Shorter Women Have More Complications During Pregnancy: True Or False

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Pregnancy is a beautiful chapter in a woman’s life. It is the time when she has to take utmost care of herself, eat right, take proper rest, and maintain herself. People often say that what you eat and drink during your pregnancy might affect your child’s growth and development. It is, therefore, very essential that you consume proper food and ensure the perfect development of your child.
Speaking about your child’s growth, height is something that is not in your control unlike weight.

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What’s more? A new research conducted by the March of Dimes Prematurity Research Center – Ohio Collaborative (1) has proved that women who are shorter in height have a higher chance of premature birth. However, it is not only the height that affects your child’s birth and growth, but others factors like food and lifestyle too can affect your child’s birth.
But what does short exactly mean? Typically, women who are less than 5 feet tall are considered to be short. But, this does not mean that women who are less than 5 feet tall cannot have a normal delivery. They too can have normal child birth with a properly developed baby. However, short women can have some complications when it comes to child birth.
Here, we have put together a list of few things that might cause a complication when it comes to giving birth in shorter women.

1. Early Birth

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Premature birth is something that worries most parents. But what does premature birth exactly mean? A baby who is born before completing 37 weeks is termed as a premature baby. Premature birth is typically associated with respiratory and digestive disorders. Some studies have proved that the height of a mother is related to the birth of her baby.

2. Weight Could Be A Problem

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The weight of a baby depends much on the height of the mother. Since the uterus of a short woman is smaller in size, the baby does not have enough space to grow inside the womb. And, it affects the weight too. Smaller the baby less is their weight.

3. Cephalopelvic disproportion (CPD)

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Cephalopelvic disproportion might be another problem short women could face. Cephalopelvic disproportion occurs when a baby’s head is bigger than their mother’s pelvis which makes it difficult for the baby to pass through the mother’s pelvis. This causes great pain to the mother and her unborn child. Although such instances are very rare, it might be affect some women, especially those who are short in height.

4. Damage To Tissue

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This is another big problem some new mothers could face. Tissue damage might happen when a woman undergoes labour and the birth canal is too small for the baby to pass through it. In this case, if the baby does not succeed in passing through the canal fast and the labour period goes on for quite some time, the tissues surrounding the region might get affected, causing damage. The region in between the vagina and the rectum might also bleed, causing pain to the mother. However, such cases are quite rare. In most cases, even short women tend to have a normal delivery.
If you are short in height and are about to give birth, there is absolutely no need to worry. Eating the right food, taking proper rest, and maintaining your health is all that you need for giving birth to a beautiful and healthy baby. Therefore, forget all your worries and welcome your little one with a smile. Think about all the things that you have planned for your newborn and make sure that you stay happy and calm during your pregnancy. This will ensure a healthy delivery for your baby and will also ease your stress. Happy parenting!