Friday, July 10, 2009
What medications are you looking at?
We are studying four drugs. These drugs are the four most commonly used by women with epilepsy who are pregnant. They are carbamazepine (Tegretol or Carbatrol), phenytoin (Dilantin or Phenytek), valproate (Depakote or Depakene), and lamotrigine (Lamictal). There are generic versions of several of these, in addition to the brand names here. Phenytoin is the oldest of the four—it's been around for over 70 years. Carbamazepine also has been around for quite a while, and it's the one most commonly prescribed for pregnant women with epilepsy. Of the new drugs, lamotrigine is the one that's used most often by pregnant women.
We have a few reports of pregnancies with other new antiepileptic drugs, but the number is not as high as for the other four drugs so we haven't added those. If we try to look at every drug and there aren't many people taking some of them, we won't have much information when we get done. When the sample size is so small, we can't make good conclusions. We'd like to expand the study in the future and put in additional new drugs, but right now other new drugs are not being used at the same rates. They may be used a lot, but not so much in women who are pregnant.
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Pregnancy Tips & Guides
Pregnancy is said to occur due to the fertilization of the egg by a sperm which grows in size a woman’s uterus which is called the womb. It takes 270 days for the womb to develop into a baby but the gynecologist will consider the date from the last menstrual period or 300 days (40 weeks).
Abnormalities of pregnancy :* Excessive vomiting – The usual morning sickness will not get worse and this may result in a situation called hyperemesis gravidarum.* Bleeding in early pregnancy – This is not a normal phenomenon and a lot of care and caution must be ensured as it may prove to be fatal for the life of the woman. Its causes are abnormalities of the cervix, abortion, ectopic gestation, vesicular mole.* Albuminuria – The presence of albumin in urine is a known complication of pregnancy. The cause may be cystitis or infection in urinary tract. Cystitis is said to be an infection in the bladder. A lot of pain is felt in the lower abdomen which causes frequent urination as well as burning. Another infection also has its striking postures which involve in the infection of the kidney and ureter. A lot of pain is felt in the loins with nausea, vomiting as well as fever. This sort of syndrome is known as pylo-nephrites.* Pre-eclampsia – This occurs usually after 30 weeks of pregnancy. Early signs are raised blood pressure, increase of albumin in the urine, visual disturbances, severe frontal headache, and abdominal pain, vomiting and oedema of feet and ankles. This disease is dangerous for the fetus and for the mother.* Eclamsia – This means that the woman has fits similar to those of epilepsy, and coma. The condition may develop suddenly in a severe case of pre-eclampsia. The fits may occur during pregnancy, during labor, or soon after delivery. Eclampsia is a dangerous for both the mother and the baby. This condition should be prevented by means of good pre-natal care.* Ante-partum hemorrhage – This means bleeding during pregnancy after the 28th week. If it is slight, the cause could be some lesion of the cervix.* High risk cases of pregnancy – all cases of abnormality or high risk should be identified as early as possible.* Back ache – Slight backache may be due to poor posture and is more common in multiparous women whose abdominal muscles are weak. It can be prevented or lessened by attention to posture and by exercises.* Fainting – Sudden changes of posture, or standing for a long time, may cause the pregnant woman to faint. If she feels faint when lying on her back, this is due to pressure on the large veins, and she should be turned on her side immediately. Check for anemia, which may be the cause of fainting.
