Postnatal Infant Health– Is Maternal Lifestyle Related to It?

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Research says yes! A bad lifestyle has serious repercussions for your health, and your infant’s too. Although prenatal care is deemed extremely important, you must keep health as your top priority throughout your life. Much like a pot with cracks that’s easier to break, a body with damages is more vulnerable to all health threats.

These physical conditions have the potential to render a woman incapable of bearing a baby. They might even fail the body in aiding the efficient growth of the fetus in the womb during a pregnancy.

Eating habits and physical work affects the post-partum life of an infant

The scientific literature claims that anything from eating habits to everyday physical work has the ability to affect pregnancies and the post-partum life of an infant, in a positive or negative way.

Overeating and sedentary behavior are usually linked to the development of health conditions. In fact, they are the major contributors to gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) among the babies.

On the other hand, healthy eating and regular physical exercises are known to ease a lot of pain that may come your way during a pregnancy and will also increase the chances of a healthy baby.

The first two years of an infant’s life are crucial

Immunity acquired or lost during this period are known to have a great impact on the child’s future. And a maintained health, during this very phase, is partly dependent on the maternal lifestyle.

The factors of influence

1. Diet

When the frequencies and quantities of various beverage items consumed are recorded, it is seen that women who fail to refrain from bad eating habits, like consumption of high-calories junk foods or sugary stuff, see the development of gastrointestinal disorders in the infant after birth. This includes GDM as mentioned before.

In fact, the mother’s womb is a growth incubator for the baby and the mother’s body is responsible for supplying the required growth nutrition. The female body will be heavily burdened if it itself doesn’t get the necessary nourishment and this will further affect the development of the fetus too.

2. Physical activity

Exercise during pregnancy can greatly benefit the mental and physical health of the child. This does not necessarily mean a heavy physical workout.

But sedentary time must be reduced. Research has proven that a mother staying healthy and active during pregnancy can have long-term health benefits for the child.

Minor aerobic exercises can help strengthen the baby’s heart muscles. This will help reduce the baby’s vulnerability to a cardiovascular disease for the entire lifespan.

3. Emotional setting

Scientists aren’t unanimous about what causes a mother’s psychological disturbances to affect the post-partum health of the infant. But there is plenty of evidence to say that it does have a direct impact.

Women who face a psychiatric illness or are facing an abuse, the depression or lowering of mood caused is associated with preterm delivery and low birth weight. These complications have their own adverse impact on the future health of the child.

It is also seen to have an effect on the child’s emotional-behavioural outcomes.

4. Attitude toward breastfeeding

Beliefs and opinions shape people’s lifestyles. If a mother is opinionated and has a negative attitude towards infant feeding, she may undermine the contribution of breastmilk to the immunity of the growing child. This will greatly affect the child’s health.

Moreover, a child’s body is not completely developed. So, any disease acquired or any illness caused immediately after birth has the capability to create an impression for life.

5. Smoking and drinking

A glass of wine and a puff of cigarette may not seem like a great deal to you. It is a part of many people’s social lives. But a prolonged consumption of the same takes a toll on your infant’s health. And, this damage can be permanent. It can lead to mental retardation and heart damage.

Everything you consume is capable of transplacental movement into the fetus. This includes alcohol. The developing baby will not be able to metabolize alcohol as quick as us adults. This may lead to raised blood alcohol levels causing many troubles in the development of the child.

6. Body measurements

Parental obesity is considered a serious risk factor for childhood obesity. BMI and weight correlations between a mother and child are significant. A good examination of anthropometric measurements of the child and parents suggest that the correlation stays stagnant over various stages of life and not just childhood.

And in this case, maternal influence is greater than paternal.

7.Vitals

During pregnancy, the female and the developing child face various health risks. It is as important to be physically stable as mentally. A woman must regularly track her vitals like heart rate, blood sugar, blood pressure, etc.

There are specific patterns in which these change in the course of the pregnancy and that is normal. But any abnormal changes noted must get immediate medical attention.

Sporadic lifestyle changes of the current day are only accompanied by a continued limited spread of knowledge concerning such stigmatized topics. The outcomes of a bad lifestyle can be detrimental to your child’s growth and you must avoid any blunders.

Final thought

More people should be educated about the impact of maternal lifestyle and nutritional status on the health and development of their child from the time of pregnancy to crossing childhood.