Common Birth Defect May Be Linked to Migraine With Aura

THURSDAY, March 31 (HealthDay News) -- There may be a link between certain types of migraines in children and a common congenital heart defect, a new study suggests.

U.S. researchers looked at 109 children aged 6 to 18 who were diagnosed with migraines and treated at the Primary Children's Medical Center in Salt Lake City, Utah, between 2008 and 2009.

The team checked each child's heart for a patent foramen ovale (PFO) -- a defect in the wall between the heart's two upper chambers that can allow unfiltered blood to bypass the lungs and circulate through the body. PFO is common, affecting about one in four people in the United States. Previous research has suggested an association between migraines and PFO.

The new study, scheduled for publication in the Journal of Pediatrics, found that 50 percent of children who had migraines with aura had a PFO, nearly double the rate of PFO in the general population. Migraine with aura includes a number of symptoms, such as blind spots, weakness and hallucinations.

Only one-quarter of children who had migraines without aura had a PFO, Dr. Rachel McCandless, of the Primary Children's Medical Center, and colleagues found.

If further research confirms a link, the use of a catheter device to close a PFO may help treat migraines with aura, the researchers noted.

More information

The American Academy of Family Physicians has more about migraines in children and teens.

-- Robert Preidt

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U.S. Reports Continuing Drop in Birth Rate

THURSDAY, March 31 (HealthDay News) -- The number of births in the United States has declined since reaching an all-time high in 2007, according to a new federal government report.

Data from the U.S. National Center for Health Statistics, part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, show that births fell by 4 percent between 2007 and 2009 -- from 4,316,233 to 4,131,019. The researchers noted that a preliminary count of births through June 2010 indicates continuing declines.

The drop in the birth rate was described in the report as "notable, but not truly of historic proportions" compared with the declines in the early 20th century and in the 1960s and early 1970s. However, the report found that births declined among all women younger than 40, among all major racial and ethnic groups, and in most states, although to varying degrees.

"Some researchers have linked the recent fertility decline to the economic recession, but it is not possible with birth data alone to identify the factors shaping the fertility rate decline," the researchers wrote in their report, released March 31.

The analysis of birth data found that the decline in the U.S. fertility rate -- based on births among women in their childbearing years, ages 15 to 44 -- between 2007 and 2009 was the largest for any two-year period in more than 30 years. From 2007 to 2009, the rate fell 4 percent, from 69.5 to 66.7 births per 1,000 women.

Birth rates declined for all women younger than 40, but the rate fell 9 percent, to 96.3 births per 1,000 women, among those 20 to 24 years old -- the lowest rate ever recorded for this age group, according to the report. The birth rate fell 6 percent among women 25 to 29 years old and 2 percent among women in their 30s.

The birth rate among teens 15 to 19 years old declined 8 percent to 39.1 births per 1,000 women, the lowest rate ever recorded for this age group as well, the report noted. -- Robert Preidt

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Complications of Prematurity

By Dr.Sally Zeinatie


RESPIRATORY DISTRESS SYNDROME (RDS)
BRONCHOPULMONARY DYSPLASIA
PNEUMOTHORAX
PNEUMOMEDIASTINUM
INTERSTITIAL EMPHYSEMA
PULMONARY HYPOPLASIA
PULMONARY HEMORRHAGE
APNEA

CARDIOVASCULAR:
PATENT DUCTUS
ARTERIOSUS(PDA)

CONGENITAL MALFORMATIONS

BRADYCARDIA WITH APNEA


HYPOTENSION


HYPERTENSION

CONGENITAL HYPOTHYRODISM

By Dr.Sally Zeinatie



At birth, clinical recognition of hypothyroidism is difficult and most infants appear normal.

The full-blown picture develops progressively over weeks and months.
Early suspicion in a neonate
Prolongation of physiological icterus
Feeding difficulties, chocking during feeds
Respiratory difficulties-apnea
Cry little,sleep much

Early symptoms:

Weakness,Fatigue,pale color
Cold intolerance
Constipation,Weight gain
Joint & muscle pain,brittle nails & hair


Late symptoms:

Slow speech
Dry flaky skin
Puffy face,hands & feet
Broad flat nose
Widely set eyes
Decreased taste & smell
Thinning of eyebrows
Hoarseness

Impaired mental development
Retarded bone age

Additional symptoms:

Muscle spasm
Muscle atrophy
Uncoordinated movements
Joint stiffness
Hair loss
Drowsiness
Appetite loss

Neurological manifestations:

Infantile hypotonia,psychomotor delay
Lack of cry “good baby”,
somnolence
Sluggish/
disinterested

Respiratory manifestations:

Apnea
Choking spells with feeds
Nasal obstruction
Noisy respirations
Respiratory distress syndrome

Cardiovascular manifestations:

Cardiomegaly
Murmers
Slow heart rate
Electrocardiographic findings:

