Healthy Life Blog

Archive for September, 2010

Research has shown that smoking may triple your chances of not being able to conceive. If your partner smokes, he needs to give up as well. Smoking can damage his sperm as well as exposing you to passive smoking. In addition, smoking robs the body of vitamins, especially vitamins B and C, and can cause a build-up of free radicals in the body.

Free radicals are molecules that can damage blood vessels, such as those supplying the placenta, thus reducing the supply of nutrients for the developing baby. Smoking is a powerful addiction and so can be very difficult to stop. However, if you do stop smoking, your fertility will go back to normal. So it is important to stop smoking prior to pregnancy. If your partner also smokes, it would be best if you gave up together.

If you drink heavily, this can affect your fertility. Alcohol can upset the production of eggs from the ovary. A Danish study conducted in 1998 found that women drinking four or fewer units of alcohol a week were twice as likely to conceive as those drinking 10 or more units a week. If your partner drinks heavily, this can affect his fertility by upsetting the function of his testicles and their production of both the male hormone testosterone and sperm.

Moderate alcohol intake does not seem to cause male fertility problems, but there are some reports that if the father drinks regularly before conception this is associated with a lower birth weight in the baby. The ideal is that you both give up alcohol while you are tying to conceive, or keep your alcohol intake very moderate, as no one knows what the ‘safe’ level of alcohol is.

Want your children to healthy shiny pearly whites when they get older keep? Well, who would not want it? Well, you’re ready to learn the ultimate secret of having a perfect set of teeth?

A baby with a good oral hygiene may be unable to various problems such as caries, abscesses and gum disease prevention. Note that these dental problems are not just painful. They may even need a treatment or two, which can be quite expensive! Plus, a good oral hygiene can have a lasting effect on his or her facial expression and speech development.

To promote the development of healthy deciduous teeth, your child’s teeth begin to develop even before he or she is born. If your child is around 6-9 months old, the first teeth (also called milk teeth or deciduous teeth) normally start to appear. Beware of your child’s milk teeth, as if gold. They will form the basis for how the adult teeth will eventually form.

How to prevent dental problems in infants? In addition to proper brushing and regular dental visits, there are several things you can do to ensure your baby or a young child, your teeth remain healthy. You do not have to be a Dental Technician to know it. Here are some suggestions that you may find useful:

Calcium. Make sure your child drinks enough milk and start to eat calcium-rich foods when he or she is old enough to do it. This will help to ensure proper development and teeth can help maintain a good oral health.

Sugar. Steer clear of sugary foods and drinks. You can also use sugar-free products to try as much as possible.

Limit contact with sugar. Sugar is in no way good for the child’s dental health. But if this is unavoidable, try to feed your baby sugary foods only at mealtimes. To minimize the amount of time that sweet food in your mouth to your child and can help reduce the risk of developing dental problems later.

Do not add sugar in a baby bottle. Sugar-containing drinks bottle babies is an absolute no-no because it can play an important role in promoting tooth decay. When feeding your baby juice, first dilute and get him or her to sign a cup.

Opt for healthy alternatives. Offer your baby a piece of cheese or fruit as a snack between meals. These contain important nutrients essential for good oral health.

Sucking fingers. Children suck their thumbs and fingers, should be advised not to do. This is an unhealthy habit that the dental development of the teeth can affect your child.