How to stop fetus from growing

Things Moms Do That Stop The Fetus From Growing

An expectant mom has a lot of responsibility when she is pregnant. Not only is she charged with making sure she eats enough nutritious food, but she is expected to exercise, and not stress out too much lest it negatively affect her or her unborn child. Most mothers are pretty good about doing what is necessary, in order to give their unborn little one the best chance at developing healthily in the womb. Not every mom got the memo, as some mothers engage in behaviors that are detrimental to their child’s success.

Yes, some mother’s are guilty of lifestyle choices and behaviors, which during pregnancy are delaying the growth and progress of their unborn baby. Who knew? Of course there are the usual suspects like substance abuse, or not eating enough. However, there are some surprising reasons that make babies have a difficult time gaining proper weight amounts, and developing at the right speed and time to make their delivery.

Pregnancy is a huge milestone being an adult. It might look easy carrying a baby, but it really can be a significant challenge. Growing a tiny human takes a lot of energy, patience, requires lifestyle changes, and some adaptation. Sometimes expectant mothers might slip up and seriously affect the baby.

15/15 Not All Bodies Can Handle Pregnancy

There is a reason that Mother Nature has her own timeline with things. Even though some humans may feel mature enough, if a young woman is not physically mature enough, her baby’s health might be stunted during pregnancy. Very young mothers, especially teens may deliver babies that are significantly underweight, or have other difficulties, not solely because of a lack of knowledge or resources, but simply because their bodies are not 100% ready for carrying a baby full-term.

Yes, mothers have been having babies at young ages for many centuries around the world, but pregnancy and actually giving birth are very demanding. When a young woman’s body is still in the process of developing physically, emotionally, and mentally, having a new life sucking away nutrition, energy, and time away from their mom to survive can be an added obstacle in itself.

14/15 Genes Play A Roll

Shockingly enough, genes don’t just contribute to baby’s good looks, hair color, or height. Women can have a genetic predisposition to making smaller babies. No matter how well a mom cares for her health during pregnancy. No matter if an expectant mother takes all her prenatal vitamins, keeps her doctor’s appointments, and does everything right, some babies just come out small.

Of course there are some exceptions to the rule. However, little people have managed to pop out normal sized children, and larger people have managed to deliver pint-size babies that have captured much attention. Genetic screening for unborn babies usually checks for birth defects, diseases, and disorders which would make a child’s life more difficult. Unfortunately, there are no modern-day tests that can show whether a baby will be curiously small at birth. Studies typically connect small births between a daughter, mother, and grandmother.

13/15 Trying To Keep The Weight Down

Women’s bodies change a lot. When it comes to fighting imagery that bombards women on a daily basis, on how to achieve the perfect body or fashionable look, getting used to a baby bump can be a big adjustment. Albeit, some women look forward to motherhood and the unique physical changes it brings, for others there is some trepidation and doubts.

Women who are pregnant should definitely make time for regular exercise, to help improve blood circulation, mobility, muscle strength, and flexibility. However, if a mom-to-be is super obsessed with exercising to the point that she significantly reduces her body fat levels, or ends up at a less-than-desirable weight to keep baby healthy, there might be a problem. A mom with an extremely low weight, or overdoing exercise can cause baby to be born underweight and have disadvantages.

12/15 When There's More Than One

One unintended side-effect of fertility treatments is being pregnant with multiples. Multiple babies taking up residence in the womb can be a really exciting thing, but not all babies will get the same amount of nutrition. If mom is pregnant with triplets or higher, there is a good chance that one of the babies born will be significantly smaller than their siblings.

Moms can do their best to keep all her babies healthy, by keeping up with prenatal appointments, eating well, exercise, and avoiding negative elements. However, thanks to the way nature is set up, a baby that is a twin, triplet, or of a higher multiple set might end up being born a little on the small side. If there is a genetic predisposition to having multiple births, there might not be as much imbalance as with modern-day fertility treatments.

