welcome to Articles

Pre-conception health for a woman is important. Getting a jump start will be beneficial to you and your baby. Pregnancy should not be considered only a nine-month journey but a yearlong journey. Health care experts recommend that you begin to prepare your body for pregnancy at least three months prior to conceiving.  more...

A study by the University of Aberdeen of 30,000 women found that conceiving within six months offered the best chance for a healthy pregnancy. The findings, published in the British Medical Journal, counter international guidelines that women should wait at least six months before trying again. more...

Skipping that morning bowl of cereal may be a great way to cut calories, right? Probably not, according to research which suggests that a nutritious breakfast can play an important role in helping you manage your weight, increase your productivity, and lower your risk of heart disease and diabetes.  more...

The hormone, relaxin, loosens tendons and widens blood vessels in pregnant women as well as boosting their heart function to help their bodies cope with the extra weight and blood required for the baby. But now it has been found that giving it to patients with heart failure may help relieve symptoms such as breathlessness.  more...

Intimate partner violence significantly increased the risk of pregnancy trauma and placental abruption -- pointing up the need for intimate partner violence screening and intervention during this vulnerable period, researchers found.  more...

All pregnant women should be given antibiotics before having a cesarean delivery to help prevent infections, according to new recommendations issued today by The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. The College says that the antibiotics should be given within one hour of the start of surgery for maximum effectiveness.  more...

There is now scientific evidence to back up the widely held belief that stress can interfere with fertility. Women in a newly published study were less likely to conceive when they exhibited higher levels of a stress-related enzyme known as alpha-amylase. The research is the first of its kind to suggest a biological basis for the long-held notion that stress can reduce a woman's chances of becoming pregnant. more...

Your baby has sunburn if you notice skin that is pink or red, warm, painful, and with or without blisters. Sunburn symptoms may not start for two or more hours after the sun damage has occurred. Once you have determined that the baby has sunburn, your goals should be to stop the burning and treat the burn.  more...

A new study by Dutch researchers has found that women who have complications in pregnancy or a difficult labour stand a much greater chance of having post-natal depression than those who do not. Post-natal depression occurs most often in the first three months after delivery and can range from mild symptoms - sometimes called the ‘baby blues’ - to clinically diagnosed post-natal depression.  more...

Pregnant women with a history of pregnancy-related diabetes, also called gestational diabetes, have a good chance of developing the condition again, suggests a large new study. Researchers found that the risk of having gestational diabetes during a future pregnancy increases with each previously affected one -- from 41 percent after the first to 57 percent after two pregnancies complicated by gestational diabetes. more...

Feel crampy or beyond exhausted? See the surprising clues that may indicate you're expecting -- before a pregnancy test would. Wondering if you've got a baby on board? Pay close attention to your body. "The hormones released as soon as you conceive may start causing subtle changes even before they're detectable on a home pregnancy test," says Melissa Goist, MD, clinical assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the Ohio State University Medical Center. Unfortunately many, like sore breasts or bloating, also happen right before your period (a sure sign that you're not pregnant), so it's all a guessing game until you take a test.  more...

The pacifier help to fill a baby's sucking need, and they can be a wonderful source of comfort to a fussy baby. What happens, however, when your infant becomes a toddler and her attachment to her pacifier grows much stronger? How do you break the pacifier habit with as little drama as possible? When and how you begin to separate your baby from her beloved paci really depends a lot on her age. If she is just an infant, her need for that extra sucking time is perfectly normal. more...