Chapter 6 - Right from the start

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Right from the start	219

  Pregnant women who smoke 15 to 20 cigarettes a day are twice as likely to miscarry as non-smoking mothers. In the first few weeks after birth, smokers' infants die at a rate 30 percent higher than non-smokers' infants. Babies also absorb poisonous nicotine through breast milk. And they are later more prone to respiratory infections, and they also have a higher rate of pneumonia.
  Alcohol can also damage the growing brain. Heavy drinking can cause what has become known as "fetal alcohol syndrome", which results in reduced brain size, distorted facial features, poor coordination and hyperactive behavior.
  James describes the effects of cocaine or heroin as devastating, especially for young pregnant women and their babies. Educational psychologist Jane M. Healy, of Vail, Colorado, says research estimates show that at least one of every nine babies born in the United States is drug-affected. "Many authorities warn," she adds, "that growing cocaine use by pregnant women will soon flood the schools with children who have attention, learning and social problems. And these children are not even included in our already declining test scores."4
  Because of the caffeine content, heavy coffee and tea-drinking during pregnancy is also not recommended.
  After birth, diet is still vital for all cell growth. And the importance of myelination cannot be stressed too much. Some of it is in place before birth: around the nerve pathways that enable a newborn baby to suck, cry and move its fingers. But at birth the pathways needed for walking, talking and bladder control are not yet myelinated.
  "Common sense tells us that it is useless to try and get a newborn to walk alone," says Healy, "but at about one year, when those connections have myelinated, it may be difficult to prevent."
  About 75 percent of myelin comes from fat - from what Crawford calls "essential fats." And the other 25 percent comes from protein. Breast feeding by a healthy mother is the best source of both. And of zinc, which is also vital to form glial cells. Breast milk also contains specific antibodies which coat the baby's intestines and respiratory tract and fight off infection. It also helps protect the baby from ear infections, eczema and other allergies. And it provides calcium and phosphorous needed for rapidly growing bones. In fact, the only thing lacking in a healthy mother's breast milk could be vitamin D. That's why many doctors recommend a vitamin D supplement. A well-balanced milk

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