Although a woman may not feel up to it every day, getting exercise on a regular basis while pregnant is key to having a healthy pregnancy. If a woman had an active exercise regimen prior to pregnancy, she is generally…
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Overview Even the most seasoned parents often find the appearance and behavior of their newborn strange and unusual–after all; he is a brand new person with his own likes, dislikes and quirks. By keeping realistic expectations about your newborn’s appearance,…
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Impotence, also known as erectile dysfunction, is a disorder that renders men unable to develop or maintain an erection. The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disorders notes that erectile dysfunction affects nearly thirty million men in the…
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Overview Throughout the centuries, women have used varying methods to find out if they were pregnant. Many of these methods were inaccurate, inconvenient or time consuming. With the invention of the home pregnancy test, confirming pregnancy became a simple and…
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Perimenopause starts before actual menopause begins, when levels of the hormones estrogen and progesterone start to decrease–typically between the ages of 45 and 55, notes WomensHealth.gov. These hormonal changes often cause a wide variety of symptoms that can interfere with…
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The Oregon Health and Science University reports fibroids being present in up to 30 percent of women in any given year. Fibroids generally manifest as noncancerous growths on the uterus that typically appear during childbearing years. Most women remain unaware…
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Overview Data from the National Survey of Children’s Health indicate that almost 29 percent of girls 10 to 17 years old are either overweight or obese. Overweight and obese teens have increased chances for numerous medical conditions, including type 2…
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The prostate is a gland shaped like a walnut with two lobes surrounded by a covering of tissue. It’s located in front of the rectum and under the bladder, and sends fluid into the urethra to create semen. There are…
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Overview Instead of cutting sharp, thin incisors, toddlers cut molars during their second year of life. These large, flat teeth take longer than the previous teeth to break through the gums, often causing increased pain and irritability. Old wives’ tales…
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Vitamins can play a critical role in fertility. Some vitamins can boost fertility by improving certain reproductive problems such as low sperm count, poor egg or sperm quality, or hormonal imbalances. Others can help prime the body for conception. However,…
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Water retention during pregnancy is properly known as pregnancy edema. It’s a common side effect, especially in the third trimester. You may find that your feet and legs swell up over the course of the day; your hands and arms…
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Alzheimer’s disease is a form of dementia that is characterized by a progressive decline in cognitive function. Alzheimer’s affects memory, personality and the ability to provide self-care. Donna D. Ignatavicius, MS, RN, and M. Linda Workman, PhD, authors of “Medical-Surgical…
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Infants absorb everything around them because everything is new and exciting. HealthyChildren, an American Academy of Pediatrics website, reports that as infants begin to grow and change they become increasingly alert and interested in their surroundings. Infants thrive on being…
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Kegel exercises are when a person repeatedly contracts the pelvic floor muscles that support the pelvic organs. Kegel exercises, also known as pelvic floor exercises, can be performed while driving the car, standing in line, sitting at the office or…
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Menstrual cramps, or dysmenorrhea, can be annoying or debilitating. The release of the hormone prostaglandin causes cramping of the uterus, though infection or another health problem can also contribute. According to California State University Northridge, 30 to 50 percent of…
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Most babies experience some discomfort during the teething process, which typically begins at about four months of age and continues until nearly your child’s third birthday. Your infant may be fussy, cranky, drool a lot and chew everything he can…
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Women have three different surgical abortion options that can be performed during the second trimester. These procedures are completed within one day but side effects, such as cramping or bleeding, may last for several days following the surgery. Not all…
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About 20 percent of infants and young children have eczema, and almost 65 percent of eczema patients develop the condition during their first year of life, according to BabyCenter.com. Also called atopic dermatitis, eczema is a skin rash that can…
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Overview Vision relies on the eyes, the optic nerve and brain processing of visual information. Amblyopia, or “lazy eye,” diminishes vision as the brain learns to ignore input from a weak eye; if left untreated, amblyopia can cause permanent visual…
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Overview During the second or third year of life, most children develop the mental skills and physical control necessary for toilet training. Once your child is ready, it takes practice for her to learn to get to the toilet on…
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Children between 1 and 4 years old should be getting 11 to 12 hours of sleep each day, according to the Healthy Sleep website. If your toddler is unable sleep through the night or nap successfully during the day, adopt…
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Breast cancer, the uncontrolled proliferation of tissues within the ducts, lobules or nipple of the breast, is a life-threatening disease. The cancer begins as a growth of cells within the breast that begin to invade neighboring tissues and eventually circulate…
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Overview Many pregnant women experience changes in their sex drive during pregnancy. Some may find that increased blood flow to the sexual organs and breasts boosts their libidos, while others discover that uncomfortable pregnancy symptoms put a damper on their…
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Overview Male infertility is responsible for at least one-third of all infertility cases, according to the American Pregnancy Association. One potential cause of male infertility is something normally considered healthy: cycling. Men who regularly cycle long distances may suffer from…
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Cushing’s disease is a form of Cushing’s syndrome, a condition characterized by sustained high cortisol levels. Cushing’s disease is caused by a brain tumor called a pituitary adenoma, a hormone-producing tumor that promotes high cortisol levels. Patients with Cushing’s disease…
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Ear infections are considered the most common childhood problem, as most children experience at least one ear infection before they turn two years old, according to Kidshealth.org. An ear infection occurs when bacteria, germs or a virus gets into the…
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Enteric fever, also called typhoid fever, is a bacterial infection most commonly caused by the bacteria Salmonella typhi, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. It is contracted by consuming contaminated food or drink. Common symptoms include diarrhea and…
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Louise Brown, the world’s first in vitro fertilization baby, was born in 1978 in Oldham, England. Five years later, the world’s first birth using a donated egg occurred in Monash, Australia. Since then, egg donation–which separates the roles of birth…
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According to Scholastic, society has come to believe that children must be viewed as empty vessels to be filled with as much information as possible. As a result, parents often push children to do many things they are not physically…
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Overview Children’s temperaments and genders often lead to varying degrees of aggressive behaviors as they enter their school years. While most children outgrow these behaviors by fourth grade—according to Karen DeBord, a development specialist at the University of North Carolina…
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