Pregnancy | Health News RSS

Bariatric Surgery Before Pregnancy Could Reduce Complications

If you are currently obese and you are considering having a child you might want to think about bariatric surgery before conception. It has been shown that by having this procedure prior to pregnancy could reduce the risks of neonatal and maternal complications during pregnancy and have a better chance to result in a healthy and happy infant.

Excessive Weight Gain During Pregnancy Poses Health Risks

The health risks associated with weight gain are well known, but when you are pregnant it takes on a whole new significance. While it’s true that you are “eating for two,” eating twice as much usually results in excessive weight gain, meaning you will have more difficulty losing the weight after the baby is born. It also means an increased risk of having a large baby. According to a new study, gaining 40 pounds or more during pregnancy almost doubles the risk of having a baby that weighs 9 pounds or more, posing health risks to both mother and child. Bigger babies can

Should Women Say NO to Caffeine During Pregnancy?

Caffeine is a morning ritual most people don't think twice about. In this age of Starbucks and $4 lattes, coffee seems to have become a regular part of the daily diet. Getting pregnant means having to change that habit, and the amount of caffeine intake, whether it is from coffee, tea, soda or other forms. Women who are pregnant and consume caffeine, even as little as one cup of coffee a day, are at a higher risk of delivering an underweight baby.

Depression During Pregnancy Can Double Risk of Premature Birth

Mothers-to-be who suffer from depression have been shown to have twice the risk of delivering a premature infant than pregnant women that have no symptoms of depression. This risk for premature infants increases as the symptoms of depression become more severe.

Blood Test Detects Down Syndrome (and More) with No Risk to Fetus

A newly developed blood DNA test given to expectant mothers can determine if an unborn baby has Down syndrome or other similar birth defects. Unlike invasive procedures such as the amniocentesis and chorionic villus sampling (CVS), the test poses no risk to the fetus.

Pregnancy on the Rise, Abortion Rates Lowest in 30 Years

Forget that “it” handbag, those coveted shoes, or designer belt you’ve been eyeing, it seems the new accessory among the celebrity set these days is the glow of pregnancy. Everyone from Angelina Jolie to Jamie Lynn Spears, and most recently Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin’s teenage daughter are popping up pregnant and reveling in motherhood.

Childbirth and Postpartum Cardiomyopathy (PPCM)

Epsom Salt Reduces Risk of Cerebral Palsy in Premature Newborns

There is a simple treatment for women at risk of pre-term delivery that can reduce the risk of cerebral palsy in their babies by nearly half. It was recently found through a decades-long study that mothers given an infusion of Epsom salt (magnesium sulfate) decreased the risk for cerebral palsy in their newborns by 45 percent. Healthcare providers consider the treatment a way of stabilizing an expectant mother's blood vessels that in turn keeps sufficient oxygen supplied to the brain of the baby.

Pregnancy Weight Gain: What's Considered Healthy?

Like most things in life, there is no one-size-fits-all plan that addresses weight gain during pregnancy. How much weight gain is healthy depends on many factors, including your body mass index (BMI) going into the pregnancy and your weight from the pregnancy. Like it or not, weight gain with a pregnancy is a given, but gaining the right amount of weight can support your baby's healthy and make it easier to get rid of the weight after delivery. You can work with your physician to see what plan is right for you.

Reproductive Tourism: Traveling Abroad for IVF

When Louise Joy Brown came into the world on July 25, 1978, in Oldham, England, she didn't know it, but the techniques used in her birth would enable millions of childless couples across the globe to have the babies they longed for; her birth forever changed people's lives. Louise was the world's first test tube baby. Today, 30 years after her birth, assisted reproductive technology has helped in the birth of over 3.5 million babies worldwide.