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Can Living in the U.S. Increase Your Risk of Preterm Birth?
Read More: Can Living in the U.S. Increase Your Risk of Preterm Birth?If you’re a woman giving birth in the United States, you’re more likely to have a preterm delivery than women in most developed nations. If you’re Black or Native American, the chances of experiencing preterm birth are even higher, along with the risk of dying from pregnancy-related causes. In 2021, a little over one in…
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Folic Acid and Birth Defects: What’s the Connection?
Read More: Folic Acid and Birth Defects: What’s the Connection?Design by: Megan Schofield Medically reviewed by: Patricia Geraghty
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New Moms Are Busy Checking on Their Babies. But Is Anyone Checking on Them?
Read More: New Moms Are Busy Checking on Their Babies. But Is Anyone Checking on Them?A lot of time and effort goes into preparing for the birth of a baby — but the plan for what happens when the baby comes home doesn’t get nearly as much attention. Life changes instantly with the arrival of a new baby and a new mom’s mental health is not always prioritized during that…
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Tylenol Could Be Risky for Pregnant Women – a New Review of 25 Years of Research Finds Acetaminophen May Contribute to ADHD and Other Developmental Disorders in Children
Read More: Tylenol Could Be Risky for Pregnant Women – a New Review of 25 Years of Research Finds Acetaminophen May Contribute to ADHD and Other Developmental Disorders in ChildrenBy Ann Z. Bauer, University of Massachusetts Lowell The Research Brief is a short take about interesting academic work. The big idea A mounting body of evidence shows that the use of acetaminophen – widely known by its brand name Tylenol – during pregnancy may pose risks to the fetus and to early childhood development.…
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Born Too Soon
Read More: Born Too SoonAs if finding out she was expecting in the midst of a global pandemic weren’t news enough, Merrick Smith said her surprise turned to shock last year when she later learned that she was carrying twins, due on Christmas Day. Her pregnancy started off pretty normal, and working from home, as many resorted to during…
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Trying to Avoid Racist Health Care, Black Women Seek out Black Obstetricians
Read More: Trying to Avoid Racist Health Care, Black Women Seek out Black ObstetriciansIn South Florida, when people want to find a Black physician, they often contact Adrienne Hibbert through her website, Black Doctors of South Florida. “There are a lot of Black networks that are behind the scenes,” said Hibbert, who runs her own marketing firm. “I don’t want them to be behind the scenes, so I’m…
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Pregnant Women’s Brains Show Troubling Signs of Stress – but Feeling Strong Social Support Can Break Those Patterns
Read More: Pregnant Women’s Brains Show Troubling Signs of Stress – but Feeling Strong Social Support Can Break Those PatternsBy Rebecca Brooker, Texas A&M University and Tristin Nyman, Texas A&M University Even before the pandemic, there was plenty for expectant mothers to worry about. Pregnant women must withstand a barrage of arguably well-intentioned, but often hyperbolic, warnings about their health and what’s to come, including concerns about everything from what to eat, to what…
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Pregnancy During a Pandemic: the Stress of COVID-19 on Pregnant Women and New Mothers Is Showing
Read More: Pregnancy During a Pandemic: the Stress of COVID-19 on Pregnant Women and New Mothers Is ShowingBy Jennifer C. Ablow, University of Oregon and Elinor Sullivan, Oregon Health & Science University Pregnancy is stressful, to say the least, but COVID-19 brings new challenges to parents of newborns. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has identified pregnant women as a vulnerable population. If infected, they are more likely to be hospitalized…
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Black Women Turn to Midwives to Avoid COVID and ‘Feel Cared For’
Read More: Black Women Turn to Midwives to Avoid COVID and ‘Feel Cared For’By Rachel Scheier, Kaiser Health News From the moment she learned she was pregnant late last year, TaNefer Camara knew she didn’t want to have her baby in a hospital bed. Already a mother of three and a part-time lactation consultant at Highland Hospital in Oakland, Camara knew a bit about childbirth. She wanted to…
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How to Keep Your Kids Healthy This Fall
Read More: How to Keep Your Kids Healthy This FallMy youngest son’s birthday falls about a week before the start of school, allowing his annual well-child appointment to double as a routine back-to-school checkup. At the end of each visit, I schedule next year’s appointment, place it in the calendar on my phone and forget about it until the pediatrician’s office sends me a…
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Vaccines During and After Pregnancy
Read More: Vaccines During and After PregnancyProtect mom and baby with vaccines Did you know a baby gets disease immunity (protection) from mom during pregnancy? This immunity can protect baby from some diseases during the first few months of life, but immunity decreases over time. Get a whooping cough vaccine and a flu shot during each pregnancy Moms, get a whooping…
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Vaccines Before Pregnancy
Read More: Vaccines Before PregnancyFind your vaccination record It’s important to keep an accurate record of your vaccinations. Sharing this information with your pre-conception and prenatal healthcare professionals will help determine which vaccines you’ll need before and during pregnancy. If you or your healthcare professionals do not have a current record of your vaccinations, you can: Ask your parents…
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Vaccines for Family and Caregivers
Read More: Vaccines for Family and CaregiversWho can help prevent the spread of disease to babies by getting vaccinated? Parents Siblings Grandparents Babysitters and nannies And other caregivers Newborns do not yet have fully developed immune systems, making them particularly vulnerable to infections. Because of this, anyone who is around babies should be up to date on all routine vaccines, including:…
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Get the Whooping Cough Vaccine During Each Pregnancy
Read More: Get the Whooping Cough Vaccine During Each PregnancyWhooping cough is a serious disease that can be deadly for babies. Unfortunately, babies do not start building their own protection against whooping cough until they begin vaccinations at two months old. Avoid this gap in protection by getting the Tdap vaccine during the third trimester of your pregnancy. By doing so, you pass high…
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Vaccines & Pregnancy: Top 7 Things You Need to Know
Read More: Vaccines & Pregnancy: Top 7 Things You Need to Know1. You aren’t just protecting yourself—vaccines during pregnancy give your baby some early protection too! Did you know a baby gets disease immunity (protection) from mom during pregnancy? Getting the flu shot and Tdap vaccine while you’re pregnant causes your body to create protective antibodies (proteins produced by the body to fight off diseases) and…
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The Importance of the Tdap Vaccine During Every Pregnancy
Read More: The Importance of the Tdap Vaccine During Every PregnancyPregnancy is an exciting—and sometimes stressful—time. Questions may fill your mind about how to protect your baby once he or she is born. Remember that many crucial steps in protecting your baby’s health need to take place during your pregnancy, like taking your prenatal vitamins, eating healthy and making sure you get necessary vaccines, like…
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Closing the Racial Gap in Breastfeeding
Read More: Closing the Racial Gap in BreastfeedingLike nearly every new mother, Sanpri Purdy-Porter was exhausted after giving birth. Breastfeeding while recovering from a Cesarean section was difficult, and the North Carolina physical therapist didn’t get the help she needed to nurse successfully. “With my first child I definitely lacked support and knowledge for breastfeeding,” said Purdy-Porter, who is Black. “I was…