About.com Miscarriage / Pregnancy Loss

Could Protein Help in Ectopic Pregnancy Diagnosis?

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 07:46:21 +0000

Although ectopic pregnancy might sound like something that ought to be easy for a physician to diagnose, the truth is that it really isn't -- at least, not for ectopic pregnancies that have not ruptured. Unless the ectopic pregnancy is visible on ultrasound, which is often not the case, it's difficult to diagnose an ectopic pregnancy based on any single test. When doctors are able to catch ectopic pregnancies before rupture, the diagnosis usually requires collection of info from a pelvic exam, hCG levels, and ultrasound and analysis of all the results together. (More info: How Doctors Diagnose Tubal Pregnancy

That's probably a major reason why around half of all ectopic pregnancies aren't caught until they rupture. According to a recent BBC article, Scottish researchers are attempting to change that. The article describes how researchers at Edinburgh University have discovered that women with ectopic pregnancies tend to have lower levels of a protein called activin B, and the researchers are working on a possible routine blood test that could flag women who might have an ectopic pregnancy.

It will be neat to see where this goes. Right now, ectopic pregnancy is a leading cause of pregnancy-related death in childbearing women. When detected in time, the treatment can be as simple as taking medication, so it would seem that a test with potential to catch these pregnancies early may be able to save lives.

Could Protein Help in Ectopic Pregnancy Diagnosis? originally appeared on About.com Miscarriage / Pregnancy Loss on Friday, December 4th, 2009 at 07:46:21.

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Study: Two-Thirds of Store-Bought Chickens Carry Potentially Dangerous Bacteria

Wed, 02 Dec 2009 02:54:15 +0000

According to a report in ABC News, a new study has shown that about two-thirds of all chickens sold in grocery stores carry potentially dangerous bacteria such as salmonella and campylobacter. Oddly enough, this is an improvement over earlier results that found over 80% of chickens to be contaminated, although some brands still fared worse than others. (Apparently organic "air-chilled" broiler chickens were the safest bet.

The study results are no huge surprise, but I think this offers a good reminder of the importance of cooking your food thoroughly and washing your hands carefully whenever you handle any kind of raw meat. Salmonella in store-bought chicken should not be dangerous if the food is properly cooked before being eaten, as prolonged exposure to heat will kill the bacteria, but it's important to also make sure to wash your hands and any surfaces in your kitchen that were in contact with the meat before it was cooked. Salmonella and other types of food poisoning can be dangerous to pregnant women and unborn babies, and eating or handling improperly cooked meat is a major risk factor for developing these infections.

Related information:

Study: Two-Thirds of Store-Bought Chickens Carry Potentially Dangerous Bacteria originally appeared on About.com Miscarriage / Pregnancy Loss on Wednesday, December 2nd, 2009 at 02:54:15.

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Profile of a Palliative Care Program for Infants

Sun, 29 Nov 2009 04:55:17 +0000

A publication called Star-Telegram has an interesting profile of work done by the palliative care team at the Baylor All Saints Medical Center to help grieving parents of newborns with fatal diagnoses. As the article states, most people don't think of babies when they hear of "palliative care," but for parents who have given birth to babies with incurable diseases, the need for palliative care is a tragic reality.

The article talks specifically about couples who learn of the fatal diagnoses during pregnancy but who choose to continue the pregnancy despite the diagnosis due to religious or philosophical preferences. Neonatalogists at the Baylor All Saints Medical Center realized that these parents would need support as they worked their way through the grief and expanded their palliative care team to meet the need. Now, whenever impending stillbirths or infant deaths are detected in advance, palliative care specialists can be present to support the parents during labor and delivery, make sure the parents are not subjected to unnecessary uncomfortable questions or other circumstances, give a chance to bathe and hold their babies, and assist with funeral arrangements and grief support.

In my opinion, every hospital with a labor and delivery department ought to have such services in place for parents suffering a loss at any stage of pregnancy. With all the horror stories out there about how parents are sometimes treated when they seek pregnancy loss treatment at emergency rooms, it is certainly refreshing to read about a hospital that seems to have the right idea.

Profile of a Palliative Care Program for Infants originally appeared on About.com Miscarriage / Pregnancy Loss on Sunday, November 29th, 2009 at 04:55:17.

