PROTECTING YOUR BABY’S HEART BEGINS LONG BEFORE PREGNANCY…
I know that all pregnancies are not planned, but for those who are planning on a family, you need to consider long and hard what you are willing to do for the health of your baby. This particular study found that, in moms who were obese (up to 1/3 of pregnant women) there was an increasing risk for serious heart defects the more obese they were. I know this is a tough topic to address, but somewhere we need to slam our collective hands down and accept that pregnancy is NOT about the mom. That means that choices and lifestyles that are present long before, during and after pregnancy determine that child’s health risks for the next 50 years. And given the poor state of health in this country we are seeing the price–children and young adults being diagnosed with conditions like PCOS, liver problems and diabetes decades earlier than their parents. NONE of this, of course, absolves the father of responsibility, either. They are part of the team to raise that child and their decisions also strongly reflect the child’s health. Bottom line–if you are thinking about getting pregnant, take a good, strong look at your lifestyle. Is it conducive to long term health of that little baby?