Taylor and Micah Spears wanted to start a family but were concerned there was something wrong. With the recommendation of a friend who was a doula, they drove from Cecilia, Kentucky, near Elizabethtown, to Norton Clark Hospital in Jeffersonville, Indiana, for help. Knowing they also wanted their first birth experience to include a midwife, they…
The risks of high blood pressure while pregnant have prompted a panel of medical experts to recommend all pregnant people get blood pressure screenings at every prenatal visit. The draft recommendation by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, an independent panel that makes evidence-based recommendations about ways to prevent disease, advises that all pregnant people,…
Smoking weed during pregnancy significantly can increase the risk of low birth weight, preterm delivery and requiring neonatal intensive care, according to a recent study published in JAMA. The tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, in marijuana will pass through your system to your baby and may harm your baby’s development. If you are planning to get pregnant,…
Losing weight while pregnant, other than in the early weeks, is not healthy for you or your baby. Dieting, trying to stay the same weight or losing weight in the second or third trimester of your pregnancy can deprive your baby of nutrients needed to grow and develop. Obesity or being overweight during pregnancy can…
New research published Feb. 7 in JAMA gives patients even more reason to get vaccinated. Infants born to vaccinated mothers were shown to have antibodies in their systems, offering a level of protection against COVID-19 that otherwise would not exist. These antibodies were higher in vaccinated mothers than those who’d had COVID-19. Children under age…
During pregnancy, there are many guidelines for patients to follow, ranging from what to eat and what not to eat to how to exercise and what medications are safe to take. One of the medications that long has been deemed safe to take during pregnancy is acetaminophen. But a recent statement by 13 scientists from…
This publication is also available in English Si estás embarazada o planeando un embarazo, es posible que te preguntes cómo el coronavirus/COVID-19 podría afectarte a ti y a tu bebé. Los obstetras y ginecólogos, parteras y otro personal que brinda atención obstétrica en Norton Healthcare están monitoreando de cerca la pandemia de COVID-19. A medida…
If you have epilepsy, but are thinking of getting pregnant, you may have questions about how epilepsy affects pregnancy or a fetus. Epilepsy affects each person differently, based on medication, hormones, and other factors. Here are some things to know if you have epilepsy and want to have a baby. Epilepsy is an umbrella term…
Kentucky is the fifth state to designate a day calling for action to raise public awareness about the importance of maternal health and to promote maternal safety. Jan. 23 has been set aside to educate the community and reduce maternal mortality statewide. The alarming rate of maternal mortality and the racial gap in pregnancy loss…
According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), perinatal depression, or depression that happens during and after pregnancy, is one of the most common medical complications during pregnancy and the postpartum period. ACOG estimates it affects 1 in 7 women — left untreated, it can affect the health of the mother, baby and…
During pregnancy, there are two vaccines that women should get to help protect them and their unborn children. Unfortunately, many women in the United States are not getting vaccinated, especially if they are Black or Hispanic. Just 61% of pregnant women got a flu shot during the 2019-2020 flu season, and only 40% also got…
Seasonal flu is especially dangerous for pregnant women and their babies in normal times. With COVID-19 spreading at the same time, it’s especially important to get vaccinated this year. “If you’re pregnant, getting a flu shot is critical because you’re more likely to have serious complications from the flu because of changes to your immune…
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