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Group Calls for More Attention to Stillbirths

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 03:16:59 +0000

According to an article in the BBC, the British group Sands is calling for the British government to take greater action in researching causes of stillbirths and what can be done to prevent them. The group has issued a new report called "Saving Babies' Lives" that asserts many stillbirths to be preventable and decries the fact that stillbirth rates have not dropped much in the past few decades.

There have been several such awareness announcements in the past year, and I know that there's been a push for researchers to learn more about this. More knowledge is needed, given that many stillbirths are never explained and many are believed to be preventable. One would hope that in the rush to reform healthcare in the US that someone would be paying attention to the problem of stillbirths, which, as the article points out, far exceed the numbers even of sudden infant death syndrome.

Group Calls for More Attention to Stillbirths originally appeared on About.com Miscarriage / Pregnancy Loss on Wednesday, November 25th, 2009 at 03:16:59.

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Couple Share Joy of 'Miracle Baby' After Six Miscarriages

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 08:31:07 +0000

Here's another of those inspiring stories -- this time from Britain's Mirror.co.uk publication. In the story, new parents Julie and Phil Turnock tell of how they have finally welcomed a baby girl after having five miscarriages and losing a baby who was born premature at 21 weeks. After her third miscarriage, Julie was diagnosed with a blood condition that doctors said was causing the losses, but she continued to have more miscarriages even after being treated. The couple feared they were "destined never to be parents," but they refused to give up hope without trying one more time -- and now they have welcomed their daughter Amy, who was born healthy after an uneventful pregnancy.

I like success stories. When I had three miscarriages in a row, I remember how much it helped to know that other people had been there and come out on the other side with a healthy baby.

If you yourself have a success story you'd like to share about giving birth after one or more miscarriages, share it here to help inspire others. If you're pregnant again but haven't given birth yet, you can share your pregnancy story too.

Couple Share Joy of 'Miracle Baby' After Six Miscarriages originally appeared on About.com Miscarriage / Pregnancy Loss on Monday, November 23rd, 2009 at 08:31:07.

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Canadian Study Uncovers High Use of 'Fetus-Harming' Prescription Drugs in Pregnancy

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 03:02:47 +0000

According to an article in Science Daily, Canada researchers have found an unexpectedly high percentage of pregnant women may be using prescription drugs that are not safe for pregnancy. In the study, 6% of pregnant women in Quebec were using drugs that were known to be harmful to developing babies. Over half of those women electively terminated their pregnancies due to concerns over birth defects, another 6% miscarried, and 8.2% gave birth to a baby with a major birth defect.

This particular study was conducted in Quebec, and it's hard to know what the rates are in other areas -- in the US, for example, there are programs in place to track women using some of the drugs mentioned in the article (such as isoretinoin) to ensure that they are aware of the risks. In some other cases, however, women might be taking medications without being fully aware of the pregnancy risks. This is one reason why it is a good idea to have a preconception visit with a healthcare practitioner if you haven't already, as this gives you an opportunity to review your medical history with your doctor or midwife to look for anything that needs changing before you become pregnant. But given that the majority of pregnancies aren't planned, it's also a good idea to know the safety status of any medications you need to use on a regular basis, whether you're planning a pregnancy or not. If you become pregnant unexpectedly, you should see a doctor as soon as possible to check if you need changes to your treatment plan.

Canadian Study Uncovers High Use of 'Fetus-Harming' Prescription Drugs in Pregnancy originally appeared on About.com Miscarriage / Pregnancy Loss on Wednesday, November 18th, 2009 at 03:02:47.

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PTSD Found to Be Common in Pregnant Women

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 15:08:39 +0000

In a recent study reported in JournalWatch, researchers have found that incidence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) was fairly high in pregnant women who were interviewed in a telephone survey. Over 80% of the women in the study had a history that could potentially have triggered PTSD at some point in their lives, and about 8% had active PTSD. Having had a difficult miscarriage was one of the major risk factors for having active PTSD in pregnancy, along with a history of abuse or difficult experience with an elective abortion.

I do not find these results at all surprising. Past research has found that a small but significant number of women who have a miscarriage can end up developing long-term PTSD, and a larger number may experience PTSD symptoms in the immediate aftermath of the miscarriage. I would bet that even more women probably experience significant anxiety in the next pregnancy after the miscarriage, even if they don't qualify for diagnoses.

What is a good takeaway from this though is the conclusion of the JournalWatch article, which is that help is available for PTSD and other anxiety disorders. That doesn't just mean medication, which many women are naturally hesitant to use in pregnancy, but can also mean counseling referrals or extra supports. Thus, if you think you have signs of PTSD or serious anxiety as a result of your miscarriage, tell your doctor and see what help is available.

