Week 15 of your pregnancy
Keeping your baby safe: smart choices
While the dangers posed by many chemicals in our daily lives are still not fully understood, we do know that some of the most common-cigarette smoke, alcohol, and illegal drugs-are not safe during pregnancy. Even caffeine is safe only in low or moderate amounts.
Why these substances are not a wise choice:
* Smoking before, during, or after birth affects both your health and that of your fetus. Living with someone who smokes also affects the health of mothers and infants. Cigarette smoke contains nicotine, tar, and carbon monoxide, all of which cross the placenta and reduce the amount of oxygen and nutrients the fetus receives. Smoking increases the chance of vaginal bleeding during pregnancy, miscarriage, stillbirth, premature birth, and low birth weight. Children born to women who smoked during pregnancy are more prone to colds, chest infections, and ear infections. Quitting smoking during pregnancy has definite benefits; even cutting back late in pregnancy can reduce the risk for low birth weight.
* Alcohol can cause Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS), one of the leading forms of mental retardation and physical abnormalities in the United States. The severity of FAS is directly related to the amount of alcohol ingested by the mother during pregnancy. While the risks of drinking large amounts-two or more drinks per day-are well known, it is not known how safe even very low amounts of alcohol are during pregnancy. Until more research is done on this question, it is smart and safe to abstain from wine, beer, and other alcoholic drinks until after your baby is born.
* Illegal drugs are never safe in pregnancy. Marijuana, like cigarette smoke, reduces the amount of oxygen a fetus receives, and may result in a low birth weight and other problems. Cocaine use increases the chance of preterm birth by 25%. Babies who survive exposure to illegal drugs during pregnancy are very likely to have lifelong physical, behavioral, and emotional issues.
How to get help
If you do smoke, drink, or use illegal substances and are not sure how to stop, your doctor wants to help. Quitting an addiction takes time and patience and may require medical support. Doing so, however, may be the most important decision of your life-and your baby’s. Ask us about where to get help in your community.
Your Baby’s Development during this week
* This month the fetus will double in length to 6 inches in a sitting position and quadruple its weight from 1 ounce to 4 ounces.
* The curled fetus now begins to straighten out, as the back grows stronger and the head becomes proportionally smaller than the rapidly lengthening body.
Courtesy: University of Virginia Health System
