An episiotomy is an incision made in the tissue between the vaginal opening and anus (perineum) during childbirth. Although an episiotomy was once a routine part of childbirth, that’s no longer the case. If you’re planning a vaginal delivery, here’s what you need to know about episiotomy and childbirth.
The episiotomy tradition
For many years, an episiotomy [...]
Tags: episiotomy, kegel, labor and delivery, perineal tear
Salmonella infection is a common bacterial disease that affects the intestinal tract. Salmonella bacteria typically live in the intestines of animals and humans and are shed through feces. Humans become infected most frequently through contaminated water or food sources — such as poultry, meat and eggs.
Typically, people with salmonella infection develop diarrhea, fever and abdominal [...]
Tags: Antibiotic, antidiarrheal, food poisoning, infection of GI tract, salmonellosis, stool
Antibiotic-associated diarrhea can cause signs and symptoms that range from mild to severe. Most often, you’ll have only a slight change in the bacteria in your digestive tract, which can cause loose stools or more bowel movements a day than are normal for you.
If you develop these problems, they’re likely to begin about five to [...]
Tags: acute diarrhea, AIDS, Antibiotics, bowel perforation, dehydration, diarrhea, erythromycin, HIV, lactobacillus acidophilus, Probiotics, salmonella, toxic megacolon, vancomycin
INTRODUCTION
Although pregnancy is said to last nine months, healthcare providers track pregnancy by weeks and days. The normal duration of pregnancy is approximately 37 to 42 weeks, with the estimated due date at 40 weeks or 280 days from the first day of the last menstrual period.
A postterm pregnancy, also called a prolonged pregnancy, is [...]
Tags: Contraction stress test, fetal dysmaturity, inducing labor, LMP, stillbirth
Postmaturity
from The Merk Manual…”An uncommon syndrome of failing placental function and fetal jeopardy that occurs after 42 wk.”
In plain English, this means your baby is not able to get what he needs because the placenta is not working right any more. Babies who are postmature are sick because they are no longer being properly nourished.
When [...]
Tags: amniotic fluid, asphyxia, labor and delivery, meconium aspiration, natural birthing, neonatal hypoglycemia, overdue, post mature, postmaturity, risk
Before “true” labor begins, you may have “false” labor pains, also known as Braxton Hicks contractions. These irregular uterine contractions are perfectly normal and may start to occur as early as the second trimester, although they are more common during the third trimester of pregnancy. They are your body’s way of getting ready for the “real [...]
Tags: braxton hicks contraction, false labour, in labor and delivery, true labor
Getting a baby to sleep so they can get a good nights rest is often a new parents’ greatest challenge. There has been a lot of research done on massage with hospitalized babies, who are generally small [...]
Tags: baby, bonding, gain weight, intuition, massage, massage oil, premature, sleep well
A Healthy Heartbeat
The heart is a beating muscle that pumps oxygen and nutrient rich blood throughout the body. Each beat is stimulated by electrical signals that pass through the heart muscle, or myocardium.
Performing an ECG or EKG
In order to examine the function of the heart, a doctor may perform a test called an electrocardiogram or [...]
Tags: ECG, electrocardiography, heart's electrical signals, stress test
Multislice CT is just as accurate as MRI in assessing myocardial infarct size in an emergency setting, according to a recent study conducted by researchers in France and the U.S. The latest data validate previous findings suggesting delayed-enhancement myocardial CT correlates well with measures of infarction size done with cardiac MR.
Infarct size is one of [...]
Tags: angiography, coronary angioplasty, MCI, MRI, MSCT, Myocardial infarction, reperfusion