Researchers studied related to fertility and environmental factors to see how lifestyle habits affect pregnancy outcomes during “sensitive windows of fetal development,” study author Germaine Beck Louis, Ph.D., told CBS News. Lifestyle factors of 344 pregnant couples were analyzed, 98 of which resulted in a miscarriage. Some of these factors included: smoking, caffeine intake and consuming multivitamins.
According to CBS News, researchers sought to examine the weeks before conception up to the seventh week of gestation. Study authors concluded that both parties who drank more than two beverages containing caffeine daily increased the risk of miscarriage. Interestingly, researchers found that male consumption of caffeine equaled pregnancy loss when compared to female consumption. Researchers found a doubled rate of miscarriage in women older than 35.
However, taking multivitamins before pregnancy and during the first seven weeks of pregnancy decreased the risk of miscarriage by nearly 80 percent, reports CBS News. The rate fell to 55 percent if moms took multivitamins before conception and didn’t continue taking the vitamins in following weeks.
- Uncontrolled Diabetes
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), diabetes increases the risk of early delivery, miscarriage and stillbirth.
Consequently, it’s important to take steps to control diabetes. The American Diabetes Association (ADA) says that this means keeping blood sugar under control. Part of this process is to plan for pregnancy. The ADA says that this can be done by establishing healthy lifestyle habits both to decrease the risk of complications and establish the health of the baby.
Further, exercise, diet and having a pre-pregnancy exam are important. Prenatal care should include a doctor who is familiar with the disease. Pregnant women with diabetes should see a doctor more often than those who do not have diabetes. Risks and blood glucose levels should be monitored continuously to protect both the mother's health and the health of the fetus.