Archive for June, 2012

Symptoms And Problems That Are Danger Signs In Pregnancy

Tuesday, June 26th, 2012

Pregnancy is rather an exciting and difficult period for the whole family. Not only the pregnant woman goes through a lot of stress, it is also difficult for other family members to keep up to it. You usually have to take care of many things when a woman is pregnant. Most importantly, you should not neglect various symptoms and signs that may lead to dangerous problems for the mother or the child. Having a knowledge about the potential dangers in pregnancy helps you in tackling them if necessary.

Some common symptoms of danger signs during pregnancy

1) Vaginal bleeding – This is a serious matter of concern with pregnant women. The possible causes of vaginal bleeding in pregnant women may be miscarriage, placental abruption or placental previa. Other causes that may result in the same can be hormonal bleeding or implantation bleeding.

2) Pain in lower abdomen – Abdominal pain is quite common during pregnancy. Due to this, a person usually tends to neglect it even if it is serious. You must visit a doctor as soon as you feel abdominal pain as it may be a result of a miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy or abruption. Uterine growth or ligament pain may also result in abdominal or pelvic pain.

3) Back pain – It is quite necessary to get a checkup for your pregnancy weekly. Long gaps between consultations can give rise to a lot of problems. Back pains are common. But, persistent back pains may be a result of a miscarriage or preterm labor. Other possibilities are a kidney or bladder infection or cyst.

4) Swollen hands or face – A pregnant woman should be relieved of stress and tensions. Hypertension during pregnancy can be the main cause for swollen hands or face in pregnant women.

5) No fetal movement – One of the worst signs that you may witness during pregnancy is no fetal movement in the body. This is a sign that is usually witnessed in the later stages of pregnancy. Fetal distress or fetal demise may be the causes for no fetal movement. Sometimes, slowed movements also feel as if there is no fetal movement. Rather than panicking, visiting a doctor is a good option.

6) Contractions prior to end of third trimester – If you are feeling regular contractions even before nearing the end of the third trimester, there might be a serious problem. Such problems are generally caused by preterm labor. It might also be possible that some gastric trouble might be doing this for you. But in that case, the contractions won’t be regular.

7) Fluid from vagina – Secretion of fluid from your vagina can be a matter of some serious concern. It may be caused due to preterm labor, preterm rupture of membranes or a miscarriage. A leaky bladder or watery mucus could also be the causes.

8 ) Other issues – You need to keep a check on your pregnancy weekly as you may even face severe headaches or blurry vision from time to time. These may be a result of eclampsia or PIH.

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Importance of Cord blood banking

Monday, June 11th, 2012

Cord blood banking has become a topic of discussion among the masses. People are willing to know more and more about these banks, and about their process and facilities. Couples expecting babies are educating themselves regarding these banks and the future advantages of storing the cords. If you are expecting, storing his/her cord can be the most priceless gift you can give to your baby. With the advancement in medical science, investing money in these cord banks is totally worth the high price. They may be expensive but the lifetime support, which they provide by storing the cord blood, is invaluable. It is kind of a health insurance of the entire family.

Both public and private banks are available in the market; the primary difference is that the private banks are quite expensive whereas in public banks you can donate a cord free of cost. Though donating a blood cord in a public bank is free, it has a risk since in the future, there is no guarantee that you may retrieve your specimen. There are chances that someone else may have used it because in public banks, these cords are given for treatments as per the requirements of the patients. Thus, leaving you with nothing at the time of need can be a sad thing. So if you want to donate your child’s cord, talk to your doctor. They can suggest the best company for the collection.

If you are financially capable of taking the cord blood banking facility for your baby then there are a number of private banks available in the market. Do research before finalizing any bank; it will help you in knowing their status and standing in the market. Select a few banks, talk to their representatives so that you can get all the details required for the process. Try to select the one that has performed more successful stem cell transplants as the prices are mostly same among the good, reputed banks. The most costly part is the first year as the total cost of collection and initial storing is more than the later annual storage charges.

Parents should register themselves with their selected company, so that they can send their professionals to collect the blood from the umbilical cord after the baby is born. It does not interfere with the birth in any way, and it is a painless procedure. The blood should be collected within 10 to 15 minutes of birth, so all the arrangements must be done well ahead of time. Approximately 80ml of blood is collected, and after collection, the blood is sent for processing and is stored in frozen form.  Many cord blood banking companies allow gift registry, in which family members and friends can contribute to the expense. It’s a great way of ensuring a good life to your child and to the entire family.

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Posted in Cord Blood | 4 Comments »