Pregnancy Weeks :* 1 to 4 weeks – menstruation stops, pricking in the breasts, whitish vaginal discharge.* 5 to 8 weeks – frequent urination, breasts grow larger, nipple become darker, and surface veins can be seen, nausea and perhaps vomiting especially in the morning, cervix is soft.* 9 to 12 weeks – breast become darker round the nipple, vagina becomes a bluish color. By 12th week, weight gain is about 1.12 kilograms.* 13 to 16 weeks – tiny lumps appear on the areola of the breasts, the uterus rises out of the pelvis, by 16 weeks you can feel the fundus about half way between the symphisis pubis and umbilicus, the mother may feel the fetus moving.* 17 to 20 weeks – a second dark ring appears round the breasts, a little fluid comes from the nipples, the fundus is nearly up to the umbilicus, fetal movement can be felt and fetal heart sound heard, weight gain is about 250 grams per week.* 21 to 24 weeks – dark patches may appear on the face, the fundus is at or above the umbilicus.* 25 to 28 weeks – the blood pressure is slightly below normal, there may be shortness of breath, and quicker respirations, the fundus is 4 to 5 fingers above the umbilicus, weight gain about 450 grams per week.* 29 to 32 weeks – there may be slight swelling of the angles; the fundus is half way between the umbilicus and xiphisternum (bottom of the breast bone).* 33 to 36 weeks – again there is frequent urination; the fundus is at or almost at the xiphisternum.* 37 to 40 weeks – the uterus drops into the pelvis at about 38 weeks, and the fundus is then at a lower level. Breathing becomes easier, but sitting and walking may be difficult. Vaginal discharge increases. The total weight gain by the 40th week is from 9 to 11 kilogram.
Abnormalities of pregnancy :* Excessive vomiting – The usual morning sickness will not get worse and this may result in a situation called hyperemesis gravidarum.* Bleeding in early pregnancy – This is not a normal phenomenon and a lot of care and caution must be ensured as it may prove to be fatal for the life of the woman. Its causes are abnormalities of the cervix, abortion, ectopic gestation, vesicular mole.* Albuminuria – The presence of albumin in urine is a known complication of pregnancy. The cause may be cystitis or infection in urinary tract. Cystitis is said to be an infection in the bladder. A lot of pain is felt in the lower abdomen which causes frequent urination as well as burning. Another infection also has its striking postures which involve in the infection of the kidney and ureter. A lot of pain is felt in the loins with nausea, vomiting as well as fever. This sort of syndrome is known as pylo-nephrites.* Pre-eclampsia – This occurs usually after 30 weeks of pregnancy. Early signs are raised blood pressure, increase of albumin in the urine, visual disturbances, severe frontal headache, and abdominal pain, vomiting and oedema of feet and ankles. This disease is dangerous for the fetus and for the mother.* Eclamsia – This means that the woman has fits similar to those of epilepsy, and coma. The condition may develop suddenly in a severe case of pre-eclampsia. The fits may occur during pregnancy, during labor, or soon after delivery. Eclampsia is a dangerous for both the mother and the baby. This condition should be prevented by means of good pre-natal care.* Ante-partum hemorrhage – This means bleeding during pregnancy after the 28th week. If it is slight, the cause could be some lesion of the cervix.* High risk cases of pregnancy – all cases of abnormality or high risk should be identified as early as possible.* Back ache – Slight backache may be due to poor posture and is more common in multiparous women whose abdominal muscles are weak. It can be prevented or lessened by attention to posture and by exercises.* Fainting – Sudden changes of posture, or standing for a long time, may cause the pregnant woman to faint. If she feels faint when lying on her back, this is due to pressure on the large veins, and she should be turned on her side immediately. Check for anemia, which may be the cause of fainting.
Pregnancy Weeks :* 1 to 4 weeks – menstruation stops, pricking in the breasts, whitish vaginal discharge.* 5 to 8 weeks – frequent urination, breasts grow larger, nipple become darker, and surface veins can be seen, nausea and perhaps vomiting especially in the morning, cervix is soft.* 9 to 12 weeks – breast become darker round the nipple, vagina becomes a bluish color. By 12th week, weight gain is about 1.12 kilograms.* 13 to 16 weeks – tiny lumps appear on the areola of the breasts, the uterus rises out of the pelvis, by 16 weeks you can feel the fundus about half way between the symphisis pubis and umbilicus, the mother may feel the fetus moving.* 17 to 20 weeks – a second dark ring appears round the breasts, a little fluid comes from the nipples, the fundus is nearly up to the umbilicus, fetal movement can be felt and fetal heart sound heard, weight gain is about 250 grams per week.* 21 to 24 weeks – dark patches may appear on the face, the fundus is at or above the umbilicus.* 25 to 28 weeks – the blood pressure is slightly below normal, there may be shortness of breath, and quicker respirations, the fundus is 4 to 5 fingers above the umbilicus, weight gain about 450 grams per week.* 29 to 32 weeks – there may be slight swelling of the angles; the fundus is half way between the umbilicus and xiphisternum (bottom of the breast bone).* 33 to 36 weeks – again there is frequent urination; the fundus is at or almost at the xiphisternum.* 37 to 40 weeks – the uterus drops into the pelvis at about 38 weeks, and the fundus is then at a lower level. Breathing becomes easier, but sitting and walking may be difficult. Vaginal discharge increases. The total weight gain by the 40th week is from 9 to 11 kilogram.
