All Entries in the "Pregnancy & Birth" Category

Air Travel Safety Guidelines for Different Stages of Pregnancy

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (ACOG) consider air travel safe till the thirty-sixth week of a normal pregnancy. The ideal time that pregnant women could opt for air travel is in-between 18-24 weeks of gestation as the likelihood of miscarrying and preterm labor are comparatively lesser by that time. Hence, in case one has already booked an air ticket, there is no necessity to hustle around amending travel plans due to pregnancy. Here are several handy tips and crucial info about flying being permissible in which stages of pregnancy. Air Travel Safety tips through all stages of pregnancy Pregnant women shouldn’t be worried about passing through metal detectors placed in airports since they are not X-ray apparatus and pose no risk to maternal-fetal health. Furthermore,  [...]

Dos and Don’ts of Exercising for Pregnant Women

A latest research has shown that 3 among 4 pregnant women were not getting sufficient exercise and lesser than one in four were meeting parameters advised by private health groups and the administration. ACOG (American Congress of Obstetrics and Gynaecologists) – the biggest association of obstetricians and gynaecologists has recommended pregnant women without any complications to do thirty minutes or above of moderate intensity exercising on majority of the days. According to The Department of Health and Human Services recommendation, pregnant women should ideally engage in a minimum of two and a half hours of weekly exercising with moderate intensity aerobic activities. However study of information from a nationwide delegate health review corroborates that a small populace of females  [...]

Genital Herpes Treatment during Pregnancy

The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) has furnished the directives regarding the usage of anti-viral drugs for genital herpes treatment during pregnancy. Acyclovir or Zovirax is recommended orally for genital herpes treatment in case of pregnant women infected with primary HSV or in case of acute recurring outbreak. Acyclovir could be orally administered to expectant mothers during any time period of their gestational term, inclusive of the initial three months of their gestational term. Intravenous administration of acyclovir could be advised for expectant mothers who are having severe genital herpes infection. Acyclovir could reduce the prevalence of recurring genital herpes outbreaks among expectant mothers who are close to their due date of delivery, by this means  [...]

Lupus – How it impacts Pregnancy?

Lupus is often noted to affect females in their reproductive years. Those women detected with lupus are medically advised on avoiding pregnancy as lupus signs could exacerbate or pregnancy might end in miscarriage. In case a pregnant woman develops lupus then it could have an effect on her kidneys and a greater risk to the foetus. Fertility or conception chances would be diminished during the flare-up phases of this disease due to hormonal fluctuations occurring as a result of lupus or side-effects associated with drug intake for treating the condition. Impact of Lupus on Materno-fetal Health Expectant mothers with lupus might start developing signs analogous to pre-eclampsia like swollenness, proteinuria – a kidney condition leading to anomalously elevated protein levels in urine,  [...]

Alcohol Intake and Pregnancy – A Toxic Cocktail

Alcohol intake during pregnancy could lead to wide-ranging birth flaws both physically and mentally affecting the foetus. FASD or fetal alcohol spectrum disorder is the term describing the myriad conditions linked to alcohol exposure prior to delivery. Even moderate or light amounts of alcohol intake could prove detrimental to the foetus and no amount of alcohol intake among pregnant women has proven safety. Hence, it is advisable to steer clear from any form of alcoholic beverages like beers, wines, wine cooler, liquors during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Alcohol following consumption can easily permeate the placental barrier and reach the foetus. The immaturely developed body of the unborn child is unable to swiftly break down the alcohol as quickly as a grown-ups body is capable of  [...]

5 Prevalent Menstrual Problems That Hinder Pregnancy Chances

Most often the least of concerns boggling many women are whether their periods are totally regular till the time conception is attempted. Factually, the sole problem that would grasp a woman’s attention is the sporadic cramps. However, once one is trying to get pregnant all such matters that were earlier brushed aside as manageable do tend to become niggling concerns for women. Essential to human reproduction, on a monthly basis the lining of the uterus preps itself up for receiving and nourishing a fertilized egg. However, in case the fertilization fails, the lining is discarded in the form of periods. In majority of the cases, women start getting their periods by the time they are sixteen years old that would continue till about fifty years of age. The menstrual bleeding cycle occurs  [...]

7 Top Body-Prepping Exercises Prior To Getting Pregnant

Having a fit pre-conception body would offer long standing benefits and help in smooth sailing through the nine months, child delivery and further. Work outs are the ideal things any woman could do for facilitating a normal pregnancy, not just beneficial for the baby but additionally giving one firm core muscles that would aid in evading pains of the back and hip area. Commencing on an exercise routine prior to conception is the best thing to do as one could pursue it through pregnancy (after seeking medical advice though). However, in case one is not into regularly exercising prior to attempting conception, then one must rather not start on one in the initial three months of pregnancy. Many healthcare professionals usually recommend that women must not begin any new form of exercise  [...]

C-Sections: Unearthing Crucial Aspects

Many women endorse C-sections or caesarean sections, as the very idea of having to push a baby via a narrow cms-wide opening could be quite a harrowing thought. Factually, C-sections are conducted so routinely in present times that several consider it merely a substitute to vaginal birth, and not as a major surgery that is performed on the abdomen. Nowadays, 1 in 3 babies are delivered through C-section, in accordance to the latest information – a fifty percent hike over the past ten years and is bound to rise even further. The procedure is conducted when the mother or the baby are distressed or other reasons that are contributing to making vaginal birth risky – in such circumstances, it could be a major lifesaving procedure. However, just approx. 5% of C-sections are proper emergencies.  [...]

Exercising Till End Of Gestational Term Deemed Favourable For Materno-Foetal Health

Contradictory to more traditional norms, partaking in exercise till the last trimester of pregnancy has no detrimental outcome on the weight or size of the unborn child, a novel research has indicated. This has been suggested in a study conducted by the researchers from the Polytechnic University of Madrid that additionally revealed the remarkable association between the weight of inactive mothers prior to getting pregnant and the size of the babies born to them. The findings that have lately been printed in the International Journal of Obesity found that engaging in low-intensity physical activity is advantageous to the health of both the mother and the baby. Jonatan R. Ruiz, the main author of the study and a researcher from the Karolinska Institute, Sweden states that maintaining a  [...]

Novel Mathematical Model Enhances Chances Of Healthier Living For IUGR Babies

IUGR or Intra-uterine growth restriction is a condition when the fetus is smaller as compared to the expected number of weeks of gestation, because of related health problems such as inadequately developed heart that could cause major bearing on the baby’s health as extreme as brain damage. When IUGR is detected, doctors employ ultrasound for tracking the baby’s health and determining the appropriate delivery time. However, such measurements are mostly imperfect and gynaecologists had to resort to erudite conjectures regarding the strength of an unborn baby’s circulatory system. IUGR babies would now have enhanced likelihood of a healthier living with due gratitude to a novel research from Tel Aviv University. Professor Ofer Barnea from TAU’s Department of Biomedical Engineering  [...]