Can baby get shaken baby syndrome in the womb? No. Going down a bumpy road while pregnant, jumping, running or even tripping won’t affect baby, thanks to the protective amniotic fluid inside the uterus, Horton explains.

So, from the point of view of horse riding being an exercise, it shouldn’t cause you too much harm during pregnancy. The second thing that concerns pregnant women is the percussive, or jurky nature, of horse riding – they worry that this and the open pelvis position that they sit in may cause miscarriage.

High on the list of activities doctors recommend avoiding while pregnant is horseback riding (along with downhill skiing, ice hockey and cycling.) “In general I tell people if they’re excellent horseback riders and are just walking around on the horse, they can continue up to 12 weeks,” says OBGYN Kay Daniels.

The earliest signs of autism involve the absence of typical behaviors—not the presence of atypical ones—so they can be tough to spot. In some cases, the earliest symptoms of autism are even misinterpreted as signs of a “good baby,” since the infant may seem quiet, independent, and undemanding.

#3 Baby is quiet and attentive at least a few times each day When infants are quiet and alert, they’re taking note of everything around them and processing all kinds of new information. “Babies begin having more awake time when they’re about 1 month old,” Dr. Shu says.

If a usually active baby suddenly becomes quiet, it may be a sign of a common infection, such as a cold, which may cause fever. Lethargy could also be a sign of a more serious infection such as the flu or meningitis.

Symptoms:

• Rapid heartbeat.
• Breathing difficulties.
• Feeding problems (which result in inadequate weight gain)
• Swelling in the legs, abdomen, or about the eyes.
• Pale grey or bluish skin.

What causes birth defects?

• Genetic problems. One or more genes might have a change or mutation that results in them not working properly, such as in Fragile X syndrome.
• Chromosomal problems.
• Infections.
• Exposure to medications, chemicals, or other agents during pregnancy.

What are rare birth defects?

• Muscular dystrophy.
• Osteogenesis imperfecta.
• Progeria.
• Smith Lemli Opitz syndrome.
• Spinal muscular atrophy.
• Tuberous sclerosis.
• Turner syndrome.
• X-linked lymphoproliferative syndrome (Duncan disease)

Ultrasound can detect some types of physical birth defects. Examples of physical birth defects that may be found at 19 – 20 weeks are most cases of spina bifida, some serious heart defects, some kidney problems, absence of part of a limb and some cases of cleft palate.

Many birth defects can be diagnosed before birth with tests. Chromosome problems such as Down syndrome can be diagnosed before birth by looking at cells in the amniotic fluid or from the placenta. Or they can be found by looking at the baby’s DNA in the mother’s blood (noninvasive prenatal screening).

Toxoplasmosis, cytomegalovirus (CMV), varicella, rubella, and lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) are among the agents that are recognized to have the potential to cause birth defects in a developing fetus.