Monday, July 6, 2009
Deciding to get pregnant is possibly one of the most exciting and most monumental decisions a woman can make. Although you may not realize it, it takes a lot more to getting pregnant than you may think. A lot of planning goes into pregnancy such as how should you take care of your body during pregnancy and what can you do to prepare? Have you heard that you should be taking folic acid before pregnancy and special vitamin pills once you become pregnant? Some doctors are now even recommending that you take these good multivitamins before you decide to become pregnant. Do you know that it is best to quite smoking and drinking at least three months before becoming pregnant in order to give your body enough time to cleanse itself of all the toxins? Are you worried that even if you do succeed in getting pregnant you will be lost as to what you should do next?
Don't Be Overwhelmed.
It's all pretty confusing isn't it? Everybody is telling you to do this and do that, but remember not to do this. Getting pregnant doesn't have to be this overwhelming. With just a little bit of reading you can learn all of the vital information about what to do when you are trying to get pregnant. Welcome to our sub section on Getting Pregnant where you can discover everything you need to know about getting pregnant, knowing you're pregnant and how to care for yourself once you finally become pregnant.Sunday, July 5, 2009
Will My Baby Have Diabetes If I Have The Disease?
Babies born to mothers with diabetes do not arrive into this world with the condition. However, if the mother did not control the diabetes before and during her pregnancy, the baby very likely will develop low blood sugar and will have to be monitored very closely after birth to ensure his or her body is making insulin adjustments properly.
One of the frequent effects on babies born to diabetic mothers is their large size at birth. These babies are more likely to become obese and eventually develop Type 2 diabetes later in life. It is imperative they develop excellent lifestyle habits of good diet and exercise to lessen the chance of this occurrence.
What Happens To Baby?
An Overview of Diabetes
Diabetes is a condition in which the body is unable to properly utilize sugars and starches (carbohydrates) that it receives in food by converting them to energy. The pancreas is unable to produce enough insulin to do the job and the result is diabetes. This disease is often found in women of childbearing age and may appear as gestational diabetes in some women. That means that they contract the condition but it is only in their bodies for the duration of the pregnancy. Once the baby is born, often gestational diabetes disappears. Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes require insulin regimens and proper diet and exercise to contro
Diabetes is a condition which is often detected in women during the childbearing years and can have a profound effect upon the health of both the mother and the unborn baby. When diabetes is out-of-control in a pregnant woman there is an increase in the chances for birth defects and other problems for the baby, as well as difficulties and complications for the mother.
Diabetes is a condition in which the body is unable to convert the sugars and starches it takes in as food into energy. The pancreas either produces too little insulin or it is unable to utilize the insulin it does make in order to convert the sugars and starches into energy. The result is the collection of the surplus sugar in the blood and the release of some of the sugar through the urine. The extra sugar in the blood system causes damage to organs such as the heart, eyes and kidneys, if it remains in the body too long.
Are All Forms Of Diabetes The Same?
The three most common types of diabetes are Type 1, Type 2, and gestational diabetes. A person with Type 1 diabetes suffers with a pancreas that makes so little insulin that the body is unable to use blood sugar for energy. This type of diabetes requires daily insulin shots to control. Type 2 diabetes is either the low production of insulin or the inability of the body to use the insulin it does make to convert blood sugar to energy. This type of diabetes is controlled through proper diet and regular exercise. Some people with this type of diabetes take pills or injections. A pregnant woman who has never had diabetes may contract it while she is pregnant and this is called gestational diabetes. Proper diet, exercise and sometimes injections are used to control this type of diabetes which often disappears after the birth of the baby.
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