Ways to Prevent Low Birth Weight During Pregnancy
Low birth weight occurs when you give birth to your baby much before they have finished developing inside the womb. Across the globe, 20 million infants are born with low birth weight (LBW). There are two primary reasons for low birth weight in your baby:
Foetal Growth Restriction (Intrauterine growth restriction)
Foetal growth restriction (intrauterine growth restriction) occurs when the baby does not gain the necessary weight before birth.
Premature Baby
Due to several pre-birth complications, when you give birth on or before the 37th week of pregnancy, the newborn is prematurely born. Some premature babies are low birth weight.
Chronic Health Conditions
If you suffer from high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart problems, chances of your giving birth to a low birth weight baby.
Certain Infections During Pregnancy
Infections like cytomegalovirus, rubella, chicken pox, and sexually transmitted infections can make you give birth to a low birth weight baby.
Besides if you are pregnant with twins, not gaining much weight in your pregnancy, and exposure to air pollution can also make your child be born with a low birth weight. Therefore, it is always better for you to take care of yourself during pregnancy and before you enter your pregnancy zone.
Find out the ways to prevent low birth weight babies during pregnancy:
Don’t Miss the Doctor’s Appointment
During your prenatal checkups, your doctor will take you through ultrasound scans, and a few genetic tests, and they will detect a heightened risk of a low-birth-weight baby. Let your health practitioner know whether you had a low birth weight baby in the past. The doctor should also be aware of your chronic medical conditions.
Intake of a Healthy and Nutritious Diet
As you embrace your journey of motherhood, intake of a healthy and nutritious diet is a must. Consuming more folic acid from fruits and veggies as well as whole grains is linked to premature and low birth weight babies.
Changing Lifestyle Significantly
To keep yourself from giving birth to a low-birth-weight baby, you must abstain from alcohol, cigarettes, and illicit drugs as these substances can lead to poor foetal growth and other complications.
Get a Flu Shot
Along with the rising pregnancy hormones, your immunity is also on the higher side, which is associated with a low-birth-weight baby. Getting vaccinated during your prenatal phase helps.
Although giving birth to a low birth weight can be a little stressful, with natural and medical developments you will be able to give birth to a healthy baby.