Coffee consumption during pregnancy

During pregnancy, coffee should be consumed with caution. It is believed to have a similar effect on the unborn child as alcohol and cigarettes. According to this, the caffeine in coffee is believed to help reduce the weight of the child.

Caffeine leads to reduced blood flow to the placenta, which means that the child is also supplied with less blood and the nutrients that are essential for life. This results in poor growth of the child. It is also believed that caffeine activates a transmitter that reduces cell growth. Caffeine from caffeinated teas or soft drinks such as cola and energy drinks has a similar effect. Experts often advise to reduce the consumption of caffeine when having a child and in the best case to avoid it.

Alcohol and smoking during pregnancy

It is best to avoid alcohol completely during pregnancy. Doctors also advise against small amounts of alcohol during pregnancy. What the mother takes to itself, the child receives likewise over the umbilical cord.

Many substances that do not pose a problem for an adult, however, cannot yet be broken down by an unborn child because the organs responsible for this are not yet fully developed. These are therefore very toxic for the foetus. Alcohol can therefore lead to severe developmental disorders.

It has a similar effect to nicotine (see: Smoking during pregnancy) on the unborn child. Not only can the child be born with a significantly reduced weight, but there is also a risk of malformations and mental retardation. Many children who were exposed to nicotine or alcohol during their development in the womb are born as premature babies. These children may be organically healthy, but are usually lagging behind their peers in development. During their school years, this often manifests itself in various learning and concentration difficulties.

Raw food

In everyday life, people are constantly in contact with bacteria and parasites. They are in the air, on plants, on food and on numerous objects with which we come into contact very often. So there is always a certain danger of getting an infection.

Nevertheless, people are not constantly ill. This is due to a good immune system, which protects us from the infections. During this time the immune system gets to know many pathogens and remembers them.This enables it to react directly with defensive measures.

Adults therefore have a very reliable immune system. In contrast, the immune system of children and especially that of an unborn child is very susceptible to infections. Therefore, some infections that do not affect a pregnant woman can be dangerous for the fetus. Bacteria such as listeria or the toxoplasmosis pathogen, a parasite, can in some cases cause serious consequences and complications.