Morning sickness is a term to describe the ill feeling experienced by pregnant women who are in their first trimester of pregnancy. The ill feeling is better defined as food aversions, nausea and vomiting. It is termed ‘morning sickness’ because many women experience it upon rising (Profet, 1995); but in reality, morning sickness could happen at any time of the day. So the term morning sickness may be a misnomer. There are many other terms used including nausea and vomiting in pregnancy (NVP) rather than morning sickness (Flaxman & Sherman, 2000). The term NVP will be used throughout this essay. Generally, everyone has a toxin tolerance threshold to detect level of toxicity in their blood; and if this threshold is exceeded, will induce nausea and vomiting. Similarly, NVP is when the usual threshold of tolerance to toxin is lowered; thus increasing the sensitivity in detecting toxin levels in the maternal blood to protect the embryo (Profet, 1995). There have been much speculations on the main causes of NVP and to how well it benefits both the mother and the embryo. Many studies claim that NVP functions for toxic avoidance although the depth of this claim is yet to be proven. In this essay, I am reviewing studies on NVP; and discussing if NVP is an evolutionary act to protect the embryo.
The symptoms of NVP peak during embryonic organogenesis (weeks 6-18) because this is when the embryo is most susceptible to chemical disruption (Flaxman & Sherman, 2000). Organogenesis is the period of organ formation from the tissue layers ectoderm, mesoderm and endoderm. Physically expelling out intolerable foods and feeling nausea are the obvious signs of NVP. Commonly known as a short-term sickness designed for a long-term benefit, NVP begins...
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Also caffeine can cause complications in the pregnancy, labor, and delivery. Caffeine consumption during pregnancy is harmful to the developing the baby’s brain. Doctors suggest that careful studies should be performed to evaluate the efforts of caffeine consumption by pregnant women. The maternal height and weight maybe in danger also due to too much caffeine.
Tarnopolsky, Mark. (1999) Gender Differences in Metabolism: Practical and nutritional implications; Caffeine. Boca Raton: CRC Press, 155-200
Caffeine has been linked to a number of birth defects – most notably low birth weight, as “pregnant women have slower caffeine metabolism, with 1.5 to 3.5 times longer half-life needed to eliminate caffeine, compared to non-pregnant woman” (Rhee et al. ___ ). Furthermore, because infants’ livers are less developed than those of their mothers’, they are at a much higher risk of caffeine poisoning and related effects (such as low birth weight) – “recently, Greenwood et al found that consuming an increment of 100 mg/day of caffeine was associated with a 7% increase in the risk of LBW” (Rhee et al. 2). Similar reasoning applies to newborns, who still share a link to their mothers through breastfeeding – a method by which a significant amount of caffeine can be
It is a recognised certainty that nutrition is a fundamental requirement to sustain a healthy lifestyle and is also extremely valuable when recovering from an illness or an injury. Nutrients are absorbed in the body and this physiological process is essential for homeostasis and ensuring equilibrium is sustained within the body as without enough food and drink the body will not function correctly (Edwards & Thomas, 2009). This essay will provide information on folic acid and its properties, its role and the midwife’s role and responsibility in informing women in the early stages of pregnancy and the importance that it has.
There are many factors that are integrated into the successful development of a child from Prenatal growth into toddlerhood. Teratogens (outside factors) have a great impact on the babies’ inutero development. Some outside factors like second-hand smoke, smog, or fumes from cleaning chemicals can cause negative effects on the child inside the womb. A few major affects from teratogens could result in low birth weight, head circumference, slow physical growth as well as an effect on mental, behavioral and motor skills (Berk, 2003). The environment around the mother provides many of these outside factors affecting the baby’s growth. But the main link to teratogens during the gestation period is most likely the mother. Daniel S. Messinger and the National Institute on Drug Abuse found that 2.8% of pregnant women admitted to using illicit drugs during their pregnancy (1996). Through illicit drug use, tobacco use and alcohol use, the mother disrupts her baby’s growth with possibly permanent damage.