11/15 Drinking The Mommy Juice

It should go without saying that substance abuse has some detrimental effects on a woman’s body. If a woman is pregnant, not only can substance abuse lead to a baby being born addicted to a substance, but baby can grow up suffering developmental delays with speech, learning skills, and be smaller than their peers. It is beyond reprehensible that some women have such strong addictions to controlled substances, that they are unable to seek help and stop their substance abuse. When pregnant, substance abuse really needs to be halted in order to protect the health of an innocent unborn child.

Controlled substances not only can wreck havoc on a mom’s DNA, but also on baby while still in the womb. Many substances contain unseen elements to amplify their addictive qualities, may muddle an expectant mother’s thinking, and overall put an unborn child at a significant disadvantage.

10/15 Not Enough Bed Rest

Women are powerful creatures, but even super powerful people need to take a break now and then. If a mom never takes a moment to get some much-needed relaxation time, is obsessed with staying busy and keeping a full schedule for career or maintaining a certain lifestyle, baby can suffer as a result. Despite the demands of a fast-paced 24/7 driven society, an expecting mother keeping up with this unnaturalness is bound to snap at some point.

Even if a mother-to-be is working a relatively sedentary job, it is important that a mom knows when to put down work and focus on her health and well being. Because baby and mom are connected, if mom continues to push herself too hard for whatever reason, it just piles on the stress, and bodily imbalances which negatively affect baby’s growth.

9/15 Eating Risky Foods Like Fish

As much as some women may love eating foods like sushi, clams on the half-shell, or meats cooked rare, there is significant risk when doing so. Eating raw or under cooked animal or seafood products might get mom and baby sick. There is often bacteria and harmful parasites lurking in certain beloved dishes and delicacies. Once nasty elements set up shop in mom’s body, they can not only make mom and baby get a case of terrible stomach flu, but cause baby to not grow properly.

Parasites love their human hosts, because they get to take all the nutrients that should be helping baby and mom stay healthy, and greedily keeping it all to themselves. Additionally, some parasites can wreck havoc on mom’s brain, which in turn may lead to other poor decisions which can put baby and mom’s health both at risk during pregnancy.

8/15 Not Controlling Your Stress

Stress is a silent problem with a major impact. Especially if a lady has a bun in the oven, she definitely does not want to unnecessarily stress herself out. Since mom and baby are deeply connected physically and emotionally, undue prolonged stress can trigger unhealthy symptoms within the body. Stress can cause a mom to drastically change her eating habits, or neglect maintaining baby’s health and her own.

It is so vital that mothers-to-be take time to spend time with positive friends and family, engage in low-impact exercise, and get a good night’s rest during pregnancy. Not only can stress trigger toxin buildup in the body, and make mom feel lousy, but it can also cause baby’s growth and healthy development to be stunted while in the womb. Stress during pregnancy has also been connected to delays in a baby’s growing language skills and other milestones.

7/15 The Bedroom Risk

Men are not the only ones guilty of indulging in libertine affairs. One might think that if a mom is pregnant, she wouldn’t put herself or her unborn baby at risk for a torrid affair or two. Quite the opposite is true.

Unfortunately, if an expectant mother is not careful about her number of intimate partners, or her various practices while she is with child, she risks her baby’s health. There are parasites, diseases, and other undesirable things that can set up shop in mom’s womb, and have deleterious effects on baby’s development and health. Although baby is sealed away in the amniotic sac, transmissions of infections and diseases can and do happen. At the least of mom’s worries, her baby might be born a bit underweight. However, are the risks for a few short moments of fun worth hurting baby?

6/15 The Smoking Habit

Even though smoking tobacco products is legal, and there have been studies and warnings about the negative health effects on the body, some women still smoke while pregnant and even after birth! Moms who enjoy smoking cigarettes while pregnant can cause their child to be born with a hole over their heart, cause development of lung problems like asthma, or create children with learning disabilities. Babies who were born to mothers who smoke can also end up being born premature, or exceptionally small at birth.

