If you smoke cigarettes, and are pregnant or plan to be pregnant you should definitely consider stopping the habit. When you inhale tobacco smoke you are inhaling substances that are harmful to you and your growing baby. These substances include nicotine, carbon monoxide, hydrogen cyanide, tars, resins and other cancer causing agents. These harmful chemicals are passed through the placenta to the baby when inhaled by the mother to be.

Smoking has a number of harmful effects on babies such as, a low birth weight, lower IQ scores, reading disorders, and hyperactivity. Smoking has also been known to interfere with the baby’s absorption of vitamins B and C and folic acid, which are all important to the growth and development of the baby. There is a risk of developing placental abruption during pregnancy that increases to 25% in women who are moderate smokers, and 65% in women who smoke heavily. Smoking during pregnancy also increases the risk of miscarriage, death of the baby while still in the mother, or shortly after birth. The risk of placenta previa is 25% more likely to happen in women who smoke moderately, and 90% more likely in women who smoke heavily.

Drinking alcohol while pregnant is also not a good idea. There are very serious risks involved with drinking alcohol and being pregnant. Even a little amount of alcohol can increase the risk of having a miscarriage. Large amounts of alcohol can result in abnormalities of the baby. Chronic alcohol use can lead to fetal alcohol syndrome, FAS, which is when the fetus develops abnormally.

Fetal alcohol syndrome refers to growth retardation before and after the child’s birth. This can mean heart and limb defects and unusual facial characteristics. Children born with FAS can also have behavioral problems, impaired speech, and impaired muscle and joint use.

Abnormalities in babies have been associated with as little as two drinks a day. It is best to avoid alcohol altogether, so that you do not put your baby at risk of having fetal alcohol syndrome. Some over the counter cold medicines contain alcohol, so make sure to read labels before use of all medications.

Not only does the mother need to avoid alcohol, but it is also a good idea for the father to not drink also. Research suggests that large amounts of alcohol consumed by the father may cause the baby to be born with FAS. Alcohol consumption by the father has also been known to cause intrauterine growth retardation.

Not only can illegal drugs have harmful effects on babies, but legal drugs and medications can have harmful effects on babies also. You should stop all use of medications until you discuss the medicines with your doctor to find out if they are safe to use while pregnant. The best way to prevent any of these harmful effects on your baby is to stop all drug use before and during pregnancy. The next time you consider getting “high”, having a drink, or lighting up, think of how it would feel if your baby is born with abnormalities, and you single handedly could have prevented these hardships for your baby.

Most suffer from what is officially known as essential or primary hypertension which normally has few, or no, symptoms and more often than not develops gradually over many years. A much smaller, but nonetheless very significant, number of individuals suffer from secondary hypertension which arises out of an underlying medical condition and can occasionally present with a very rapid onset.

There are various medical conditions which can produce secondary hypertension but listed below are some of the more commonly found causes:

Sleep Apnea. The continual interruption to your breathing caused by sleep apnea leads to oxygen deprivation which causes damage to the lining of your blood vessels and affects the elasticity necessary in these blood vessels to control blood pressure.

Thyroid Problems. Excessive or inadequate hormone production from the thyroid gland, experienced in conditions such as hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism, can, either directly or indirectly, result in a rise in blood pressure.

Kidney Problems. Your kidneys are composed of literally millions of minute blood vessels and structures which are designed to filter waste products from your blood. When this process of filtering is upset, such as in the case of polycystic kidney disease or hydronephrosis, one consequence is secondary hypertension.

Obesity. An increase in weight is frequently accompanied by a rise in heart rate, as your heart is put under pressure to push a growing amount of blood around your body, and a consequently increased pressure on the walls of your arteries.

Dietary Supplements. A number of commonly available dietary supplements, such as ginseng and St John's wort, are capable of producing hypertension.

Of course this list is not exhaustive and might also have included such items as prescription and over-the-counter medicines, preeclampsia, Cushing's disease, diabetes and much more.

Hypertension, whether secondary or primary, is a serious medical problem which can result in the development of other life-threatening conditions such as cardiovascular disease, heart disease and kidney failure.

How much of Folate?

