To Parent or Not to Parent: Obstacles to Conception
There are many reasons why couples may find it difficult to conceive, ranging from physical problems to stress. There are often emotional challenges that come about as a result, sometimes intensified by painful interactions with family and friends....
Haley or Matthew's Story: Planned Pregnancy, A
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 ...
Haley or Matthew's Story: Nutrition During Pregnancy
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-...
Healthy Pregnancy
Dr. Ed McCabe, Chief of the Mattel Children's Hospital at UCLA, talks about some of the things women can do to have a healthy pregnancy. He states that the incidence of neural tube defects could be reduced by 50 to 75% if pregnant women would take a...
Haley or Matthew's Story: Labor and Delivery: First Stage
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...
Haley or Matthew's Story: Diagnostic Techniques Allow Doctors to Evaluate Fetus
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 ...
Haley or Matthew's Story: Impact of Stress During Pregnancy
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...
Haley or Matthew's Story: Labor and Delivery: A Caesarian Section
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...
Diabetes and Pregnancy
Dr. Ed McCabe, Chief of the Mattel Children's Hospital at UCLA, talks about some of the reasons prenatal care is so important. He notes that there is an increased risk of diabetes during pregnancy, adding that all pregnant women should be monitored,...
Counseling, Genetics, and Risk
Dr. Ed McCabe, Chief of the Mattel Children's Hospital at UCLA, talks about the different ways people react when they learn that their unborn child is at risk for severe malformation or mental retardation. Dr. McCabe adds that he is careful in such ...