Pregnant woman
Women need to be extra careful when it comes to choosing the right kind of foods to eat when they’re pregnant. That’s because they are eating not only for themselves but also for their baby. IN PHOTO: A pregnant woman is seen in this undated handout image. Reuters/Newscom/Handout

Healthcare providers always try to give the best advice to pregnant mothers to ensure that babies are delivered safe and healthy. A number of studies have showed how performing certain activities can lead to smarter babies. Here are some of the most tried and tested strategies mothers do for babies still in utero.

1. Stop bad habits

Pregnant women quit unhealthy lifestyle habits, like smoking, drinking, taking drugs or getting exposed to pollution throughout the duration of their pregnancy to avoid health problems to both mother and child, as well as boost the baby's intelligence. A study conducted at the University of Turku showed how smoking can have adverse effects on a fetus, particularly its brain. As a result, babies of non-smoking mothers are more likely to have higher IQ compared to those who smoked during pregnancy.

2. Determine whether they have morning sickness

There is no way to cause a pregnant woman to have morning sickness. However, a study conducted at the University of Toronto and published on NineMSN.com, showed how women who experienced morning sickness during pregnancy tend to have babies that scored higher on language, IQ and behavior tests.

3. Have better nutrition

Pregnant mothers improve their diet while pregnant, adding essential vitamins and minerals and taking supplements like folic acid to prevent neurodegenerative diseases to their babies. Improving nutritional intake will boost a baby's immune response as well as enhance cognitive development, leading to smarter babies.

4. Listen to classical music

There are reports that pregnant women and babies who regularly listen to classical music by masters like Bach, Beethoven and Mozart will enhance the young ones' intelligence. The musical rhythms are said to improve the way babies think and develop their cognitive responses. Mothers make it a habit to listen to classical tunes every day.

5. Find a strong and healthy mate

John McGrath of the Queensland Brain Institute of the University of Queensland in Brisbane Australia headed a research published on WebMD, which showed that children of older fathers scored lower on intelligence tests. McGrath suggested that the sperm of older fathers tend to cause more mutations, thereby compromising the IQ of their offspring.