Lesson 8 of 8

A healthy pregnancy

Goal: Explain how a mother’s lifestyle affects the foetus.

Puzzles for this lesson

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A pregnant woman standing in a kitchen with a glass of water

Substances in the mother’s blood can pass across the placenta. Some help the foetus to grow. Some harm it.

Pick a substance to see which way it passes.

  • Diet: the foetus gets all its nutrients from its mother. A balanced diet helps it to grow well.
  • Smoking: carbon monoxide from the smoke means that the mother’s blood carries less oxygen. The baby is more likely to be born early and small.
  • Alcohol: it crosses the placenta and can damage the brain of the foetus as it develops.
  • Drugs: many drugs cross the placenta, and that includes some medicines. A pregnant woman checks with a doctor or a pharmacist first.

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Key words in this lesson

Foetus The developing baby, from about eight weeks until birth

Placenta Organ where substances pass between mother and foetus

For teachers: AQA 3.10.2 · Cambridge 9Bp.08