Fasting & Health Tips
As you fast through the Holy Month of Ramadan, it is important to care for your body to avoid health problems that could arise from the change in your diet and sleep. To help you through your fasting period, we’ve compiled some basic health tips to keep you in good shape. What’s more we’ll also be posting regular articles from various medical professionals so keep checking back.
Pregnant and Fasting: How safe is it for you and your baby?
The answer to that question depends a lot on how healthy your diet and lifestyle were before your pregnancy.
Medical research has shown varied results from studies done on women who fast while either pregnant or breastfeeding. Some studies have shown little or no effect on newborn babies as a result of their fasting while other studies suggest children whose mothers fasted during pregnancy are at risk of medical problems later in life. A problem with the studies on fasting mothers and expecting women is that there is little consistency in the type of studies or the control factors.
A foetus in the mother's womb
What does appear consistent is that the health of the baby is very dependent on the health of its mother at the time she became pregnant. However the following results have been reported.
1. No difference in AGPAR scores, which is an assessment of a newborn's health immediately after birth, in the babies of women who fasted compared to babies of women who did not fast.
2. Some women who fasted during their pregnancies delivered babies of a lower birth weight but those studies were carried out on women who’d suffered digestive troubles during their pregnancies.
3. Women usually experience changes in body chemistry when they fast but these changes do not negatively impact either the baby or the mother.
Does fasting affect the baby’s growth in the uterus and does it have any link to premature delivery?
Some studies have shown an increase in premature deliveries during the month of Ramadan but this also seems to depend on which country the mothers live in. In countries where women have a higher standard of living, they cope better with the rigours of fasting. The baby requires nutrients from its mother so the woman needs to have plentiful stored energy (body fat) to fast safely. Other factors also come into play however, including:
• Whether Ramadan coincides hot summer time as it is the case this year. Women living in hot climates are at a higher risk of dehydration.
• The stage of pregnancy a woman is in.
• The woman’s medical condition and health before conceiving.
At the end of the day, no one but you can decide whether you are able to fast or not, as you are the only one to really know if you have the strength to do it. If you feel strong enough to fast, you may do so. If not, Islamic Law gives you permission not to fast on the condition that the missed days are made up later.
Read in our upcoming article:
Fasting benefits and dangers for a woman who expects her new born.
Coming next:
How a pregnant woman, ordered not to fast during Ramadan can compensate the rewards of fasting in Ramadan, in a way that can benefit her in her life and the hereafter?
Don’t miss it!
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