Credit: iStock/lostinbids A person’s body changes in many ways during pregnancy to support a growing baby. One change involves how the body controls blood sugar. Insulin is a hormone that helps transport sugar from the blood into cells so it can be used for energy. During pregnancy, the placenta produces hormones that make the pregnant … Continue reading Spotlight On: Gestational Diabetes
Pregnancy Risk Factors
Spotlight On: Preeclampsia
Lady Sybil Crawley—the feisty youngest sister of a wealthy British family on the PBS television series “Downton Abbey”—made her way into viewers’ hearts. Devotees of the show were shocked when, in a surprise twist, she died soon after giving birth. Lady Sybil died from high blood pressure during pregnancy (preeclampsia) that developed into a more … Continue reading Spotlight On: Preeclampsia
A New Discovery to Help Prevent Preterm Labor
In pregnancy, it’s best for women to carry babies to full term, considered to be between 39 and 40 weeks of pregnancy. Babies born before that time run the risk of having a small birth weight. Small birth weight is associated with incomplete development and increases the risk of cardiovascular disease in children, as well … Continue reading A New Discovery to Help Prevent Preterm Labor