Diabetes During Pregnancy

Your Blood Sugar During Pregnancy:

In women with diabetes, increasing hemoglobin A1C levels early in pregnancy — an indicator of poor blood sugar control — are associated with increasing risk of poor pregnancy outcomes according to a report in the journal Diabetes Care. In other words, when you have your blood sugar under control during your pregnancy, you are at a better place to have a healthier baby. In a study, pregnant women with higher hemoglobin levels had an array of poor outcomes with labor, such as stillbirth, miscarriages, neonatal death or a birth defect. The outcomes do vary from person to person and women with even higher blood sugars have had healthy babies.

Many people’s advice will pertain to pregnant women with diabetes as well as those without it, such as maintaining a good diet, exercise, avoiding unhealthy habits (drinking, smoking, caffeine intake, etc.) and taking a prenatal vitamin that will give you enough folic acid. Your medical professional can help you choose the right prenatal vitamin for you.

During pregnancy, you need to lower your blood glucose levels as much as you can. You need to get them to as close to normal as possible. This is significant during your first trimester, because high blood glucose levels can cause a miscarriage or birth defect.

How to Control Your Blood Sugar:

If you are taking pills to help regulate your blood sugar, your medical professional will probably switch you to insulin injections. To keep your blood sugar low, you need to know what it is and that means constant monitoring. It is recommended that you do this about eight times a day.

You need to follow your doctor’s meal plan for you. If you have hypoglycemia, it will need treatment. You’ll need to keep giving yourself the insulin injections and adjusting the dose when needed. You will also need to maintain a healthy routine of exercise. With all of these combined, you will increase your chances of having a healthy baby.

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Birth-Injury-Related Cerebral Palsy

For most parents, the birth of a child is an exciting and joyous experience. But nowadays, 3 to 4 percent of newborns suffer from birth-related injuries. In the United States, cerebral palsy has become a serious birth-related injury which affects 5,000 to 10,000 infants each year.

There are different types of birth-related injuries that may happen before, during, or after the birth of a child. Although there are several types of birth injuries, one of the most popular and common type of birth injury is cerebral palsy.

Rather than a disease, cerebral palsy in newborn babies is a physical condition that is caused by brain damage before, during, or after birth. There are four different types of cerebral palsy: spastic cerebral palsy, ataxic cerebral palsy, athetoid cerebral palsy, and mixed cerebral palsy. Each type of cerebral palsy has its own characteristics. Of the four types of cerebral palsy, spastic cerebral palsy is the most common type. It accounts for eighty percent of all cases today in the United States.

Birth injury-related cerebral palsy is usually caused by birth asphyxia (lack of oxygen during the birth process), a complex condition which is difficult to predict or prevent.

Premature birth, low birth weight, hemorrhage in the child's brain, an infection or illness in the mother like rubella, toxoplasmosis; intrauterine exposure to drugs or alcohol are other reasons for birth injury related cerebral palsy.

Even though doctors and nurses are trained to identify symptoms of cerebral palsy, in most cases they fail to recognize the problem of brain injury in newborn babies. This failure may lead to birth injury related cerebral palsy. When cerebral palsy is caused due to birth injury (negligence), it becomes a case of medical malpractice .The parents of victims can claim for compensation for life long care. With the help of a cerebral palsy lawyer, victims can easily win compensation for medical malpractice.

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Cause Of Autism - Some People Think They Know What Causes Autism?

The fact is that no one really knows for sure what causes autism, but many professionals would most likely agree that autism is likely caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors. For many parents, this uncertainty in what causes autism can be very frustrating.

The topic of what causes autism has become extremely controversial. Many individuals are passionate about the subject, and have very strong convictions. Although there is no known cause for autism there are a few theories on what my cause it. Some of those theories are:

Vaccines Cause Autism - some people believe that the mercury (thimerosal) used in some vaccines could cause autism.

Is Autism Genetic - I tend to believe that autism most likely has a genetic basis of some sort. Several studies and reports over the years have proven many families with one autistic child are at increased risk of having more than one child with autism. That is certainly the case with us. After our second boy was diagnosed with autism the Genetisit told us we better not have any more children since there was a good chance we would have another child with autism.

Autism is Caused By Bad Parenting - This one is pretty ridiculous. "The refrigerator mother" causing autism was a popular notion in the 1950's but as I said it is totally ridiculous and absolutely absurd.

Autism Caused By Abnormal Brain Development - A few researchers have found differences between the brain of someone with autism and the so called normal brain. People with autism appear to have larger brains.

