Extreme morning sickness, also known as Hyperemesis gravidarum (HG), is a complication of pregnancy affecting between 0.3-2% of pregnancies. It is characterized by severe nausea, vomiting, weight loss, and dehydration. HG is more than just feeling sick, it can cause serious health problems for mother and child and in extreme cases can lead to maternal…
Historically, women were told to refrain from exercise during pregnancy out of concern for pre-mature birth and fetal stress. Unfortunately, this often led to excessive weight gain during pregnancy and an inability to lose that weight following birth. An increase in a mothers weight is associated with obesity in the offspring later in life. Obesity…
Allergic diseases like asthma, eczema, and food allergies are on the rise and many parents are keen to find ways to prevent at risk children from developing them. Studies have shown that exposure to farm animals and pets early in life can reduce the risk of developing asthma and that exposure to peanuts during pregnancy…
No pain is deeper than the loss of a child, especially a child that you only barely got to know. Premature births occur when a baby is born before the usual 40 weeks. Globally, 15 million babies are born premature every year. That is nearly 1 in every 10 births. Although 40% of all preterm births have…
Beyond being essential for growth, breast milk provides many benefits to both baby and mother. Babies who are breastfed have a lower risk for developing: Respiratory and ear infections Urinary tract infections Type 1 diabetes Crohn’s disease Atopy Obesity These health benefits are likely due to the presence of antibodies in the breast milk that…
Few moments in life are more precious than the birth of a child and the prospect of new life, a bright future and memories to come make parents excited. Everyone hopes the child will be healthy and strong, and as such much care is taken by health care professionals to help improve the odds of…
Oxygen deprivation in newborn babies, also known as perinatal asphyxia or hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, can lead to cerebral palsy, epilepsy, and problems in brain development later in life. This condition affects nearly 2 in 1000 births worldwide and can affect anyone regardless of the wealth, education or access to health care. Traditionally, once the damage was…
Vitamin K deficiency bleeding (VKDB) is a disease in newborns that can cause bleeding in the brain, lungs or intestines which can lead to neurological disability or death. The good news is it is 100% preventable thanks to one, simple shot! The bad news is the anti-vaccine promoters will try to convince you it will cause…
Science Translation 