Pregnancy, Parenting & Baby Care

At the Infertility Clinic

The brief review above of the common causes of infertility covers conditions found in about 30 per cent of couples who submit to full investigation at an infertility clinic. Of the other 70 per cent, no obvious cause of their trouble can be found. When a couple attends the infertility centre the exact investigations required depend on the doctor's assessment of the situation. The following are a few of the tests and examinations which may be used. Health Record and Medical Examination

Menopausal Problems

Menopause simply means the end of menstruation, but the term is also used to refer to the months and years in a woman's life before and after her final period-a time that may or may not bring with it some physical or emotional changes. Most women menstruate for the last time at about 50 years of age; a few do so as early as 40, and a very small percentage as late as 60. Most women notice some menstrual changes-such as irregular periods and light menstrual flow-up to a few years before menstruation ceases.

The Change of Life

In the majority of middle-aged women the irregular and scantier menstrual periods and final cessation of menstruation takes place with little or no discomfort or upsets. In others there may be difficulties of varying degree. To some the very fact that their child-bearing period is over is a source of depression, yet, looked at sensibly, Nature has made a very sound provision that women do not exhaust their bodies by bearing children in their less vigorous years.

The Menstrual Cycle

The reproductive period in the female lasts about thirty years. During this time, her reproductive organs go through a cycle which is interrupted only by bearing a child. When a baby girl is born, her ovaries contain about 70,000 egg cells. These lie dormant until puberty. Then, driven by the anterior pituitary gland, the egg cells begin to ripen. Egg Cell and Follicle

Diet for Menopausal Women and Those with Menstrual Problems

Although it is helpful in counteracting some of the effects of menopause, hormone replacement therapy (HRT) cannot stop ageing. A healthy diet and exercise are the keys to enjoying good health at any age. After Menopause, And for Women Who Have Menstrual Problems Eat Plenty of: Foods high in calcium and vitamin D, such as low -fat dairy products, dark-green, leafy vegetables, and legumes. Iron-rich foods. such as fish and shell-fish, legumes and lamb. Fibre-rich carbohydrates.

Assisted Reproductive Technologies or Foetal Maternal Medicine

Most couples have an 85 per cent chance of successful conception within a year of attempting to achieve a pregnancy. For the 15 per cent who are not so lucky, a series of assisted reproductive technologies (ART) can be employed to help them achieve their goal. In-Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) In-Vitro Fertilisation (IVF), more commonly referred to as the 'test-tube baby', is the latest and most commonly used technique in reproductive technology to help women who are having problems conceiving.

Colposcopy

What is a Colposcopy? What are The Benefits of Colposcopy? Colposcopy is a procedure that uses a special microscope (called a colposcope) to look into the vagina and to look very closely at the cervix (the opening to the uterus, or womb). The colposcope magnifies, or enlarges, the image of the outer portion of the cervix. It is somewhat like looking through a pair of binoculars. This allows the health care provider to see the outer portion of the cervix better. Sometimes a smal sample of tissue (called a biopsy) is taken for further study.

Menstruation and Menopause

Menstruation is the normal periodic loss of blood and uterine lining, by way of the vagina, in a woman who is not pregnant. The flow usually lasts 4 to 5 days and recurs about every 28 days. Menstruation starts with puberty and continues for about 30 years in most women. The first menstrual period is called the menarche and the ending of menstruation is called the menopause.

Healthy Pregnancy and Beyond

Here's what to do to keep your baby safe-and protect your own health, too Diabetes Focus: Is there anything that makes it particularly difficult for a woman with diabetes to become pregnant? Dr. Jovanovic: Surprisingly not, and sometimes we wonder why. Occasionally, women with diabetes will develop polycystic ovarian disease, but the answer to your question is, no, women with diabetes can become pregnant as frequently as anyone else.

Breastfeeding

Breastmilk is the best food for the new born child. There is no substitute of breastmilk to the children. Apathy toward breastfeeding has led to dire consequences of deaths of children is a large number. According to UNICEF, every year one million children die in the third world because of feeding through bottle.

Skilled Care During Pregnancy And Birth

Safe and clean delivery at birth Care of the newborn at birth Appropriate feeding in sickness and health Exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life Starting at six months of age, appropriate complementary feeding with continued breastfeeding up to 2 years of age and beyond Micronutrient supplementation (at least vitamin A) Prevention of illness Vaccination Insecticide-treated materials Water, sanitation and hygiene

Nutritional Needs for Pregnant Women and Babies

Nutritional deficiencies in pregnant mothers, most often in the developing nations, cause complications during pregnancy and at birth and has long-term effects on the health of the child and the mother. At no other time in a woman's life is good nutrition more essential than during pregnancy. While the need for calories increases by 15 per cent, the requirement for some nutrients more than doubles, and a woman needs to plan her diet carefully to mee thes needs.

Health Related Q&A Mother and Child Care

List of Questions Q1.How we can ensure neonat health service in a rural setting in the developing countries? Q2.What are the fatal diseases of early childhood? How to manage a case of Penumonia in an infant? Q3 It is said in the text books and some other literatures that "bathing the baby immediately after birth is not necessary? If not, why not? What happens if the baby is bathe immediately after birth? Q4.Would you please tell us how could immunization help children's health?

Making Motherhood Safe

Some Tragic Incidences

Child Health

Malaria Malaria is a serious disease spread through mosquito bites. Each year, there are 300 million to 500 million cases of malaria throughout the throughout the world and about 1 million child deaths. In areas where malaria is common, it can be the leading cause of death and poor growth among young children. Malaria is also particularly dangerous for pregnant women. It causes severe anaemia, miscarriages, stillbirths, low birthweight and maternal death. Many lives can lie saved by the prevention and early treatment of malaria. Key Messages :

Mother and Child-Essential Message

The Following are The Essential Message Distilled from Facts for Life. The health of both women and children can be significantly improved when births are spaced at least two years apart, when pregnancy is age 18 and after age 35, and when a woman has no more than four pregnancies in total.

Common Gynecologic Problems

Gynecologic problems are those related to the female reproductive system. Some common problems are caused by such conditions as infections, injuries, or hormonal changes. These common problems include pelvic pain; inflammation of the uterus, fallopian tubes, vagina, or vulva: and non-cancerous uterine growths, such as fibroids. Other common problems are related to menstruation - for example, premenstrual syndrome and pain during menstrual periods (dysmenorrhea). Although some problems may be mild and correct themselves, others, such as infections may be serious and require medical attention.

Symtopms of Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID)

With Acute Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID): severe pain and tenderness in the lower abdomen with vaginal discharge, often accompanied by fever. With Chronic PID: mild, recurrent pain in the lower abdomen, sometimes accompanied by backache or irregular menstrual periods. pain during intercourse. infertility. irregular menstrual periods. heavy, unpleasant-smelling vaginal discharge Call Your Doctor If :

Pelvic Inflammatory Disease

Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) is the term used to describe an infection of any of a woman's pelvic organs, including the uterus, ovaries, or fallopian tubes. The disease has be-come increasingly common in the United States, affecting an estimated one million women each year. If not treated promptly, PID can lead to serious complications, including infertility and, in rare cases, death.

Women's Health and Misconceptions

Misconceptions have been causing great harm to women's health, specially, reproductive health, among various societies in the developing centuries for centuries. These misconceptions had been harming the cause of women's health in the developed world even few decades ago. While these misconceptions are largely done away within the developed world, the underdeveloped and developing world is still Suffering widely due to all those misconceptions.