Autism Caused By Deficiency in the Immune System There are a few studies that have shown autism is associated with troubles in the immune system. Mostly that the individual has an allergy to gluten and dairy products that contribute to the symptoms of autism.

Autism Caused By Poor Nutrition - The late Dr. Bernard Rimland of The Autism Institute has been researching megavitamin therapy for many years in treating individuals with autism.

Even with all these theories we are still no closer to knowing what causes autism. But I feel with the recent awareness of autism and the emphasis on research that it will not be very long before we find out what truly causes autism. I think it most likely will be a combination of factors and maybe different reasons for different individuals - maybe even within the same family.

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Autism Spectrum Disorders - What Does the Term "Autism Spectrum Disorder" (ASD) Mean?

Medical professionals often use the term Autism Spectrum Disorders (or ASD for short) to explain the large variety of symptoms, signs and characteristics associated with a diagnosis of Autism.

As we all know, more and more children are getting diagnosed with Autism everyday. According to the Center for Disease Control, Autism now occurs in one out of every 150 individuals. Some researchers account for the increase in Autism due to us better understanding the entire Autism spectrum.

The Autism spectrum, however, is sometimes difficult for parents to understand. Some parents say things like: "My child has Autism, but he does not do that!" or they will ask "My child will interact with other kids, does he still have Autism?" The answer is simply that Autism is a spectrum, but what exactly does this mean?

A spectrum means that there are children with Autism symptoms on one side, the other side, and everywhere in between. For example, let's take a look at communication and the Autism spectrum. You might have one child on one end of the spectrum that is non-verbal and will only use gestures to tell his or her needs. Then, you might have a child on the other end of the spectrum that can tell you every small detail and then some about his favorite dinosaurs. Both of these children have Autism, but they are on opposite ends of the Autism spectrum for their communication skills.

All of the fundamental deficits of Autism are a spectrum: communication, social skills, and behavior. Each child with Autism has skills that vary on each of the spectrums. Also, all of the types of autistic disorders make up this "Autism spectrum". The different types of autistic disorders include: Autism, Asperger Syndrome, and Pervasive Developmental – Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS).

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Spina Bifida - Who Is At Risk For Spina Bifida?

Doctors are not certain what causes spina bifida, or why neural tubes do not develop or close properly in some babies, though they have identified a few risk factors for spina bifida as follows:

• Race. Spina bifida is more common among Hispanics and whites of Northern European descent.
• Gender. More female babies are born with spina bifida.
• Family history. Couples who have had one child with a neural tube defect have a slightly higher chance of having another baby with the same defect. That risk increases if two previous children have been affected by the condition. In addition, a woman who was born with a neural tube defect, or who has a close relative with one, has a greater chance of giving birth to a child with spina bifida. However, most babies with spina bifida are born to parents with no known family history of the condition.
• Folic acid deficiency. This vitamin is important to the healthy development of a fetus. Lack of folic acid (vitamin B-9) increases the risk of spina bifida and other neural tube defects.
• Some medications. Anti-seizure medications, such as valproic acid (Depakene), seem to cause neural tube defects when taken during pregnancy, perhaps because they interfere with the body's ability to use folic acid.
• Diabetes. The risk of spina bifida increases with diabetes, especially when the mother's blood sugar is elevated early in her pregnancy. Careful blood sugar control and management can decrease this risk.
• Obesity. There is a link between pre-pregnancy obesity and neural tube birth defects, including spina bifida. Exactly why obese women have an increased risk of having a baby with spina bifida is not known, but is possibly because of nutritional deficits from poor eating habits or because they may have diabetes - another known risk factor for neural tube defects.
• Increased body temperature. Some evidence suggests that increased body temperature (hypothermia) in the early months of pregnancy may increase the risk of spina bifida. Elevating your core body temperature by about 3 to 4 degrees Fahrenheit above normal, due to fever or the use of saunas and hot tubs, can raise body temperature and has been associated with an increased risk of spina bifida.

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Baby and Toddler - Spina Bifida

It is always important to have good nutrition while you are pregnant and make sure you take your prenatal vitamins. Some birth defects may be prevented if pregnant mothers follow these rules. Spina bifida is a birth defect that may be prevented if you have enough folic acid in your diet. About one in every 2000 babies have spina bifida. Spina bifida is a birth defect that affects the bones of the spine. The bones do not form properly around the spinal cord. The name spina bifida literally mean "split" or "open" spine in Latin.

Spina bifida occurs during the first month of pregnancy. Sometimes before the mother even knows she is pregnant. This is why it is important to try to be in good health and eating right when you plan to become pregnant. Spina bifida happens when the two sides of the embryo's spine do not completely fuse together. There are some cases where the spinal cord may protrude through the opening that is not fused.

