Healthy Babies with Foresight!

What better way to start off the new millennium than writing about new life? In particular healthy new life. Increasingly, couples are having problems conceiving or are facing the anguish of miscarriage, stillbirth, malformation or impaired foetal development. Even if born with all their fingers and toes intact, many children these days suffer from weak immune systems. There is now enough evidence to show that what happens in the womb has substantial repercussions on the future health of a child.

A few weeks ago, I paid a visit to see Belinda Barnes, the founder of the Foresight organisation in Godalming, Surrey. Foresight is a charity devoted to preconceptual care in preparation for a healthy pregnancy and baby. Their philosophy is simple: if you do all you can to have healthy sperm, ova and a healthy uterus, you optimise your chances of having stronger offspring. Rather like a farmer being concerned about having healthy crops and ensuring his soil is well prepared and nourished before planting any seeds.

Let’s imagine our hardworking farmer is part of the organic movement and does not allow hazardous chemicals anywhere near his precious soil. He makes sure his soil is moist by watering it often (he would not dream of pouring coffee or alcohol onto its surface) and sees to it that it is not infested by dubious-looking organisms. The nutrient content in his soil is all-important so that his seedlings are given the chance to gain a foothold and thrive, particularly in a hostile, polluted environment. He therefore invests in having the content of his soil tested and, if necessary, enriches it with manure high in essential nutrients.

The Foresight approach is similar to that of our good farmer and built upon solid international research. Each couple is given a programme which includes in-depth analysis of nutritional status, practical advice on what to eat and strategies to help with the avoidance of allergens, nicotine, alcohol, drugs and other environmental toxins. Sexually transmitted diseases or genitourinary infections account for a high incidence of infertility and chronic ill-health in infants. Foresight can recommend the best course of action and relevant testing procedures.

Mrs Barnes explained that it takes at least four months for effective changes to occur in both a man and a woman on a Foresight programme. She therefore encourages couples to wait at least this long before trying to conceive. The results are impressive and worth waiting for: research shows that this programme produces healthier full term pregnancies with less nausea and fatigue, easier breastfeeding and healthier children free from malformation. Children are also less prone to infection and hyperactivity.

Whilst on the subject of procreation, I am reminded of rabbits, who always seem to manage quite well. How do they do it? Silly question, they eat rabbit food of course and a lot of it!

For more information or details of a Foresight practitioner in your area, contact Foresight, 178 Hawthorn Rd, West Bognor, West Sussex, PO21 2UY or visit www.foresight.org.

Martina is a qualified nutritionist practising at The Dolphin House Clinic,  Brighton (Tel: 01273-324790). email: martina@thehealthbank.co.uk

For further background information and references on this topic, you may be interested in reading : 

Article first published November 2003, Brighton Argus.

Copyright 2005 Martina Watts              All Rights Reserved              www.martinawatts.com