Gestational diabetes is a serious problem during pregnancy. It is a medical condition that affects some women during pregnancy despite not having diabetes before pregnancy. Usually, gestational diabetes occurs around the middle of pregnancy, so doctors should test for...
Birth Injuries
Monitoring during pregnancy and labor can prevent birth injuries
To many expectant parents, the most exciting medical visits are the ones where the mother undergoes an ultrasound. They can hear the heartbeat of their unborn child or even get a glimpse of their developing body. Parents have such emotional responses to these tests...
How doctors’ actions during childbirth can cause birth injuries
Labor and delivery are largely natural processes. Women have had babies without medical intervention for millennia. Even some mothers today find themselves having babies at home or on the way to the hospital when labor progresses more quickly than they expect. Most of...
Why blood type matters during labor and delivery
Both the mother and the father play a role in what characteristics an unborn infant develops. Sometimes, the father's genetic input can create a situation that puts the mother and the baby at risk. For example, they could carry a dangerous genetic condition. Other...
Are shoulder dystocia birth injuries preventable?
Countless birth injuries happen every year here in the U.S. While you might think that most of them are accidental, they're not. Shoulder dystocia and many other birth injuries are completely preventable. Doctors can reduce pregnant mothers' risk of having a birth...
Undetected gestational diabetes could lead to birth injuries
All pregnant people are subject to certain health risks. There are many changes that are going on in the body when you are pregnant, and this means that you may develop health conditions that could pose a risk to yourself or your unborn child. Luckily, medical...
Is it dangerous having too much amniotic fluid?
A problem with amniotic fluid can pose a threat to a mother and child in some cases. Having too much amniotic fluid could lead to pregnancy complications, trouble breathing and preterm labor. Short of an X-ray, MRI, ultrasound or other imaging test, diagnosis relies...
Birth injuries usually have long-term consequences
Top-tier medical treatment can be reassuring to parents going through childbirth. Conversely, poor treatment can be devastating, particularly when the medical team made a mistake that caused birth injuries to the child or mother. The medical staff is supposed to...
Can pregnancy and birth plans help protect mother and child?
If you are planning to have a child in the future, one of the things that you will need to do is to create a birth plan. Some mothers may say that they want to have a natural birth at home. Others may want to schedule their child’s birth and delivery on a specific...
You doctor should identify and track pregnancy risk factors
Despite having one of the most advanced and well-developed medical systems in the world, the United States frequently fails pregnant women and their unborn babies. Maternal mortality in the United States is higher than it is in other developed nations, an issue that...