women s health issues
Risk Factors for High Risk Pregnancy
Exposures During Pregnancy
During pregnancy, being exposed to the following can increase the risk of having a baby with a birth defect: Certain infections Certain Safety of Medications During Pregnancy (such Radiation and children and certain chemicals (such as These substances and conditions are called teratogens. Overview of Birth Defects are most likely to result if women are exposed to a teratogen 2 to 8 weeks after they become pregnant (4 to 10 weeks after their last menstrual period) because the fetus's organs are forming during this time. The risk of having a Infections that are particularly dangerous during pregnancy include Chickenpox None Overview of Hepatitis None Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV) Infections None Rubella (German measles) Syphilis None Toxoplasmosis None Infections with Cytomegalovirus (CMV) Infection , coxsackievirus, or Zika Virus Infection None Drugs that may increase the risk of birth defects include Alcohol None Smoking (Tobacco) None Cocaine None Some prescription drugs (see table Some Drugs That Can Cause Problems During Pregnancy* ) Exposure to high temperatures (for example, in a sauna) during the 1st trimester has been linked to the development of Neural Tube Defects and Spina Bifida . Consuming too much mercury in seafood may harm the fetus. However, seafood contains nutrients that are important for growth and development of the fetus and breastfed infants. Thus, theFood and Drug Administration(FDA) recommends the following for women who are pregnant, who may become pregnant, or who are breastfeeding: Do not eat tilefish from the Gulf of Mexico, shark, swordfish, big-eye tuna, marlin, orange roughy, and king mackerel. Limit the amount of albacore tuna eaten to 4 ounces (one average meal) a week. Before eating fish caught in local lakes, rivers, and coastal areas, check localadvisoriesabout the safety of such fish, and if mercury levels in the fish are not known to be low or if no advice is available, limit the amount eaten to 4 ounces (one average meal) a week and do not eat other high-mercury seafood during that week. Each week, eat 8 to 12 ounces (2 or 3 average meals) of a variety of seafood that is lower in mercury. Tilefish from the Gulf of Mexico have the highest levels of mercury of all fish (as tested by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), but tilefish from the Atlantic Ocean can be safely eaten. Seafood that is lower in mercury includes flounder, shrimp, canned light tuna, salmon, pollock, tilapia, cod, and catfish (seeAdvice about Eating Fish For Those Who Might Become or Are Pregnant or Breastfeeding and Children Ages 1–11 Years). Some authorities (Consumer Reports: Choose the Right Fish To Lower Mercury Risk Exposure) advise against eating any tuna during pregnancy. 