There is a concern about declining birth rates in both the developing and developed world Fertility rates tend to be higher in poorly resourced countries but due to high maternal and prenatal mortality, there is a reduction in birth rates. In developing countries children are needed as a labor force and to provide care for their parents in old age. In these countries, fertility rates are higher due to the lack of access to contraceptives and generally lower levels of female education. The social structure, religious beliefs, economic prosperity and urbanization within each country are likely to affect birth rates as well as abortion rates, Developed countries tend to have a lower fertility rate due to lifestyle choices associated with economic affluence where mortality rates are low, birth control is easily accessible and children often can become an economic drain caused by housing, education cost and other cost involved in bringing up children. Higher education and professional careers often mean that women have children late in life. This can result in a demographic economic paradox.

The Total Fertility Rate (TFR) of a population is the average number of children that would be born to a woman over her lifetime if she were to experience the exact current age specific fertility rates through her life time and she were to survive from birth through the end of her reproductive life. It is obtained by summing the single year age specific rates for a given time point. Perhaps more relevant to the current debate is the replacement fertility rate which is the total fertility rate in which women would have only enough children to replace themselves and their partners. Effectively it is the total fertility rate at which newborn girls would have an average of exactly 1 daughter over their lifetimes. By definition replacement is only considered to have occurred when the offspring reach 15 years of age. The replacement fertility rate is roughly 2.1 live births per woman for most industrialized countries. Due to increased mortality rates, the approximate average for developing regions of the world is 2.3. At this rate, population growth through reproduction will be approximately 0, but still be affected by male-female ratios and mortality rates.

The fertility of the population of the United States is below replacement among those native born, and above replacement among immigrant families and the socially deprived. However the fertility rates of immigrants to the US have been found to decrease sharply in the second generation as a result of improving education and income. It will take several generations for a real change in total fertility rates to be reflected in birth rates because the age distribution must reach equilibrium. For example, a population that has recently dropped below replacement fertility rate continues to grow because the recent high fertility produced large number of young couples who would now be in their child bearing years. The phenomenon carries forward for several generations and is called population momentum or population lag effect. The time lag effect is of great importance to human population growth rates. The state policy institutes and international population studies are closely monitoring how reproductive patterns cause immigrant generations globally.

Although recent data show that birth rates in the UK have increased (Office of National Statistics, 2009), this is predominantly due to immigration so there are still serious concerns about long term replacement. There are two potential means of addressing the problem of providing a young productive workforce able to generate income to provide the social care for the old and infirm. The first is to find ways of increasing the birth rate; this is essentially a long term solution but one which should provide more steady and predictable results. The second is to encourage immigration of a predominantly young and skilled workforce; this may provide an instant answer to the problem but is likely to be short-term unless the immigrants decide to stay in large numbers. In the long term it is doubtful whether reliance should be placed on immigration to solve an intrinsic societal problem in developed nations, namely a falling birth rate.

The declining birth rate is not unique to Britain and Western European countries. Countries like Japan have a similar concern.

There are several factors such as lifestyle factors, an increase in sexually transmitted diseases, rise in obesity and environmental factors involved in urbanization and urban lifestyle that are affecting fertility and have led to rise in male and female sub fertility. In addition there are socio-economic factors that have led to women and couples delaying having children. Lack of affordable housing, flexible and part-time career posts for women and affordable and publicly funded (free) child care have contributed to the current low fertility/birth rates. Couples/women are delaying starting a family which has led to a true decline in their fertility levels due to ovarian ageing and related reasons leading to reduced chance of conception.

It is necessary for governments to provide adequate publicly funded reproductive health and social care in order to achieve required birth rates and have a younger population to contribute to nation’s and global progress. It can be argued that women now contribute more to the total workforce and social welfare agenda (tax and national insurance) than ever before and deserve to get reproductive benefits from the public purse.

In parallel, it is also necessary to have a national and an international initiative for the prevention of infertility and protection of fertility. The projects will need to be focused at the specific needs of the local population. It is necessary for governments to work in close partnership with the voluntary sector to achieve the maximum effect.

The most important project will have to address raising awareness at an individual, family, community and social level as well as at primary, secondary and tertiary healthcare level regarding factors affecting male and female fertility. A regular and open education programme for women and men would empower them with knowledge required to protect their fertility. Furthermore, recent surveys suggest that prevention of reproductive and sexual health problems would be best achieved through education in secondary schools. It is important to plan a practical and a meaningful initial and follow-up programme for reproductive and sexual health education in secondary schools, with an aim to prevent future infertility. In developing countries it would be necessary to provide this education to women and men at grass roots level in their homes and communities. This is aimed at increasing natural conception rates.

