Mar 7, 2019

Dr. Jones: If you lot take heartburn when you're pregnant, information technology ways that your baby will have a lot of hair when it'southward born. Really? This is Dr. Kirtly Jones from Obstetrics and Gynecology at University of Utah Health, and this is The Telescopic of Some Myths Most Pregnancy, on The Scope.

Announcer: Covering all aspects of women'south wellness, this is "The Seven Domains of Women's Health" with Dr. Kirtly Jones on The Scope.

Dr. Jones: Pregnancy is mysterious, and what is going on in there is generally unseen and to my biologic eye, magical. There are outcomes that are skilful and some less than good, and we cannot explain all of them based on scientifically proven cause and upshot. Then we turn to myths and old wives' tales. Some of these exist back to before in that location were well-defined scientific methods, and some are new. Let's look at a few.

One, the shape of your significant abdomen tin tell you whether yous're carrying a boy or a girl. If you lot comport your baby bulge low, it's a boy. If you behave it high, it's a girl. There is no fact to that. What is a fact that the get-go pregnancy, earlier the abdominal wall is stretched out, tend to be visually higher. As the abdominal wall gets stretched out with each new pregnancy, the uterus appears to be carried lower, but it's not the sex of the infant.

Number two, your infant's centre rate can determine the sex activity of your baby. College heart rates are a male child, lower is a girl. That's a no. In that location is no evidence that the heart rate is adamant by the baby's sex.

Number iii, spicy foods tin can cause your baby to exist built-in blind. That'southward a no. Yet, because pregnancy hormones and the pushing of the uterus equally information technology gets higher can cause reflux, spicy foods can be less well tolerated, but they won't make your babe blind.

Four, cocoa butter prevents stretch marks. That one is a no. But it does smell proficient and it makes your skin feel soft, so go for it if you like it. But it makes your sheets greasy.

Number five, looking at the dominicus during an eclipse volition give your baby a cleft palate. That ane would be hard to prove because in that location are few pregnant women who would exist then careless equally to look at the sun when they're pregnant during an eclipse, and in that location are a few eclipses and I don't really recommend a randomized controlled trial to exam that one out.

Number half-dozen, you should eat for two when you're pregnant. I don't know where that one came from except that information technology'south commonly a rationalization well-nigh how much y'all might desire to swallow. Yous can get plenty energy to make a baby in about 300 calories extra a solar day, well-nigh 3 piddling cookies with no redeeming nutritional value, three tablespoons of peanut butter, detect that'due south not a rounded tablespoon just a apartment one, ladies, or 3 spectacles of reduced-fat milk, a good nutritional source of calcium and protein. So yous should eat for most 1.16 persons or well-nigh i and a 6th.

Number seven, you cannot colour your hair when you're pregnant considering it will impairment the baby. That's a no. If information technology were true, there would be some serious fashion bug. It probably isn't good to introduce any new chemicals that you aren't sure about in your first trimester, but after that the corporeality that might exist absorbed by your peel, if y'all do information technology a couple of times during your pregnancy, is unlikely to be a problem.

Number viii, drinking dark beer will aid your milk come in. That's a no. Really? That's my family'due south favorite myth. It was given to my mother in Frg past the nuns at the hospital when she delivered me. It was given to my sis and to me, and it certain seemed to bring information technology on. Well, actually, it doesn't make the milk be produced. Notwithstanding, relaxing a new mom just out of the hospital, who's worried about everything, can help the milk come downward. The permit-down reflex of releasing the milk stored in the ducts and then the baby tin nurse can exist inhibited by feet and stress and maybe the booze and dark beer can work for that.

Number ix, if you lot take heartburn, you'll have a infant with lots of pilus. No. Well, a study from Johns Hopkins, published in 2006 in the journal "Birth," asked 64 pregnant women most their caste of heartburn during pregnancy, and an independent observer graded the corporeality of hair in the newborns, and there was a simple linear clan between the caste of heartburn and the amount of hair. The more heartburn, the more pilus, and the association was highly statistically significant. Now, I can see that in that location might be some racial differences in how hormones bear on pregnancy and then affect the sphincter or the tight identify betwixt the stomach and the esophagus that prevents reflux and heartburn, and some racial groups take babies with more hair and some with less. Withal, 90% of the women in this study identified every bit Caucasian. So there isn't really a proficient reason for this amazing statistical outcome. The author said, "Much to our surprise and somewhat to our chagrin, our application of straightforward but standard scientific methods to investigate the validity of this ubiquitous pregnancy 'myth'" -- they put quotations around the word "myth" -- "resulted in its partial confirmation." Who knew? Pregnancy is even so mystifying.

If you have questions about what yous've been told past your mom or your auntie, talk to your clinician and brand them do their homework and look it upward, and cheers for joining us on The Scope.

Announcer: Take a question about a medical process? Desire to acquire more about a wellness condition? With over 2,000 interviews with our physicians and specialists, in that location's a pretty proficient chance you'll find what you desire to know. Check it out at thescoperadio.com.

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