Premature babies are especially vulnerable when they are born, as their bodies may be still too weak and underdeveloped to survive. There is simply no good reason for a mom who says they care about their child, to continue to selfishly give in to smoking addictions, when there are so many health risks to their unborn babe.

5/15 Straining The Body

Pregnancy is seriously an understated lifestyle changer and milestone event. Sometimes, no matter how much a mother loves her career or current lifestyle, pregnancy demands that mom has to make some changes like it or not. There are only 24 hours in a day, and no one is capable of tackling the whole world in a short period. Great things, like making a tiny human, take dedication, patience, and some time to develop.

If a pregnant lady is aggressively working a physically exhausting job, pushing her body to the limit might make baby come out small. Competitively lifting, running, or other forms of physical prowess need a lot of calories and nutrients. Working a very busy job might make mom stress out, exhaust herself with over-delivering to clients and superiors, or worse.

4/15 Using Dangerous Cleaning Products

Who doesn’t want a clean home or work space, right? Even if a mother-to-be chooses to don some gloves and safety gear before handling certain substances, there is still potential risk for a mom to absorb unwanted materials into her body. Certain chemicals are more easily absorbed into the bloodstream via the skin or inhaling unintentionally through the nose or mouth.

When a lady is pregnant, it is critical that she make sure to avoid chemicals that could negatively impact baby’s health and development. Some chemicals can trigger undesirable changes in an unborn baby, leading to defects or developmental delays. Radiation should definitely be avoided, so that means mom needs to steer clear of X-rays, microwaves, occupational exposure, and tanning beds. Babies who are unfortunately exposed to certain chemical compounds or radiation have had lower birth rates, and increased chances of health problems.

3/15 Problems With Calories

It’s not hard to believe that some mom’s have eating disorders, even if they are supposed to be eating for two. When faced with images of celebrities who had unbelievably barely-there baby bumps, it can be disheartening when a mom feels bloated, stretched out, and exhausted from pregnancy. Pregnancy is not always glamorous. Women can and do go to the craziest lengths to maintain her desired appearance.

Eating disorders can make the pregnancy experience a stressful and unhealthy one. Baby needs to have a certain amount of healthy calories to develop and meet milestones. Mom needs to eat enough, to keep up her physical strength, maintain healthy bodily operation, and have enough energy for her day. Pregnancy is hard work, and an eating disorder can put mom and baby’s health in danger, and lead to an underweight child at birth.

2/15 Ignoring Your Medical History

If mom has a medical condition like diabetes, heart problems, or is on specific medications to maintain her health, it might contribute to baby being born small. Any woman who is taking medication which might effect the health and progress of her child’s development, should definitely consult their doctor about their plans to be pregnant, or if they are pregnant. Unfortunately, depending on how severe a woman’s medical condition, it may have significant impact on their child’s weight, size, and ability to reach milestones in life successfully.

Certain medical problems can be taxing enough for a woman to deal with physically and mentally. If a woman who has a preexisting medical condition or take medicine becomes pregnant, she might need to switch how she manages her medical condition, so as to not cause any harmful or negative effects on baby.

1/15 Too Much Bed Rest

Bed rest for pregnant women is draconian and leads to small babies. Seriously, although a pregnant mom does need to be careful not to overexert herself physically, exercise and sunshine do mom’s body good. Low-impact exercises like just taking a walk in the park, yoga, moderate dancing, or gentle stretching are great for expectant mothers. It is so critical that a mom work out moderately, to keep her body strong, and baby healthy.

Exercise not only gets the heart pumping, but helps keep a mother-to-be more limber, strengthens muscles, and builds confidence. Exercise also helps alleviate stress, and staves off depression for those low moments in pregnancy. A dose of natural sunshine is also great for an expectant mom, as the vitamin D and UV rays in small doses do wonders for mom and baby’s health.

Sources: Huffington Post, Science Daily, Children's Hospital, Stanford, Baby Center, Baby Centre

Stillbirth - Preventing stillbirth - NHS

Not all stillbirths can be prevented, but there are some things you can do to reduce your risk.

