No restraint during pregnancy

Warning of restraint in pregnancy

20/05/2011

Expectant mothers often abstain from worrying about their unborn child on athletic movement and embark on a restraint, said Claudia Hellmers of the Society for Midwifery to the news channel „ntv“.

While pregnant women should pay particular attention to their diet and avoiding physical overload during pregnancy „It can be a problem when pregnant women do not exercise enough, give up exercise and go into restraint“, emphasized Claudia Hellmers, Germany's first professor of midwifery science at the University of Applied Sciences Osnabrück. According to the expert, healthy nutrition and a lot of exercise are decisive factors for the development of the unborn child.

Exercise during pregnancy important for the child
While a change in diet in pregnancy is quite necessary, so as not to endanger the unborn child, pregnant women can in terms of their physical activities „continue to live normally“, explained the expert „ntv“. Only excessive physical effort should be avoided. According to the expert, the often taken restraint is often rather disadvantageous for the development of the child. In addition to a healthy diet, according to Claudia Hellmers pregnant women should pay particular attention to moving a lot in the fresh air.

Balanced diet during pregnancy
In addition, the expert recommends that women who are pregnant receive a vitamin and mineral rich diet rich in fruits and vegetables as well as low-fat products and low meat. In general, expectant mothers should be wary of eating raw meat and fish, added the Professor of Midwifery Science. Hellmers also warned against the consumption of raw milk products like soft cheese, as these contain bacteria (listeria) that can reach the unborn child through the placenta. However, because the infant's immune system is unable to fend off the bacteria, it can cause serious damage to health. In addition, Claudia advises Hellmers pregnant women to dispense pre-packaged salads, as these could also pose a risk of infection and threatens a transmission of the pathogens to the unborn child. According to the expert, ready meals are also not recommended because they contain them „often too many calories and too few nutrients“. What matters is a balanced diet with enough vitamins, iodine and folic acid, said the Professor of Midwifery Science. However, pregnant women should not overeat. The expert argued energetically that it was assumed that the intake of food should be significantly increased in the interest of the unborn child. „Our motto is: Think for two and not for two“, emphasized Hellmers in an interview „ntv“.

Health risks for infants by overweight pregnant women
The health risks to unborn children from being overweight during pregnancy should not be underestimated. But if expectant mothers increase their food intake significantly and at the same time renounce exercise, the formation of significantly more fatty tissue is almost inevitable. Different studies clearly show negative effects of being overweight on the future development of the child. Thus, according to the expert with the overweight of pregnant women, for example, a significantly higher risk of diabetes for the children accompanied. Also, the children of overweight mothers are much more likely to become obese themselves. In addition, complications associated with increased body weight are more common during pregnancy, childbirth and the puerperium, reports Claudia Hellmers. The all-clear expert on make-up and nail polish gave the all-clear view that they pose no risks for the babies. However, Hellmers pointed out that hairdressers often use chemical products for hair dyeing that can be applied to the unborn child. Therefore, according to the expert, pregnant women should also be careful here.

Despite positive balance 10,000 children with fetal alcohol syndrome
Overall, however, the Professor of Midwifery draws a positive balance in terms of the behavior of women in pregnancy. "Actually, pregnant women do a great deal right, because pregnancy is a phase in which many women are very aware of their body," said Claudia Hellmers. Roughly negligent behavior, such as the consumption of alcohol or cigarettes, are today more of an exception among expectant mothers. However, the Federal Government Drug Commissioner, Mechthild Dyckmans (FDP) warned at the end of last year that 10,000 children in Germany are still being harmed by the fetal alcohol syndrome each year. According to the Federal Drug Commissioner, the disease caused by alcohol consumption during pregnancy is the most common non-genetic disease in children in Germany. Therefore, in December of last year, Dyckmans called for a unified screening program and new legal frameworks to address the problem of fetal alcohol syndrome. (Fp)

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Image: Oliver Klas