Educate pregnant women on dangers of smoking, drinking
WOMEN should be educated on the damage that they can do to themselves if they smoke and drink alcohol during pregnancy.
There is a period where the fetus will see rapid growth and when it will be especially sensitive to substances.
Furthermore, during this stage, most women would also not realise that they are pregnant and might continue drinking and smoking.
Alcohol disrupts the hormone function of the placenta and the normal processes of neural migration.
This may lead to fatal alcohol syndrome (FAS) like mental retardation and distinctive facial abnormalities.
FAS also damages the central nervous system, causing excessive irritability, hyperactivity and seizures.
Research has found that women who smoke experience a higher rate of miscarriage than non-smokers.
There is also a higher incidence of premature births.
So mothers, please choose wisely what you take into your body when pregnant.
You are not feeding only yourself but the little angel that you are carrying around too.

J. ToRavit, Brisbane, Australia
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