Category Archives: Newsletters

Premature Birth Linked with Autism in New Study

Posted on July 27, 2012 by

In the April edition of Pediatrics, an international pediatric medical journal, a new study shows that there is a link between premature birth and autism. The study shows that the risk of autism stems from low birth rate related to premature birth. The new study is the first one to link low birth weight with an increased risk for autism. It defines very low birth weight as 3 pounds, 4 ounces or less. The study was conducted by Dr. Catherine Limperopoulos and a group of her colleagues, at the McGill University in Canada. Limperopoulos focused on 91 toddlers. All were born prematurely at a birth weight between 1 and 3.28 pounds. All births were extremely high-risk premature births and ranged from 23 to 30 week gestational periods. About 25% of the 91 toddles had positive screenings for autism. The study demonstrates that infants born at least 10 weeks early need…
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Pregnant Woman Face Serious Dangers Including Preeclampsia

Posted on July 27, 2012 by

One of the serious dangers facing pregnant women is preeclampsia. Preeclampsia is hypertension caused by pregnancy. The only cure for preeclampsia is delivery of the baby. In the United States, the condition effects up to eight percent of all women who are in their second or third trimesters of pregnancy. Preeclampsia is a serious condition and it if is not caught early during regular prenatal visits, the mother and child are at serious risk for injury or fatality. It is the responsibility of the doctor to provide reasonable care to a pregnant mother. This includes monitoring them for symptoms of preeclampsia. The symptoms of preeclampsia are: • Headaches that are severe and which occur in the back of the head • Face and hands swell • Upper abdomen pain • Nausea • Weight gain • Blood pressure that is higher than 140 over 90 Many of the symptoms listed above…
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Magnesium Sulfate During Premature Labor May Decrease Risk of Cerebral Palsy

Posted on July 27, 2012 by

Over ten percent of pregnant women deliver their babies before they have reached a full term, forty-week pregnancy. Premature infants, who are delivered before 37 weeks, are at a higher risk for birth injuries, such as cerebral palsy, which is caused from damage to the brain. About one-third of children with cerebral palsy were premature babies. Cerebral palsy is a devastating movement disorder. It is characterized by limitations in intelligence, difficulties with hearing, impaired vision, impaired speaking, seizures, behavioral problems and learning disorders. In cases of cerebral palsy, damage occurs to the cerebrum, which is the area of the brain that is in control of motor skills, sensory functions and cognition. Injury can occur either during birth, or after. Damage to the cerebrum is often a result of lack of oxygen, commonly due to problems with the umbilical cord, uterine rupture or eclampsia. The prescription of magnesium sulfate, or Epsom salt, has…
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