Pregnancy

One common labor and delivery complication is the failure of the baby’s head to “engage” in the mother’s pelvis. This means that although the baby is otherwise ready to be born, their presenting body part has not yet moved into a position that will allow for a safe and comfortable birth. In some cases, this...

Premature babies often have numerous health problems, and require extensive, costly treatments (1). Their underdeveloped organs and general fragility make them especially susceptible to birth injuries, infections, and other neonatal complications. In the United States, 70% of premature births occur between weeks 34 and 36 of pregnancy, or the “late preterm period” (2) These infants...

Introduction Worldwide, there are about 2.6 million stillbirths each year (1), 24,000 of which occur in the U.S. (2). Our rate of stillbirth is higher than that of many other developed nations. For example, it is more than double the rate in Iceland (3). This regional variation in stillbirths demonstrates that many of these deaths...

Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, or G6PD, is an enzyme in the body that helps protect red blood cells from injury. When an individual suffers from G6PD deficiency, a genetic disease, he or she fails to make an adequate amount of this enzyme, thereby putting red blood cells in danger of cell death (1). While this condition ranges...

During their education, doctors learn “medical jargon.” This refers to words and phrases that are useful when communicating with other medical professionals but may be very confusing to patients. The best doctors are careful not to overwhelm their patients with medical jargon, and instead try to use simple language when explaining things (unless the patient...

[av_textblock size=” font_color=” color=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” av_uid=’av-sw6sd6′ custom_class=” admin_preview_bg=”] Advanced Maternal Age The phrase “maternal age” refers to how old a woman is when she gives birth. In recent decades, many developed countries have seen an increase in the average maternal age. There are many valid reasons to postpone having children, and many women...

[av_textblock size=” font_color=” color=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” av_uid=’av-khk4ve’ custom_class=” admin_preview_bg=”] Pregnancy Spotlight: Placental Abnormalities Every day, our nurses and attorneys receive calls from expectant mothers with concerns about symptoms they’re experiencing during their pregnancy. They’re curious if their symptoms are normal, and they wonder what their next steps should be. Patients should always visit a...

New Artificial Womb May Help Preemies Develop More Safely In a world where many babies are born prematurely resulting in health problems for some, a method is in the works to create a sustainable, temporary living environment until they are ready for the world. These “super-preemies” are often very fragile, with underdeveloped lungs, brains, and...