Babies gain one half of their weight in the last three months before being born. If you drink alcohol—quit now. Even one drink a day makes it more likely that you will have a small baby. You could even have a baby with brain damage caused by the alcohol. This can happen in all months of pregnancy. If you use illegal drugs—quit now. Almost all illegal drugs make babies too small to be strong and healthy. You may need your doctor's help to quit so you don't have withdrawal problems.
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This information provides a general overview and may not apply to everyone. Talk to your family doctor to find out if this information applies to you and to get more information on this subject. This content is owned by the AAFP. A person viewing it online may make one printout of the material and may use that printout only for his or her personal, non-commercial reference. This material may not otherwise be downloaded, copied, printed, stored, transmitted or reproduced in any medium, whether now known or later invented, except as authorized in writing by the AAFP.
Contact afpserv aafp. Want to use this article elsewhere? Get Permissions. Read the Issue. Sign Up Now. They also can do a prenatal ultrasound , which is how IUGR often is diagnosed. A technician coats the woman's belly with a gel and then moves a probe wand-like instrument over it. High-frequency sound waves create pictures of the baby on a computer screen.
These pictures help doctors estimate the baby's size and weight. These estimates aren't exact, but they do help health care providers track the baby's growth and see if there's a problem.
Ultrasounds also can help find other issues, such as problems with the placenta or a low level of amniotic fluid the fluid surrounding the fetus. Doctors will also use ultrasounds to check the blood flow to the placenta and through the umbilical cord. Treatment for intrauterine growth restriction depends on how far along the pregnancy is and how the baby is doing. If your baby has FGR, you may give birth early.
The time of delivery depends on how well your baby is doing. Sometimes, babies with FGR appear to be small but healthy. If testing suggests that the pregnancy is not developing well, your doctor may decide that an early delivery could help.
In this case, your doctor may want to induce labor. If there are no signs of problems with your baby during labor, a vaginal delivery is okay. If your baby has problems during labor, a cesarean section also called a C-section may be safer.
A baby born with FGR usually needs to stay in the hospital longer after birth. This is especially true for babies born early. They need to breathe and feed normally, as well as gain weight, before they can go home. Babies born with FGR often catch up in size and have a normal height and weight by about 2 years of age, and should be fed normally without attempting to catch up quicker.
This article was contributed by: familydoctor. This information provides a general overview and may not apply to everyone. Talk to your family doctor to find out if this information applies to you and to get more information on this subject. Pregnancy screenings can provide valuable information before your baby is born about the risks for common birth defects. If your pregnancy is unexpected, you may be feeling scared or confused about what to do. It is important…. Zika is a virus caused by a bite from the Aedes mosquito.
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