When trying to conceive 400mcg every day for at least a month is the sensible thing to do. Continue with this for at least the first three months of pregnancy. A deficiency in this vitamin can lead to anemia causing the woman to feel tired all the time. It is better to continue taking folic acid throughout your pregnancy. While leafy greens and green beans are rich in folate but to depend on natural food sources alone is not advisable; supplements become essential to combat this insufficiency. Folic acid levels are labeled differently; it is best to check with your doctor on the level that is suitable during pregnancy [400 mcg (micrograms), 0.4 mg (milligrams), 400 ?µg (international units)]. Check your multivitamin label to ensure the correct dosage of this vitamin. Some women will require higher doses (5mg) and they include those who:

1. Have had a previous pregnancy affected by neural tube defects

2. Have NTD themselves

3. Have a family history

4. Have a partner with a family history of NTD

The wise thing to do is take your supplements along with foods rich in folate. Examples of such foods are:

Green leafy vegetables especially spinach, broccoli, asparagus

Other vegetables such as green beans, cabbage, peas, cauliflower, avocado

Oranges and other citrus fruits

Breakfast cereals fortified with this vitamin

Eggs, lentils, kidney beans, chick peas, baked beans

Yoghurt & milk

Key Facts

Did you know that during the first trimester, the embryo develops 3 layers of cells? The outer layer will form the neutral tube and this further develops into the brain, spinal cord, nervous system, ears and eyes.

Folate increases birth weight of baby and lowers the risk of growth restriction in the later part of pregnancy, thereby lowering the odds of premature birth

Poor development will cause baby to be born with a neural tube defect (NTD) such as spina bifida (or split spine in layman’s terms). In severe cases babies with this defect may not be able to walk and will face bowel and bladder problems.

Folate lowers the chances of the mother developing preeclampsia

Though not conclusive, some researchers have indicated that folic can prevent the incidence of Down’s syndrome

For the vegetarian mother-to-be some examples of dishes that are folate-rich include chickpeas curry, mixed bean salad, mixed roasted nuts and broccoli and cheese quiche. Water cress, tomatoes, green and red peppers, lettuce and avocado all contain folate; prepare a salad bowl with these.

Important tip FYI: Folate levels decrease in value if groceries are kept or stored so use them fresh. Cooking and washing destroys the nutrients. To get the maximum folate out of your veggies bear these tips in mind:

1. store vegetables in the fridge and use them as soon as possible i.e. the fresher the better

2. serve them raw (uncooked); if cooked vegetables should preferably be steamed, simmered or boiled

In most cases, preeclampsia causes a slightly elevated blood pressure. But if blood pressure continues to rise, preeclampsia can be a serious problem for both the mother and child.

“The only cure for preeclampsia is delivery of the baby. If preeclampsia develops near the end of your pregnancy, delivery is the obvious solution. If you're diagnosed with preeclampsia earlier in your pregnancy, you and your doctor face the delicate task of prolonging your pregnancy to allow your baby more time to mature, without putting you or your baby at risk of serious complications,” said the Mayo Clinic.

Aside from hypertension, other signs and symptoms of preeclampsia are proteinuria (protein in the urine, usually an indication of kidney disease) after 20 weeks of pregnancy, and edema (swelling) of the hands, feet and face.

The patient may also experience severe headaches, temporary vision loss or blurred vision, nausea and vomiting, dizziness and sudden weight gain.

Women who gain more than three pounds a week during the second trimester or more than a pound a week during the third trimester of pregnancy should consult a physician about the possibility of preeclampsia.

Your risk of developing preeclampsia increases if you have a history of the condition, are over 35, overweight, and have high blood pressure, diabetes or kidney disease.

Untreated, the condition can lead to complications like eclampsia. About five percent of women with preeclampsia develop this life-threatening condition which is marked by partial blindness, vomiting, kidney and liver damage, convulsions, shock, premature labor and the death of the mother and child.

“When preeclampsia isn't controlled, eclampsia - which is essentially preeclampsia plus seizures - can develop. Symptoms of eclampsia include upper right abdominal pain, severe headache, vision problems and change in mental status such as decreased alertness. Eclampsia can permanently damage a mother's vital organs, including the brain, liver and kidneys. Left untreated, eclampsia can cause coma, brain damage and death for both mother and baby,” warned the Mayo Clinic.

The cause of preeclampsia is unknown but doctors believe it may be an immune disorder or the result of a poor diet or damage to the blood vessels.

To lessen your chances of preeclampsia, maintain a healthy weight even before you’re pregnant. You can do this with the help of Zyroxin, a safe and natural supplement that will maximize your weight loss through its unique fat-burning ingredients. For details, visit http://www.zyroxin.com/.