Which beauty products to avoid and two other findings to consider if you're expecting

No two women have the same types of experiences during pregnancy, and so, the same types of challenges may not come up. But there are a few conditions every pregnant woman is fearful of: What if I have premature labour and my baby is born early, underdeveloped and underweight? What if I’m doing something wrong right now that affects my child’s long-term health? What if I get postpartum depression and cannot care for my baby as I should? [caption id=“attachment_7554731” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Representational image. Image source: Getty Images.[/caption] This is the reason why opening up to your doctors about your fears is so important. There are a number of steps you can take to reduce the risks of miscarriage, stillbirth, placental abruption, preeclampsia, etc. There are vaccinations and treatments that are safe for pregnant women, and your doctor would be able to guide you through them.   What’s more, thanks to continuing research into pregnancy-related health issues, new parameters, therapies and treatments keep coming up to make your pregnancy risk-free and your baby safer. Here are three new pieces of research that you might find relevant.

Parabens in your makeup can lead to obesity in your girl child

Of course, you want to look your best during pregnancy, and makeup is a good way to accomplish this. But a recent study published in  Nature Communications  reveals that makeup products that have compounds known as parabens can seep into the body through the skin and impact the baby’s development. Parabens are usually used in beauty products as antimicrobial agents and preservatives, but these compounds, when used by pregnant women, can trigger genetic changes in the baby, especially female ones. These changes can impair the girl child’s ability to regulate food intake, which in turn can lead to obesity. Given these findings, it makes perfect sense for you to check the labels of beauty products and use only paraben-free products during pregnancy.

Daily low-dose aspirin can reduce the risk of premature birth

Babies born prematurely usually develop more slowly than those born after the 37th week of pregnancy, and they are particularly at a higher risk of infections and other health issues. This is why mothers usually try to reduce the chances of such a birth by making lifestyle and nutritional changes. According to researchers who conducted a large study funded by the US National Institutes of Health, aspirin, when taken in small doses, can also help reduce the risk of premature birth. The study discovered that if low-dose aspirin is taken daily by pregnant women between the sixth and the 36th weeks of pregnancy, it may lower the risk of preterm labour and birth among first-time mothers. The study involved 11,976 women from India, Pakistan, Zambia, Congo, Guatemala and Congo, and the researchers found that low-dose aspirin therapy is an inexpensive way to reduce premature births in these countries. Of course, this therapy should not be taken without the say-so of your doctor, so if you are concerned about premature birth you might want to discuss the findings of this study with your doctor.

General anaesthesia during C-section delivery increases the risk of postpartum depression

According to the World Health Organization, postpartum psychiatric disorders affect 300-750 per 1000 mothers globally. These disorders, especially postpartum depression, can do serious harm to mother-infant relationships as well as child development and growth. A new study published in  Anesthesia and Analgesia  has discovered that women who have C-section deliveries using general anaesthesia are at an increased risk of postpartum depression.   The study, conducted by researchers at Columbia University, found that women who had been given general anaesthesia instead of local anaesthesia during C-section deliveries were at 54% increased risk of postpartum depression. These women were also at a 91% increased risk of suicidal thoughts and self-inflicted injuries. The reason, the study found, was partially due to the delayed skin-to-skin contact and breastfeeding after a general anaesthesia birth.   But it’s important to remember that the study while making this observation about C-section births, could not establish a cause-and-effect link. Keep this in mind while discussing birthing options with your partner and your doctor. For more information, read our article on   Premature Labour: Symptoms, Causes, Treatment and Prevention_._ Health articles in Firstpost are written by myUpchar.com, India’s first and biggest resource for verified medical information. At myUpchar, researchers and journalists work with doctors to bring you information on all things health.