Sign Up Now
Get instant access to over 1 million+ study documents
OR
Already registered? click here to login
By creating your account, you agree to our terms of service, privacy policy and student honor code.
Cautiousness towards environmental contaminants in fish and seafood has led pregnant women to limit or eliminate fish and seafood from their diet. The Food and Drug Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency addressed the problem by advising the women to avoid large ocean fish, such as shark, swordfish, king mackerel and fish because of their higher mercury content. According to the agencies, pregnant women may safely consume up to 12 ounces of shellfish or smaller ocean and farm-raised fish, such as salmon and canned light tuna, per week. DHA-enriched eggs, which provide up to 150 mg DHA per egg, are now available for these mothers' diet. DHA supplements may also be taken but sparingly because of their fish oil content (Steele).
Caution Over Vitamin A Supplements
According to the Institute of Medicine, pregnant women do not need vitamin-mineral supplements unless there is a risk for nutritional deficiency (Nutrition Research Newsletter, 2000). Risks include chronic disease or abuse of drugs, alcohol or tobacco. Unnecessary or excess supplements may cause harm. Large consumptions of retinoid compounds during the first trimester have, in some cases, shown to have caused fetal craniofacial, cardiac, thymic and central nervous system abnormalities. This is called retinoic acid embryopathy (Nutrition Research Newsletter).
Published studies conducted by the American Dietetic Association showed that the average diet of pregnant women in the United States had higher intakes of Vitamin A or retinol than the recommended dietary allowance (Nutrition Research Newsletter, 2000). Physicians and dietitians recommended that pregnant women at a low nutritional risk may take Vitamin A in the form of beta carotene to reduce the risk of excessive intake. Over-the-counter vitamin-mineral supplements often lead to high levels of retinol intake (Nutrition Research Newsletter).
Stress in the First Trimester
Studies revealed that severe stress in the first trimester may prompt early delivery (Bates, 2005). Findings showed that stress transmits signals to the fetus, which produces high levels of hormones. These hormones, in turn, hasten delivery. The findings suggested the presence of a kind of "placental clock" for delivery. Tested subjects in their first trimester had highly elevated...
Examples were women who were exposed to earthquakes and delivered earlier than normal schedule. Further studies on 550 pregnant women yielded consistent links between high levels of maternal cortisol and increased levels of the placenta hormone in the first trimester. Raised hormone levels not only speeds up delivery but also leads to serious consequences on the fetus' response to stimuli and, eventually, the child's response to stress (Bates).
Levels of neuropeptides increase from the mother's hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal stress network (Bates, 2005). The placenta responds by producing circulating corticotrophin-releasing hormones. This event adversely affects the maternal stress system and blocks communication between the hypothalamus and the pituitary. The fetus appears to be quite vulnerable to stress signals. Exposure to very high levels of stress inclines the fetus to view the environment as hostile and prepares to escape the womb in response (Bates).
Bibliography
Bates, B.(2005). First trimester stress may prompt early delivery. Clinical Psychiatry
News: International Medical News Group. Retrieved on February 24, 2009 at http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_hb4345/is_3_33/ai_n29172851?tag=content;col1
Bennington, L.K. (2001). Pregnancy. Encyclopedia of Nursing and Allied Health: Gale Encyclopedia of Nursing and Allied Health. Retrieved on February 24, 2009 at http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qGENH/is_20050229/ai_2699003633?tag=content;col1
Market Wire (2000). Study test. Market Wire: CBC Interactive, Inc. Retrieved on February 24, 2009 at http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_pwwi/is_20050229/ai_mark09013907?tag=content;col1
Nutrition Research Newsletter (2000). Are Vitamin A supplements necessary in the first trimester of pregnancy? Technical Insights: Wiley & Sons. Retrieved on February 24, 2009 at http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0887/is_11_19/ai_76284032?tag=content;col1
Steele, C. (2006). Maternal diet during pregnancy and lactation. Pediatrics for Parents: Pediatrics for Parents, Inc. Retrieved on February 24, 2009 at http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0816/is_11_22/ai_n2709557?tag=content;col1
Bibliography
Bates, B.(2005). First trimester stress may prompt early delivery. Clinical Psychiatry
News: International Medical News Group. Retrieved on February 24, 2009 at http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_hb4345/is_3_33/ai_n29172851?tag=content;col1
Bennington, L.K. (2001). Pregnancy. Encyclopedia of Nursing and Allied Health: Gale Encyclopedia of Nursing and Allied Health. Retrieved on February 24, 2009 at http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qGENH/is_20050229/ai_2699003633?tag=content;col1
Market Wire (2000). Study test. Market Wire: CBC Interactive, Inc. Retrieved on February 24, 2009 at http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_pwwi/is_20050229/ai_mark09013907?tag=content;col1
Nutrition Research Newsletter (2000). Are Vitamin A supplements necessary in the first trimester of pregnancy? Technical Insights: Wiley & Sons. Retrieved on February 24, 2009 at http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0887/is_11_19/ai_76284032?tag=content;col1
Steele, C. (2006). Maternal diet during pregnancy and lactation. Pediatrics for Parents: Pediatrics for Parents, Inc. Retrieved on February 24, 2009 at http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0816/is_11_22/ai_n2709557?tag=content;col1
While medical science has allowed the fetus to survive following twenty-three weeks, in some cases, medical research has shown that without extreme intervention, even these fetuses will perish. Even if the fetus were to survive, many are left with severe mental and physical disabilities (American Medical Association, 1998). Thus, research has shown that life cannot be sustained until the third trimester of development, and thus, cannot be said to
The Effects of Folic Acid Deficiency during Pregnancy. Scientific inquiry The importance of folic acid consumption beforehand as well as throughout pregnancy cannot be understated. In as much as there are numerous causes of Neural tube Defects (NTDs), the predominant cause is failure to take substantial amounts of folic acid. Can public campaign of strengthening folic acid in the diet minimize the occurrence of NTDs found in the poor people in relation
Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) is a project involving examination of health departments and CDC (Center for Disease Control) of a given State. PRAMS was unveiled in 1987. This project gathers data relating to the experience and attitudes prior to, in the cause of and period immediately following a pregnancy. Data collected is always specific to a given State. The surveillance expedition takes care of up to 83% of
physiological perspective, the first trimester of pregnancy is when the majority of fetal development occurs, and also when the full development of the placenta occurs. The first twelve weeks or so after conception see the transformation of a fertilized egg cell into a fetus that shares blood flow with the placenta through the umbilical arteries and vein. As a result, these twelve weeks are particularly crucial for the health
The chapters outlined the significance of the study, the intended objectives, the hypotheses statements, justification of the study, the research design, and the findings and conclusions. The examination carried out within the sections of this paper will be important for bridging the gap of knowledge on the use of UB-PAP in the diagnosis of obesity among obese pregnant mothers. It will be particularly helpful in informing the patients and
pregnancy alongside with discussion on an interview taken of a mother who shares her experiences of during and after pregnancy moments. Pregnancy- an interview Pregnancy is that stage of reproduction when the sperm has fertilized itself with the female reproductive egg known as fetus or embryo inside the female womb. A pregnancy can also be of multiple gestations, as in case of twins, triplets and quadruplets, except of humans all other