Pregnancy Complications

What is a Molar Pregnancy?

A molar pregnancy (medically referred to as a hydatidiform mole) is a devastating and rare condition that occurs in 1 out of every 1,000 pregnancies. A molar pregnancy occurs early in the first trimester, when the tissue that would have grown into an embryo (and later your future baby) becomes a noncancerous (benign) tumor in your womb.

Molar pregnancies are a type of gestational trophoblastic disease (GTD) – a group of tumors that develop inside a woman’s uterus. A majority of GTDs are non-cancerous, and these don’t spread into deep body tissues or invade other parts of the body. There are a few GTDs that are cancerous. Read the full article →

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Fibroids in Pregnancy: Should You Worry?

Pregnancy

Having anything that complicates your pregnancy is scary. Fibroids, however, don’t have to be one of them. Many women who have fibroids in pregnancy have no trouble, and they deliver perfectly normal babies. However, being pregnant with fibroids does put you at risk for potential complications – including pain, bleeding, placental problems, preterm labor, and [...]

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What is Gestational Diabetes?

Pregnancy Complications

Every pregnant woman in the United States will get tested for gestational diabetes in the second trimester – sometime between 24 and 28 weeks pregnant. This is a routine test that is part of regular prenatal care, and it allows your physician to provide better obstetric care. So, what is gestational diabetes? And how can [...]

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Blighted Ovum: Leading Cause of Early Miscarriage

Pregnancy

When you suffer a miscarriage (which is defined as a pregnancy loss before 20 weeks of gestation), you usually don’t know what triggered or caused it. Losing an unborn baby can be heartbreaking, especially if you’ve had your heart set on being a mother. In most cases, you aren’t to blame for your miscarriage. In [...]

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Spotting in Pregnancy: Should You Worry?

Pregnancy

If you’ve ever watched Discovery Health TV show, “I Didn’t Know I Was Pregnant,” you’ll discover there’s a common theme among the different women. They all had irregular periods and they all had light “periods” throughout their pregnancy. In a nutshell, many of the women experienced spotting throughout their unknown pregnancies.

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Ectopic Pregnancy: Are You at Risk?

Pregnancy

Ectopic pregnancy used to be extremely rare, but in the last three decades, this pregnancy complication has become more common. According to the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), roughly 1 in 50 pregnancies is an ectopic one. Learn more about this pregnancy complication.

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Obesity, Poor Prenatal Care May Cause Stillbirths [New Study]

Pregnancy

No parent wants to hear the news that their baby has died in the womb, yet this is a sad reality for many couples in the United States. Learn about how stillbirths can be prevented with good prenatal care and keeping a healthy weight.

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Childhood Abuse, Poverty Tied to Low Birth Weight Babies

Pregnancy

Low birth weight babies face many health complications and even possible death. New research suggests poverty and childhood abuse may be a potential cause of low birth weight babies. Learn more about this new study, and why low birth weight babies have more health problems.

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Does IVF Raise Maternal Death Risk?

In The News

In a recent editorial in the British Medical Journal (BMJ), three British doctors are questioning whether IVF is linked to increasing the risk of maternal death.

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