Pregnancy Risk Factors

Undeniably, there are cases of pregnancy where certain conditions tend to develop along the way thereby putting the baby and the mother's health into a greater risk. Along the course of pregnancy, some pregnant women are exposed to certain substances, drugs, chemicals, infections and radiation which may negatively affect the mother as well as the baby's health.
Prescription and OTC Drugs in Pregnant Women
Whether aware or unaware of their pregnancy, some women have taken drugs such as isotretinoin, anticonvulsants, antibiotics, lithium, ACE inhibitors, warfarine and thalidomide which can be harmful to the baby's health. Intake of these drugs actually increases their baby's risk for birth defects. Some drugs work by blocking the activities of the folic acid or folate which play vital roles in preventing the onset of neural tube defects and other birth defects.
According to research, more than 90% of pregnant females are taking social drugs, over the counter drugs and prescription drugs during their pregnancy. As a general rule, pregnant women should avoid using drugs during pregnancy unless necessary because they may contain substances which may cause harm not just to the mother's health but to the foetus as well. Around 2-3% of birth defects have actually resulted from the use of drugs.
How Can Drugs Affect the Health of the Developing Foetus
When drugs are taken within 20 days after the process of fertilization, only two scenarios are possible. Either the drug completely kills the foetus or it doesn't incur any adverse effect to the foetus. According to research, foetuses are very resistant to many forms of birth defects during this period. But foetuses are very vulnerable to birth defects from the 3rd to 8th week after fertilization. During this period, the essential organs of the body are forming and developing.
Intake of drugs during this period may trigger miscarriage or may cause a permanent birth defect. In some cases, permanent birth defects are induced but they are only noticed later in life. If drugs are taken after the development of organs, it may not necessarily trigger the development of some birth defects but it may alter the functions and growth of the organs and tissues affected.
How Drugs Affect the Foetus
Drugs taken my pregnant women are usually taken by the foetus through the placenta which delivers oxygen and nutrients to the developing baby in the uterus. Drugs can directly affect the neonate which may damage or affect the normal development of the foetus. It may trigger the onset of birth defects and even death in babies.
Drugs may also change the ways on how placenta works. It may trigger the narrowing of the blood vessels which results to a reduced supply of nutrients and oxygen from the mother to the baby. This is one of the main reasons why some babies are underdeveloped and underweight.
Also, drugs may also trigger a forceful contraction of the uterus which may cause an injury to the foetus. In some cases, it reduces the supply of blood and induces preterm labour and delivery.
The use of nicotine, alcohol and cocaine also bring adverse effects to the human body. It increases the pregnant women's risk for miscarriage while babies are out at a greater risk for birth defects and being underweight.
Alcohol Consumption during Pregnancy
The use of alcohol can actually cause the development of mental retardation and foetal alcohol syndrome. Meanwhile, women who have used cocaine during their pregnancy are at an increased risk for placental abruption, a condition characterized by the premature detachment of the placenta. It may also prevent the growth of the foetus and promote stillbirth and premature birth.
Alcohol consumption actually doubles the risk of pregnant women for miscarriage. Though the exact quantity of alcohol required to trigger the onset of foetal alcohol syndrome and other related disorders is yet unknown, doctors strongly advised pregnant women to abstain from taking alcohol during pregnancy.
Foetal alcohol syndrome is characterized by small head, inadequate growth and development before and after delivery, mental retardation, abnormal behavioural development and facial defects. It may even trigger an abnormal functions and position of the joints. In some cases, excessive consumption of alcohol may trigger the onset of heart defects.
Cigarette Smoking on Pregnant Women
Pregnant women should also avoid from cigarette smoking during this crucial period. Cigarette smoking increases the risk for stillbirth and other pregnancy complications such as placental previa, premature membrane rupture, placentral abruption and premature birth. It may also hinder the growth and development of the foetus. According to research, cigarette smoking elevates the children's risk for mental retardation and other behavioural problems later on.
Many babies are born underweight. One of the most common culprits behind this phenomenon is cigarette smoking. According to research, the more a pregnant woman smokes, the lesser is the weight of the babies. In fact, babies to smoking mothers have an average weight of 6 ounces less than the weight of babies who are born to mothers who do not smoke.
Smoking moms increase their baby's risks for birth defects of the brain, face and heart. Also, babies are put at a greater risk for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). Other complications include preterm labour, stillbirths, miscarriages and uterine infections.
Also, cigarette smoking heightens the children's risks for deficiencies in intellectual, behavioural and physical growth and development. Cigarette smoking actually harms the baby through its carbon monoxide and nicotine content. Carbon monoxide plays a vital role in reducing the supply of oxygen to the blood vessels while nicotine triggers the release of certain hormones that facilitate in the constriction of the blood vessels which supply blood to the placenta and uterus. In effect, less nutrients and oxygen are delivered to and received by the foetus.
Caffeine in Pregnant Women
Though there are still insufficient evidences relating caffeine consumption to birth defects, doctors strongly advised pregnant women to stay away from caffeine during their pregnancy. According to research, caffeine may negatively affect the foetus' heart rate. Also, it plays a vital role in reducing the supply of blood to the placenta as well as in reducing the abruption rate of iron which may lead to anaemia. There are scientific evidences claiming that excessive intake of caffeine increases a pregnant woman's risk to have preterm delivery, premature birth, stillbirth, miscarriage and baby with low birth weight.
Opiods and Amphetamines in Pregnant Women
The use of opiods such as morphine, methadone and heroin rarely ends up with birth defects however, according to research, it may cause substance addiction to the foetus. Some foetus may experience withdrawal symptoms within 6 hours to 8 days after delivery. When used during pregnancy, opiods can increase the likelihood for certain complications which include preterm delivery, abnormalities and miscarriage. Meanwhile, amphetamines can trigger the development of birth defects especially in the heart.

