Читать книгу Child Development From Infancy to Adolescence - Laura E. Levine - Страница 258

Miscarriage is not uncommon in early pregnancy, and is most often caused by genetic abnormalities, but we don’t always know why it happens. Getting early and regular prenatal visits, having a healthy diet, and getting an appropriate amount of rest and exercise will help ensure that a pregnancy progresses normally. A pregnant woman should avoid alcohol, which can result in fetal alcohol syndrome or fetal alcohol spectrum disorders, and stop smoking, which is associated with low birth weight, premature births, and later developmental problems. The use of illegal drugs threatens a pregnancy directly. Prescription and over-the-counter drugs should be taken only in consultation with the woman’s physician. Preexisting illnesses should be treated to protect the unborn baby. The risk of a maternal HIV infection being transmitted to an infant has been reduced, but Zika poses a new threat. Pregnant women should reduce their stress level because stress hormones can cross the placenta and should avoid environmental toxins, especially endocrine disruptors, whenever possible.