Things to Avoid
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Things to Avoid During Pregnancy, written by Danielle Bishoff, Australia
Things to Avoid During Pregnancy
Danielle Bishoff - Australia
Teratogens are substances that damage the developing fetus. These include but are not limited to:
• Tobacco
• Alcohol
• Caffeine
• Raw meat
• Unprocessed cheeses
• Exposure to x-rays or radiation: while medical exposure to radiation when used for diagnostic techniques has not conclusively been proven either safe or damaging, it is wise to consult with your doctor on each individual basis
• Pharmaceutical medications: some are considered safe for pregnancy, some are not.
• High dose vitamin-A
Environmental exposures: Where do you live? Where do you work? What are your water and food sources.
Drug, Alcohol, Caffeine and Environmental Toxins
Chemical dependency and/or recreational drug use is a matter of concern during pregnancy. Aside from the harm caused to the maternal body, there are very real dangers to the developing baby as well. Many of the elements found in the following substances are considered teratogens, which are certain chemicals known to adversely alter cellular development in the growing baby.
Alcohol
A group of characteristic anomalies found in babies whose mothers consumed alcohol have been grouped together and called Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. FAS can manifest as either moderate or severe. There is no conclusive evidence of a minimal level of safety for drinking during pregnancy, so it is recommended to avoid all alcohol during pregnancy. FAS manifests in the following ways:
1) Prenatal or postnatal growth in the child’s weight or head circumference is delayed.
2) FAS children have particular abnormal features of the face and head.
3) Problems with the central nervous system, brain dysfunction, delays in behavioral development and cognitive impairment.
Caffeine
Caffeine and associated chemicals are found in chocolate, coffee, teas, and sodas and is known to hinder the action of genetic material. Caffeine can also cross the placenta and attains higher levels in the baby than in the mother because the fetal liver is unable to process the substance.
Tobacco
Cigarette smoke contains 68,000 toxic substances, including nicotine and toxic metals such as lead and arsenic, all of which can cross the placenta. Nicotine causes the blood vessels to constrict, leading to high blood pressure and constriction of the placental blood flow, cutting off the baby’s nutrition and oxygen supply. Smoking is associated with fetal death, miscarriage, stillbirth, placental abruption, and long-term problems such as intellectual development and physical growth. The risk of SIDS is also increased, as well as the rate of childhood cancers.
Marijuana
The active ingredient in marijuana is THC; THC is attracted to fat cells and accumulates in fatty tissues such as the brain. Marijuana exposes you to all the ingredients found in tobacco, but in much higher concentrations. It causes maternal anemia, inadequate weight gain, low birth-weight babies, and babies who are hypersensitive to light and irritable at birth.
Environmental Toxins
(Typically, environmental regulations do not consider transplacental effects when setting limits on human exposures.)
Lead
Paints
Mercury in Fish
We know that fish can be very nutritious and are packed with great nutrients such as omega-3’s, B vitamins, and lean protein. But, unfortunately, fish can have some unhealthy contaminants. The substances in fish are often millions of times stronger than the substance originally dumped in the water because as the substance is ingested it is magnified and concentrated as it moves up the food chain. Mercury found in fish can affect brain development and the nervous system.
What does this mean for women who are pregnant but also trying to get some of their much needed nutrients from the critters of the sea? It all boils down to moderation. The FDA has released guidelines for children, women who are pregnant, and women who are trying to become pregnant. These guidelines state that no more than 12 oz of low mercury fish should be consumed weekly. “Highest” mercury fish should be avoided and “high” mercury fish should be kept to only 3 6-oz servings per month.
Highest Mercury
Avoid completely: Grouper, marlin, orange roughy, tilefish, swordfish, shark, king mackerel
High Mercury
Eat no more than three 6-oz servings per month: Bass, saltwater croaker, halibut, canned albacore tuna, fresh bluefin or ahi tuna, sea trout, bluefish, lobster
Lower Mercury
Eat no more than six 6-oz servings per month: Carp, Mahi Mahi, dungeness crab, snapper crab, herring crab, monkfish, perch, skatecod, fresh Pacific albacore tuna
Lowest Mercury
Eat no more than two 6-oz servings per week: anchovies, butterfish, calamari, caviar, king crab, pollock, catfish, whitefish, perch, sea scallops, flounder, haddock, hake, herring, lobster, shad, sole, crawfish/crayfish, salmon, shrimp, clams, tilapia, oysters, sardines, sturgeon, trout.
Danielle Bishoff
Email: sunshinecoast@homebirth.org.au
back to the top
Things to Avoid During Pregnancy, written by Danielle Bishoff, Australia
Things to Avoid During Pregnancy
Danielle Bishoff - Australia
Teratogens are substances that damage the developing fetus. These include but are not limited to:
• Tobacco
• Alcohol
• Caffeine
• Raw meat
• Unprocessed cheeses
• Exposure to x-rays or radiation: while medical exposure to radiation when used for diagnostic techniques has not conclusively been proven either safe or damaging, it is wise to consult with your doctor on each individual basis
• Pharmaceutical medications: some are considered safe for pregnancy, some are not.
