There is no
better motivator for change than a positive pregnancy test. I have yet to meet a pregnant mother who does
not want to have a healthy baby. And
with the hopes of having the healthiest baby possible most women make many
positive changes. They drink more milk,
switch to whole grains, and even try Brussels sprouts in an effort to eat more
vegetables. Many quit smoking or cut
back, try to avoid second hand smoke, and quit drinking alcohol. But I wonder how many of them know how
important their health before pregnancy is?
Alcohol is a known risk to the unborn child; it can cause birth
defects by affecting the growth and proper formation of the body and brain of a
fetus. Despite this fact, Canadian studies indicate that a
significant percentage of pregnancies (both planned and unplanned) involve
alcohol exposure. This exposure often
occurs during the first trimester of pregnancy – before a woman even knows that
she is pregnant. In 2010, the Society of Obstetricians and
Gynaecologists of Canada (SOGC) developed Alcohol and
Pregnancy Consensus Clinical Guidelines .
In this report the SOGC indicate that the majority of Canadian women
drink alcohol and they cite the 2004
Canadian Addiction Survey which indicates that 76.8% of Canadian women over
15 years of age reported drinking alcohol within the previous twelve-month
period. Considering that up to 50% of
pregnancies are unplanned and 76.8% of Canadian women over the age of 15 years
are drinking alcohol, this is cause for concern.
So if
you are a woman of child bearing age and planning to become pregnant, or you
could become pregnant, think about making positive lifestyle choices now,
including choices around how much you are drinking. If you would like to learn more about your
health before pregnancy, check out the links below.
http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/hp-gs/think-pense-eng.php http://www.healthbeforepregnancy.ca/
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