Researchers still don't know exactly what causes spina bifida. There is evidence that suggests that genes may be involved, but in most cases there is no connection. If a woman has a high fever during pregnancy, there is an increased risk of it. Folic acid has been linked to reducing the risk of spina bifida. Taking certain drugs to control epilepsy have also been linked to a higher risk of spina bifida. It is most common for babies whose mothers are of British ancestry. A woman who already has one child with spina bifida will more likely have another one with it.

There are two types of spina bifida. Spina bifida occulta and spina bifida manifesta. Spina bifida occulta is the mildest form. It is also the most common. The defect is hidden under the skin and usually does not cause any problems. There is an estimate of 10 - 20% of the general population that have this form of spina bifida and do not even know it. In these cases there are a few tell tale signs that someone may have spina bifida. These people may have a birthmark, depression, dimple or a hairy patch on the skin over where the vertebrae are affected.

Spina bifida manifesta is a more severe form and a more rare form. It usually is associated with problems walking, bladder problems and coordination. This type of spina bifida can be separated into two classes, meningocele and myelomeningocele. In meningocele the fluid leaks out of the baby's spinal cord. This causes a swollen area of the spine. Myelomeningocele is when some of the spinal nerves push out of the spinal canal against the underside of the skin. The nerves are usually damaged. In the very worst cases the skin is split open as well and the nerves are exposed to the outside. Most babies who are born with this kind of spina bifida will have hydrocephalus, which is accumulation of fluid in and around the brain.

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Pregnancy - How is Spina Bifida Detected?

If you are pregnant, you will be offered prenatal screening tests to check for spina bifida and other birth defects. These tests are not perfect. Even if the results are negative, there is still a small chance that spina bifida is present, and many mothers who have positive blood tests have normal babies. Speak with your doctor about prenatal testing, its risks and how you might handle the results. Prenatal testing is a personal choice.

Following are methods used to check for spina bifida during pregnancy:

• Blood tests. The primary test used to check for myelomeningocele is the maternal serum alpha-fetoprotein (MSAFP) test. In this procedure, your doctor draws a blood sample to be sent to a laboratory, where it's tested for alpha fetoprotein (AFP), a protein that's produced by the fetus. It's normal for a small amount of AFP to cross the placenta and enter the mother's bloodstream, but abnormally high levels of AFP may indicate that the fetus has a neural tube defect. Varying levels of AFP can be caused by factors including a miscalculation in fetal age or multiple fetuses. If this occurs, your doctor may order a follow-up blood test for confirmation. If the results are still high, you will need further evaluation, including an ultrasound examination.
• Ultrasound. Many obstetricians use ultrasonography to screen for spina bifida. If blood tests indicate high AFP levels, your doctor will suggest an ultrasound exam to determine why. Ultrasound exams bounce high-frequency sound waves off tissues in your body to form black and white images on a small video monitor. The information these images provide can help establish whether there is more than one fetus and can help confirm gestational age - factors that can alter AFP levels. An advanced ultrasound can also detect signs of spina bifida, such as an open spine or particular features in your baby's brain that may indicate spina bifida. Ultrasound today is quite effective in detecting spina bifida and assessing its severity. This procedure is safe for both mother and baby.
• Amniocentesis. If a blood test shows high levels of AFP in your blood and the ultrasound is normal, your doctor may offer an amniocentesis. During an amniocentesis, your doctor uses a needle to remove samples of fluid from the amniotic sac that surrounds the fetus. The analysis indicates the level of AFP present in the amniotic fluid. A small amount of AFP is normally found in amniotic fluid, however the amniotic fluid contains an elevated amount of AFP when an open neural tube defect is present because the skin surrounding the baby's spine is gone and AFP leaks into the amniotic sac. A second test can be done on the same sample to confirm that a neural tube defect is present. However, an amniocentesis cannot indicate the severity of spina bifida. This test does have a risk to the developing fetus - about one in 200 to one in 500 pregnant women miscarries after an amniocentesis.
  

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Pregnant Women - Folic Acid To Be Added To Bread To Avoid Birth Defects

he Government is considering adding Folic Acid to all bread except wholemeal at the milling stage.

Why Add Folic Acid To Bread?

As bread is part of the staple diet of most people, adding Folic Acid, will mean everybody will be taking Folic Acid, whether they wish to or not.

The people, who it is actually aimed at, are pregnant women. So by adding Folic Acid to bread, it could reduce the number of babies being born with Spina Bifida.

