The University of Vermont Medical Center HealthSource pregnancy blog is your leading source for pregnancy tips and information from industry experts. Read through a collection of pregnancy articles on a variety of subjects such as labor, birth, newborn health and more. The HealthSource pregnancy blog features an array of regular authors and contributors from the medical world including doctors, certified nurse midwives, nurse practitioners and other healthcare experts.
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’ […]
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 […]
When it comes to stroke, there are many risk factors that are beyond your control, including Being over age 55; Being a female (each year, women have more strokes than men, and stroke kills more women than men. Use of birth control pills, pregnancy, history of preeclampsia/eclampsia or gestational diabetes, oral contraceptive use, and smoking, […]
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 […]
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 […]
Pregnancy and early parenthood are filled with intense changes that can bring both joy and stress. Research shows that mindfulness can boost our moods and reduce anxiety and depression. It can also improve concentration and memory, decrease heart disease and high blood pressure, and strengthen our immune systems. What is the difference between mindfulness and […]
September 9 is International Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders Awareness Day and parents have been asking me questions about just what fetal alcohol syndrome is and whether or not their children might have it. Let me give birth to some information on this topic. It turns out that alcohol is the leading preventable cause of mental […]
