A woman who smokes harms her own health as well as health of her unborn child. Smoking causes nicotine, carbon monoxide and other chemicals to be passed to the baby. When a woman inhales nicotine it is transmitted to the placenta. The placenta...
Abdominal cramping occurs frequently in pregnancy. Some abdominal cramping carries no risk to the pregnancy, while other types of cramping could be a sign of a problem with the pregnancy that could threaten you or the baby. Abdominal cramping can...
A Caesarean section, also known as a c-section, can be completed in as little as 30 minutes and rarely takes longer than 45 minutes. Regional anesthesia, usually in the form of an epidural, is used except in an emergency where general anesthesia...
Along with the joys of pregnancy come some expected discomforts, such as frequent urination, fatigue and back pain. In some cases, symptoms such as abdominal cramping, feeling faint or heavy bleeding may occur and indicate a serious problem. It is...
Methadone is a prescribed synthetic opioid substitute for the opiate heroin used to control addiction. During pregnancy, both heroin and methadone can be passed from the mother to the fetus via the placenta. According to the Substance Abuse and...
Smoking can shorten your life by 10 years, according to Teen Health. This is just one of the reasons why it isn't a good idea to smoke. Not only can smoking harm your health, but also that of your spouse and children because they will be exposed...
While pregnant, any substance you ingest will cross the placenta and reach the fetus. This is true for oxygen, food, drugs and alcohol. Drug use can cause the fetus to struggle for sufficient nutrients and oxygen, leading to problems with organ...
Placental abruption (abruptio placentae) is a pregnancy complication that occurs when the placenta separates from the uterine wall prior to delivery. The placenta can separate partially (partial placental abruption) or completely (complete or...
Monitoring the fetal heart rate is essential to tracking your baby's growth and development during pregnancy. While in the womb, your baby's heart rate should be 120 and 160 beats per minute, according to MedlinePlus. The heart rate may rise when...
One of the most wondrous of transformations, even now that it's well understood from a scientific standpoint, is that of two single cells--sperm and egg--can meld into a fully-formed human baby in nine short months. Particularly amazing is that...
Placental abruption (abruptio placentae) is a possibly severe complication of pregnancy in which the placenta detaches from the uterine wall prior to delivery. If a doctor has diagnosed a mild placenta abruption, in which vaginal bleeding is...
During pregnancy, a fetus is protected from the outside world by the amniotic sac, a tough, fluid-filled membrane that encircles it. According to the University of Alabama, the membranes rupture before labor starts in around 10 percent of...