These include:

not smoking
avoiding alcohol and drugs during pregnancy – as well as increasing the risk of miscarriage and stillbirth, these can seriously affect your baby's development
attending all your antenatal appointments so that midwives can monitor the growth and wellbeing of your baby
making sure you're a healthy weight before trying to get pregnant
protecting yourself against infections and avoiding certain foods – see causes of stillbirth
reporting any tummy pain or vaginal bleeding to your midwife on the same day
being aware of your baby's movements and reporting any concerns you have to your midwife straightaway
reporting any itching to your midwife
going to sleep on your side, not on your back

Some of these are discussed in more detail on this page.

Your weight

Obesity increases the risk of stillbirth. The best way to protect your health and your baby's wellbeing is to lose weight before becoming pregnant. By reaching a healthy weight, you cut your risk of all the problems associated with obesity in pregnancy.

If you're obese when you become pregnant, your midwife or GP can give you advice about improving your health while pregnant.

Eating healthily and activities such as walking and swimming are good for all pregnant women. Talk to your midwife or doctor before starting a new exercise programme if you weren't active before you got pregnant.

Read more about obesity and pregnancy and exercise during pregnancy.

Monitoring your baby's movements

You'll usually start feeling some movement between weeks 16 and 20 of your pregnancy, although it can sometimes be later than this. These movements may be felt as a kick, flutter, swish or roll. You should continue to feel your baby move up to and during labour.

If you notice your baby is moving less than usual, or there's a change in the pattern of movements, it may be the first sign your baby is unwell. You should contact your midwife or local maternity unit immediately so your baby's wellbeing can be assessed.

There's no specific number of movements that's considered to be normal. What's important is noticing and telling your midwife about any reduction or change in your baby's typical movements.

The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists has produced a leaflet called Your baby's movements in pregnancy (PDF, 138kb) that you may find useful.

Avoiding certain foods

There are some foods you should avoid during pregnancy. For example, you shouldn't eat some types of fish or cheese, and you should make sure all meat and poultry is thoroughly cooked.

Read more about the foods to avoid during pregnancy.

Going to sleep on your side, not your back

Research suggests that going to sleep on your back after 28 weeks of pregnancy can double the risk of stillbirth. It's thought this may be to do with the flow of blood and oxygen to the baby.

The safest position to fall asleep in is on your side, either left or right. Don't worry if you wake up on your back – just turn onto your side before going back to sleep.

Attending antenatal appointments and reporting any concerns

During your antenatal appointments, your midwife or GP will monitor your baby's development, growth and position.

You'll also be offered tests, including blood pressure tests and urine tests. These are used to detect any illnesses or conditions, such as pre-eclampsia, that may cause complications for you or your baby. Any necessary treatment can be provided promptly and efficiently.

Use of various methods to detect large (for gestational age) fetus sizes to improve health outcomes

What is the problem (question)?

The baby (during fetal development) can sometimes grow to a size larger than expected and gain a high body weight by the time of birth. If overgrowth is suspected, the mother-to-be may require additional unscheduled antenatal visits [antenatal visits] and examinations to assess her health and the health of her developing baby.

Why is this important?

Examination can show if there are signs of any deterioration in the condition of the infant or the development of complications in the mother. The recommended frequency and combinations of types of examination (tests) vary in local protocols and guidelines. The examination may include counting fetal movements, assessing fetal heartbeats (cardiotocography), checking the mother's blood sugar or using ultrasound to determine fetal growth, Doppler ultrasound of the fetal blood vessels, and assessing fluid volume around the infant.

Large fetal (infant) size is associated with increased risk for both mother and infant, including increased risk of fetal death and stillbirth. At birth, such a baby has a higher risk of low oxygen levels, shoulder dystocia [difficulty in labor], nerve damage, bone fractures, low blood sugar, and admission to the neonatal intensive care unit. Maternal complications include prolonged labor, operative labor including caesarean section, perineal trauma, postpartum hemorrhage, and uterine ruptures.

