Dr Ragini Agarwal shares with us the leading factors of miscarriages and how they can be tackled.
Occurrence of
miscarriage
or abortion of a wanted pregnancy is a great trauma for couples.
Although all pregnancies cannot be saved, but many times it is lack of
awareness that is the major reason for it. Pre-conception counselling
plays a great role in prevention of miscarriages or
spontaneous abortions.
Spontaneous abortions may often go unnoticed prior to clinical detection
but the incidence of these early losses is not clear. The most widely
accepted rate of loss for a single spontaneous abortion is about 15-20%
(1 in 6) of 'clinically detected' pregnancies. Many times these
abortions can be saved by just taking preconceptional folic acid
tablets.
So if you are thinking to have a baby, it is better to start getting
ready for
pregnancy.
Preconception health and focus on things you can do before pregnancy to
increase the chances of having a healthy baby.
Dr. Ragini Agrawal, Clinical Director and Incharge fertility and IVF CENTER of W-Hospital by Pratiksha Gurgaon shares with us how awareness about the following things can reduce the incidence of miscarriages and spontaneous abortions.
1. Medical disorders
Healthy lifestyle, eating right kind of food, having proper weight all
contribute towards a baby’s health. If you are suffering from some
medical disorder, you will need to control it or change in its
prescription to prevent miscarriage or
birth defects
in babies where you are forced to go for abortion. Uncontrolled
diabetes or pre-existing diabetes can lead to defects in baby.
Medications for epilepsy need to be changed to prevent birth defect.
2. Thyroid
Thyroid hormone plays a critical role during pregnancy
both in the development of a healthy baby and in maintaining the health
of the mother. Thyroid hormone is important to normal development of
the baby’s brain and nervous system. During the first trimester, the
foetus depends on the mother’s supply of thyroid hormone, which comes
through the placenta. At around 12 weeks, the baby’s thyroid begins to
function on its own. Hyper and Hypothyroidism both can cause
miscarriage. Hence, you need to be extra cautious and get these
check-ups done when planning to get pregnant.
3. Vaccinations
Not only this, you should be properly vaccinated and aware of your
health status. Rubella is a viral infection if you contracted in early
pregnancy it can result in birth defect so you need a vaccine for it
before conception to prevent this complication. Having the right
vaccinations at the right time can help keep you healthy and help keep
your baby from getting very sick or having lifelong health problems.
4. Toxic substances
Avoid toxic substances and other environmental contaminants harmful
materials at work or at home, such as synthetic chemicals, metals,
fertilizer, bug spray, and cat or rodent faeces. These substances can
hurt the reproductive systems of both men and women. Exposure to even
small amounts during may lead to a miscarriage. .
5. Beauty products
Your nail paints, lipsticks and other cosmetics can have chemical like
phthalate and lead which can affect growing foetus. You need to limit
its use.
6. Preserved foods
Nutrition plays a very big role in development of healthy baby. Food
laden with pesticides, preservatives and other chemicals can cause birth
defects so choose your food wisely.
Do not be ignorant. Planning for pregnancy with full awareness and
counselling is advisable to prevent abnormality. Although it is not a
foolproof way to save all complications but mostly it definitely gives
you an edge over others.
Image Source: Shutterstock
Content Source: Health.com
