Challenges to a Healthy Pregnancy

Many of us have a picture that pops in our mind when we think of pregnancy. That image is somewhere along the lines of a happy smiling young couple, a nice cozy home and all the perks that middle class America has to offer.

There are many pictures of pregnancy, and not all of them are as ideal as the one presented above. Worldwide, more than half a million women die in childbirth each year. What is the common thread linking these women? The answer is poverty. As you might have concluded, many of these deaths happened in countries with wide-spread destitution. However, poverty and pregnancy are in every country.

In the United States, teenage mothers are more likely to be living at or below the national poverty level. According to a study, this may be because disadvantaged youth do not see a positive future and thus do not avoid barriers, such as an early pregnancy when they do not have the means to care for a child.

We mentioned the numbers of women who lose their lives in child birth. These are not the only casualties. Miscarriages, low-weight infants and sick infants are also in this picture.

More and more women are now part of a growing number of homeless Americans, and some of these women are pregnant while homeless. So as a mother-to-be struggles to feed herself, and find living accommodations, is it possible for her to have a healthy pregnancy?

By no means will it be easy, but there are measures that these women can take. First, they can avoid drinking alcohol, smoking and using drugs. This step alone can be the difference between life and death for a child and mother. Finding a free clinic and making regular visits is essential. Through the clinic they may be able to get prenatal vitamins. Establishing residency in a shelter can give the mother and child the stability they need.

All of these things are fundamental to a healthy mother and baby.