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One out of every eight babies is born prematurely in the United States, which
translates to almost half a million "preemies" each year. While a full-term
pregnancy is 40 weeks (delivery anywhere from 38 weeks to 42 weeks is considered
safe), a premature birth occurs before 37 weeks of gestation.
During a baby’s first month of life, prematurity is the leading cause of
death and serious complications can occur later in life for the preemies who
survive. The earlier a child is born, the higher the risk of complications. Such
complications include:
- Respiratory distress syndrome
- Bleeding in the brain
- Less ability to fight off infection due to immature immune system
- Mental retardation
- Cerebral palsy
- Lung problems
- Gastrointestinal problems
- Vision and hearing loss
Although technological developments have made it possible for more premature
babies to survive, directing more health care dollars to prenatal care and
reproductive services has not been the answer for this problem. The real issue
is how to avoid having a premature birth in the first place, and this is an area
that deserves much attention as the rate of babies born prematurely has risen 27
percent since 1981.
There is one thing that every woman can do to greatly reduce her chance of
having a premature birth, and that is to take fish oil or cod liver oil, which
are both rich in omega-3 and contain DHA.
DHA is responsible for:
- Preventing the vast majority of premature deliveries
- Maximizing
intelligence
- Optimizing
vision in infants
- Protecting the baby from brain injuries such as autism, pervasive
developmental delay and ADHD
Nearly all women would benefit from adding fish oil or cod liver oil to their
diets, before and during their pregnancies, as most are deficient in omega-3.
Surely there are some women who are regularly eating fish and therefore already
have enough DHA in their systems, however fish poses a threat to the developing
baby.
Women who eat fish will likely have a major increase in mercury in their
system, which has been well documented to cause a variety of neurological birth
defects. Even the conservative FDA warns that women should avoid
most fish during pregnancy.
Taking fish oil during pregnancy, and avoiding fish, is a far more useful
exercise than gulping down synthetic prenatal vitamin pills. The primary benefit
of prenatal vitamins is the folic acid, which prevents neural tube defects.
However, if you consume plenty of
vegetables this folic acid supplement is unnecessary. It is also important
to realize that prenatal vitamin supplements do not contain a microgram of DHA.
So, if you are pregnant, thinking about becoming pregnant, or breastfeeding I
highly recommend that you start taking fish oil or cod liver oil today.
When choosing your fish oil or cod liver oil, it is important to remember
that not all brands are the same. Especially in the case of pregnancy, you will
want to be sure the oil has been purified of mercury and other potential toxins.
In my research--and in my clinical experience with patients--I have found that
the Carlson's brand of fish oil/cod liver oil is of the most superior quality
(now is the time when most will want to switch from fish oil to cod liver oil,
click here for
details.
Carlson’s is likely not the only brand in the world of such high quality, but
up to this point it is the only one of such quality that I can recommend, so I
now carry Carlson's fish oil
and cod liver oil on Mercola.com; you can also check your local health food
store to see if they carry it.
In addition to fish oil/cod liver oil, there are other methods that can
further reduce your risk of having a premature birth. These include:
- Exercising
- Avoiding exposure to pesticides
- Treating severe
gum disease
- Making sure you eat enough
high-quality calories
- Gaining a proper amount of
weight
- Avoiding exposure to
phthalates
These are simple steps that you can take to give your baby a healthy start at
life. For other great pregnancy tips be sure to review the links below. | 
