Pregnancy And Childbirth

Women undergo drastic physiological changes during pregnancy. More so, in fact, than at any other time except for their own birth. Pregnancy is challenging at the best of times. It is fraught with hazards and potential complications. The mother and child are at the mercy of their genetic makeup, which may be the main cause of some of these challenges. How-ever, they are also susceptible to the environment—mainly the air, food and liquids they consume. It is especially important to avoid or limit exposure to toxins and teratogens (substances causing birth defects). Good general health and nutrition are important for both mother and child. Vitamins and antioxidants naturally have an important role to play. GSH wears several hats in this scenario and proves itself indispensable.

The list of pregnancy-related illnesses is very long. We cannot describe them all in this chapter but will cover those in which the role of GSH has particular relevance. Since the newborn's GSH levels greatly depend on the mothers' glutathione status, we will also discuss the brief but eventful stages of childbirth and the neonatal period (from birth to six weeks).

Many pregnant women are susceptible to hypertension (high blood pres-sure). This is caused by hormonal shifts and changes in blood volume and circulation. Some women are always hypertensive and some experience this problem only during pregnancy. About one in twenty have a more serious condition called preeclampsia.

Symptoms of preeclampsia are hypertension, proteinurea (protein in the urine) and edema—accumulation of water in the tissues leading to swelling, particularly of the hands, feet and face. It usually occurs between the 20th week of gestation and the week following birth. Its exact cause is unknown but most obstetricians (pregnancy and delivery doctors) con-sider it a vascular disease. It occurs most often in first-time pregnancies and in women who already have high blood pressure.

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