It is estimated 1 out of every 80 women have celiac disease, many without realizing it. Celiac disease is common enough that some doctors and researchers feel celiac screening should become part of the routine prenatal blood tests performed at the beginning of a pregnancy. If left untreated, the mixture of celiac disease and pregnancy ...
It is funny how pregnancy elicits a variety of responses. There are those who fear it, carefully using the method they deem the safest. There are those who pursue it, trying every conceivable method from counting days and taking temperatures to eating special diets and even dancing before a fertility god. Couples are teased when ...
One sweet fruit that many health conscious people enjoy is a honeydew melon. Although this fruit is in season from July to October, it can usually be found year round at most supermarkets. It’s sweet, green flesh is a favorite way to end a summertime meal, but can be enjoyed as a nutritious snack any ...
I signed the consent form and my blood was drawn for the quad screen on a Tuesday. We had the test done during my first two pregnancies, and there wasn’t any question about whether to have it done this time or not. Honestly, I don’t even remember giving it much thought the first two times ...
One of the most common birth defects is the neural tube defect (NTD), which affects 1 in 1,000 births. Very early in a pregnancy, usually by the second week, specialized cells begin the fusing procedure. This is gastrulation, and cells on the dorsal side of the fetus begin to fuse and form a neural tube. ...
You know that folic acid is important during pregnancy, but do you know why it’s so important? Women are usually advised by their physicians before even trying to become pregnant, that they should take a folic acid supplement along with their normal multi-vitamins or prenatal vitamins. It’s also a good idea to take a folic ...
Folic acid, the synthetic form of folate, has been added to our food supply since 1988 to reduce deficiency in pregnant women to reduce the risk of neural tube defects in their babies and to help block the effects of bisphenol A. Pregnant women are now bombarded with folic acid in supplements, prenatal vitamins and ...