Before babies are born, they sleep, practice breathing, swallow and even suck their thumbs--in other words, act like babies. During their time in the womb, babies receive many types of stimuli from the outside world, including tastes, sounds and...
A developmental delay occurs when a toddler or child does not meet developmental milestones as expected. Developmental delays are common among young children, especially toddler. These delays may be physical, such as impaired development of...
According to the American Heart Association, strokes affect around 11 in 100,000 children under age 18 each year, and around 1 in 4,000 babies born each year. Stroke is one of the top ten causes of death in children; 20 to 40 percent of children...
Although strokes are commonly associated with adults, they can occur in newborns during the birth process or in utero. Neonatal strokes can be ischemic, meaning a blood clot reduces blood flow to an area of the brain, or hemorrhagic, meaning...
Amino acids are the building blocks of protein and DNA; 20 amino acids exist overall, but the body produces only some of them naturally. You must obtain the rest from your diet through complete proteins that contain all these essential amino...
Probably one of the biggest myths surrounding pregnancy is that exercise is dangerous. The truth is that exercise is not only safe but also recommended. According to a 2000 report published in "The Journal of Perinatal Education," exercise can be...
Women who are pregnant and breastfeeding require additional amounts of certain nutrients. Most health care practitioners recommend taking prenatal vitamins or multivitamins during pregnancy and while breastfeeding to meet your nutritional needs...
Pregnancy increases your need for various vitamins and minerals so your baby can grow and develop properly. Calcium, magnesium and zinc are just a few of the nutrients you need. Your health-care provider will most likely prescribe a prenatal...
Good nutrition is especially important for pregnant teens--but it's especially challenging for them as well. Kristin S. Montgomery, Ph.D., R.N., notes in the "Journal of Perinatal Education" that teens in general have distinct nutrition...
There are few things as devastating as the death of a baby during pregnancy. Stillbirth is a nightmare for expectant parents. Fortunately, most practitioners now understand how vital compassion and support are for parents experiencing perinatal...
The omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oil plays an important role in brain function, growth and development. Emerging research has shown a connection between omega-3 fatty acids and depression. Already used in alternative medicine, fish oil...
Lamaze breathing takes its name from Ferdinand Lamaze, a French obstetrician who developed the technique in the 1950s, according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Along with visualization, movement and focusing, Lamaze...
According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, results from a 2001 national household survey on drug abuse found that 2.5 million women are estimated to be alcohol dependent and 12 percent of pregnant women admit to...
Soy consumption has been a staple in Asian diets for thousands of years. Today, soy is added to a variety of processed foods and dietary supplements. The soy bean can be enjoyed raw or cooked to make a variety of dishes such as tempeh, miso or...
Osteomalacia is a bone disease where the bones soften over time. Osteomalacia is caused by a few internal dysfunctions, one of them being hypophosphatasia, a genetic disorder. Under normal circumstances the body allows the bones to harden. In...
Pregnancy is a period of major change that has a huge impact on a woman's body. Specific precautions need to be taken with exercise during pregnancy and this requires the guidance of appropriately educated fitness professionals. A variety of...
According to the National Institutes of Health, the focus of research studying the effect that maternal emotionals states have on fetal development has been on fetal reaction to a stressful stimulus. Increasing awareness of fetal development may...
Swaddling is the practice of wrapping a baby snugly in a blanket such that his arms are tucked in and his body is covered below the shoulders. While swaddling has been criticized as having a negative impact on a baby's health, swaddling properly...
When you are breastfeeding, your baby's fluid source is the breast milk you give him so external fluids are rarely needed. This means when you are breastfeeding, you must take in enough fluid to keep your and your baby's body functioning properly....
Most people think of craving strange combinations like picks and ice cream during pregnancy. But, Imagine craving dirt, soap or charcoal -- some women experience this kind of phenomenon during pregnancy. Pica is the term used to describe a non...
Androgen hormones are produced by the adrenal glands and reproductive organs in both men and women, and are responsible for male physical characteristics. These hormones are converted into testosterone and dihydrotestosterone, its active form,...
Soy protein and gluten are both common elements of the typical American diet. Both are plant-based nutritional components that occur naturally. Both soy protein and gluten provide dietary choices and create dietary obstacles, and you can choose to...
Soybeans are a type of legume which is often consumed due to its high protein content, particularly for vegetarians and vegans. Soy can be converted into different food products such as tofu and tempeh and may also be added to foods such as...
Protein foods and protein powders are consumed for a variety of reasons. These reasons may include meeting daily protein needs, building and healing muscle, healing burns, improving health and getting over a sickness. Americans typically do obtain...
Whether this is your first pregnancy or your fourth, the prospect of laboring to deliver your baby can be both exciting and frightening. As you count down the last weeks of your pregnancy, remember that very few babies are born on their due dates....
Tobacco's ability to wreak havoc on health is well known, yet cigarettes continue to lure new smokers into a life of nicotine addiction. The tobacco industry won't be closing up shop anytime soon, so educating smokers about the mechanisms by which...
An inflated ball is a conditioning tool utilized by a wide variety of exercisers at all fitness levels. It's a versatile piece of equipment that goes by many different names, including stability ball, Swiss ball, fitness ball, exercise ball and...
Suffering from a chocolate allergy can put chocolate chips cookies and other chocolate desserts off your menu, but using carob chips as a replacement can offer a tasty alternative. These chips mimic the look and taste of chocolate, but they are...
Depression can greatly reduce your quality of life. About 10 percent of Americans suffer from depression, according to the National Institutes of Mental Health. Fortunately, depression is a treatable illness with the use of antidepressant...
Hepatitis B is liver inflammation that results from a DNA virus. Learn more about hepatitis B, including symptoms and treatments, in this video.