Nuchal Transluscency Scan Next Nine Months

Last week, I went for my nuchal scan. A nuchal transluscency scan is one of the prenatal tests used to asses the risks of your baby having Down's syndrome. It is usually carried out between the 11th to 14th week of pregnancy, particularly among older pregnant women, i.e. usually 35 years old and above (yes, I'm already in that age range). An ultrasound is made and the amount of fluid [...] Read More


Routine HIV Test During Pregnancy in New Jersey Next Nine Months

Six months from now, an HIV test will become part of the routine prenatal test for pregnant women in New Jersey. Under the law, women will be tested early in their pregnancies and again in their third trimesters unless they refuse. If a woman refuses, it will be noted, and an H.I.V. test will be performed on the newborn unless the mother has religious objections. This move is meant to prevent infection [...] Read More


Fetal Anomaly Scan Next Nine Months

I just had a fetal anomaly scan last week. This ultrasound examination is a detailed check conducted between 18 to 20 weeks of pregnancy to screen for structural abnormalities that a fetus may have. The size and development of your baby's brain, spine, heart, kidneys and limbs are examined. In my case, I was shown the different features of the face, the chambers of the heart, the blood flow along the [...] Read More


Non-invasive Early Pregnancy Screening: Can Reduce Down Syndrome Births? Straightfromthedoc

In Denmark, non-invasive screening of pregnant women (early in the pregnancy, 11 to 14 weeks of gestation) with ultrasound combined with maternal blood analysis, has reduced the number of children born with Down syndrome by 50%. The combined screening is measurement of nuchal translucency in the fetus by ultrasound - to look at the thickness of the black space (fluid) in the neck area of the fetus (more than the [...] Read More


Faster PCR-Based Diagnostic Test for Down Syndrome The Biotech Weblog

>The traditional method for pre-natal screening for Down syndrome entails karyotyping, and the procedure requires two weeks. Researchers from the Howard Hughes Medical Institut, however, have developed a new PCR-based method which can produce accurate results within two hours. Using a technique known as the digital polymerase chain reaction, Quake and Fan replicated DNA from two cultures of cells growing in the laboratory. One consisted of a normal human cell [...] Read More

If you speak a second language and you would like for your child to eventually learn that language, then let her hear you speak it now while you are pregnant. In a study comparing babies born to English monoligual mothers and babies born to Tagalog-English bilingual mothers, results suggest that prenatal bilingual exposure may affect infants' language preferences, preparing bilingual infants to listen to and learn about both of their native languages. In addition, it appeared that babies are able to discriminate languages even at an early age, which might explain how children brought up in bilingual (or multilingual) environments do not get confused with the languages.

My children are effectively bilingual (English and German) and all this time, I thought it was a result of our consistent efforts at enforcing the one parent-one language approach in our household. But it appears that our children were primed to becoming bilingual even before they were born, having been exposed to both languages in utero!

Now I wonder, if English was the only language one knows and speaks, could one increase her baby's linguistic potentials, for example by playing foreign language audiobooks, music, etc?

Belly Dancing During Pregnancy Next Nine Months

For the longest time, I have been toying with the idea of going on belly dancing classes. Kinda different to the usual salsa, and Ballroom dance classes, everyone seems to be keen on nowadays. From what I've read, belly dancing is also a great form of exercise for pregnant women. Not only does it give you a good cardio work-out, the moves required also tone and strengthen the pelvic and [...] Read More


Navel Piercings and Belly Rings During Pregnancy Next Nine Months

Photo courtesy of iStockphoto, Katherine Gallia A lot of women who have navel piercings opt to remove their belly button rings for the duration of their pregnancy. But does one really have to? It all depends on the wearer. As long as the piercings have completely healed and you don't feel uncomfortable, then by all means, continue to wear your belly jewelry. You probably just need to take extra care that [...] Read More


Pregnant Women Urged to Do Physical Activity During and After Pregnancy Next Nine Months

The US Department of Health and Human Services issued new physical activity guidelines for Americans, and among the groups these new guidelines are aimed at are pregnant women. Basically, pregnant women are urged to engage in more physical activity during pregnancy and after delivery, as this has been shown to benefit not just the mother, but the baby as well.