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PTSD Found to Be Common in Pregnant Women originally appeared on About.com Miscarriage / Pregnancy Loss on Saturday, November 14th, 2009 at 15:08:39.

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Celine Dion Rep Confirms Singer's Possible Miscarriage

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 02:31:01 +0000

I first saw this rumor online a few days ago, but according to an AHN report, Celine Dion's spokesperson has confirmed that the singer may have suffered a miscarriage. The reports are conflicting as to whether it was a miscarriage or a failed IVF procedure, as Calgary Herald reports, where the doctor initially reported a positive pregnancy result "incorrectly" (though that has the sounds of meaning a possible chemical pregnancy).

Dion and her husband have an 8-year-old son but continue to hope for a second child. Celine Dion reportedly had trouble conceiving the first time around also as was forced to turn to IVF for the pregnancy with her son also. I have no personal experience with fertility problems other than recurrent miscarriages, but I can only imagine that losing a pregnancy after you had trouble conceiving must have an extra sting to it. It must also be difficult to deal with these things in the public spotlight. My condolences to the family and I hope they are dealing okay.

Celine Dion Rep Confirms Singer's Possible Miscarriage originally appeared on About.com Miscarriage / Pregnancy Loss on Friday, November 13th, 2009 at 02:31:01.

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"Have a Happy Period." Are They for Real?

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 06:02:44 +0000

So a quick Google search shows me that this is old news, but I found it rather annoying nonetheless. I was just watching TV with my son, who is home sick from preschool today with a fever and headache, and I saw a commercial for Always menstrual pads and saw that they have a slogan of "have a happy period." Judging by info I've read online, apparently this is also printed on the paper you pull off the pads when using them.

I was kind of dumbfounded. Are they for real? I mean, forgetting for a moment that very few women out there consider their period to be something "happy" and fun at any time regardless of circumstances, what about if someone was using the menstrual pads for miscarriage bleeding? I would think seeing "have a happy period" on the pads would be rubbing salt in wounds. I can't imagine who would have thought this would be a good idea. I'm pretty sure this would have angered me if I came across it during a miscarriage. It probably would have bugged me when I was trying to conceive and not pregnant, also, as my period was anything but a "happy" occurrence at those times.

Any thoughts on this slogan? Is this something that would bother you if it were printed on your menstrual pads, or is it no big deal? Post any thoughts here.

"Have a Happy Period." Are They for Real? originally appeared on About.com Miscarriage / Pregnancy Loss on Wednesday, November 11th, 2009 at 06:02:44.

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Updates on H1N1/Influenza Vaccine in Pregnancy

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 05:31:08 +0000

I know H1N1 flu is still a major issue of concern right now, with some being worried about the virus and others being worried about the vaccine. So I wanted to highlight some of the most recent information that has become available pertaining to H1N1 and pregnancy.

According to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease, the study currently following pregnant women vaccinated against H1N1 is showing promising early results. The women in the study are in their second and third trimesters, and the results suggest that the vast majority are responding to the vaccine with antibody levels that should confer immunity against H1N1. No safety concerns have arisen after H1N1 vaccination in the study participant, and the results indicate that one dose of the vaccine should be sufficient for pregnant women.

In addition, a general review of influenza vaccine safety has been published in the latest issue of American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. In it, researchers examined published studies on seasonal flu vaccination during pregnancy and found that there is no evidence of any safety concerns surrounding vaccination. I was sent a full copy of this review, and it does appear that a few of the studies included in the review involved a small number of participants in their first trimesters.

An article U.S. News and World Report also describes four new studies that have found some evidence that vaccination during pregnancy may protect the unborn baby, with findings showing that babies born to vaccinated moms may be less likely to be hospitalized for flu in the first year of life and may be less likely to suffer low birth weight.

Anyway, I know that there are a lot of strong opinions out there, based on some of the comments I'm seeing from readers, but I just wanted to post these updates. I know it must be confusing to sort through all the information out there, especially with so many readily available stories out there both for and against vaccination. Best wishes to everyone out there in making a decision they feel comfortable with.

More information on H1N1 flu from other sites on About.com:

Updates on H1N1/Influenza Vaccine in Pregnancy originally appeared on About.com Miscarriage / Pregnancy Loss on Monday, November 9th, 2009 at 05:31:08.

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