Last fall, my husband, stepson, and I found out that our family was growing. I was expecting a baby girl! I had a fairly easy pregnancy. I was able to keep up my normal activities, work, and stay active doing CrossFit. Despite the “new mom worries” and googling each and every little twinge or pregnancy […]
Family history gets a lot of emphasis in the medical world. The idea is that you can identify health risks and try to reduce them, either through changes in behavior or medical intervention. A lot of times, family histories are bland and don’t help much with medical care. But, there are some situations where family […]
In January of 2017, Anya Koutras, MD, packed her bags and traveled to Ddegaya, Uganda for the first time. Ddegaya is a rural town five hours south of Kampala, the capital of Uganda. In Ddegaya, Anya volunteered at Engeye, a non-profit health clinic for the surrounding rural community. First Day in Uganda On Anya Koutras’ […]
Expecting parents may hear about cord blood banking as they prepare to meet their new baby. Of all of the amazing things a fetus is capable of doing, one is making all kinds of unique cells with blood cells that are not yet mature. These blood cells can become either red blood cells or white […]
Preeclampsia is a condition in which a woman develops high blood pressure during the second half of pregnancy. It can be life-threatening for mother and baby and may necessitate early delivery. Preeclampsia: Diagnosis and treatment We diagnose preeclampsia when a woman with previously normal blood pressure develops high blood pressure. She also begins to pass protein […]
It’s National Infertility Awareness Week. How do you know when you need help getting pregnant? Couples who are trying to get pregnant but are not succeeding can be under tremendous stress. On average, 80 percent of heterosexual couples will become pregnant within a year of starting to try. So, if you’ve been trying for a […]
Trisomy Awareness Month takes place in March. What is trisomy? Our genes, which are coded for in DNA, contain the information that makes us who we are. In living cells, DNA is packaged into “chunks” called chromosomes. At the moment of conception, we inherit 23 chromosomes from our mother in the egg and 23 from […]
One in ten women is affected by endometriosis, and though the cause of it is uncertain, it does appear to run in families. What is Endometriosis? It is a condition in which the cells that line the inside of the uterus (called the “endometrium”) grow outside of the uterus. Like the endometrial cells within the uterus, […]
Have you heard of MTHFR testing? You probably will. Here’s the information you need to make an informed decision about it. What is MTHFR? According to the Internet, MTHFR is a gene responsible for everything from fatigue and impotence to vaccination reaction and autism. But, that’s not right. As a pediatric geneticist, I am here […]
This story begins at 11:15 p.m. on August 4, 2016. I wake up and realize that I am bleeding. I am only 32 weeks pregnant. I wake my husband, who (thank goodness!) is home as he works night shift and this was his night off. We frantically locate the number to the birthing center at […]