Specifically, the guidelines call for women to get at least 150 [...] Read More


Belly Dancing and Pregnancy The Parenting Weblog

photo If you think that belly dancing is just for women with flat abs, then you better think again. Belly Dancing is no longer limited to women with bombastic figures, now even expectant mothers can join in the dance, since belly dancing is now an alternative to lamaze classes. Taking belly dancing for birth preparation helps you relax and learn breathing techniques. It also helps: - train the muscles in on [...] Read More


Don't use pregnancy as an excuse not to exercise Daily Power Walk

Life is unpredictable and our lives rarely turn out exactly like we had planned to. That is what happens when you have just decided to lose weight or join a gym and you find out you are pregnant. During your pregnancy you need to take it easy to make sure you and the baby are healthy and safe. But healthy and safe doesn't mean that you are supposed to be [...] Read More

Pregnancy is a time when women are responsible not only for their own health but the health and well being of their unborn baby. A new report shows the first documented link between fetal death and a mother's pregnancy-related gum disease.

The patient, a 35-year-old woman, delivered a full-term stillborn baby in Santa Monica, CA. During her pregnancy, she had experienced severe gum bleeding, a symptom of pregnancy-related gingivitis, according to the report published in the February issue of Ostetrics & Gynecology.

Dr. Edgard El Chaar, MS, DDS, a leading periodontist in New York City, said this is serious warning sign for expecting mothers as well as women who are considering pregnancy:

"This issue should be taken very seriously by the entire medical community. Medical professionals should encourage all women who are pregnant, or looking to become pregnant, to be evaluated by a board-certified periodontist who is qualified in the diagnosis of gum disease and related conditions, and intervene with the proper treatment protocol."

Bleeding gums are common in pregnant women, with an estimated 75% of pregnant women experiencing the issue. Gingivitis, especially common during the second to eight months of pregnancy, can cause red, puffy or tender gums that bleed when you brush. This sensitivity is the body's exaggerated response to plaque and is caused by an increased level of progesterone in the system. If left untreated, the bleeding can allow bacteria into the mother's body to infect the fetus.

Learn more here about Women and Gum Disease.

Plus-Sized and Pregnant Next Nine Months

When I got pregnant with my first child, I was skinny. This time around, I started out, well, a bit on the plump side. I've been meaning to do real serious work-outs, but then pregnancy came before I could even register at the gym. Although I still don't see myself as plus-sized, I feel quite conscious and wished I could have shed off a few pounds before this second pregnancy. [...] Read More


What Pregnant Women Should Avoid and Pregnancy Paranoia Next Nine Months

Photo courtesy of iStockphoto, Frank Oppermann Don't do this, don't do that. Avoid this, skip that. The list of things that are supposed to be unsafe for pregnant women gets longer and longer. It must be a major miracle that we were all born alive and well, because I'm sure our mothers never got to know of these things. Here's a fun, but informative article from the NY Times that [...] Read More


Plump Moms Have Smarter Kids Next Nine Months

If you've got a little bit of, er... padding on your hips, here's something you'd be glad to know for not having a perfect hourglass-shaped figure: women with a lower waist-hip ratio have been shown in studies to be smarter and have smarter offspring. It is believed that the fetus benefits from the polyunsaturated fatty acids (important for brain development) deposited on the mother's hip fats. So yes, being a little [...] Read More


Exercise and Pregnancy Well Woman Blog

Should y ou exercise when you're pregnant? The answer is yes, providing you have no medical conditions that would make it dangerous. According to an article in the Jamaica Gleaner: A study carried out by Dr. Clapp, involving 500 pregnant women, revealed that those who were involved in exercise delivered a healthier baby with a stronger foetal heart rate. Even more fascinating is the fact that of the women who exercised, their [...] Read More


Flu Shots and Pregnancy Well Woman Blog

okay to get your flu shot when you're pregnant? According to ArcaMax, it's not only okay, but an excellent idea to protect the health of your baby: U.S. researchers say giving flu shots to pregnant women may kick-start their baby's immune system. A newly developed technique known as MHC tetramer staining has facilitated the detection of antigen-specific T cells, Columbia University Medical Center said Friday in a release. Families.com advises: Pregnant women are [...] Read More