• High dose vitamin-A
Environmental exposures: Where do you live? Where do you work? What are your water and food sources.
Drug, Alcohol, Caffeine and Environmental Toxins
Chemical dependency and/or recreational drug use is a matter of concern during pregnancy. Aside from the harm caused to the maternal body, there are very real dangers to the developing baby as well. Many of the elements found in the following substances are considered teratogens, which are certain chemicals known to adversely alter cellular development in the growing baby.
Alcohol
A group of characteristic anomalies found in babies whose mothers consumed alcohol have been grouped together and called Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. FAS can manifest as either moderate or severe. There is no conclusive evidence of a minimal level of safety for drinking during pregnancy, so it is recommended to avoid all alcohol during pregnancy. FAS manifests in the following ways:
1) Prenatal or postnatal growth in the child’s weight or head circumference is delayed.
2) FAS children have particular abnormal features of the face and head.
3) Problems with the central nervous system, brain dysfunction, delays in behavioral development and cognitive impairment.
Caffeine
Caffeine and associated chemicals are found in chocolate, coffee, teas, and sodas and is known to hinder the action of genetic material. Caffeine can also cross the placenta and attains higher levels in the baby than in the mother because the fetal liver is unable to process the substance.
Tobacco
Cigarette smoke contains 68,000 toxic substances, including nicotine and toxic metals such as lead and arsenic, all of which can cross the placenta. Nicotine causes the blood vessels to constrict, leading to high blood pressure and constriction of the placental blood flow, cutting off the baby’s nutrition and oxygen supply. Smoking is associated with fetal death, miscarriage, stillbirth, placental abruption, and long-term problems such as intellectual development and physical growth. The risk of SIDS is also increased, as well as the rate of childhood cancers.
Marijuana
The active ingredient in marijuana is THC; THC is attracted to fat cells and accumulates in fatty tissues such as the brain. Marijuana exposes you to all the ingredients found in tobacco, but in much higher concentrations. It causes maternal anemia, inadequate weight gain, low birth-weight babies, and babies who are hypersensitive to light and irritable at birth.
Environmental Toxins
(Typically, environmental regulations do not consider transplacental effects when setting limits on human exposures.)
Lead
- Passed freely through the placenta
- Found in contaminated soil, lead-based paint (see below), and occupational exposure.
- Historically linked to industry use but is also a major concern in fish and seafood.
- Another dangerous contaminant in fish depending on which waters the fish lived in.
- PCB’s are predominantly found in industrial manufacturing.
- Found in agricultural areas, hazardous waste sites, or incinerators.
- Comes from car exhaust, cigarette smoke, industrial sources, organic solvents such as alcohols, paint thinners, lacquers, nail polish removers, paint and varnish removers.
- Has been deemed “safe” in and of itself, but more concerning is that it can react with other substances to cause a teratogenic effect.
Paints
- Exposure to paint containing any of the above mentioned chemicals should be avoided. Generally speaking, acrylic, water paints, and tempura paints are favored over oil and latex paints as their chemical components are less likely to cause birth defects. Oil and latex based paints should be avoided by pregnant women.
Mercury in Fish
We know that fish can be very nutritious and are packed with great nutrients such as omega-3’s, B vitamins, and lean protein. But, unfortunately, fish can have some unhealthy contaminants. The substances in fish are often millions of times stronger than the substance originally dumped in the water because as the substance is ingested it is magnified and concentrated as it moves up the food chain. Mercury found in fish can affect brain development and the nervous system.
What does this mean for women who are pregnant but also trying to get some of their much needed nutrients from the critters of the sea? It all boils down to moderation. The FDA has released guidelines for children, women who are pregnant, and women who are trying to become pregnant. These guidelines state that no more than 12 oz of low mercury fish should be consumed weekly. “Highest” mercury fish should be avoided and “high” mercury fish should be kept to only 3 6-oz servings per month.
Highest Mercury
Avoid completely: Grouper, marlin, orange roughy, tilefish, swordfish, shark, king mackerel
High Mercury
Eat no more than three 6-oz servings per month: Bass, saltwater croaker, halibut, canned albacore tuna, fresh bluefin or ahi tuna, sea trout, bluefish, lobster
Lower Mercury
Eat no more than six 6-oz servings per month: Carp, Mahi Mahi, dungeness crab, snapper crab, herring crab, monkfish, perch, skatecod, fresh Pacific albacore tuna
Lowest Mercury
Eat no more than two 6-oz servings per week: anchovies, butterfish, calamari, caviar, king crab, pollock, catfish, whitefish, perch, sea scallops, flounder, haddock, hake, herring, lobster, shad, sole, crawfish/crayfish, salmon, shrimp, clams, tilapia, oysters, sardines, sturgeon, trout.
Danielle Bishoff
Email: sunshinecoast@homebirth.org.au
back to the top
