Obstetrics and gynaecology

Prenatal care is a type of preventive healthcare with the goal of providing regular check-ups that allow doctors or midwives to treat and prevent potential health problems throughout the course of the pregnancy while promoting healthy lifestyles that benefit both mother and child. All pregnant women get blood and urine tests and a blood pressure check at every visit. In early prenatal care, what occurs at your appointments? Your blood pressure, weight, and height is checked. Calculate your due…

7 weeks pregnant Though you are normal and little or no changes as occur to your physical stature but you have to know a lot is happening inside your womb and development is taking place at this stage of your pregnancy even though it looks as if you are not pregnant. 7 weeks pregnant development Now your pregnancy is 7 weeks and you have to know it marks the start of a very crucial development as a lot of growth will be taking in your womb. The components that are formed in the first week of…

Thalidomide is an antiangiogenic and immunomodulatory drug marketed at the end of the ‘50s as a reliever to morning sickness in pregnant women, and it is known today for its teratogen effects as one of the biggest pharmaceutical disasters in the history (Ridings, J. - 2013). Due to the lack of research and flexible trials in that time, this drug caused several abortions and malformation to the infant, such as phocomelia – the malformation of the arms and legs. The tragedy, however, led to the…

Respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) commonly known as hyaline membrane syndrome occurs in many premature births. As the gestational age for a baby decreases subsequently the likelihood of them having this condition will increase because their lungs are severely underdeveloped. The problems that stem from RDS include lack of surfactant, smaller alveolar surface span, elevated compliance of the small airways, and occasionally the ductus arteriosis might be a factor if it doesn’t close shortly…

Tips on how to find the right size for your bra For pregnant: During pregnancy the breast usually increases a cup size and one to two sizes contour of the chest (for example from a 36 C to a 38 D). From the third month of pregnancy you should take a firmer than you normally wear a bra. The chest volume changes during pregnancy up even in periods of a day. Bravado authentic fastener adapts to such changes thanks to its cut and prepared material (eg: 36-40 C-D instead of only 38 D). Ask…

Phenylketonuria (PKU) is a disorder that causes an amino acid called phenylalanine to build up in a person’s body. PKU is caused by a defect in the gene, the PAH gene, that helps to create the enzyme hydroxlase that is responsible for breaking down phenylalanine. Without this important enzyme, a person will build up a dangerously high level of phenylalanine when they eat foods that are high in protein. Babies in the United States are screened for PKU soon after birth. Newborns with PKU…

Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is one of the most common endocrine disorders that is known to affect women during reproductive years. This disorder is characterized by hyperandrogenism, chronic anovulation, and typical morphologic changes of the ovaries (Pan, Chen, Tsao, & Chen, 2015). PCOS is estimated to have a prevalence of 5%-10% of reproductive aged women (Grossman & Porth). The symptoms that accompany this disorder include menstrual irregularity, obesity, infertility, and androgen…

This week the article "Caring for Infibulated Women Giving Birth in Norway" really stood out to me in our textbook Cultural Anthropology. This topic brings up stuff we learned in a previous chapter about the infibulation of women in other societies. In this case, we are discussing how birth in Norway is supposed to be considered natural and something that comes relatively easy for the typical woman. They are expected to have little to no medicine or incisions made on their bodies during…

Ashley is a 26yo, G4 P2012, who is currently 35 weeks 3 days as dated by an 8-week ultrasound. She is relatively healthy. She has 2 prior cesarean deliveries and is planning a repeat. She declined any aneuploidy testing. She had a recent scan for growth and there was concern for non-visualization of the cavum septum pellucidum. She was referred for further consultation. Of note, the CSP was called normal at the time of the anatomy scan at 21 weeks. On ultrasound, there is a live fetus in…

Phenylketonuria (PKU) is a disorder that can be passed down from generation to generation. It is caused by a deficient hepatic phenylalanine hydroxylase (PAH), which is an enzyme in the liver that catalyzes the conversion of phenylalanine to tyrosine, using the coenzyme, tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4). One treatment for PKU would be to have a restricted diet because PKU does not allow for the process of phenylalanine, which is a protein found in many foods (Scala et al 2015). With the help of BH4,…