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...
Breaking water, also called amniorrhexis or rupture of membranes, is a normal part of labor and giving birth. The "water" is actually amniotic fluid, a straw-colored liquid with a faint odor that may be confused with urine. During...
While pregnant, it is important for you to eat a healthy diet. Proper nutrition, including the consumption of vitamin C, will support your fetus's growth and development. Vitamin C is found in fruits and vegetables, and helps form collagen for...
While most babies in the womb turn head-down during the last two months of pregnancy, a small percentage remain in some other position, a complication called breech. Breech babies can be identified on ultrasound or during a physical examination by...
Smoking and pregnancy should not mix. Unfortunately, at least 10 percent of women smoke while pregnant, according to a 2006 study published in "National Vital Statistics Reports." A baby exposed to smoke in utero is at risk for many different...
Smoking has long been recognized as a leading contributor to death and disease worldwide. Despite the known harmful health effects of smoking, however, the March of Dimes reports that at least 10 percent of pregnant women in the United States...
Smoking can have devastating consequences for a pregnancy. From miscarriage to growth restriction to birth defects, smoking during pregnancy increases the risk for many poor outcomes. The more a woman smokes, the higher the risks. Being aware of...
Smokers are familiar with the Surgeon General's warnings printed on the sides of cigarette cartons: "Tobacco Use Increases the Risk of Infertility, Stillbirth and Low Birth Weight." The dangers of smoking during pregnancy are well established,...
Approximately 12 percent of babies born in the United States are premature, according to 2007 information from the American Pregnancy Association. Often there are no complications, but premature births increase the risk of certain medical...
Gardnerella vaginalis is one of a number of bacteria including Mycoplasma hominis and several anaerobic organisms that cause the bacterial vaginosis syndrome characterized by a fishy smelling and white vaginal discharge, according to "Harrison's...
Gonorrhea, a sexually transmitted disease, affects around 13,000 pregnant women each year in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Gonorrhea poses risks for an unborn child both during the pregnancy and at the time...
All throughout the 40 weeks of a typical pregnancy, your body changes to accommodate the needs of the fetus growing in your womb. Regular exercise can improve your mood, increase your energy and help prevent complications of pregnancy, according...
During pregnancy, routine urine testing is often performed at each prenatal appointment. These tests can detect the presence of leukocytes, or white blood cells. According to Merck Manual Online Medical Library, leukocytes are usually found in...
According to the Cleveland Clinic, nearly 20 percent of women are prescribed bedrest during pregnancy. Bedrest can take many forms -- from simply limiting your activity to being confined to bed all day every day. Bed rest is usually recommended to...
Just because you're pregnant doesn't mean you have to commit to being a couch potato until your baby is born. In fact, regular exercise may help you with your pregnancy by increasing your energy level and preventing pregnancy conditions such as...
In the United States, stillbirth is defined as a pregnancy that terminates at 20 weeks gestation or more. According to "The Journal of Maternal-Fetal and Neonatal Medicine," in the United States, stillbirths occur in about 1 percent of all births...
According to the American Cancer Society, 10 to 16 percent of women smoke throughout their pregnancies, putting themselves and their babies at risk for a number of health issues. In fact, up to 5 percent of infant deaths would be prevented if...
The most common sexually transmitted disease reported in the United States usually has no symptoms. In 2006, there were 1,030,911 chlamydial infections reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. According to the CDC, it is a...
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...
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...
Doctors used to believe that bacterial vaginosis, while capable of causing irritating vaginal symptoms, was essentially harmless. However, evidence linked bacterial vaginosis to more serious conditions such as pelvic inflammatory disease,...
Bacterial vaginosis occurs with disruption of the balance among normal vaginal bacteria, allowing harmful types to proliferate. The exact cause for this imbalance is not fully understood, although having multiple or new sexual partners, douching...
After nine months of pregnancy, the much-anticipated delivery of the baby arrives. A woman and her doctor choose the type of delivery, with things like beliefs about childbirth and the health of mother and baby taken into account. Many pregnant...
Approximately 8 percent of women develop urinary tract infections, or UTIs, during pregnancy, reported lead author John Dalzell, M.D., in "Urinary Tract Infections during Pregnancy," published in the American Family Physician on February 1, 2000....
Vitamin C is vital during pregnancy, but too much can cause problems. There is a big gap between the recommended level of vitamin C and the tolerable upper limit, however, so many women remain unsure of how much vitamin C they can safely take. In...
Smoking while pregnant is harmful to you and your baby. There is no known "safe" number of cigarettes that a woman can smoke while pregnant without causing damage. The risks increase with every cigarette smoked. Therefore, it may not be enough to...
Women often stop their exercise routines once they become pregnant out of fear of a possible risk to their unborn baby. Unless you have complications in your pregnancy, most women are able to continue exercising. A doctor can help you modify...
Exercising during pregnancy provides a number of benefits for mom and baby. Although some doctors used to consider exercise to be unsafe during pregnancy, research has demonstrated that women who do prenatal exercise are healthier after pregnancy...
Exercise during pregnancy is widely regarded as a good thing. According to BabyCenter, exercising while pregnant can give you a good energy boost, make you sleep better, relieve discomfort, reduce stress and even help you prepare for labor....