Things To Know Before Investing

Getting laser hair removal could be just what you need to change the way your body looks and feels for good. The good news is that you will not have to pick up a razor again after using this treatment. That is because it gets rid of your hair permanently in the treated areas. Because of the high-powered laser's use, the follicle is damaged just enough to prohibit the ability of it to produce hairs. This gives you the smooth hairless body you are looking for. However, before committing to this type of process, it is a good idea to consider what it is, how it works, and what limitations it offers.
It Is Not for Everyone
One of the most important things to know about laser hair removal is that it does not work for everyone. The vast majority of people will benefit from it, but those who have light colored skin and light colored hairs will not. To work, the hair has to be dark enough for the device to pick up on its presence. If that is not the case, it will not work as effectively.
You Will Need More Than One Appointment
Sometimes, it can take six or seven treatments to get the total hair-free look you are after. That is because hair does not all grow at the same time and rate. Rather, the cycle is varied. In this treatment, every single follicle needs to be treated. For that to happen, hairs must be in the proper growth stage. This means you will need to come back every few weeks to get another treatment. The good news is that every treatment results in fewer hairs until there are no longer any left.
It Does Last
Though some treatment options promise long-term hair-free skin, such as waxing, nothing is better than this method. It works permanently to restrict the ability of hairs to grow in each of the follicles. Therefore, treated follicles will never produce hair again. If that sounds like a good thing to you, as it does to so many others, now is a good time to talk about your options with a specialist. Find out if this is the right option for you and if you can achieve permanently hair-free skin.
Laser hair removal is a proven method for this purpose, but it does take time. Individuals will find that those with ample experience and knowhow in the field are the best providers to seek out for this type of treatment. You do want to go to a specialist so that you can save time and have fewer appointments to get the results you want.

