Top five questions to ask during your 20-week ultrasound to detect Congenital Heart Defects

According to the American Heart Association,(AHA) Congenital Heart Defects (CHD) are America’s #1 birth defect. Nearly one of every 125 babies is born with a CHD (almost 1% of all children born each year!). Here are more facts and stats from the AHA:

• Congenital heart defects are America’s #1 birth defect. Nearly one of every 125 babies is born with a CHD (almost 1% of all children born each year!).

• Congenital heart defects are the #1 cause of birth defect related deaths. 1 in 3 children who die from a birth defect have a congenital heart defect.

• This year almost 40,000 babies will be born with a congenital heart defect.

• In the U.S. twice as many children die from congenital heart defects each year than from all forms of childhood cancer combined. Yet funding for research of pediatric cancer is 5 times greater.

• From 1993 to 2003 death rates for congenital heart defects have declined by 31% due to advances made through research!

• There is not yet a preventative cure for any type of congenital heart defect.

• Of every dollar the government spends on medical funding only a fraction of a penny is directed toward congenital heart defect research.

Most of the time, CHD is overlooked during the 20-week ultra sound. Education is imperative and urgent. Dr. Nina Gotteiner, a fetal/pediatric cardiologist at Chicago’s Children’s Memorial Hospital provides imperative information and a list of proactive questions that every expecting parent should know. “By asking these questions, expecting parents and their doctor can proactively identify heart issues before birth, and as a team, work together to prepare for any potential heart issues that may arise after birth.” Here are the top five questions expecting parents should ask their doctor during the 20-week ultrasound exam:

1. Do you see 4 chambers?

2. Do you look at the arteries or outflow tracks as part of your scan? *Note: Extremely important to focus on artery views. CHD often missed if only a standard “chamber view” is performed.

3. Are the heart and stomach in correct positions? Both organs should lay on the left side of the fetus.

4. Is the heart rate normal? Is the heart rate too slow (less than 100 beats per minute), too fast (over 200 beats per minute), or irregular? *Note: A normal heart rate range for a fetus is 120-180 beats per minute.

5. Is the heart function normal? Does the muscle work normally? Is everything hooked-up correctly?

This is what families of CHD babies want you to know. Knowledge is power. Just by asking the right questions and being an advocate for your babies health is a step towards greater awareness.

Jasmine Jafferali, MPH is a maternal, child and family health educator. She works as an Educational and Wellness Consultant helping women and families achieve healthier lifestyles. She is a Master Trainer for Healthy Moms(R) Fitness http://www.healthymomsfitness.com/ and a well-respected Pregnancy Health Columnist for Examiner.com

Pregnancy and gestational Vitamin D

In the last 3 years, an increasing amount of research suggests that some of the damage done by what is called Vitamin D deficiency syndrome is done in-utero, while the fetus is developing. Much of that damage may be permanent, that is, it can not be fully reversed by taking Vitamin D after birth.

This research indicates Vitamin D deficiency during pregnancy endangers the mother’s life and health, and is the origin for a host of future dangers for the child, especially for the child’s brain and the immune system. Some of the damage done by maternal Vitamin D deficiency may not show up for 30 years.

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), they are recommending all expecting moms to take 5,000 IU per day in addition to their prenatal vitamin. Babies who are born with a vitamin D deficiency have a higher incidence in being born with:

* Asthma

* Autism

* Cavities

* Celiac Disease

* Heart Disease

* Seizures

Moms have a higher rate of bacterial vaginitis (which causes premature deliveries) c-sections, gestational diabetes, and preclampsia.

Healthy children are needing 1000 IU per 25 pounds of body weight, above the current recommendation of 400 IU set by the AAP. Here is what else they are finding:

The announcement simply pointed out that the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recently recommended that all pregnant women have a 25(OH)D blood test because Vitamin D is important for normal fetal development (p. 1145):

“Given the growing evidence that adequate maternal vitamin D status is essential during pregnancy, not only for maternal well-being but also for fetal development, health care professionals who provide obstetric care should consider assessing maternal vitamin D status by measuring the 25-OH-D concentrations of pregnant women.