Interventions that can slow accelerated fetal growth and improve maternal and child health outcomes include dietary advice, lifestyle changes, and blood glucose control and insulin therapy in women with diabetes or gestational diabetes.

What evidence did we find?

We searched for studies up to 10 August 2015, but did not find any randomized controlled trials investigating the effect of additional testing (examination) on health outcomes in pregnant women with post-infant overgrowth. 20 weeks pregnant.

What does this mean?

Randomized controlled clinical trials are needed in this area to inform clinical practice when a large fetus/infant is detected during pregnancy, to assess whether additional testing (examination) or observation can improve the health of these women and their children. It is also important to identify any harm that may be associated with additional testing and follow-up. identifying women with suspected large fetuses may lead to unnecessary maternal anxiety through additional investigations and interventions, including induction of labor or caesarean section.

Translation notes:

Translation: Yudina Ekaterina Viktorovna. Editing: Ziganshina Lilia Evgenievna. Project coordination for translation into Russian: Cochrane Russia - Cochrane Russia (branch of the Northern Cochrane Center on the basis of Kazan Federal University). For questions related to this transfer, please contact us at: [email protected]

FETUS GROWTH | Shchelkovsky perinatal center

1. What is fetal growth retardation?

Fetal growth retardation (FGR) is a complication of pregnancy, as a result of which a lag in growth, fetal weight and other fetometric indicators from the average normative for a specific gestational age is observed.

There are three degrees of severity of IUGR.

I — fetometric indicators 2 weeks behind.
II - delay in fetometric indicators for 3-4 weeks.
III - delay in fetometric indicators by 4 weeks or more.

Children born with IUGR are not premature. They are just small in stature and weight—much smaller than they should be.

2. Why do placental insufficiency and IUGR occur?

There are many trigger factors for the development of placental insufficiency leading to IUGR. These can be placental (defects of the umbilical cord and placenta), environmental (adverse environmental conditions, work in hazardous industries, etc.) and hereditary (gene and chromosomal disorders, congenital malformations) causes. An extremely important aspect is the state of the mother's body before conception: with various diseases and a deterioration in the health of a woman, the formation of an embryo can occur incorrectly, with violations of cellular and tissue processes, which ultimately can cause IGR and even death of the fetus.

Sometimes the cause of IUGR can be the mother's social disadvantage, when a pregnant woman eats unbalanced or simply malnourished.

Risk factors for IUGR

Mother's age 40 years or older.
Bad habits (smoking, drinking alcohol and drugs).
FGR from mother or father.
Past pregnancies with IUGR (25% risk of recurrence).
Pregnancy with history of stillbirth.
Severe preeclampsia.
Chronic arterial hypertension.
Diabetes mellitus with vascular complications.
Renal and liver failure.
Iron deficiency anemia.
Obesity.
Sexually transmitted infections.
Gynecological diseases (endometritis and other infectious and inflammatory diseases, PCOS, benign tumors of the uterus).
Postponed surgical abortion.

3. Why is RRP dangerous?

IGR is not only low weight and height, placental insufficiency is fraught with formidable complications for the fetus and newborn. It is known that the mortality rate of full-term children born with growth retardation is 3–8 times higher than that of normal-weight children and ranks second in the structure of perinatal losses after prematurity. In a third of children born with low weight and height, deviations in physical development persist up to 1 year. Children with growth retardation are at risk for lesions of the central nervous system, and the number of infants with severe neuropsychiatric disorders can reach 12-19%. They often observe adaptive breakdowns, weakened immunity, which means that they are prone to colds and infectious and inflammatory diseases. IGR can also have consequences in adult life as a risk factor for various pathological conditions:

obesity
type 2 diabetes mellitus
hypertension
cardiovascular diseases
high blood cholesterol
mental disorders; cognitive impairment

IGR affects not only the condition of the fetus and newborn, but also the future health of a person. That is why it is important to diagnose placental insufficiency in a timely manner.

