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Things to be avoided During Pregnancy:

  • All substance abuse such as Smoking, alcohol, and drug use are dangerous
    • Smoking: is a cause for birth defects
    • Alcohol: is harmful towards the growth of the baby's organs and causes fetal alcohol syndrome
    • Drug use: causes the baby to be addicted to the drug the mother used and causes the baby to have slow brain growth. It also causes the baby to have brain damage and prematurity or miscarriage

  • Excess vitamin A
    • causes an increase of birth defects rate

  • X-rays (during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy)

  • Accutane (cystic acne medication)
    • causes birth defects such as: mental retardation, facial abnormalities, heart defects, and hydrocephaly (enlarges the fluid filled spaces of the baby's brain)
    • also causes miscarriage

  • Soft Cheeses (feta, brie, roquefort, camembert, and Mexican style cheeses)
    • cheeses listed above may be contaminated with bacteria called Listeria causing a disease which can kill the baby

  • Raw or un-cooked foods
    • make sure all the food you eat is clean, well cooked, and keep leftovers wrapped before putting them in the refrigerator

  • Cat feces (cat poop)
    • Cat feces have a parasite called Toxoplasma gondii that carries a disease called Toxoplasmosis. Toxoplasmosis causes:
      • Sight loss infections
      • Death
      • Seizures
      • Cerebral palsy
      • Learning disabilities
      • Mental retardation
      • Hydrocephalus (increase of fluid in the brain
      • Miscarriage
      • Stillbirth (when child is born dead)
      • Enlarged liver and spleen
      • Pneumonia
      • Jaundice (liver problems that cause eyes, and skin to turn yellow and urine to turn brown)
 

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