Although marijuana is marching toward legalization across the United States, expectant moms may wish to think long and hard still about smoking or ingesting a substance that has become as ubiquitous in some households as aspirin or a bottle of chardonnay. The New York Times has delved into this discussion, even as other news outlets….
Continue ReadingObstetrics/Prenatal Care
Women challenged by disparities in many parts of their health care
Modern medicine isn’t addressing women’s distinctive health care needs as optimally as needed, with research further showing it may be time to dial down expectations about breast cancer screening, while heightening physicians’ awareness and best practices in eliminating gender biases. Women also may want to keep close tabs on how changes with the Affordable Care….
Continue ReadingZika grabs headlines but herpes-related CMV harms more babies
Although awareness has grown about viruses like Zika that can devastate the unborn, cytomegalovirus (CMV), a much more common and equally harmful prenatal viral infection, doesn’t get discussed with pregnant moms as much as it should. Medical counseling, testing, and administration of anti-viral medications could save more babies and their families from a lifetime of….
Continue ReadingCuddle your newborn? That’ll be $39.35, please
“Skin to skin” therapy? That was the line item charge that appeared on the hospital bill for a young couple, and the dad decided to check it out. What he found has blown up across the Internet. It turns out that the Utah parents were charged $ 39.35 by their hospital just so the new mom….
Continue ReadingFor healthy women, a call to rethink whether to have dreaded pelvic exam
There’s insufficient evidence of the health benefits for millions of women who aren’t pregnant and who aren’t experiencing problems to undergo regular pelvic exams, a top federal task force on preventive care says. Tens of millions of women get the exams each year, even though they are intrusive and uncomfortable. More important, research has failed….
Continue ReadingAdvocacy group warns about lack of oversight, harms from hospital mergers
Few states are monitoring, much less acting to protect, patient-consumers from one of the hot trends in today’s health care: the mergers, acquisitions, consolidations─and yes, closings─that are creating super-sized hospital organizations, chain-institutions that for business reasons seek greater efficiencies but also may be lessening access to care, sometimes as a result of religious reasons. That’s….
Continue ReadingThe Potential Cost of Waiting to Name the Baby
Of all the medical mistakes that could be made in the first hours of a newborn’s life, few lay people would think to attribute any of them to a delay in naming the infant. But neonatologists (doctors who treat ill or premature newborns) know that the unnamed wee ones under their care are more likely….
Continue ReadingNew Labeling Rules for Pregnancy and Breastfeeding Products
The FDA has issued new regulations for prescription drug and medical product manufacturers to better communicate potential risks to women who are pregnant or breastfeeding, and people who are concerned about fertility. The new rule, according to an FDA news release, “sets standards for how information about using medicines during pregnancy and breastfeeding is presented….
Continue ReadingAnother Careless Promotion of C-Sections
No matter how hard medical experts and other promoters of good, safe health care try, it seems, there are always loud voices chiming in from the fringes of ignorance to offset their message. A few weeks ago, in a blog about obstetricians recommending that women not be rushed into induced labor and also calling for….
Continue ReadingRate of Early Deliveries Drops
Last week we blogged about the growing awareness of the wisdom of letting pregnant women take their time in labor, instead of rushing them into a cesarean section. This week, there’s more good news on the child delivery front: Hospitals are cutting down on early deliveries. As reported in the Los Angeles Times, pressure from….
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