A nutritious diet is an important part of a healthy lifestyle. Eating well can provide the materials necessary for a strong immune system, healthy energy levels, and the production and maintenance of muscles, cells and tissues in the body. During...
Of the millions of sperm men release when they ejaculate, only between 50 and 75 percent are healthy enough to fertilize an egg, according to the Mayo Clinic. Everything from the temperature of your bathwater to whether you're stressed at the...
Most fetal growth follows a prescribed pattern. But between 3 to 10 percent of fetuses develop intrauterine growth retardation, often referred to as IUGR, the University of California San Francisco reports. Babies with IUGR, who are smaller and...
Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a condition where the body is not able to regulate levels of glucose (a sugar) in the blood. There are three types of diabetes mellitus: type 1, type 2 and gestational diabetes. While the causes of all three differ, a...
Placenta previa is a condition of pregnancy in which the placenta covers all or part of the cervix. Some causes of placenta previa include uterine scarring, an abnormally shaped uterus, multiple gestation and previous c-section delivery. Placenta...
Human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) can cause ovulation in women who are infertile. A physician may inject the hormone to help egg development and proper release during ovulation. Physicians may also prescribe the hormone to increase sperm count in...
HCG, or human chorionic gonadotropin, is a hormone produced in the placenta of pregnant women. It is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of infertility and can be prescribed off-label for other purposes. HCG is also...
In healthy, uncomplicated pregnancies, exercise is safe and beneficial. Physical fitness during pregnancy may make labor easier and ease common pregnancy discomforts. Exercising during your pregnancy may also help you manage weight gain during...
As a fetus develops, the bones of the skull are flexible and sutures are not fused. This allows passage through the birth canal, which can cause flattening of the head. When a misshapen head needs correction, a baby might need to wear a cranial...
Pregnancy Induced Hypertension (PIH) is diagnosed when an expectant woman has a blood pressure reading of 140/90 or above, two or more times during pregnancy. Blood pressure can rise during pregnancy for a number of reasons such as diabetes,...
Luveris is the brand name of lutropin alfa, a drug used to help overcome infertility in women. It acts like LH, or luteinizing hormone, a pituitary gland secretion (hormone) that the placenta produces during pregnancy. When a woman is unable to...
In May 2009, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) of the National Academy of Science issued updated guidelines for weight gain during singleton and some twin pregnancies based on maternal weight prior to conception. The IOM declined to issue a...
Assistive reproductive technologies, or ARTs, are fertility treatments that enhance a woman's ability to get pregnant. According to the Canadian Medical Association, ARTs include anything from fertility-enhancing drugs to more complex procedures...
Hyperbilirubinemia causes jaundice in babies. Extra red blood cells from fetal circulation are broken down by the liver when a newborn begins breathing air. This process creates bilirubin, which gives the skin a yellow pigment within a few days of...
Low birth weight and preterm infants are extremely vulnerable to a variety of problems, including difficulty thriving and maintaining their blood sugar levels. Some babies have a low birth weight because they are premature, while others have a low...
Low birth weight in infants can be caused by premature birth or interuterine growth restriction. IUGR is a term used to describe an infant that is small for gestational age. Premature birth and IUGR can occur as a result of many different...
Exercising while pregnant provides multiple benefits. Simple exercise can reduce pregnancy-associated constipation by speeding up digestive movement, as well as by relieving back aches via toning muscle in the trunk region, according to...
Mothers-to-be who follow a nutrient-rich diet reduce their risks for complications such as birth defects and less than optimal fetal growth and development. When carrying multiple fetuses, pregnant women require additional energy and nutrients.
Abdominal ultrasounds are used in pregnancy to check on the baby and potentially detect concerns with the pregnancy. It is a reliable way to check on a baby's gestational age, growth, detect multiple gestations and establish the placental...
Grainy images from a prenatal sonogram are often baby's first picture for the baby book. This procedure has become commonplace in modern obstetrical care, with many low risk mothers receiving two or more ultrasounds during pregnancy and high-risk...
Nausea and vomiting, among the most unpleasant aspects of early pregnancy, affects around 75 percent of all pregnant women during the first three months of pregnancy, according to BabyCenter. Human chorionic gonadotropin, or hCG levels in the...
