In today's hospitals, the birthing process attempts to facilitate early interaction between mother and child and foster the attachment process. Breast feeding not only connects mothers with their babies but is healthy for both. Four days after his d...
There is much a woman needs to learn prior to conceiving a child and during the 38 weeks of pregnancy. For example, the risk of neural tube defect is reduced by taking folic acid in the pre conceptual and early conceptual period. Good nutrition and ...
Women often become more health conscious when they become pregnant, and that translates into a more healthy diet. Undernourished pregnant women have a higher risk of miscarriage, premature birth, and babies with birth defects. From a physical point-...
About 8 percent of babies are born prematurely and weigh 5 pounds or less at birth; 1.5% weight less than 3 pounds. Although medical advances have increased the survival rate of premature babies, it is still the second leading cause of infant mortal...
The first part of labor is cervical dilation, rhythmic contractions of the uterine muscles that cause the cervix to dilate and efface. Expectant parents Tracey and J.P. leave for the hospital when her contractions are only minutes apart, but it soon...
Physicians use medical technologies like ultrasound and amniocentesis to monitor the progress of the fetus during pregnancy. Ultrasound allows doctors to detect structural abnormalities, and estimate the age and position of the fetus. Amniocentesis ...
Reading Greek poetry or listening to classical music may not influence the developing brain of a fetus, but controlling stress certainly does. Research shows that women who experience stress during their pregnancy have a greater risk of having a bab...
At the end of the first stage, during the period of labor called transition, contractions occur every 1 to 2 minutes. In the second stage of labor uterine contractions move the baby into the birth canal. But in some cases there are complications, as...