Fertility treatment in the UK as in other European countries is currently funded and managed by the Department of Health within the government. Since healthcare has several priorities such as cancer, care of elderly and acute medicine, fertility care is not high on the agenda. This has led to inadequate funding and concerns about inequity. The need for private assisted conception due to lack of public funding may eventually lead to only the rich benefiting from fertility treatment. This will lead to long term social inequality. The state should fund the mild IVF treatments which are safer, less costly and have comparable success rates to the standard down regulation protocols

 Healthy ingesting for pregnant ladies

What you consume at some stage in your pregnancy affects no longer most effective your own fitness and wellness and the development of your child, however there is additionally good sized evidence that your weight-reduction plan in being pregnant may have a long-lasting impact on the long-term fitness and well-being of your child later in existence.

Choose a extensive style of healthful meals from the five food organizations at some point of pregnancy to make sure your and your child’s nutritional needs are met. Good vitamins will guide the fitness and growth of your baby. You may additionally discover that you want to eat extra of a few ingredients to make sure key nutrients are acquired, but there is no want to ‘eat for 2’.

You can consume nicely in the course of pregnancy by means of:

• taking part in a diffusion of fruits and greens of various types and colorings. It is recommended which you devour 2 serves of fruit and five serves of greens every day
• increasing your consumption of grain and cereal ingredients to 8½ serves an afternoon. Choose ordinarily wholegrain and excessive fiber alternatives
• choosing foods which can be high in iron, which includes lean beef or tofu. Iron-rich meals are important for pregnant women. 3½ serves of meat or meat alternatives are advocated
• creating a dependency of ingesting milk, and consuming tough cheese and yoghurt, or calcium-enriched alternatives. Reduced-fats types are first-rate. 2½ serves consistent with day are recommended
• ingesting plenty of water

Foods and liquids which are high in saturated fat, delivered sugar and salt aren't a vital a part of a wholesome weight loss plan. Limit your intake of these to small quantities.

The Australian Dietary Guidelines define what's a wholesome weight loss plan for pregnant women to ensure they have enough electricity and vitamins for themselves and for their developing infant.

Folic acid (folate) and pregnancy

Folate (called folic acid when delivered to meals) is a B-organization diet discovered in a spread of foods. Folic acid enables shield in opposition to neural tube defects inside the growing foetus. It is essential for pregnant women to make sure they're receiving sufficient of this essential nutrition.

For girls who are making plans a pregnancy, and during the first 3 months of pregnancy, a day by day folic acid complement of 500 micrograms is usually recommended, as well as eating meals which might be obviously rich in folate or are fortified with folic acid.

 

Folate to your diet

Excellent meals resources of folate include:

• asparagus
• bran flakes
• broccoli
• Brussels sprouts
• chickpeas
• dried beans
• lentils
• spinach.

Very accurate food resources of folate consist of:

• cabbage
• cauliflower
• leeks
• oranges
• orange juice
• parsley
• peas
• wheat germ
• wholegrain bread.

Although liver is high in folate, it is not advocated for ladies who are, or may be pregnant, because of its high nutrition A content material.

Iron and being pregnant

During being pregnant, a girl’s requirement for iron increases. This is because the growing foetus attracts iron from the mother to last it via the primary five or six months after birth.

Iron losses are reduced at some stage in being pregnant, due to the fact the female is now not menstruating. However, this isn't always sufficient to offset the desires of the growing foetus. It is important for pregnant ladies to devour iron-rich foods each day, which includes meat, chook, seafood, dried beans and lentils, and green leafy veggies.

Animal assets of iron are simply absorbed by way of the frame. Iron from plant assets isn't always absorbed as without difficulty, but absorption is helped when those meals are eaten together with foods that contain diet C (together with oranges). This is important for women who comply with a vegetarian diet.

The advocated every day consumption (RDI) of iron all through pregnancy is 27 mg an afternoon (9 mg a day greater than for non-pregnant women). Iron deficiency throughout pregnancy is commonplace in Australia, and iron supplements may be wished by way of some women. It is essential to talk about your want for dietary supplements along with your health practitioner, as iron can be poisonous (poisonous) in big amounts.