Sinus bradycardia(usual)
Sinus tachcardia(rare)
QT prolongation
Decreased amplitude of p wave
Ventricular tachycardia
Atrioventricular & interventricularblock
Incomplete or complete right bundle branch block
Atrial fibrillation



Gastrointestinal manifestations:

Delayed dentation
Feeding difficulties
High birth weight
Large abdomen
Macroglossia
Poor appetite
Prolonged jaundice
Umbilical hernia

Endocrinal manifestations:

goiter

Hematological manifestations:

Anemia
Iron deficiency
Or
Pernicious anemia
With vitB12 deficiency
Renal manifestations
Decreased glomerular filtration rate
Impaired ability to excrete water load
Musculoskeletal manifestations
Increased head size
Broad, short fingers
Pseudohypertrophy of calf muscles
Short limbs ,Short thick neck
Cutaneous manifestations
Carotenemia
Coarse, brittle, scanty hair
Cold & mottled skin
Dry, scaly skin
Edema of genitals & extremeties
Low hair line

Umbilical Stem Cell Transplantation

By Dr.Sally Zeinatie
Umbilical Stem Cell Transplantation...
Newborn infants no longer need their umbilical cords, so they have traditionally been discarded as a by-product of the birth process. In recent years, however, the multipotent-stem-cell-rich blood found in the umbilical cord has proven useful in treating the same types of health problems as those treated using bone marrow stem cells. Umbilical Stem Cell Transplantation...

In the 1970s medical researchers discovered that human umbilical cord blood contained the same kind of stem cells found in bone marrow.
In 1988, doctors transplanted human umbilical cord blood into a 5-year old boy suffering from Fanconi's anemia. Ten years after the transplant, the boy is alive and seems to be cured of his disease. Umbilical Stem Cell Transplantation...

Stem cells got their name from their ability to develop into three types of blood cells: red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets.
Stem cells are any of the cells in the body that can grow into other kinds of cells. Blood stem cells are one of several types of stem cell. Healthy blood stem cells are vital because they replace our supply of red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. Umbilical Stem Cell Transplantation...

The cells used in blood stem cell transplants come from three main sources: bone marrow, peripheral (or circulating) blood, and the umbilical cord of newborn babies. In the case of bone marrow and peripheral blood stem cells, an adult donor donates the cells. Umbilical cord blood stem cells are COLLECTED when a baby is born and are stored for future use. Umbilical Stem Cell Transplantation...

Months before the baby's birth, the mother signs an agreement to donate the umbilical cord blood when the baby is born. At birth, the cord blood unit is collected and taken to a cord blood bank, where it is tissue-typed, processed and stored frozen until needed for a transplant. Umbilical Stem Cell Transplantation...

At the time of collection have yet to find their path and can therefore be treated to become any type of cell needed. It is possible to extract the cells from adults but this is a more invasive process and the stem cells are more differentiated compared to the pluripotent umbilical cord stem cells. Umbilical Stem Cell Transplantation...

Basically, there is no guarantee of finding the correct type. The cells collected however have the potential to treat almost any illness imaginable. Umbilical Stem Cell Transplantation...

After the cells are collected they are processed and stored. There, the blood is separated into its component parts and under strictly controlled sterile conditions(slowly frozen to 180C). Umbilical Stem Cell Transplantation...

The cells are treated with compounds to allow them to withstand the freezing procedure. They can then be stored at a temperature below minus 180C for up to 25 years. Umbilical Stem Cell Transplantation...

With illnesses such as thalassemia and sickle cell anaemia,stem cell collection has become a popular choice for many expectant parents within the area. Umbilical Stem Cell Transplantation...

If a child is born with thalassemia we cannot use their stem cells, however we can use the stem cells from siblings umbilical cord, provided pre-natal testing show the baby to be free of the illness.

As well as diseases such as sickle cell anaemia and thallasemia, stem cells, collected from the umbilical cord have the potential to cure illnesses such as leukaemia, Hodgkin's disease and many heart-related disorders.
Recently a 35-year-old father was cured of leukaemia with the use of his new-born daughter's umbilical cord stem cells. Umbilical Stem Cell Transplantation...

Many doctors believe that we are little more than five years away from being able to treat and cure a range of illnesses such as cancer, spinal cord injuries, diabetes, Alzheimer's, multiple sclerosis and Parkinson's to name a few. Umbilical Stem Cell Transplantation...

The object of this is to preserve these cells for possible future use, should the baby contract an illness for which stem cells would effect a cure.
The beauty of this procedure is that it is completely natural and we make use of something that is usually thrown away at birth. There is no interference with the birthing process and the blood is drawn after the baby is born and the umbilical cord has been severed. Umbilical Stem Cell Transplantation...

