Pregnancy

Pregnancy is where a female carries offspring within her uterus. Human females are capable of bearing more than one child within the womb, producing twins, though this is somewhat rare, with only a 1 in 33 chance of occuring. Although childbirth will usually occur approximately 38 weeks after conception, a child may be birthed prematurely in roughly 12% of all pregnancies, which may result in an undersized baby that is at an increased risk for health problems. A post mature child, one that is born after the expected 38-40 weeks of pregnancy, is also at an increased risk for malnutrition and other health problems, and doctors may have to force birth to save the child's health. It is recommended that mothers avoid using unhealthy substances (cigarettes, alcohol, drugs, etc.) during pregnancy to decrease the risk of a child being born with abnormalities (birth defects).