Q: I am a 33 years old female, into my eighth month of pregnancy. During my seventh month, I had a viral infection, which was accompanied by cold and severe throat pain. I did not take any medication for this and did some home remedies like salt water gargling and drinking hot water etc and the infection subsided within 8 days. In the due course, my father died since he was chronically ill. After all this, I went for a check-up and was asked to undergo a scanning as my gynaecologist suspected that my tummy was not growing properly. After scanning, it was discovered that I have oligoamnios with intra-uterine growth retardation (IUGR) and that the baby’s growth is late by four weeks. The baby weighs just a kg. I am taking sufficient bed rest, a diet rich in all nutrients and having a lot of fluids for the last three weeks but my tummy is not growing. I am very scared. Would my baby survive?

A:To help the baby to grow, first you need to take a lot of rest at least 12-14 hours in a day, with still enough to occupy you while resting folding clothes, making menus, keeping in touch with friends and people close to you to support you through this very tough time. Eating a high protein diet, with enough proteins will help the baby grow and also help you get over the grief of the loss of your father. Keep a count of the movements of the baby, and do not miss your check ups with the doctor. Take help with household chores as well, if possible. If there is no improvement in fetal growth and fluid amount, you may need to be hospitalised as well for a short time to stabilize the pregnancy till some growth improvement starts. If your blood pressure is high, you may also need to be started on anti-hypertensive drugs and low dose aspirin, so please keep a watch on that as well.