Fight Prematurity with Awareness - Longer Pregnancies Ob-Gyns Say

Washington, DC -- Prematurity is a leading cause of infant morbidity and mortality in the US. While many preterm births are spontaneous, some babies that could be born at full-term are delivered earl...

Parto por cesarea

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La mayoria de los bebes llegan al mundo a traves del canal de parto (la vagina). Sin embargo, en casi un tercio de los casos, los bebes nacen por cesarea. Esto quiere decir que se extrae al bebe medi...

Que puede esperar cuando pasa la fecha prevista del parto

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Esperar el nacimiento de un nino es un momento que pueda estar lleno de emociones y tambien de ansiedad, especialmente si su embarazo se extiende hasta despues de la fecha prevista del parto. El prom...

Como saber cuando ha comenzado el trabajo de parto

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La espera antes del nacimiento de un bebe es un periodo lleno de emociones y ansiedad. En promedio, un embarazo dura 280 dias, o 40 semanas. Sin embargo, no hay manera de determinar con exactitud cua...

New Recommendations to Prevent Blood Clots During Cesarean Deliveries Issued

Washington, DC -- In an effort to reduce maternal mortality due to blood clots—a leading cause of maternal death in the US—The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (The Col...

Letter to the Editor New York Times

On August 9, 2011, The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists submitted the following letter to the editor of The New York Times: August 9, 2011 The New York Times 620 8th Avenue New ...

Maternal-Fetal Intervention and Fetal Care Centers

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ABSTRACT: The past two decades have yielded profound advances in the fields of prenatal diagnosis and fetal intervention. Although fetal interventions are driven by a beneficence-based motivation to ...

Thyroid Disease

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What is thyroid disease? The thyroid gland is located at the base of your neck in front of your trachea (or windpipe). The thyroid gland makes, stores, and releases two hormones—T4 (thyroxine) and T3...

Ultrasound Exams

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What does ultrasound show? Ultrasound creates pictures of the internal organs of the body from sound waves. There is no radiation involved. The sound waves are directed into a specific area of the bo...

Repeated Miscarriage

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What causes repeated miscarriage? There are many reasons for repeated miscarriage. More than one half of miscarriages in the first 13 weeks of pregnancy are caused by problems with the chromosomes of...

Reducing Your Risk of Birth Defects

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What is a birth defect? A birth defect is a problem that is present at birth and affects how the baby looks, functions, or both. A birth defect also is called a congenital disorder. More than 4,000 d...

Nutrition During Pregnancy

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What basic nutrients should every diet include? Every diet should include proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, and fat. Dietary reference intakes (DRIs) are recommended amounts an individual...

If Your Baby Is Breech

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What is a breech presentation? By 3-4 weeks before the due date, most babies move so their heads are down near the birth canal (vagina). If this does not happen, the buttocks, the feet, or both may b...

How Your Baby Grows During Pregnancy

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How does pregnancy begin? Fertilization, the union of an egg and a sperm, is the first step in a complex series of events that leads to pregnancy. Fertilization takes place in the fallopian tube. Dur...

Tobacco Alcohol Drugs and Pregnancy

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Why is smoking bad during pregnancy? If a woman smokes when she is pregnant, her baby is exposed to harmful chemicals such as tar, nicotine, and carbon monoxide. Nicotine causes blood vessels to cons...

The Rh Factor - How It Can Affect Your Pregnancy

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What is the Rh factor? The Rh factor is a type of protein found on red blood cells. Most people have the Rh factor—they are Rh positive. Others do not have the Rh factor—they are Rh negative. A simpl...

What to Expect After Your Due Date

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What is the due date and what does it mean? Your due date is used as a guide for checking your pregnancy's progress and the baby's growth and age. Health care providers often use more than one method...

Travel During Pregnancy

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When is the best time to travel during pregnancy? The best time to travel is probably the middle of your pregnancy—between weeks 14 and 28. Most common pregnancy emergencies usually happen in the fir...

Special Tests for Monitoring Fetal Health

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What is special fetal testing? Special fetal testing ("fetal" refers to the developing offspring in the uterus from the ninth week of pregnancy until the end of pregnancy) helps check the health, act...

Screening for Birth Defects

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What is a birth defect? A birth defect is a physical problem that is present at birth. A birth defect may affect how the body looks, functions, or both. Many birth defects are mild, but some can be s...

Routine Tests in Pregnancy

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What types of tests are done during pregnancy? A number of tests are suggested for all women during prenatal care. Some of these tests are performed on samples of your blood and urine and cells from ...

Skin Conditions During Pregnancy

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What causes dark spots during pregnancy? During pregnancy, many women notice dark spots on their breasts, nipples, or inner thighs. These dark areas come from an increase in the body's melanin. This ...

Early Pregnancy Loss - Miscarriage and Molar Pregnancy

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What causes miscarriage? Miscarriage can be caused by a number of things before, during, or after the process of fertilization—in which the male sperm and the female egg join. Most factors that cause...

Cystic Fibrosis - Prenatal Screening and Diagnosis

FAQ171

What is cystic fibrosis (CF)? Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a genetic disorder. It is caused by an abnormal gene that is passed from parent to child. It is a lifelong illness that affects all of the organs...

Easing Back Pain During Pregnancy

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What causes back pain during pregnancy? Back pain in pregnancy has many possible causes. It usually is caused by strain on the back muscles. In mid-pregnancy, when your uterus becomes heavier, your c...