Over the last fifty years, increasing numbers of children in the US and other developed countries have been diagnosed with asthma, diabetes, obesity, autism and many other health conditions that were once rare in children.  The typical medical explanation for this trend has been that our genetic make up, lifestyle choices and environmental exposures after we are born are the principal contributors.  However, recent research provides significant evidence that the intrauterine milieu and our 9 months of fetal life play a vital role in determining an individual’s lifelong health.

Recognizing the impact of this research and the importance of the fetal environment, many parents-to-be want to know what steps they can take during pregnancy to optimize both the physical and emotional well being of their baby.

Studies have demonstrated the “power of your plate” in pregnancy, emphasizing the importance of prenatal nutrition.  For example, women who gain excessive weight during pregnancy tend to have heavier toddlers, and lower birth weight babies have an increased risk of diabetes in adulthood.(2)  In addition, exposure to pesticides, antibiotics and hormones (used to grow animal and plant foods), and bisphenol-A (from canned foods) may disrupt the developing endocrine and immune systems of babies.

A recent study involving public health data derived from more than 650,000 children born in California from 1992 – 2002 suggests that the closer two siblings are born together, the higher the risk for autism in the second child.  The data showed that siblings born fewer than 12 months after the first child are much more likely to develop autism compared to those born 25 or more months after the first baby.(3)  A likely explanation is maternal nutrition and fatty acid deficiencies as a result of the first pregnancy.

Scientists are also exploring the possibility that conditions in utero not only impact the physical health of the fetus but also emotional and mental well being.  Catherine Monk, professor of psychiatry at Columbia University, reports that even before birth a mother’s moods may affect her child’s development.  There are measurable signs of stress in the fetuses of women who are depressed or anxious during pregnancy.  In addition, there have been increased rates of premature delivery and low birth weight among babies born to depressed women, suggesting there are links between a mother’s mood and an infant’s sensitivity to stress, and perhaps even temperament, after birth.(4)

Unfortunately, environmental toxins play a significant role in fetal development in today’s world.  As an example, on a daily basis most of us are exposed to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), pollutants that come from burning fossil fuels, among other things.  Pregnant women pass this chemical to their developing babies, and significant DNA damage due to PAHs has been found in the cord blood of newborns.  PAH pollution during pregnancy is also linked to adverse birth outcomes including low birth weight, premature delivery, and heart malformations.

Although there are many things as we cannot control about our environment, we can and must take proactive steps to reduce toxic exposures, eat wisely and minimize stress during pregnancy.  See Greening the Womb Intro for practical steps you can take to make a difference in your baby’s health.  Additionally, Dr. Getzelman offers prenatal nutrition and greening the womb consultations for pregnant women and couples who want to become pregnant.  Please contact us at GetzWell for additional information and to make an appointment: 415.826.1701 or reception@getzwell.com.

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1. Paul, Annie Murphy. “Time” 4 October 2010: 50-55.

2. Paul, Annie Murphy. “Time” 4 October 2010: 50-55.

3. Cheslack-Postava K. Pediatrics. 2011; doi:10.1542/peds.2010-2371.

4. Paul, Annie Murphy. “Time” 4 October 2010: 50-55.

A:  After the first few days of life when your baby has meconium bowel movements that are very dark and sticky, it’s normal for your newborn’s poop to begin to be very watery and seem like diarrhea.  Breast fed infants, in particular, have BMs that are loose and seedy and range in color from brown to mustard yellow to green.  A typical newborn’s poop looks a lot like grainy mustard–think Grey Poupon country style!

Q:  My newborn must have a cold because he keeps sneezing.

A:  It’s very unlikely that your baby is sick.  Newborns often sneeze quite a bit and we think of it as nature’s way of allowing your baby to blow his nose.  New babies have very small nasal passages and usually make a little bit of mucus which can produce some degree of nasal congestion.  This usually isn’t a problem, but because newborns don’t know they can breathe through their mouths, you may hear your newborn’s breathing and think it means he is having difficulty.  As long as your baby is feeding well, is content, doesn’t seem to be struggling to breathe or crying a lot (which forces babies to mouth breathe) he is likely just fine.

Q: We want to take our baby girl to a party but she is only 2 weeks old.  Is this OK?

A:  The immune system of a newborn is immature and the more people she is exposed to the greater the likelihood she may catch something which could cause her to become quite sick.  We generally stress being very careful regarding hand hygiene and potential exposure to germs for the first 60-90 days of life, when pediatricians consider a fever a sign that an infection may be serious.  Hand washing is the best way to prevent introducing illness-causing germs to your newborn; proper cleaning of your hands involves rubbing them together for 15 seconds (or 3 rounds of “Row Row Row Your Boat”) with good old soap and warm water or the use of an alcohol based hand sanitizer.

Q:  Which hand sanitizers are best?

A:  Generally we recommend an alcohol based product which is rated 0-2 on the Environmental Working Group (EWG) cosmetics database toxicity scale (http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com) so that you’re sure to purchase something effective while avoiding highly toxic ingredients.  This is an important factor when considering what to buy for you and your baby.  EWG is a tremendous resource available to guide purchasing decisions.  Babies and small children have very thin skin and immature detoxification systems, and thus are vulnerable not only to what we feed them but also to what we use on their skin, what we clothe them in, and what they breathe.

Q:   Do I need to give my 2 month old baby Vitamin D drops?  There is not much sun in our San Francisco neighborhood and we spend most of our time indoors.

A:  Vitamin D is important to our health and many of us have insufficient levels due to lack of adequate sunlight exposure or supplementation.  The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends all children receive a vitamin D supplement starting in the first few days of life because evidence has shown this could have life-long benefits.  Furthermore, because of the growing body of evidence that a pregnant woman’s vitamin D status is important to her developing fetus, the AAP has recommended that physicians caring for pregnant women consider vitamin D testing during pregnancy.

At GetzWell we test all new mothers’ vitamin D levels and often find they are lacking.  This is critical both for mothers’ health and directly impacts the breast feeding baby.  Once we have these results, we can tailor our recommendations to each mother and baby as part of our effort to optimize the health of our patients and families.

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