Pregnancy is no cake walk. Apart from all the excitement and good things, there are so many emotional and physical obstacles a mother goes through during the nine months.
Throughout these nine months, what can make your baby and your pregnancy even healthier are healthy habits.

Apart from taking the multivitamins, folic acid and regular pregnancy fitness classes, there are many other things one can do for the birth of their child.

The type of water to avoid
One thing that all pregnant women must avoid is tap water, says a study. Tap water has more fluoride as compared to the bottled water. Though fluoridation (water fluoridation is the controlled addition of fluoride in the public water supply to reduce tooth decay) of water has been done by the government after the mineral was said to protect us against tooth decay. However, a recent study has linked the consumption of this chemical during pregnancy to lower IQs in children when consumed during pregnancy.

The study
The research was published in the Environmental Health Perspective. The study collected data from 300 mothers and their children. The cognitive development of these kids was checked over a 12-year span. For every 0.5 milligrams per litre increase of fluoride in the water over 0.8 milligrams consumed by the mothers, there was a decrease in score of the intelligence tests.

Fluoride concentration below 0.8 milligrams per litre in urine were found to have no bearing on the cognitive tests. The average fluoride concentration in the urine of women from the study was 0.9 milligrams.

Exposure to fluoride in childhood is safe but not during pregnancy as the foetal system is more sensitive to environmental toxins. So, bottled water is the best bet for pregnant moms but drinking tap water is also fine, says the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention.

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article should not be considered as a substitute for a physician’s advice. Please consult your treating physician for more details.

*Original article online at https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/parenting/pregnancy/drinking-this-water-during-pregnancy-is-said-to-affect-your-childs-iq/articleshow/70144664.cms

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