A Dentist Can Help Senior Citizens With Oral Issues

If you are a senior citizen, your dental care is very important. You may have some specific situations in your mouth, or your financial situation may have changed, making it harder to afford frequent care. As you get older, your health naturally declines and sometimes you are left with no choice but to have your bad teeth extracted, which is often what the government program Medicare covers.
Sensitive teeth are a common problem in seniors, and this is often a result of them being loose due to lack of good dental care. So as soon as you start noticing that they are sensitive, you should make an appointment with your dentist so that you can get treatment for them to avoid the serious gum diseases. As you age, chances of this get higher, as a healthy diet is harder to achieve without getting help. If you struggle getting to your dentist, get some help so that you can get there for good dental care.
A good way to make sure that you are practicing good dental hygiene is by brushing twice a day and flossing at least once a day. Your dentist can help you find specialty toothbrushes to help you get to those hard to reach places in your mouth. You also need to know what to watch for to avoid tooth decay, mouth cancers, and dry mouth.
Often, the only choice you have is to have all your teeth pulled and have them replaced with dentures. Sometimes you can just replace a few teeth or replace them all due to rampant gum disease, or from an injury to your mouth. It is necessary that you get your teeth replaced right away so that your remaining teeth do not move. This way, you can talk and properly chew your food and continue to get your proper nutrition.
Dentures are not cheap, however, as they do cost anywhere between $400 and $8,000. How much you will need to pay depends on extensiveness of your situation and how much preparatory dental work you may need to help your dentures fit comfortably in your mouth. It will cost more if you have to travel to a prosthodontist as well as any specialty tools that may be necessary to help the dentures fit. Your fee will also depend on how much Medicare and/or your dental insurance will cover and what kind of warranty is available for your particular appliance.
When your homework is complete, you should have a great dentist and dentures that are the right fit for your mouth so that you can eat, talk, and live comfortably.

Your Embryonic Stem Cells

Why are human embryonic stem cells so special?

Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) offer a unique opportunity to potentially treat many currently incurable diseases such as Alzheimer's, spinal cord injury, diabetes or heart insufficiency. This is thought to be possible because these cells have the ability to grow into virtually any cell type of the human body. In some cases, scientists are already able to grow replacement cells in the laboratory to substitute for the cells which are destroyed during a disease process, such as heart cells or neurons. In the next step, scientists are hard at work to find out if and how those cells can be used to cure diseases. For this purpose, the first clinical trials are under way in the U.S. and abroad. It is not just severe diseases where hESCs could be extremely helpful, but also other applications such as growing your own red blood cells for potential transfusion for surgery, growing pigment cells of the skin for extra protection if you suffer from burns, or replacing aging skin cells.

Create & bank your own embryonic stem cells from your discard frozen IVF embryos

As an in vitro fertilization (IVF) patient, you may have one or more discard frozen embryos which you do not plan to use for pregnancy attempts because they are e.g. of inferior quality or your family planning is complete. Furthermore, you may not be interested in keeping these embryos in storage any longer. In this case, there is now the possibility of growing your discard frozen embryos into human embryonic stem cells. Similar to banking umbilical cord blood samples, those hESCs are then stored exclusively for your future use. As far as science presently knows, your hESCs will last forever when stored in liquid nitrogen at -320 degrees Fahrenheit.

How can my embryonic stem cells be of use to me and my family in the future?

The hESCs created for you would be approximately 50% genetically identical to you, your partner or your child and, to a lesser extent, to other blood relatives. Furthermore, because hESCs are created from your embryos at such an early point of development, their immune identity is thought to be not fully established. This immunological immaturity may be retained to some extent even when the hESCs are grown into certain specialized organ cells. This may enable your or your family member's body to accept cells grown from your hESCs with little or no immunosuppressive medication which is needed for virtually all conventional organ transplantation, such as liver transplants. This is particularly true when the cells are transplanted to a part of the body which has naturally little exposure to the immune system, such as the eye for retina repair. Other individuals unrelated to you may also be able to accept cells grown from your hESCs, especially if the hESCs have some genetic match with them.

Conclusion

Creating and banking your own embryonic stem cells from your discard frozen IVF embryos may allow you to address your future health needs and your family's. It has the potential to treat Alzheimer's, diabetes, spinal cord injury, heart insufficiency and more. And it is a good alternative if you don't want to keep the embryos in storage any longer.