Blood types

In a study published on bmj.com, researchers have developed a new test that can recognize whether a mother and her baby have different blood types or same.Kristin Finning (International Blood Group Reference Laboratory, NHS) and colleagues believe that the test is accurate, easy, and can reduce unnecessary treatment.

Negative and positive Rh

If a mother’s blood type is negative Rh and she is carrying a baby whose blood is positive Rh, complications may take place.Blood that is Rh positive contains an RhD antigen that passes into the mother’s blood during birth.This element causes the mother to produce antibodies against the RhD positive blood.

Hemolytic disease

During first pregnancy, usually there are no problems because of the antibodies.But if the woman has another RhD positive baby, the antibodies can cross the placenta and attack the baby’s red blood cells.This causes hemolytic disease - a blood disorder that is grave and can cause loss of life.

(more…)

Medical professionals recommend that the women should take a folic acid supplement along with the normal diet before and during the pregnancy. If the guidelines are followed, it is less likely to have babies with birth defects. However in spite of these medical revelations, only one among the women belonging to the age group of 18-24 includes these supplements in her diet. This age group is the most productive among the women in the United States.

Though folic acid is required by everyone, it is especially important for the young women of child bearing age as it can prevent the birth of a baby with serious defects in the brain and spine. Heather Hamner, a nutritional epidemiologist for the CDC’s ‘National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities Prevention Research Team’ has carried out studies to prove this. It is especially useful if taken before the pregnancy and during the first trimester of the pregnancy. In fact it is highly recommended that women of child bearing age should include folic acid in their diet.

(more…)

Pregnancy is a unique experience in the life of a woman. At the time of pregnancy, women need to take nutrients like folic acid or folate, iron and calcium in increased quantities. Vitamins and minerals such as folic acid, iron and calcium are essential for normal fetal growth and development. They are also essential for healthy adults. Prenatal supplements that contain variety of minerals and vitamins are used to meet the daily requirements of a pregnant woman.

Why are prenatal vitamins necessary?

About 50 % of birth defects can be avoided, if pregnant women take prenatal vitamins before pregnancy. Your diet cannot give you the required quantity of folic acid that the fetus requires during pregnancy. At the time of pregnancy you have to eat for 2 persons including your baby. So it is necessary for you to take prenatal vitamins at that time. You can ensure the future health and well being of your baby if you take prenatal vitamins as early as 3 months before becoming pregnant.

What are the vitamins required by a pregnant woman?

A pregnant woman needs to have multivitamin supplements especially Folic Acid, Iron, Vitamin A, and Vitamin C as 100% beta-carotene for proper growth and development of the fetus.

Folic Acid, which is a part of the vitamin B family, is crucial for a healthy pregnancy and fetal development. The risk of birth defects such as spina bifida, neural tube defects and other defects like congenital heart conditions can be reduced by taking folic acid. Neural tube defects are very serious birth defects but they are also relatively common ones.

(more…)