, according to a study released on line by Thorax.com. Oh yes, and babies of mothers who ate fish regularly had a lowered incidence of doctor-confirmed eczema.

Other than the apple and fish, the researchers confirmed a positive association between maternal consumption of vitamins A, E, D and zinc.
I’ve never heard of a roasted salmon with a fresh apple in its mouth and a side order of prenatal vitamins, but it sounds like the perfect meal for a mommy-to-be.

Better fish than too much red meat warns a study from Scotland.

This correlation goes back to medical advice given 40 years ago by Scottish doctors. They told  pregnant patients to eat a pound of red meat daily to maintain a low blood pressure.

A recent study of those women’s babies – now middle-aged adults – revealed that under pressure they produce excessive amounts of cortisol which leads to hypertension – the high blood pressure which their mothers sought to avoid. Cortisol also contributes to fat around the abdomen and increased chances of heart disease and diabetes, according to Rebecca Reynolds, an endocrinologist. All this because their moms enjoyed a perfect Atkins-like diet of rib-eye steaks.

The poor women who could not afford all that red meat, ate lots of beans, fruits and vegetables and produced fine healthy children. So, just in time for a sensible sit down discussion on what is and is not good for the Hershberger’s newest pregnant momma, we come back to common sense: Eat a well balanced diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables in many colors, whole grains, protein (including fish) and dairy products – and, oh yes, don’t forget that 30 minutes of exercise every day.

The exercise gurus NEVER give up on their favorite theme song, especially not when folks like those at the University School of Medicine in Cleveland, Ohio join them with a study detailing the positive physical and mental benefits of exercise for both mother and child.

So many things to worry about and only nine months to do it all for my son and his wife and our future granddaughter.


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