Desert Storks

Hepatitis during Pregnancy

The word ‘hepatitis’ means an infection or inflammation of the liver. If the liver becomes inflamed due to an infection with a virus it is called ‘viral hepatitis’. However, the liver can also become inflamed through excessive alcohol intake or by taking certain medications or being exposed to certain chemicals.

Some viral hepatitis infections only cause a temporary dysfunction of the liver, while others can cause permanent liver damage (called ‘cirrhosis’). In some cases, a small number of people with cirrhosis may eventually experience liver failure or liver cancer later in life. However, this will depend on the type of hepatitis involved.
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Diet and Pregnancy

Pregnancy and diet

Good nutrition during pregnancy will help to keep a developing baby and its mother healthy. The need for certain nutrients such as calcium, iron and folate is increased at this time but only a small amount of extra energy (kilojoules) is needed. Women should be encouraged to eat to their appetite and monitor their weight. A normal weight gain is around 10-13kg for women who are a healthy pre-conception weight.

Healthy foods for pregnant women
It is important to choose a wide variety of foods to ensure the nutritional needs of both mother and baby are met. Try to eat:

Lots of fruit and vegetables, wholegrain breads and cereals

Moderate amounts of low fat dairy foods and lean meats

Small amounts of foods high in fat, sugar and salt

Lean meat, chicken and fish

Dried beans and lentils

Nuts and seeds

Low fat milk, cheese and yoghurt

Green leafy vegetables. Read more »

PREGNANCY AND EXERCISE

Regular exercise during pregnancy can prepare your body for labour and the demands of a new baby. Caring for a newborn can be stressful and physically demanding, so it helps to be fit and strong.

You may need to modify your existing exercise program or choose a suitable new exercise program if you were sedentary before conceiving. Suggestions for exercise during pregnancy include walking, swimming and supervised classes such as yoga or tai chi. Pelvic floor exercises are also important before, during and after pregnancy.

Always consult your doctor, physiotherapist or health care professional to make sure your exercise routine won’t harm you or your unborn baby.

If you have high blood pressure, multiple foetuses, increased risk of premature labour, pre-eclampsia or heart disease, you should seek advice from your doctor. You may be advised to limit or avoid physical activity. Read more »

FIRST and SECOND TRIMESTER SCREENING

What is Down’s syndrome?
Every human being has 46 chromosomes arranged in 23 pairs. Each man’s sperm has 23 chromosomes and so does each woman’s egg, so that when conception occurs and the sperm fertilises the egg, a new human being with a full complement of chromosomes is formed. Sometimes mistakes occur and give rise to what are described as chromosomal abnormalities. Down’s syndrome is one of these. At conception, instead of one number 21 chromosome from the father and one from the mother coming together, a third chromosome creeps in and is then duplicated in every cell of the baby’s body. Down’s syndrome, sometimes called trisomy 21, is the most common chromosomal abnormality, occurring approximately once in every 700 births.
What are the characteristics of Down’s syndrome?
People with Down’s may have certain physical characteristics, such as eyes that slant upwards and outwards, a single crease running across the palm of the hand, low-set ears and small hands. Certain medical conditions are more likely to occur in people with Down’s syndrome. These include heart defects, which occur in one in three children with Down’s, digestive tract defects, and sometimes problems with sight and hearing. The most striking effect of Down’s, however, is on learning ability. People with Down’s syndrome will all have some degree of learning difficulty. Many people with Down’s will go to ordinary schools and lead semi-independent lives, but others will need full-time care. Babies born today with Down’s syndrome can expect to live between 40 and 60 years on average. You can read more about Down’s syndrome here. Read more »

PREGNANCY AND DRUGS

Pregnancy is a time of change for women and can sometimes be uncomfortable physically and stressful emotionally. It is a time when women try to take particular care of their health. Getting plenty of rest exercise, and good nutrition are all aspects of a pregnant woman’s health. Drug use is another important aspect of a woman’s health during pregnancy.

Drugs that are of concern in pregnancy include: alcohol, tobacco, cannabis, amphetamines, heroin, cocaine, tranquillisers and sleeping pills, painkillers, LSD, Ecstasy and other designer drugs, glues and aerosols. Some prescription drugs can also be a problem during pregnancy, so discuss this with your doctor as soon as you know you are pregnant.

Drugs can be harmful to a developing foetus throughout the pregnancy but the first three months is considered the time of most risk because the major organs and limbs of the baby are forming. The placenta is the means by which all supplies of nutrients, water and oxygen pass through from the mother to the baby. All drugs taken during pregnancy will reach the baby through the placenta, however there is an enormous variation in babies’ responses to these drugs

The variation in response to drugs depends on the following factors:

The actual nature of the drug, whether the drug is a sedative (for example, benzodiazepines), or a stimulant (for example, amphetamines).How often the drug is used and the dose taken. Whether one or more drugs are used. Some drugs have a cumulative or combined action which is more likely to be harmful for the baby. Each baby, for reasons that are not clear, seems to have its own response to different drugs. Mothers can use the same drugs in the same amount for the same duration or length of a pregnancy, and the babies can react differently. There appears to be something in each individual baby which allows this to occur. you may know someone who has had a healthy baby even though they took drugs during their pregnancy. you cannot assume that your baby will be healthy if you take drugs during your pregnancy. No one can predict how a baby will be affected.  

Ante-natal checks, the visits you make to the doctor, hospital or community health centre while you are pregnant are important The best way to avoid or reduce complications and the risk to the baby is to have good ante-natal care. A much lower risk of obstetric complications occurs in women who attend ante-natal visits early in the pregnancy and continue to attend throughout the pregnancy. It is at these appointments that you could discuss with the doctor or midwife any drugs you may be taking. The information you give them will be confidential whether you are discussing legal or illegal drugs. Read more »

SIDS

Many parents worry a lot about the chance that their baby might die from SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome). SIDS means that babies die suddenly, without warning and for no obvious reason, while they are asleep.

What you can do

Put your baby down on his back to sleep.

Make sure your baby’s head is not covered when sleeping.

Don’t let your baby get overheated.

Keep your baby away from cigarette smoke.

What causes SIDS?

SIDS happens to babies, without warning, while they are asleep. They may be slightly unwell (such as a runny nose), but otherwise they are healthy.

The reasons why SIDS happens are not known, but research has found several things that make the risk of SIDS much lower.

Since parents in Australia and across the rest of the world have changed how they put babies down for sleep, far fewer babies have died from SIDS. Read more »