Health – Page 7 – Baby Care Journals

Vaginal Delivery Equally Safe to C-Section for Twins in Uncomplicated Deliveries, Study Finds

October 18, 2013October 18, 2013 admin

Many women who are having twins opt to have C-sections, to improve chances of having safe deliveries. But a new study, published in October, 2013, in the New England Journal of Medicine, found that moms and babies do equally well, whether the deliveries are vaginal or by C-section. Surgery was only performed when there were complications that could make vaginal delivery dangerous, such as when the second twin had entered the birth canal with the buttocks or feet first, rather than the head; this condition is known as a breech birth.

An experienced doctor is able to determine when to switch from a planned vaginal delivery, to a caesarean delivery, to improve odds that there will be no bad outcomes for the mother or for the babies. In the case of this study, which examined 2,800-plus deliveries, women who were planning to have their twins vaginally wound up getting C-sections 44 percent of the time. But this was still a big improvement over moms who had planned to have C-sections, and who got the surgeries 91 percent of the time (the other 9 percent went into labor and delivered their babies before a C-section could be performed).

Tips for Treating Your Baby’s Fever Naturally

October 9, 2013 admin

Knowing natural ways to treat a young baby’s fever may come in very handy, being that fevers are quite common in young children. Further, products with acetaminophen are not recommended for children under 2 years of age, and ibuprofen is not recommended for a baby younger than 6 months.

It’s important for parents to understand that a temperature or fever, in itself, isn’t necessarily bad. After all, a higher temperature is the body’s way of killing off bacteria or viruses that are causing an infection. When the body’s initial immune responses don’t manage to kill the invading microbes, or if the immune response has somehow been obstructed, the body sets its internal temperature higher, which kills off the germs.

Why It’s Best to Wait Until Your Due Date to Give Birth (Barring Medical Reasons to the Contrary)

October 1, 2013 admin

The wonders of modern science afford us conveniences that we humans never before had. But sometimes, things can get carried away. Take, for example “elective deliveries” — the term used when mothers-to-be pick the date when their babies will be born, as the actual due date draws near.

Studies indicate that the number of elective deliveries in the United States rose significantly between 1994 and the mid 2000’s. Many moms feel that they’re ready to birth their babies once they’ve gone past the 36th week of pregnancy. This may be partly due to the common error of thinking that four weeks equals a month, so that nine months, the proper time of gestation, should be at about 36 weeks. But that calculation overlooks the fact that a month is not 28 days long, but either 30 or 31 (unless it’s February) — which means that the proper gestation time is actually about 40 weeks.

New Study Finds that Breastfeeding Longer Helps Protect Moms Against Breast Cancer

September 16, 2013September 16, 2013 admin

A study published online in August, 2013 in the Journal of Clinical Nursing found that breastfeeding for six months or longer could delay diagnosis of breast cancer by about 10 years. But the protective benefits were cancelled out if mom was a smoker.

The study, conducted at the University of Granada in Spain, examined medical records of more than 500 women aged 19 to 91, who were diagnosed and treated for breast cancer between 2004 and 2009 at a university hospital in the province of Granada.

Non-smokers who did not have children or who breastfed for less than three months were diagnosed with breast cancer at an average age of 57; non-smokers who breastfed between 3 and 6 months were diagnosed at a similar age of 56. Non-smokers who breastfed longer than six months, on the other hand, were diagnosed at an average age of 68 — more than 10 years later. However, women who breastfed longer than six months but were smokers were diagnosed at an average age of 47, or 21 years earlier. These results held steady, even when family history of breast cancer was factored in.

13 Natural Remedies for Newborn Baby Constipation

September 10, 2013April 26, 2023 admin 1 Comment

We adults can get constipated now and then, if we don’t eat enough fiber in our diet or drink plenty of water and other healthy fluids. The natural solution to our constipation is simply to eat more natural, fiber-rich foods like vegetables, fruits and whole grains, and to drink more fluids.

But what can be done when a newborn gets constipated? Young babies can’t rely on different foods to move their bowels, if they’re not yet old enough to eat solids. Yet, newborns do sometimes suffer from constipation.

Advantages of “Rooming In” with Your Newborn

September 6, 2013September 16, 2013 admin

Many moms-to-be who are planning to give birth in a conventional maternity hospital may not be aware that they have the option to keep their newborns by their side from birth, until mother and baby leave the hospital together a couple of days later.

Giving birth is no small feat, and every detail should be planned beforehand as much as possible. One of the choices a mom should give thought to before the big day arrives, is whether she will want her baby “rooming in” with her. Rooming in is the term used to describe when a baby is not kept in the nursery, but on mom’s bed or beside her bed, for the customary two days before they go home together. A new mom can also opt to have a partial rooming in: keeping her baby beside her during the day and asking the nurses to care for the newborn in the nursery at night.

Exposure to Smog During Pregnancy Increases Risk of Rare Childhood Cancers

August 21, 2013 admin

People living in Los Angeles hear reports periodically about the health risks of smog exposure, which has been linked to lung cancer, asthma and other illnesses.

A 2013 study has connected smog exposure during pregnancy and during a child’s first year of life to several rare cancers.

What Are Good Exercises to Do Before Getting Pregnant?

August 19, 2013 admin

Not long after giving birth, many modern moms get busy getting their figures back through regular exercising; after all, new moms tend to have excess abdominal fat and stretched-out skin. Both of these improve or go away with regular exercising.

But what about before birth? Is there any benefit to pre-pregnancy exercising, in preparing the body for pregnancy and subsequent delivery?

Overweight Women Have Higher Chance of Giving Birth Prematurely, New Study Shows

August 16, 2013 admin

A study from Sweden indicates that overweight or obese women have a greater risk of giving birth prematurely in singleton births, and the risk increases in proportion to the amount of excess weight.

The study, published in the June, 2013 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, examined one and a half million deliveries in Sweden.

The Best Exercises to Do After Having a Baby and How Long Should You Wait?

July 23, 2013 admin

Giving birth means your body has just gone through a major physically traumatic event.

You want to wait at least two months or longer, before you start doing any abdomen-tightening exercises. However, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists advises that it’s okay to start with light, low-impact aerobic activity such as walking and stretching exercises, within days of giving birth, if you had a normal pregnancy and vaginal delivery. Start slowly, and as you feel more up to it, increase the length of your exercise routine or its frequency.