Pregnant women have to be careful while pregnant. They have to watch out for various speed bumps. There are tons of toxins that can hurt the baby in the womb. The mother is responsible for most of these, after all she is the one who is carrying the baby. Many of these factors can result in death. It is really sad that it has to end that way some of the time. The worst toxins for a baby to encounter while in the mother’s uterus are different types of drugs and alcohol. Those two things can could serious problems for the infant once it gets into their system. They enter into the baby’s bloodstream from the mother, and cause problems from there on out.
Pregnancy can be an exciting and sometimes frightening experience for many women. It was a snowy Sunday afternoon, and I was not feeling very well. I remember all week long, every morning I felt nauseated. I was craving odd foods, and foods I normally would not eat together. I was on the phone with my best friend explaining to her how I was feeling. She said “It sounds like you are pregnant.” That thought never even crossed my mind until that moment. Sure enough she was right, I was pregnant for the first time. I was excited to have a baby and never realized how many emotions or complications can take place during a pregnancy. Everybody that I knew that had babies, had such wonderful experiences. Unfortunately, this happy moment became such a monumental, emotional and stressful time in my life. During my pregnancy, I went through many emotional experiences from almost losing my child, to the uncertainty of a birth defect and early delivery.
“I brought you into this world, and I can take you out!” A child has most likely heard that phrase at some point in their life. Although, it is not ethical or legal for a mother to “take her kid out of this world”, it does bring up a good point that it was through her body, that the child was born. One of the most important responsibilities in this world is a mother carrying a child in the womb. There are many divine processes that take place during gestation, but there are also many contributing factors from the mother that can affect the developing human. These factors may include what a woman ingests and exposes her embryo or fetus to. Sadly, alcohol use during pregnancy is an ongoing problem that can have detrimental affects on the fetus, including Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS). Choosing to drink alcoholic beverages during pregnancy is a choice, a risky choice. Unfortunately some women don’t even know they are making a risky choice by consuming alcohol because it is in the early stages of pregnancy. It is common for a female to not find out they are pregnant until at least the fifth or sixth week after fertilization. In 2006, 49% of all pregnancies in the United States were reported unintended on a national survey.1 The highest rate of preventable birth defects and mental retardation is due to alcohol use.2 In this paper, I will further discuss FAS, the potential effects of binge drinking during the embryonic stage of gestation, and what actions need to be taken in order to reduce the incidences of alcohol related birth defects.
...ions during pregnancy and lactation. Journal of Psychosocial Nursing & Mental Health Services, 47(5), 19-24.
As the vast majority of Americans are addicted to caffeine, studies show that the effects during post-consumption, can be positive or negative depending on the amount and frequency of caffeine intake. As the demand for caffeine has increased, the caffeine industry has increased its amount of marketing and establishments to help aid this demand. Caffeine addiction can lead to serious health and physiological detriments. It is evident that the primary reason for consumption of caffeinated beverages is due to positive effects, such as alertness. The media has an abundance of marketing to continue to illustrate this main effect.
Nausea and vomiting are especially common during early pregnancy, particularly within the first trimester. Most women experience nausea and vomiting, commonly referred to as “morning sickness”, which is often attributed to the mother’s reaction to the spike in pregnancy hormones. Although feeling ill is considered normal within the first few months of pregnancy, there are instances of nausea and vomiting that continue on to the second and third trimesters and are then considered more severe. When dehydration, electrolyte imbalances, weight loss, acidosis, or even hepatic and renal damage occur as a result of the hyperemesis, it is then determined to be hyperemesis gravidarum.
Chambers, C. D., Polifka, J. E., & Friedman, J. M. (2008). Drug safety in pregnant women and their babies: ignorance not bliss. Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics, 83(1), 181-183.
This essay covers information over the course of prenatal development. I will also discuss teratology and hazards to the prenatal development, those such as, caffeine, alcohol, nicotine, cocaine, marijuana, heroin, and opioids. Additionally, I will discuss how maternal factors such as maternal diet and nutrition, maternal age, emotional states and stress, and paternal factors, may influence prenatal development.
Pasquariello, P. S., Jr. (Ed.). (1999). Book of pregnancy and child care. New York City, NY: John Wiley & Sons.