Pregnancy Lifestyle Advice

Question 1

Give examples of general lifestyle advice given to pregnant women

Answer 1

The general lifestyle advice for pregnant women includes:

• Take folic acid 400mcg from before pregnancy to 12 weeks (reduces neural tube defects)
• Take vitamin D supplement (10 mcg or 400 IU daily)
• Avoid vitamin A supplements and eating liver or pate (vitamin A is teratogenic at high doses)
• Don’t drink alcohol when pregnant (risk of fetal alcohol syndrome)
• Don’t smoke (smoking has a long list of complications)
• Avoid unpasteurised dairy or blue cheese (risk of listeriosis)
• Avoid undercooked or raw poultry (risk of salmonella)
• Continue moderate exercise but avoid contact sports
• Sex is safe
• Flying increases the risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE)
• Place car seatbelts above and below the bump (not across it)

Question 2

What is the effects of drinking alcohol while pregnant?

Answer 2

Alcohol can cross the placenta, enter the fetus, and disrupt fetal development. There is no safe level of alcohol in pregnancy. Pregnant women are encouraged not to drink alcohol at all. Small amounts are less likely to result in lasting effects. The effects are greatest in the first 3 months of pregnancy.

Alcohol in early pregnancy can lead to:

• Miscarriage
• Small for dates
• Preterm delivery
• Fetal alcohol syndrome

Question 3

How does fetal alcohol syndrome present?

Answer 3

Fetal alcohol syndrome refers to certain characteristics that can occur in children of mothers that consumed alcohol during pregnancy. The features include:

• Microcephaly (small head)
• Thin upper lip
• Smooth flat philtrum (the groove between the nose and upper lip)
• Short palpebral fissure (short horizontal distance from one side of the eye to the other)
• Learning disability
• Behavioural difficulties
• Hearing and vision problems
• Cerebral palsy

Question 4

What does smoking in pregnancy increase the risk of?

Answer 4

Smoking in pregnancy increases the risk of:

• Fetal growth restriction (FGR)
• Miscarriage
• Stillbirth
• Preterm labour and delivery
• Placental abruption
• Pre-eclampsia
• Cleft lip or palate
• Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)

Question 5

What is the advice surrounding flying in pregnancy?

Answer 5

The RCOG advises flying is generally ok in uncomplicated healthy pregnancies up to:

• 37 weeks in a single pregnancy
• 32 weeks in a twin pregnancy

After 28 weeks gestation, most airlines need a note from a midwife, GP or obstetrician to state the pregnancy is going well and there are no additional risks.