Iodine and pregnancy:

Iodine is an essential mineral wanted for the production of thyroid hormone, that is vital for growth and development. If you don’t have sufficient iodine consumption at some point of being pregnant, it increases your baby’s hazard of mental impairment and congenital hypothyroidism (previously called cretinism).

Foods that are desirable assets of iodine include:

• seafood
• seaweed (including nori and kelp)
• eggs
• meat
• dairy products.

Iodised salt also consists of iodine. It is critical to keep away from adding salt at the table or in cooking, however if you do, make certain it's far labeled iodized.

Due to the re-emergence of iodine deficiency in Australia, iodised salt is now delivered to all commercially offered bread in Australia and New Zealand, except for natural and unleavened bread.

Pregnant and breastfeeding girls have elevated iodine necessities. Iodine supplementation of 150 micrograms per day is usually recommended for women making plans a being pregnant, in the course of pregnancy and whilst breastfeeding.

Vitamin D and pregnancy

Vitamin D is critical to your baby’s growth and development and your personal health for the duration of being pregnant.

We get most of our vitamin D from the sun. Ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun produces nutrition D inside the skin and is the first-rate herbal source of nutrition D.  Only a small amount of our vitamin D intake comes from our food plan – from ingredients together with eggs, oily fish, margarine and milks fortified with vitamin D.

Women at most hazard of vitamin D deficiency are ladies who:

•have darkish colored skin

•wear overlaying or concealing clothing for non secular or different motives

•spend a lot time indoors.

You may also need a blood take a look at at the beginning of your being pregnant to evaluate your vitamin D ranges. If so, your physician (GP) will set up this. Depending in your consequences, you might want to take nutrition D supplements. Your GP will talk this with you.

If you're thinking about taking nutrition D or some other supplements during pregnancy, always talk it together with your GP first.

Constipation throughout being pregnant

Constipation is a common prevalence at some stage in pregnancy. To help with constipation, revel in a extensive type of meals which can be high in fibre, inclusive of veggies, legumes, fruit and wholegrains and drink plenty of water. Being physically active can also help with reducing constipation.

Nausea and vomiting during being pregnant

Nausea and vomiting, mainly ‘morning illness’, are common during pregnancy, specially within the first trimester.

Some hints that could additionally assist encompass:

• Eat a few dry bread, biscuits or cereal earlier than getting up inside the morning. Get up slowly, warding off surprising actions.
• Drink liquids among, rather than with, food to avoid bloating, as this will trigger vomiting.
• Avoid massive meals and greasy, incredibly spiced meals.
• Suck on some thing sour like a lemon.
• Relax, rest and get into the clean air as an awful lot as feasible. Keep rooms properly ventilated and odour loose.
• Try foods and drinks containing ginger, consisting of ginger tea, as these occasionally relieve nausea.

 

Heartburn and pregnancy

Heartburn is commonplace in being pregnant due to the fact, because the child grows, there may be greater strain on the abdomen. Small, frequent food may also assist, in comparison to larger meals.

Try to keep away from:

• eating late at night
• bending, lifting or mendacity down after food
• excessive consumption of tea or espresso.

You may additionally like to attempt napping with your bedhead raised a touch. You can try this by setting a folded blanket or pillow under your bed.

Alcohol during being pregnant

There is not any regarded safe degree of alcohol consumption for ladies who are pregnant. Consuming alcohol in the course of pregnancy increases the hazard of miscarriage, low beginning weight, congenital deformities and consequences on the infant’s intelligence.

The Australian recommendations to lessen health risks from ingesting alcohol endorse that the safest choice for pregnant girls isn't to drink alcohol at all.

If you find it difficult to decrease or stop consuming alcohol in the course of being pregnant talk to:

• your doctor or midwife
• your local network health service
• an alcohol and other drug helpline for your nation or territory.

The organism that causes listeria infection is destroyed with the aid of heat, so well cooked meals are not a chance.

Good meals hygiene reduces the risk of contamination

Good meals hygiene is the satisfactory manner to reduce the chance of salmonella and listeria infections. Suggestions include:

• Always wash your hands earlier than and after getting ready meals.
• Keep your kitchen surfaces easy.
• Do now not allow raw meals contaminate cooked meals.
• Wash fruit, vegetables and salad before consuming.
• Cook food thoroughly.
• Keep pets faraway from kitchen surfaces.
• Wear rubber gloves whilst managing cat litter trays or gardening.
• Store food at correct temperatures.