Written By: Debjani Arora | Published : September 10, 2014 7:26 PM IST
While a mother's health is of utmost importance during conception and throughout pregnancy to ensure good health of the baby, a father's health is also an important variable. A father's health and his lifestyle habits have an impact on the health and well-being of a newborn baby. Especially if the father has been a smoker prior to conception, he stands a risk to give his baby asthma, according to a new study. 'It is important to know how a father's smoking habit pre-conception can affect the respiratory health of his children,' said Dr Cecile Svanes from the University of Bergen, Norway.
Analysing the smoking habits of over 13,000 men and women via a questionnaire, researchers found that non-allergic asthma was significantly more common in children with a father who smoked prior to conception. This risk of asthma increased if a father smoked before the age of 15, and this risk grew proportionately with decrease in the age of initiation. However, researchers observed no link between the mother's smoking prior to conception and the child's asthma. Given these results, we can presume that exposure to any kind of air pollution, from occupational exposures to chemical exposures, could also have an effect,' Dr Svanes added.
'It is important for policy makers to focus on interventions targeting young men and warning them of the dangers of smoking and other exposures to their unborn children in the future,' researchers told the gathering at the European Respiratory Society (ERS) International Congress in Munich recently. The findings also add to the growing evidence from animal studies that suggest that the father's exposures before parenthood can harm his child.
One should also understand that the environment around us has a lot of toxins and pollutants which we hardly care about. But their ill-effects become more potent during pregnancy, harming both the mother and the baby. Below is a list of things you should keep a distance from during your pregnancy to ensure the safety of your child.
Harmful radiations at your workplace: You can be exposed to radiations of all kinds either at home or your workplace. Knowing the culprits help you deal with them better. For instance, the blueprint photocopier at your workplace emits ammonia and acetic vapours that can cause irritation in the eyes, throat and nose. Even the photocopying machine emits harmful ozone vapours. Your constant companions a laptop and a smartphone are no less hazardous. They are all known to emit low-grade radiations. 'All electronic items send out radiations that are known to cause intrauterine growth retardation and interfere with the brain development of the fetus. However know that the exposure levels have to be high to cause any noticeable damage in your baby,' says Sonali Shivlani, an Internationally Certified Pregnancy, Lactation and Child Nutrition Counsellor As a precautionary measure limit your usage of electronic items during your pregnancy. It will ensure that you harm your baby less with your everyday work. Stop working overtime and stay away from your smartphone and laptop once you get home. Similarly, avoid frequenting WiFi-network areas for long hours.
Passive smoking: Smoking is a strict no-no during pregnancy. But what about second-hand smoke? It's equally bad for you and your baby. To stay away from the toxic second-hand smoke avoid visiting the smoking zone of your office or ask your spouse to stay away from you while he smokes. Know why you should quit smoking during pregnancy.
Pets: Pets can be fun and also double-up as your stress buster during pregnancy, but their presence can pose a threat to your wellbeing at times. In the case your pet sheds too much fur you can be at a risk of developing a respiratory infection during your pregnancy that can harm the fetus. Cleaning the litter of your pet especially your cat or your dog, can increase your chances of getting infected with toxoplasmosis, an infection that is transmitted from the faeces of diseased animals. If you pick up, an infection chances are that you can pass on the infection to your baby escalating the chances of a stillbirth or a miscarriage. To avoid this make sure that you take your pet to a veterinary doctor before planning your pregnancy. Apart from this there are other potent potential hazardous substances, that could affect your baby's health, know about them too.
Source: IANS
Photo source: Getty images
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