Another factor which can lead to better IQ for your child is breastfeeding. It can in fact increase a child’s IQ by six times. Earlier, mothers were not encouraged to indulge in many exercises. However latest research has shown that exercises using light weights, stretching etc can prove beneficial for some.

Women need to be fit and active during their pregnancy. They can easily adapt to changes in their body shape and weight if they are active enough. They can also deal with labor in a better way if they exercise regularly. Exercise increases the bloody supply to the brain and helps in growth of neurons too.

There is another theory which says that the way a mother talks to her child can also increase the child’s IQ. According to this theory parents should ask questions to their kids. They should also explain them the answers. This will encourage the kids to think, which will eventually increase their IQ. If they answer correctly, they should be appreciated for their hard work. This will encourage them to do even better in the future. One can also indulge in various “anticipation exercises” with their children. You can ask them to make predictions like where a submerged duck will float up in a pond.

Combination of breastfeeding and exercise can raise a child’s IQ up to 14 points above average according to the latest research reports.

The baby can get high blood glucose levels from the mother, through the placenta. To regulate the extra sugar, more insulin is required for which baby’s pancreas starts working at an abnormal rate. More energy is produced which leads to “macrosomia” or a huge baby. This can cause problems during delivery, other than that the baby can also suffer from respiratory and heart problems.

Risk factors: It is therefore important to know about gestational diabetes especially when you are pregnant and have a family history of diabetes. Are you at risk for this disease? Well you are if you fall into any of these categories:
• Family history of diabetes
• Above 30 years of age
• Obese
• Having a previous birth of an overweight baby (4 kg/8.8 lbs or more)
• Presence of vaginal candidiasis or polyhydroamnios in the present pregnancy

Screening/Diagnosis: Prenatal care includes screening for gestational diabetes. A glucose challenge test is performed usually between 24th-28th weeks of pregnancy. The test can also be done earlier if the patient is at high risk for having gestational diabetes mellitus.
Oral glucose (50 gm usually) is given to the mother and blood sugar levels are then recorded.

Management: The blood glucose level is maintained by diet restriction, exercise and with medicines and insulin (if required). Diet with 2000-2500 Kcal/day for normal weight woman and restriction to 1200-1800 Kcal/day for over weight woman is recommended. Simple and safe exercise routines can also de done like aerobics and brisk walking. Such patients usually do end up with caesarean section.

The good thing with gestational diabetes is that sugar levels come back to normal after the delivery. But once you have had gestational diabetes, chances are that it will occur again in the subsequent pregnancies. Such women may go on to develop diabetes mellitus type 2 after few years. Therefore if you have had gestational diabetes, you need to watch out for your sugar levels even after the delivery.

Maternal complications:

*Recurrent abortions can occur in women with uncontrolled diabetes.
*Infections are more common especially urinary tract infection.
*Increased incidence of pre-eclampsia or pregnancy induced hypertension.
*Increased incidence of polyhydroamnios; which is a condition associated with excessive amount of amniotic fluid.
*Maternal distress can occur because of polyhydroamnios or because of the big size of the baby.
*Labor might be prolonged and difficult because of big size of the baby.
*Infection and hemorrhage more common after delivery.

Fetal complications:

*Big baby: babies born to diabetic mothers are usually huge in size.
*Congenital malformations: various congenital malformations have been seen in babies born to diabetic mothers. Some of the common ones are-
Involving the Central nervous system: neural tube defects, microcephaly, anencephaly.
Cardio vascular system: cardiomegaly, atrial and ventricular septal defects.
Gastro intestinal tract: duodenal atresia
Renal system: renal agenesis.
*Unexplained fetal death can occur.
*After birth, baby can suffer from jaundice and respiratory distress.

To avoid these complications, pregnant diabetic women must consult their doctors regularly. Sugar monitoring is extremely important throughout the course of pregnancy.

Maternal complications:

*During the course of pregnancy, mother can have increased frequency of nausea and vomiting.
*There will be an increased body demand of iron due to tow fetuses and mother is more likely to suffer from iron deficiency anemia.
*Mal presentation is common, especially with the second baby, which can cause problems during labor.
*Preterm labor is common in twin pregnancy.
*Mother can have palpitation, difficulty in breathing, hemorrhoids during the course of pregnancy.
*During labor there can be an early rupture of fetal membranes and cord prolapse.
*Increased incidence of postpartum hemorrhage, which is bleeding after child birth.

Fetal complications:

*Rate of abortion is increased in twin pregnancy.
*Preterm births are common, that is delivery of the baby before the full term.
*Growth problems in babies can occur.
*Few fetal anomalies like cardiac anomalies, Downs syndrome and hydrocephalus are more often seen in twins.
*Intrauterine death of one of the fetuses can also occur.

These are few of the many complications that can occur in twin pregnancy. Constant monitoring at frequent intervals is thus very important in such pregnancies.

A young female has a healthy ovum, but its quality decreases with advancing age of the mother. This is the reason why babies born to elderly mother are more likely to have genetic disorders. Triple test is done to ascertain if the mother is at a risk of having a genetically malformed baby. It is a non-invasive procedure and doesn’t carry any risk, neither for the mother nor for the baby.

When is this test performed?

It is usually done between the 15th and 20th weeks of pregnancy. However results obtained between 16th and18th weeks of pregnancy are considered to be more specific and accurate.

Is the test diagnostic?

One must remember that the triple test is not a diagnostic test. It is a screening test; it only gives an estimation of the risk. Mother with a normal triple test can also have a genetically malformed baby and vice versa though this doesn’t happen too often. Ultrasound or Amniocentesis is usually done to confirm the diagnosis in high risk patients. This is how the test works.

Who all should get the triple test done?

All pregnant women should get it done, but it’s a must when:
- Age of the mother is more than 35 years
- Family history of babies born with birth defects
- Mother is diabetic and on insulin
- Mother is taking some drugs during pregnancy, which can be harmful for the baby

What is actually done in the triple test?

Triple test measures the levels of three things in blood:
1. HCG (Human chorionic gonadotropin , produced by placenta)
2. AFP (Alpha-fetoprotein, produced by fetus)
3. Estriol (It’s the estrogen produced by both placenta and the fetus)

An increased level of AFP suggests the possibility of baby having a neural tube defect like anencephaly or spina bifida. On the other hand, low levels of AFP and deranged levels of HCG usually indicate that the baby has some chromosomal abnormalities like Downs or Edward syndrome. Such a child will be mentally retarded. The triple test thus tells about the level of risk.

What is done to confirm the diagnosis?

If the risk is high, then the triple test is usually followed by amniocentesis. Here, fluid is taken out from the amniotic sac which surrounds the fetus. Ultrasound is also used for diagnostic purposes.

What is done after the diagnosis is confirmed?

Once the diagnosis is confirmed, the doctor and parents have to decide whether the pregnancy should be terminated or not. If pregnancy is to continue then parents should start planning for such a child. These kids will have special needs and parents should prepare accordingly. They can also get in touch with some support groups who provide resources and other facilities for such children.