A cleft lip and palate is a birth defect that occurs when the facial structures of the fetus do not close completely. This typically occurs between the sixth and tenth week of the pregnancy, according to KidsHealth.org. This birth defect can be...
A cleft lip or palate is one of the most common birth defects in the United States. Fortunately, a variety of early interventions are available to treat the child with cleft lip or palate. From surgeries to different therapies, treatments are...
Diabetes is a chronic medical condition in which your body fails to effectively regulate its own blood glucose levels. If you are a woman with diabetes, this disease can cause some complications if you become pregnant. Even if you do not have type...
Human chorionic gonadotropin, or hCG, is a hormone produced by the placenta early in pregnancy. Home pregnancy tests read levels of hCG to give a positive or negative pregnancy test result. Because these tests don't determine the exact amount of...
Pregnancy is a happy time for most women. While most expectant mothers experience an average pregnancy, there are certain dangers associated with this condition which can result in health complications for both you and your baby. Knowing what...
Many women associate bleeding or spotting during pregnancy as a bad sign or as if something has gone wrong, but, according to the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, this is not necessarily true. Spotting during pregnancy is...
Folic acid is the chemical name for the manmade form of vitamin B-9. The naturally occurring form of vitamin B-9 is called folate. Despite the distinction between the terms folic acid and folate, many people use these terms interchangeably when...
When your baby was still growing inside you, your body provided nourishment for your little one. After giving birth, you can still provide nutrition in the form of breastfeeding, which means you must continue to eat enough to support you and your...
For many women, pregnancy is a happy occasion. They look forward to the birth of their little one and begin dreaming of ways to decorate the nursery while imagining who the baby will look like. Before all of this can take place though, you need to...
Pregnancy is a time that is filled with joy and expectations. It can also be a time that is nerve-wracking, as you worry about your unborn child. While most pregnancies run smoothly, there is always the possibility that something unexpected can...
When the two lines appear on a pregnancy test indicating that you're pregnant, you begin a 40-week journey into motherhood. Although every pregnancy is different, several aspects stay the same with everyone. The most important thing to do during...
Pregnancy is an amazing and exciting time for new parents. As mom carries on with her daily life, a few cells inside her grow into a living, breathing, kicking, screaming baby, in just 40 short weeks. While mom's uterus grows from the size of a...
Vasectomy reversal is a surgery used to undo the results of a prior vasectomy. It is most common after a man remarries or a couple loses a child. The surgery is more complicated than a vasectomy, has a longer recovery time and is only successful...
Most pregnant women worry about the effects of taking medication on the growing fetus. When medications are available over the counter, many pregnant women assume that they're safe to use without asking a medical provider. But many...
Breastfeeding burns calories, so it makes sense that lactating would result in weight loss. Although this is sometimes the case, women who breastfeed do not always experience weight loss. If you are currently breastfeeding and want to lose weight,...
When you are two months pregnant, your body and your baby need several nutrients to continue developing properly throughout your pregnancy. The best way to get these nutrients is through a prenatal vitamin and possibly some additional supplements....
Menstrual cycles cease during pregnancy. After a woman gives birth, menstrual cycles may not occur at the same interval or last the same amount of time as they did before pregnancy. Some women also experience a change in menstrual flow, with...
Although every pregnancy is different, many pregnancies present with similar symptoms during the first week. As the embryo makes its descent through the fallopian tube and implants in the uterus, hormone levels soar and changes abound in the...
Pregnancy is divided into three trimesters, correlating roughly to three months in each trimester. At three months of pregnancy, hormone levels are high, and so many of the symptoms of pregnancy at this time are due to hormone changes, although...
Full term pregnancy is measured as 40 weeks, but the first day of pregnancy is counted as the first day of the last menstrual period. This means that at four weeks of pregnancy, a woman is just due for her menstrual period. Signs of pregnancy at...
Spina bifida, a congenital defect involving the spinal canal, can result in paralysis and weight gain. According to 2009 report by the Spina Bifida Association, after age six, 50 percent of children, adolescents and adults with spina bifida are...
Within the first month of pregnancy a woman's egg becomes fertilized and undergoes rapid changes to eventually form what is called an embryo. Merck Manual explains that a fertilized egg (called a zygote) develops into a blastocyst, then an embryo...
Abortions end pregnancies. Various types of abortive techniques are available, including the abortion pill and the in-clinic abortion procedures vacuum aspiration and Dilation and evacuation (D and E). The abortion pill, also known as...
