Headache During Pregnancy

A minor complaint during pregnancy, fortunately headache is not a very common problem. Though headaches during pregnancy are not very different from the ones that happen to non-pregnant women, the frequency and intensity is much higher in the former. Some women complain of severe headaches during the first trimester when they are going through the… [ Continue Reading ]

Tetanus

Tetanus, caused by the bacillus Clostridium Tetani, is quite rare in developed countries, but is still an endemic infection in India. The most common form of the disease, neonatal tetanus (newborns suffering from tetanus), has a fatality rate as high as 80 to 90 per cent. One has, however, noticed a decrease in the neonatal… [ Continue Reading ]

Signs to Watch Out For During Pregnancy

Maya cannot forget her first pregnancy. She was young and careless. She preferred to go shopping than go for her regular checkup. She hated staying at home when her husband was away at work. But all this took its toll on her baby. In her ninth month, she realised that her baby was not moving…. [ Continue Reading ]

Production of Milk and How it Reaches the Baby

Milk is produced in the mammary glands present in the breast. This glandular tissue is embedded in fat, giving the breast its round contours and size. The amount of glandular tissue in the breast is similar in amount in all women. Thus, milk production does not depend on the size of the breast. Milk production… [ Continue Reading ]

Duration And Frequency Of Feeding Your Baby

I got a call from Ria. Her baby was not feeding properly, she said. I asked her about her child’s feeding habits. “I feed every two hours,” she said. “And what if she wants food in between,” I asked. Ria had been giving her daughter glucose water whenever she cried in between feeds. No wonder… [ Continue Reading ]

Return of Menstruation and Contraception

Ria wanted to come over to clear some doubts about her menstrual cycle. “Why don’t you have tea with me,” I offered. Ria was under the impression that the menstrual cycle begins soon after the delivery. Which is partly true. Some women start menstruating as early as six weeks after delivery, but in some breastfeeding… [ Continue Reading ]

Varicose Veins During Pregnancy

If you are on your feet for a long time during the day, the veins in your legs will get distended and look like zig-zag nodules. These are called varicose veins. This is caused by the growing pressure of the blood flowing through the veins. When you are standing for a long time, you strain… [ Continue Reading ]

Hepatitis B

Another infectious disease, Hepatitis B, which is caused by a virus, occurs largely among newborns and young children. High risk group People who are more likely to contract the disease are surgeons, recipients of blood transfusions, health care and laboratory personnel, prostitutes, drug abusers, infant of a carrier mother. Source of infection Contaminated blood and… [ Continue Reading ]