Researchers at the Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, found that the evolution of fetal growth during the first trimester of pregnancy is critical for the future of the health of the fetus. child. Indeed, according to a study conducted among 1,184 expectant mothers and published in the British Medical Journal , when the baby’s growth is slowed down due to external environmental factors, it can have repercussions a few months or even years later on his cardiovascular health.
This research has shown that children who suffered from growth retardation at the very beginning of pregnancy, that is, when the heart and the major organs of the fetus begin to form, have blood pressure and a higher cholesterol level than others from the age of 6.
First trimester of pregnancy: check that the pregnancy has started well
In the daily practice of gynecologists and obstetricians, the first trimester is mainly devoted to dating the onset of pregnancy, to check that the mother is well and that the pregnancy has started well. During the first prenatal visit, the doctor checks the general state of health of the mother-to-be and assesses certain possible risk factors (age, diabetes, etc.). But you have to wait between the 11th and 13th week of amenorrhea to be able to do the first ultrasound and check that the fetus is growing normally.
However, according to Dutch researchers, monitoring the mother during this first trimester of pregnancy is not trivial. It makes it possible to determine certain future risks.