UCB contains sufficient numbers of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells for engraftment in most recipients weighing < 50 kilograms.
UCB collection poses no risk to the mother or infant donor.
UCB banking eliminates the risk of donor attrition (i.e., donor is not available at the time needed) inherent in marrow donor registries.
UCB is rarely contaminated by cytomegalovirus (CMV) and Epstein-Barr virus.
UCB can cause severe GVHD although possibly less frequently than bone marrow.
UCB transplantation may produce less acute GVHD than marrow transplantation at least in the sibling transplant situation.
UCB banking shortens the interval between search initiation and donor cell acquisition, as compared to marrow collection.

Whether UCB can engraft and restore hematopoiesis in most adults (although there is now a growing experience to suggest that it will in a significant proportion),
Whether UCB transplantation is associated with a different relapse risk than unrelated donor marrow transplantation. Umbilical Stem Cell Transplantation...

Whether targeted UCB collection will reduce the shortage of racial and ethnic minority donors and thereby increase the numbers of transplants for patients in these groups. Umbilical Stem Cell Transplantation...

Certainly, in light of this, when one considers the amount of umbilical cords that are discarded every day as hospital waste, it seems ridiculous that scientists continue to unnecessarily search for stem cells from human embryos, especially with all the legal and moral issues involved. Umbilical Stem Cell Transplantation...

Also, it may be that certain unique types of cells exist only in umbilical cord blood with, as yet, unexplored value in treating disease. With the invention of new techniques for using these cells and the apparently suitable nature of umbilical cord blood stem cells for use in gene therapy. Umbilical Stem Cell Transplantation...

Umbilical cord blood may become the most valuable source of stem cells. Indeed, umbilical cord blood may be just what an individual may need, at some point in the future, to have a fighting chance of surviving a serious disease. Umbilical Stem Cell Transplantation...

Eating Healthy after Delivery

By Health Tips & Technics

You have had your baby! Suddenly all the necessary and unnecessary advice you got throughout pregnancy from friends and relatives seems to have doubled. When you reach out for that piece of mango, your mother-in-law is horrified. You can’t eat that she says pulling the fruit away. You have just delivered!. Your mother wants you to have a tablespoon of ghee with each meal. An aunt who has come to see the baby checks with your mother if you are getting a special mix of dried fruits and nuts.

Who should you listen to? Having just delivered, do you really need to have a special diet? Can you eat normal food or does everything have to be specially prepared for you? If you have had a caesarean section, will any food affect the wound?

Indian culture places a great deal of misplaced importance on food and its effects on the woman who has just delivered. Common sense should dictate what you eat after a delivery.

After the delivery you will find you have lost more than half of what you had put on in pregnancy. You still have to lose a few kilos to regain your pre-pregnancy weight.

Obesity in women starts very often in pregnancy. If you don’t lose all the excess weight after the delivery, you will put on even more in a subsequent pregnancy. This additional weight tends to accumulate each year.
How much weight should you have gained in pregnancy?

The amount of weight you should gain in pregnancy depends on your pre-pregnancy body-mass index (BMI) If you have gained the ideal amount of weight then you fill find it easier to regain your pre-pregnancy weight. If you have gained more than you should have then you will have to work harder to take that weight off.

You do not have to eat large quantities because you are breast feeding. It is important to eat a balanced diet. There are no foods that will affect the baby. There are no specific foods that you should not eat after the delivery. A balanced diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables is very important after the delivery.

When you are breastfeeding, you should drink 2 glasses of milk and eat 2 cups of curds a day. If you have gained too much weight in pregnancy you can drink low fat or skim milk. Even curds can be made from low fat or skim milk.

Proteins are the building blocks for the baby. Make sure that your diet includes dairy products, grains, nuts and pulses, eggs, meat, fish or poultry. Avoid deep fried food.

Carbohydrates provide you with energy. When taken in larger quantities, you will only get empty calories. You do not need to increase the quantity of rice that you normally take. Substitute chapathis for rice at one meal. If you are gaining too much weight.


Vegetables provide vitamins, minerals and roughage. A rainbow of vegetables and fruits on your plate provides excellent nutrtition! Greens will help avoid constitpation.

Many women of childbearing age have low Iron stores. It is important to be on a combination supplement of iron, B –complex and folic acid for a few months after a delivery. Calcium requirements double during pregnancy and lacation.
Old wives tales”

Eat plenty of ghee. It will help the uterus heal. Not true! This will only make you put on unnecessary weight and is very unhealthy since it is a saturated fat. Avoid spicy food and hot or cold drinks because it will harm the baby. Not true!

Eat lot of garlic, it will increase milk flow. Not true! Garlic by itself does not increase the flow of milk. It makes the milk smell which may tend to make the baby suckle more.

Ajwain water is good for you not true!
Avoid certain kinds of lentils, root vegetables and certain fruits. Do not eat papaya, pineapple and mangoes after a delivery. Not true

http://www.healthtips.in/eating-healthy-after%20delivery.asp