Abortions are nothing new and have been practiced for centuries. In recent times there has been a belief that if properly done, an abortion will not negatively impact subsequent pregnancies. This belief is being reconsidered by recent research.

The Risks Caused by Abortion

The research which was done to investigate the causes of low birth weight babies came up with some surprising results. It was discovered that women who aborted a pregnancy had a greater chance of having babies that were below the normal birth weight. The review of past studies on abortions was conducted by Dr. Prakesh Shah of Canada’s Paediatrics Department at the Mount Sinai Hospital. The results of the research were published in the British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology in September.

Low Birth Weight

There was a 35 percent risk of having a low birth weight baby if an abortion was done in the first or second trimester of a previous pregnancy. In fact, having more than one abortion increased the risk of having a low birth weight baby even more. Women who fall into this category had a 72% chance of giving birth to a baby that was below average weight.

A low birth weight baby is generally viewed as an infant weighing less than 5.5 pounds at birth regardless of what gestational period the birth occurs. Most low birth weight babies are also premature and tend to be at an increased risk for certain health problems throughout their lives. Fortunately most infants go on to live healthy lives given today’s technology.

Premature Birth

According to Dr. Shah, having an abortion in the first or second trimester increased the risk of premature birth by 36%. Premature birth refers to deliveries that occur by the 37th week of pregnancy. Dr. Shah’s findings are not the first to suggest this link. In 2007, a research team suggested that abortion can result in extreme pre-term birth and cerebral palsy in subsequent pregnancies.

Dr. Shah made his findings on the abortion link between premature birth and low birth weight after reviewing 37 studies published between 1965 and 2001. He concludes that the increased risk of premature birth and low birth weight may be due in part to damage to the cervix during the abortion. This damage Dr. Shah contends was more likely from older methods of performing the abortions. He recommends that women considering ahving an abortion be told about the possible risk to future pregnancies.

Written by: Jessdel27

Dehydration isn’t a big worry for most pregnant women, but for some women, it can become quite dangerous. Dehydration for anyone can cause weakness and sickness, but during pregnancy, it can also cause harm to your unborn baby or a spontaneous miscarriage.

Most of the time, dehydration during pregnancy occurs in the first trimester while the mother-to-be is dealing with morning sickness. When a woman experiences nausea and is unable to keep much of anything she eats down, including water, becoming dehydrated is very easy to do. Vomitting can deprive the body of the fluids and vitamins that it needs in order to stay healthy and to keep the baby hydrated.

Pregnant women will often end up in the hospital, and may need to be hooked up to an IV in order to be rehydrated when they are severely sick. A hospital stay can sometimes run to several days while the doctors try to get her vomiting under control. The biggest fear at this point is there not being enough amniotic fluid for the baby to grow in. Without enough amniotic fluid your baby could have deformities of the feet, legs and arms.

Later in pregnancy, during the second or third trimester, if a woman becomes dehydrated either from being sick, being too active and not drinking enough water, or during the summer months when it is very hot, it can cause different kinds of problems for both the mom-to-be and the baby. Dehydration often leads to premature labor as your uterus will start contracting. If you think this might be the case, try drinking at least two big glasses of water and laying down to rest to see if the contractions stop. Call your doctor or midwife as well to see what they suggest.

It is just as important to drink your eight glasses of water a day while pregnant as it is when you are not pregnant. Not only do you need to do it for your health, but you must do it for the health of your unborn baby as well.