Pregnancy Lifestyle Advice

Question 1

General lifestyle advice for 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, see later)
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

Safe alcohol level in pregnancy?
When are effects greatest?
Consequences?

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

What is foetal alcohol syndrome?

Features?

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

Smoking in pregnancy complications?

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

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.