Fact: A pregnant mother's health & behavior effects her baby's health & development.
Baby’s brain development is greatly effected by “maternal nutrition, infection and stress during pregnancy.”
Baby’s first brain activity begins around six weeks, everything the mother does (or does not do) effects baby's development.
"One study found that a mother's stress during pregnancy changes the neural connectivity in the brain of her unborn child.”
Obesity in pregnant mothers effects baby's brain development and behavior, also associated with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Autism Spectrum Disorder.
Smoking can lead to miscarriage, birth defects, premature birth and infant death.
Alcohol can cause Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and organ damage. Also effects fetal development stages and attributed to lower IQ’s.
Why It Matters: "About 1 in 33 babies (about 3 percent) is born with a birth defect in the United States each year." Certainly not all birth defects can be prevented, however...there are things expecting mothers can do to increase their chances of having a healthy baby.
What You Can Do:
“The most important factor in optimal brain growth is to live a healthy lifestyle,” including healthy diet, exercise, no alcohol or cigarettes and reduced stress.
Talking to your baby “will boost language and memory skills” as well as lay groundwork for their social and emotional development.
Relaxing music can calm both mom and baby, and help baby learn new sounds and tones.
Just be mindful that everything you do effects the baby, take care of yourself -- you take care of your baby.
[Image can be found at Very Well Family website here.]