On an individual basis, a mother should be supplemented with adequate amounts of vitamin D3 to ensure that her 25-OH-D levels are in a sufficient range (>32 ng/mL).

The knowledge that prenatal vitamins containing 400 IU of vitamin D3 have little effect on circulating maternal 25-OH-D concentrations, especially during the winter months, should be imparted to all health care professionals.”

If you are an expecting mom, ask your doctor to run a vitamin D blood test and measure 25 hydroxy vitamin D levels and supplement if necessary. This test should be done on expecting mothers, exclusively breastfed infants, obese individuals, people over 65 years of age and those with a suppressed immunity such as those with, inflammatory bowel disease, cancer and an autoimmune disease, including Rheumatoid Arthritis, Celiac Disease, Multiple Sclerosis and so forth.

New research also shows vitamin d slashes risk for cancer by 77 percent. It may also help you be successful in your weight loss efforts (and postpartum weight loss!).

The other advantage to increasing your vitamin d intake is an instant immunity booster. People with the lowest levels tend to get more colds, flus, and respiratory infections. Those with impaired respiratory diseases such as asthma, emphysema and chronic obstructive respiratory infections (COPD) have a much higher risk for colds and flus and more likely to be lacking vitamin D.

Read more about Gestational Vitamin D Deficiency at the Vitamin D Council website.

Jasmine Jafferali, MPH is a maternal, child and family health educator. She works as an Educational and Wellness Consultant helping women and families achieve healthier lifestyles. She is a Master Trainer for Healthy Moms(R) Fitness http://www.healthymomsfitness.com/ and a well-respected Pregnancy Health Columnist for Examiner.com

Get Pregnant. Where do you stand statistically?

Recent studies indicate a healthy woman under the age of 35 who has unprotected intercourse on average of twice a week for three months has a 57% chance of conceiving a baby.

Six months of exposure will bring results on average of 72% while one year of baby-making will bring the number to approximately 85% and two years of trying to conceive reaches near 93%. If you are over 35, simply divide the above numbers in half. These are still great numbers!

Let’s talk eggs!

Now, for a bit of information on the life-span of “the egg”–viable and non-viable.

Studies also show a female embryo in the womb of her mother at only 4-5 months has between 6-7 million eggs also called or referred to as “oocytes“, dropping down to 1-2 million by birth. Puberty brings this number down to 300,000 – 500,000.

The menstrual cycle claims several hundred more over the decades of normal periods and by the time a women reaches her mid to late 30′s some studies indicate the number drops to a mere 25,000 eggs remaining in her ovaries.

Once into her 40′s, another study suggests she may have approximately 1.5 % of her original supply remaining. Regardless of which study you choose to agree with, there are usually plenty left after age 35 to consider the odds favorable – possibly between 25,000 and 90,000. Beyond all of this, eggs are also lost through natural cell death, as well.

Throughout the life span of a woman’s eggs the number of genetically viable ones naturally decreases with age and the proper distribution of the genetic contents may be lost or uncertain. Of the genetically abnormal pregnancies, most go on to miscarry in the first or second trimester of pregnancy and of the women who are over 35, there is even a higher risk of miscarriage with normal and/or abnormal pregnancies and several studies suggest women over 40 have a 1 in 3 or 4 chance of miscarriage.

But do not dismay. Many women go on to eventually conceive and deliver healthy babies well into their 40′s.

Seek help. Find additional helpful information and explore adding prenatal supplements to your diet. Always speak to your physician.

There is a plethora of information and ideas, methods and suggestions you may want to ponder and consider utilizing…ovulation predictor kits, ovulation calendars, natural fertility boosters, fertility handbooks, healthy diets chocked-full of greens, pre-natal vitamins months in advance, basal thermometers, best suggested sexual positions to conceive, large quantities of water to keep the body well-hydrated, suggested exercise routines, books on healthy eating, homeopathic remedies, herbal teas, female infertility information, male infertility information, yoga and relaxation techniques, and all the “dos” the “don’ts” and the pitfalls and myths to take in stride all geared to help you get educated, do what is best for you and get pregnant.

And if need be, assisted reproductive technology (or ART) is available across the globe with outstanding results in many categories in this day and age. Much scientific and medical advancement are being developed and cultivated on a regular basis.

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