A sample of how far a woman's lifestyle during pregnancy can affect the health of her pregnant baby is a new study published this month by Obstetrics & Gynecology.
By adapting Hispanic women to a new culture with new customs, new codes and a new language (what is known as the acculturation process), they suffer from stress, called acculturation stress That could be one of the triggers of preterm birth.
In other words, the lifestyle that Americans lead is somehow “infected” to Latin women increasing the risk of premature delivery. It is known that bad habits equals a greater chance of giving birth to a baby before term.
In the study, women who adapted better to American culture, their beliefs and who spoke English perfectly showed lower levels of the hormone progesterone and estriol, an estrogen produced by the placenta during pregnancy, which makes them four times more likely to give birth prematurely.
On the other hand, those who were born outside the United States, who did not speak the language, did not finish high school and lived in the country less than 10 years ago showed higher levels of progesterone and more chances of carrying their pregnancy to term.
It is curious how the model of society that for some things can be idyllic, can become a double-edged sword at a crucial moment in the life of a woman such as pregnancy.