What Is Spina Bifida?

Spina Bifida is a serious condition where the baby is born with part of the spine not completely developed, so leaving the nerves in the back unprotected and exposed.

This defect can happen during the first month of pregnancy.

As the spinal cord is part of the brain … ie the nerves connected to the spinal cord are unable to send messages to the brain. This means that the baby may not be able to walk; and even the ability to learn may be affected.

It is possible to operate on the newborn baby to close the gap, but as the nerve damage has already happened, the damage is permanent and unfortunately an operation on the nerves is of no use.

Other complications due to the baby having Spina Bifida are that the baby may have problems with their bowels and bladder.

A close relation to Spina Bifida is Hydrocephalus (an accumulation of spinal fluid on the brain).

Is There Any Treatment For The Baby With Spina Bifida?

Apart from the operation soon after birth to close the gap, the best that can be done to help the baby to live as normal a life as possible is treating each problem with medication and physiotherapy.

Many individuals with Spina Bifida will need help of some kind for the rest of their lives. This may involve the use of devices, such as braces and wheelchairs.

What Is The Prognosis For People With Spina Bifida?

The prognosis for each individual is dependent on what defects there are:

Prognosis is at its worst for the baby born with complete paralysis. But with proper care most children with Spina Bifida can live for many years into adulthood.

How Many Babies Are Born With Spina Bifida?

The number of babies born with Spina Bifida in the UK is between 700 – 900 per year; while in the US one in every 2000 births are affected.

Some countries have already started adding Folic Acid to their flour and this is showing as a drop of between 30 – 50% in babies born with Spina Bifida.

Who’s Idea Is This?

The Government’s food watchdog – The Food Standard’s Agency are putting forward the idea of adding Folic Acid to flour at its milling stage.

Although in 2002 the Food Standard Agency rejected a report put forward in 2000. So why have they changed their minds yet again? Maybe due to other countries that have been adding Folic Acid to their bread are showing a drop in babies being born with Spina Bifida.

How Much Is It Likely To Cost?

It has been estimated that the cost to industry will be around £700 000 a year.

Is There A Downside To Giving Everyone Folic Acid?

As people are being mass medicated this can cause concern for many. Also medically, taking Folic Acid can mean that older people with a Vitamin B12 deficiency resulting in Pernicious Anaemia may not be noticed immediately and so their treatment will be delayed.

What Can A Woman Of Child Bearing Years Do?

As many pregnancies are unplanned and it is being proved that a deficiency of Folic Acid may result in a baby being born with Spina Bifida; including Folic Acid in the food they eat should be a must have. It is highly recommended that all women of childbearing years should take Folic Acid in a Nutritional Supplement and eat plenty of green vegetables, as they are rich in Folic Acid.

By adding Folic Acid to bread it will hopefully result in less babies being born with Spina Bifida. And this can only be a good thing can’t it?

Eva Moffat a 66 year old disabled woman living in Manchester, Englad. Has written several articles all health related.

Eva has been awarded Expert Author status by 3 Publishers. And has now been awarded the prestigious Platinum Award.

Please feel free to use this article on your website,or in your Ezine or Newsletter.

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How Is A Child With Autism Syndrome

Autism is not a disease, but a developmental desorder of brain function. Symptoms of autism syndrom usually appear during the first three years of childhood and continue through life. Children are social creatures who like to smile, laugh, cuddle and play. But there are also children taht seem to exist in their own world, where there are repetitive routines, odd behaviors, comunication problems or total lack of social awarness or interest in others.

A child with autism syndrome who goes to school is generally withdrawn and he will not even make eye contact. Many cildren engage in repetitive movements such as rocking and hair twirling in self-injurious behavior such as biting or head-banging.

Children with autism syndrome tend to start speaking later than usual and tahey refear to themselves by name instead of "I" or "me", they may speak in a sing-sang voice or use peculiar language.

There are some cildren with autism syndrome that are very bright and do very good in school and they may be able to live independently when tahey grow up. There are autistic cildren with talent in art, music and other area.

There isn't one specific cause of autism syndrome and for taht it remaind unknown. Research has focused on wether chemical inbalances, differences in the brain, genetics or problems of the central nervous sistem. However, what do we know is that parents do not cause autism.

There is no cure for autism syndrome and children will have it throught taheir live. Children with autism syndrome need educational programs and a comprehensive evaluation. Psychiatrists are trained to diagnose children and adolescents with autism sindrome and also to help their families cope the stress. Also a rege of medication can be prescribed to help reduce aggressive and violent behaviour.

