Meconium aspiration is a potentially serious birthing complication that could result in severe respiratory complications in affected newborns. This condition occurs when a baby breathes in meconium, the black, sticky waste product that has been...
Meconium aspiration is a common complication of childbirth in a newborn. Meconium is the first stool passed by a newborn; it's dark green, very sticky and thick. If a baby is stressed in utero, even for a short time, meconium may be passed into...
Normal pregnancy lasts about 40 weeks from the first day of the last menstrual period. Babies born after more than 42 weeks of pregnancy are considered post-mature or post-term. The danger of post-maturity lies in the fact that the placenta, which...
Cystic fibrosis is a disease that is inherited from one's parents--it is genetic in nature. It involves production of abnormally thick mucus in the body. Production of thick, sticky mucus can lead to clogging of various body systems such as the...
It is natural to be worried about your newborn's bodily functions. A newborn's stool changes in her initial days of life and varies depending on what she eats and what Mom eats if she's breastfeeding. Breastfed babies' bowel movements contain what...
Persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn, also known as PPHN, is defined as ongoing high blood pressure within the pulmonary artery. Normally, the pulmonary artery transports blood from the right side of the heart to the lungs, where...
Pneumonia is an infection of the lungs that can cause significant respiratory distress, difficulty breathing, fever, irritability, cough and decreased feeding and dehydration in babies. Babies can become seriously ill with pneumonia, as their...
As you approach the end of your pregnancy you may feel as if you have been pregnant for a long time. Some women experience the delivery of a postterm infant, or a baby that is born after 42 weeks of gestation, says Karla L. Luxner, author of...
For most babies, birth occurs between 37 and 42 weeks. Due dates are calculated as 40 weeks after the woman's last menstrual period. Babies are considered post term when they are born after 42 weeks gestation, and 10 percent of pregnancies go post...
Very young or breastfed infants often pass green and seedy stools, particularly in the first few weeks of life. Most of the time, this is normal and shouldn't cause you any extra sleepless nights. However, if your infant is a few months old, has...
It's always a surprise to open your baby's diaper and see what he produced today. Once your baby starts eating solid food, the remnants of yesterday's dinner are usually plainly visible. Baby stools are usually not, like adult stool, perfectly...
Cystic fibrosis is an inherited, genetic condition common in people of northern European and Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry. People with cystic fibrosis have progressive lung disease that causes frequent infections and trouble clearing the airways....
According to an article in the April 2000 issue of "Current Opinion in Obstetrics and Gynecology," the health and well-being of the mother are extremely important, and if compromised, can contribute to poor fetal outcomes such growth retardation,...
Cystic fibrosis, or CF, is an inherited disease, which occurs most commonly in the Caucasian population. According to the Mayo Clinic, CF occurs in about 1 out of every 3000 live births. The disease develops when a baby inherits two copies of a...
Cystic fibrosis is an autosomal recessive genetic disorder that affects about 3 percent of the Caucasian population, according to the Merck Manual. CF causes abnormal sodium and water movement in and out of cells in certain organs, such as the...
One of the activities that new parents look forward to least is diaper changes. A baby's bowel movements can vary greatly in color, consistency and odor depending on the baby's age and diet. Parents are often surprised and sometimes concerned when...
Pregnancy normally lasts 40 weeks, but pregnancies that last from 38 to 42 weeks are considered within normal range. Pregnancy that lasts 43 weeks, or 3 weeks after the due date, is considered post term, or post dates. Six to 12 percent of all...
Cystic fibrosis is a genetic disorder in which the defective gene causes abnormally thick mucus secretions. The thickened mucus tends to clog the passageways into which it is secreted. The lungs and pancreas are particularly susceptible to the...
Feces in infants comes in different colors and consistencies. Formula-fed babies commonly produce bowel movements that are yellow, tan or brown, whereas breast-fed babies typically produce mustard-yellow bowel movements. Green feces in infants can...
About 30 percent of drug-addicted individuals are women, and most of these are of childbearing age, according to laboratory test selection service ArupConsult. Exposure to marijuana in the womb may lead to delayed fetal growth and possible...
Preemie babies have more trouble with constipation than full-term babies for several reasons. Decreased muscle tone, preemie formulas and a history of bowel infections can all contribute to problems with stools in premature babies, even after they...
As your pregnancy passes the 40-week mark, there is an increased level of risks for both you and the baby. The baby continues to grow even after you pass the due date and can get too big for the uterus. After it outgrows the uterus, there is a...
Before your baby makes his first appearance in the world, his digestive system is hard at work. His first poop, called meconium, is thick, dark, tar-like poop. Meconium is bile, amniotic fluid and skin cells that have collected in his intestines...
The digestive system is responsible for mechanically and chemically breaking down food into its constituent nutrient molecules, and absorbing these molecules into the bloodstream. From there, they become available to the body cells, which use them...
A baby who is struggling for breath shortly after birth may present with persistent blue color around the mouth and nose, flaring nostrils, grunting noises and chest retractions, clear signs of labored breathing. Rapid, shallow respirations and...
When you have a baby, you suddenly have a ton of new things to worry about. You want to make sure the baby is healthy, you want him to be fed, you want him to get his rest and you want to make sure everyone gets a chance to see him. However, there...
A typical pregnancy ends in labor between the 38th and 42nd week, according to FamilyDoctor.org. Any pregnancy that goes beyond 42 weeks is considered a post-term pregnancy. There are many reasons why a pregnancy goes beyond the typical due date....
Diarrhea can be defined as being either acute or chronic. Acute diarrhea means the diarrhea will be brief, while chronic means it will be long-lasting. In addition, the causes for diarrhea will depend on your age. Gastroenteritis causes acute...
At 20 weeks pregnant, you are at the halfway mark of your pregnancy. Although your baby already has his organs, eyes, ears and limbs, his body is still developing and changing in more detailed ways, and only some of the changes are detectable with...
