Lupus is an affection which usually affects women and oftenly it has been said that women who suffer from lupus cannot become pregnant due to their condition. Much more, specialists deny this affirmation, 50% of all women with lupus who become preganant can have a normal preganancy and deliver healthy babies. On the other hand, some women may face complications and lose their babies in the early stages of pregnancy.
Furthermore, even though many lupus pregnancies are totally normal, women risk to face problems during the period of their pregnancy. Pregnant women with lupus should be supervised by an obstetrician until the pregnancy ends and in this case the risk of the mother's health is diminished and normal babies can be borne. Moreover, women who suffer from lupus should follow the physician's instructions, they have to adopt a special diet and lifestyle and not in the last place, delivery must take place in a hospital.
First of all, even though, women in remission tend to have less trouble than women with active lupus, a good, healthy diet might help a lot during the pregnancy. So, some of the golden rules that a pregnant woman with lupus should follow are: proper medication, regulary visits at the doctor, an healthy food diet, no bad habits like smoking or drinking and also they should avoid pills that might put in danger the life of the baby.
Secondly, pregnant women may face certain symptoms such as lupus flare, rashes which ca appear due to an increased blood flow in the skin, new hair growth during pregnancy and also severe loss of hair after delivery. What is more is that 20% of lupus patients tend to have a sudden increase in blood pressure, protein in the urine, affections which are known as toxemia and require a serious treatment and even immediate delivery. Another serious complications that may occur to lupus pregnancies are the presence of antibodies which interfere with the function of the placenta. So, these antibodies also known as antiphospholipid usually cause blood clots, including blood clots in the placenta, exposing the placenta to high risks. it is important to mention that many lupus patients have an antibody known as anti-ro or anti-SSA which may affect the unborn babies and exposing them to a syndrome known as neonatal lupus. Moreover, in many cases women who suffer from a severe form of lupus have to pass through a caesarian section in order to save he premature baby.
Taking all these into consideration, pregnant women who suffer from lupus can have a normal pregnancy if they follow an appropriate treatment and have a balanced lifestyle. Furthermore, it has been considered that most medications taken by SLE are safe to use during the prganancy due to the fact that they don t get through the placenta and in this way the baby is not in danger. Moreover, these medications might help the unborn baby to mature and also they are used in order to fight against complications such as toxemia of pregnancy.
According to a study by the University of Granada, fifteen different substances linked to pesticides have been found in pregnant women. Additionally, 100% of the women involved in the study had contamination with an average of 8 pesticides in their placentas during pregnancy. Researchers say these organochlorine substances may be potentially harmful to genitor-urinary development.
The study was conducted between 2000 and 2002 and involved 308 women who had given birth to healthy children. Through analysis of placentas, the researchers looked for 17 different kinds of pesticide chemicals that disrupt the performance of the hormonal system. Some women were found to have as many as 15 of the 17 pesticides analyzed.
Although the long term effects of early exposure to these pesticides are unclear, researchers have serious concerns due to the crucial timing of embryo exposure. However, they stress that a proper diet, daily exercise, and avoidance of tobacco may help control the presence and level of pesticides in the pregnant mother. This is also good general advice for a healthy pregnancy. Every year, more than 2,000 new chemical substances are created, and many of these potential contaminants become emitted into the environment and find their way into food, water, air, and soil. Studies like these demonstrate the dangers of releasing chemicals into our environment.
Both Groshan Fabiola & Empowered Doctor are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.