Category Archives: Pregnancy
Study Examines Effects of Epilepsy Medications on Pregnant Women
According to MSNBC, women with epilepsy face a difficult decision when they decide to have children, as they either must their medicine to prevent a seizure or they risk hurting the fetus. A new study from researches at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden found that children of mothers receiving polytherapy – a combination of epilepsy drugs – had 3 times greater odds of not finishing school. The study examined 1,235 children born to mothers with epilepsy between 1973 and 1986. Children of mothers who were only taking a single medication did not seem to be as effected and were able to complete school just like their peers, although they were less likely to pass classes with excellence. Doctors not involved with the study claim it is important for mothers to know that they are able to have normal kids. Childbearing is an important consideration for women with epilepsy, as drugs…
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Posted in Pregnancy, Uncategorized Tagged anticonvulsant, drugs, epilepsy, fetus, medication, Pregnancy, seizure, study Comments Off on Study Examines Effects of Epilepsy Medications on Pregnant Women
Pregnancy Related Deaths On the Rise in the U.S.
According to MSNBC, the national rate of pregnancy-related deaths is on the rise. A new government study found that between 1998 and 2005, the rate of pregnancy-related deaths was 14.5 per 100,000 live births. While it may appear low, those figures are higher than the past few decades. In 1979 where were just under 11 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births. Researchers at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that the extent which the rise reflects a true elevation in women is unclear. Chronic medical conditions are exacerbated by pregnancy, including heart disease. Deaths from actual birth such as hemorrhaging are declining. Even high blood pressure that may occur during pregnancy appears to be declining in rates. Another factor is reporting of deaths, as a new cause coding system was implemented in 1999 and a system before it did not have a pregnancy or maternal checkbox. For…
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Study Finds Women With Rheumatoid Arthritis Have Issues Conceiving
According to MSNBC, a study by the Children’s Hospital Oakland Research Institute in Oakland California found that rheumatoid arthritis may hinder conception in some women. The study published in the journal Arthritis & Rheumatism, included 68,000 Danish women who became pregnant between 1996 and 2002, of those 112 had been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis before pregnancy. The lead researcher Dr. Damini Jawaheer said that women who are trying to become pregnant are often told to stop using disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs such as methotrexate and infliximab as some can cause birth defects. The research team said it is unclear if the condition or stopping medication causes a flare-up in rheumatoid arthritis that somehow hinders a woman’s ability to conceive. In general, women with rheumatoid arthritis take longer to conceive and are less likely to get pregnant within 2 months of trying. During the study, 48 percent of women without RA conceived…
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Posted in Pregnancy Tagged Pregnancy, research, rheumatoid arthritis, study Comments Off on Study Finds Women With Rheumatoid Arthritis Have Issues Conceiving