4. How can FGR be identified?

IUGR is usually asymptomatic. In order to diagnose the condition, different methods are used - biometric (determining the height of the fundus of the uterus and measuring the circumference of the abdomen, ultrasonic fetometry from 20 weeks of gestation) and monitoring the condition of the fetus (its biophysical profile and Doppler study of the rate of utero-placental-fetal blood flow). However, such examinations are prescribed and performed by specialists.

As a mother-to-be, there are some signs that you should look out for when you suspect fetal growth retardation.

Small increase in body weight of a pregnant woman.
Small abdominal circumference.
Too active or, on the contrary, rare movements of the child (may indicate a lack of oxygen).

The volume of the abdomen begins to increase sharply from the 16th week of pregnancy - it is at this time that it is recommended to start measuring. Typically, the circumference of the abdomen increases by 1-1.5 cm per week.

How to correctly measure the circumference of the abdomen?

To avoid measurement errors, it is advisable to have another person take measurements.
Empty your bladder before taking a measurement.
Lie on a hard couch with your stomach up, stretch your arms along the body.
Use a tape measure to measure the circumference of your belly at the level of your navel.
Check that the tape does not compress the skin.
Measure the abdominal circumference at the end of exhalation.

Any alarming changes in your condition should be reported to your doctor!

5. Can FGR be cured?

In most cases, IGR develops in the early stages of pregnancy, however, it is most often diagnosed only in the II-III trimesters, when the unfavorable process is started and treatment and diagnostic measures will no longer have an effect. In modern medicine, there are no drugs that selectively improve uteroplacental or placental-fetal blood flow. It is almost impossible to cure FGR or at least reduce the severity of the disorder after 22 weeks of pregnancy. The only way to prevent fetal death is timely delivery. However, do not panic: experts make such a decision in order to save the life of the child and preserve his health. If early delivery is unavoidable (especially with a period of up to 34 weeks and a fetal weight of less than 2000 g), doctors will prepare the baby for the birth and carry out all the necessary rehabilitation measures.

!!! There is no effective treatment for RRP. Important aspects in the management of such a pregnancy are a clear assessment of the condition of the fetus and timely delivery.

If complications develop (such as preeclampsia or placental abruption), doctors may choose to have an early delivery. This allows you to reduce the risk of serious illness and death of a child by 4-5 times!

6. Prevention is the way out!

It turns out that FGR cannot be cured, but it can be prevented! It is very important to prevent placental insufficiency in women before pregnancy and in its early stages. Ideally, the prevention of this condition should be a continuation of the preconception preparation of every expectant mother. So, what should you pay attention to? It is important to change your lifestyle to include health promotion activities. Run a full check-up. When planning a pregnancy, the doctor will prescribe the necessary examinations and tests. Examination by an obstetrician-gynecologist, laboratory blood and urine tests, ultrasound, consultations of related specialists - all this will help the attending physician to draw a conclusion about the health status of the expectant mother and prescribe a correction for the identified violations. In particular, it is important to cure all infectious and inflammatory processes and minimize the risk of exacerbations and complications of chronic diseases.

Change your lifestyle.

First of all, it is important to give up bad habits, if any, - quit smoking and not drinking alcohol, which negatively affect the possibility of conception, gestation and pregnancy outcome. It is equally important to normalize the daily routine, provide sufficient physical activity, avoid stress and neuro-emotional overstrain.

Eat right.

A balanced diet will provide the body of the future mother with the necessary vitamins and minerals for successful conception and full development of the fetus.

Take special complexes.

In addition to the diet, it is important to additionally take special multivitamin complexes that will help replenish the deficiency of nutrients (folic acid, iodine, iron, vitamin D, etc.) and reduce the risk of pregnancy complications and dangerous consequences for the fetus. In particular, folate deficiency during pregnancy is associated with congenital malformations, fetal growth restriction, and disease programming later in life.