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Prenatal Risk Factors

With new life growing inside of her, a mother has to take special care to make sure her child is born healthy and happy. What you eat and drink will be absorbed into your child's body. It is important that you are healthy physically and mentally during your pregnancy. All-around health aids in the growth of a healthy baby. Knowing what prenatal risk factors to watch will help you do all you can to ensure a healthy baby.

  1. Maternal Age Over 35

    • Women who are over the age of 35 when they give birth are at a higher risk of having babies affected by Down syndrome. These women also are at a higher risk for miscarriages than younger women. Advanced maternal age also puts you at a greater risk for stillborn births.

    Alcohol

    • As with smoking, alcohol consumed by a pregnant mother is passed to her baby. Alcohol use is a cause of lower birth rates as well as miscarriages. Babies exposed to alcohol before birth are prone to Alcohol-Related Neurodevelopmental Disorder (ARND), Alcohol-Related Birth Defects (ARBD) and fetal alcohol syndrome. A child's learning abilities, as well as his physical and mental health, are at risk with these disorders.

    Obesity

    • Obese mothers are at higher risk for high blood pressure during pregnancy. Babies who are born to obese mothers are more likely to be born by cesarean section. There is a higher risk of spina bifida among babies who are born to overweight mothers. These mothers also have a higher risk of having a baby with heart, brain or digestive system problems.

    Smoking

    • Smoking during pregnancy reduces the amount of oxygen your developing baby receives. Babies born to smokers are at a higher risk for SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome). Women who smoke are at a higher risk for miscarriages. The risk of having a low-weight baby increases when the mother is a smoker. A low-weight baby is prone to health problems throughout her life. ADHD (Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder), as well as other learning disabilities, also are associated with babies whose mothers smoked while pregnant.

    Stress

    • Dealing with stress while pregnant can have an adverse affect on your child. In a study, reported in the Irish Times, babies whose mothers were under stress during pregnancy had lower baby IQ scores. These babies also had more anxiety. In addition to this, stress can lead to low birth weight and premature births.

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