Pregnancy myths? Bombarded with rumors and facts, expectant parents wonder whether anything is safe for baby.(Health & Fitness)

Daily Herald (Arlington Heights, IL), May, 2007

Byline: Robert McCoppin rmccoppin@@dailyherald.com Don't be alarmed. You just might be killing your baby. That's the message expectant mothers sometimes hear from friends, loved ones and Web sites addressing modern concerns about diet, medicine and other aspects of pre-natal care. For sure, there are real threats out there.

Research has well established that cigarettes, alcohol and illegal drugs can seriously harm a baby in the womb. Lately, parents have also been warned that everyday items from the grocery store, like coffee, deli meat and fish, can seriously harm the fetus. Mothers are given guilt trips for taking over-the-counter medicines and for common habits like sleeping on their backs. Most of us no longer believe old wives' tales that...