With educational programs designed to meet cildren wit autism syndrome individual needs and specialised adult support services, they can live and sometimes work in the society.

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Is It Wise Taking Birth Control While Pregnant?

I realize that many of us may wonder if taking birth control while pregnant would hurt the baby. First if you have accidentally took some birth control and found out that you are pregnant the baby should be alright especially in the beginning. I would let my doctor know at once so that he may check when I was in my next trimester to make sure there will be no birth defects. It has been found through studies that taking birth control while pregnant can lead to birth defects. Remember read the writing on the package as it tells you plainly not to take while pregnant. It would not do you any good anyway.

Please don’t be alarmed if you happen to be taking birth control while pregnant especially in the start of the pregnancy. A lot of women have made that mistake and had perfectly normal babies. Taking the pill only one time at the start of the pregnancy should not harm the baby. If you suspect that you are pregnant discontinue the pill right away. Then contact your doctor or a family client be tested right away. It is unlikely that the hormones will kill the fetus.

It is of course not healthy for the fetus for you to continue taking them for months or several weeks. Taking birth control while pregnant if kept on a continuous basis could cause birth defects and even cause a miscarriage. This is not a safe way to terminate a pregnancy. This could be very dangerous for you even life threatening. In the event that you need to terminate the baby go to a clinic and have a safe procedure if you are early on in your pregnancy it should not be hard to have the baby terminated by an abortion. Family clinics are there to help you and to advise you as well. Take advantage of their services before you make any rash decisions. Taking birth control pill may not always work in some cases unfortunately. It maybe necessary for you to be on the pill but if you find that you are taking birth control while pregnant immediately see your doctor.

No women intentionally would want to harm their baby by taking birth control while pregnant. It is not uncommon for birth defects to arise without the assistance of the wrong type of medication. Let us review a few defects that can harm the baby but can be avoided with proper care. Genital and urinary tract defects are common as one in ten babies. Show some abnormalities. Not all defects are serious and show no symptoms. Other malformations can be more serious causing urinary tract infections, pain, or kidney damage. Many of these defects can be detected at birth with the use of an ultrasound. Some of these abnormalities are inherited from the parents who have the disorder or carry the gene for it. The problem of birth defects can come from many different sources that are why a new mother-to-be needs to carefully watch her diet and especially watch any medication that she may have been prescribed to take. Taking birth control while pregnant is really not a wise decision for baby or mom.

Birth defects for your child are very serious and some can last a life time. Heart problems are the number one birth defect that we need to be made aware. In some cases heart problems are mild and hardly noticeable. In other cases heart disease can be very serious needing surgery, a pace maker, or other devices at a very early age. Heart problems as in other defects can be an inherited defect or poor health care and unfortunately it is not wise taking birth control while pregnant. It is very important that if you even suspect you maybe pregnant to discontinue taking the birth control, see your physician, be tested immediately, and follow your physician’s advice to the letter. I cannot stress enough to you that you should read the label on any medication you are taking. “Discontinue use if you become pregnant.” Normally all birth control medications have this warning on the medication. The FDA requires that the manufacturer place this label for the public to read and be made aware of dangers involved. So please it is not safe to be taking birth control while pregnant. A point that I hope all of you got while reading this article consult with your physician if you have any doubts or questions.

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Gestational Diabetes - What It Can Mean To Your Baby

Gestational diabetes, while only affecting 5% of pregnancies, can have serious effects on your baby. Here's a quick rundown on some of the possible complications.

During the 24th - 28th week of pregnancy, your doctor will give you a simple blood test for diabetes. Blood glucose levels, or blood sugar levels, that are elevated may be a sign of gestational diabetes. Left unchecked, this can cause:

Jaundice

Jaundice is fairly common after 5-7 days of birth. Generally, this is not a serious health issue, but needs medical attention nonetheless.

Death or baby being stillborn

The risk of death or stillbirth rises significantly with gestational diabetes that is left untreated.

Hypoglycemia

There are times when babies will develop low blood sugar after birth due to gestational diabetes in their mother. Their own insulin production has been extremely high in countering the increased levels of blood sugar, but is now needing some time to go down to a regular level.

Macrosmia

There are times when a baby will grow to a much larger size due to untreated gestational diabetes. This condition is known as macrosmia. It happens when the baby is exposed to far greater amounts of blood sugar.

Shoulder Dsytocia

Although rare, due to the increase in size of the baby it is unable to come through the birth canal.

Although gestational diabetes affects fewer than 1 in 10 women who are pregnant, it is a serious condition that must be treated.

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