Cats are often believed to be potential carriers of a disease known as toxoplasmosis. Toxoplasmosis is a parasitic infection that is not harmful to adults but may cause major damage to the developing fetus. If the mother has never been exposed to toxoplasmosis before and encounters it for the first time during pregnancy, then her fetus is at risk for ...

Theoretically your body is ready for another pregnancy when your menstrual cycle resumes after childbirth. If your first pregnancy was uncomplicated and your health in general has been normal, then 13 months is more than enough time. If however, your previous pregnancy was complicated and depending on the type of complications, it is important to consult with your Obstetrician about ...

For the most part, the answer is no. However, because during pregnancy the maternal skin vessels are dilated to help the mother eliminate the additional heat produced by the baby, pregnant women are more prone to suffering heat strokes if they remain in the sun for an excessive period of time (in this case sunscreen does not help). It is ...

Computer monitors emit electromagnetic radiation. So does the human body. The amount emitted is minimal and clinically insignificant. However, a rule of thumb is to keep your body at armÕs length when you have to spend long hours in front of a monitor.

So far there is no substantial evidence to support the theory that dying oneÕs hair during pregnancy is harmful to the baby. However, because beauty related products are not regulated it is impossible to know for sure what is and is not harmful. For this reason, we recommend that women avoid using such products entirely during the first trimester and ...

Implantation is the process by which the early embryo attaches and then imbeds itself into the uterine wall, allowing for the formation of the placenta and eventual growth of the fetus. This is one of the most sophisticated and delicate procedures in human reproduction. Hundreds of highly specialized proteins are involved in complex interactions with each other. These proteins, as ...

Low AFP is usually associated with chromosomal defects. There are several screening methods, which utilize the combination of AFP and other maternal serum proteins (serum markers) in order to identify fetuses at higher risk for Down syndrome. The accuracy of the test may vary from 50-80% depending on the methodology used. Abnormally low AFP does not mean that the baby ...

Because AFP normally finds its way into the maternal circulation via the amniotic fluid, anything that increases the amount of AFP in the former will consequently amplify the concentration of AFP in the latter. Such conditions include, open neural tube defects (spina bifida and anencephaly), abdominal wall defects (omphalocele and gastroschisis), sacrococcygeal teratomas (tumors of the lower spine), and other ...

Alpha-fetoprotein is a fetal plasma protein, which is like the adult plasma protein, albumin. Fetuses contain a great deal of AFP and in fact, the level of AFP in the fetal blood is 1000 times that of the maternal serum level. It takes only a few drops of fetal serum or blood to leak into the maternal circulation for the ...

There are two vascular components in every placenta; the maternal circulation and the fetal circulation. The maternal component is fully formed roughly by the 24th to 26th week of pregnancy but the fetal circulation continues to grow until 38-40 weeks. The healthy development of the fetus depends on a healthy placenta (afterbirth). The placenta plays the single most vital role ...