Morning Sickness / Mual pada pagi hari : Berpeluang Miliki Anak Cerdas

TORONTO,Kompas.com --- Para ibu yang menderita mual pada pagi hari selama masa hamil memiliki peluang lebih baik untuk memiliki bayi yang lebih cerdas. Demikian temuan beberapa ilmuwan Kanada.

Beberapa peneliti di Hospital for Sick Children’s Motherisk Program, Toronto, mendapati bahwa mual pagi hari muncul berkaitan dengan peningkatan perkembangan syaraf pada janin.

Bagi tujuan studi tersebut, 121 perempuan hamil direkrut antara 1998 dan 2003 melalui jalur penghubung mual pagi hari yang dikelola oleh Motherisk Program.


Peserta studi itu dibagi menjadi tiga kelompok: ibu yang mengalami mual pagi hari dan dirawat dengan "dicletin" (obat yang digunakan dalam perawatan mual dan muntah selama masa hamil); mereka yang mengalami mual pagi hari dan tak diberi "dicletin"; dan mereka yang tak mengalami mual pagi hari.

Kecerdasan dan prilaku anak-anak pada masa kehamilan ibu mereka saat itu dinilai ketika anak-anak itu berusia tiga tahun dan tujuh tahun. Anak-anak tersebut diberikan tes psikologi yang seusia dengan usia mereka, termasuk tindakan kecerdasan dan prilaku, demikian laporan kantor berita resmi China, Xinhua.

Faktor lain seperti IQ ibu, jumlah rokok yang dihisap setiap hari, konsumsi alkohol dan status sosial-ekonomi juga diperhitungkan. Studi tersebut mendapati bahwa semua anak di dalam ketiga kelompok tersebut memiliki nilai dalam kategori normal dalam hasil perkembangan syaraf. Tetapi anak dari ibu yang mengalami mual pagi hari memiliki nilai lebih tinggi dalam penampilan IQ, kefasihan lisan, pemrosesan fonologi dan ingatan akan angka.

Secara luar biasa, para peneliti itu menemukan, makin parah mual pagi hari, makin mungkin anak yang dikandung meraih nilai lebih tinggi. Mereka menyatakan bahwa IQ ibu juga memainkan peran dalam hasil tersebut. Hasil penelitian mereka disiarkan di dalam edisi online "The Jounal of Pediatrics".

Mual pagi hari, yang mempengaruhi sebanyak 80 persen wanita hamil, seringkali merupakan salah satu tanda pertama kehamilan, yang secara khusus dimulai sekitar pekan kedua kehamilan. Banyak dokter berspekulasi itu adalah hasil dari perubahan tingkat hormon, seperti estrogen, HCG (human chorionic gonadotropin), dan thyroxine.

Morning Sickness - An Infamous Pregnancy Symptom

By Robin Elise Weiss, LCCE, About.com

Morning sickness tends to be the first pregnancy symptom most women experience. It can start nearly as soon as the pregnancy test is positive, though many women will not notice morning sickness until about the sixth week of pregnancy.

Is it only in the morning?:

You may experience morning sickness at any time of the day or night, though most women do experience some uneasiness of the stomach early in the morning, probably because their stomachs are empty. If you are unlucky enough to suffer from this pregnancy symptom at work, there are things you can do to try to ease the symptoms and deal with it.

What does it feel like to have morning sickness?:

Some women have nausea and vomiting, while others may experience only queasiness. Neither is pleasant. A few women state that actually vomiting usually makes them feel better, others find no relief. Try to figure out what helps you feel better, whether it be eating, sucking on suckers or candy, or even avoiding certain foods.

What kind of treatments are available for this pregnancy symtom?:

There are many things that women can do to help alleviate this annoying pregnancy symptom:

• Avoid offending foods (often high fat or spicy foods)
• Eat small, frequent meals throughout the day to help stabilize blood sugar
• Try suckers or hard candy, particularly sour stuff like lemon
• Certain medications and treatments as prescribed by your doctor or midwife, including medications
• Try non-medicinal aids that don't require prescriptions or drugs.
• More tips to avoid morning sickness.

Is morning sickness ever dangerous?:

Morning sickness can cause you to experience dehydration if you are unable to eat, drink or constantly lose your food through vomiting. When this happens it is called hyperemesis gravidarum. Though usually some IV hydration and sometimes tube feedings can usually solve this problem. Medications are occasionally used, particularly in severe cases.

Pregnancy & Back Pain - Oh my aching back!

By Robin Elise Weiss, LCCE, About.com

Back pain and pregnancy just seem to go together! When you see a pregnant woman you see her rubbing her belly and holding her back. Why is it that the majority of pregnant women will have back ache as a nearly daily complaint? And, more importantly, what can you do about it?

Why Your Back Hurts

When you are pregnant your body produces a variety of hormones. One of these hormones is called Relaxin. Sounds like something really soothing and helpful, which it is, for birth. Relaxin causes the ligaments and the pelvis to soften to allow the baby out through the pelvis. This is also why pregnant women "waddle."

In addition the pelvis relaxing for the upcoming event of birth, your uterus is growing and this does two things:

• Changes your center of gravity
• Relaxing uterine ligaments cause additional strain to be placed on the spine and your surrounding muscles
• Your overstretched abdominal muscles are also not equipped to handle the entire weight of the uterus so your spine and back muscles will bear this extra burden as well.

Posture is another culprit. As your mother would say, "Stand up straight, shoulders back..." I would add, "Uterus up and out, be proud!"

If this is not your first pregnancy you have two additional concerns regarding your back: your older children and the fact that second pregnancies tend to experience all symptoms of pregnancy a bit earlier on. Ensure that you lift you children using your legs and not your back, when bathing them kneel at the tub instead of bending at the waist (What waist?), or have someone else take on these chores. Children may need a bit of an explanation why you can't carry them around as much, but in the long run you will be grateful for protecting your back.

Prevention

Prevention is the best management for this discomfort. Preventative measures include:

• Exercises (Particularly Pelvic Tilts)
• Paying attention to your posture
• Lifting and bending appropriately