plus 4, Clinics Offer Free Pregnancy Tests - The Ledger |
- Clinics Offer Free Pregnancy Tests - The Ledger
- SCV Pregnancy Center - Santa Clarita Radio
- Vaccines during pregnancy and breastfeeding - abc40
- Migraine in pregnancy tied to stroke, heart attack - StarPhoenix
- Leaders work to heal Oklahoma's status - Daily Oklahoman
| Clinics Offer Free Pregnancy Tests - The Ledger Posted: 28 Nov 2009 09:15 PM PST Patients who test positive will be assisted with getting Medicaid assistance, if needed, and will be scheduled for a new obstetrics intake visit within one week of the test if they want their prenatal care there. Women now can have their first certified nurse midwife visit with one of Central Florida's midwives on the same day as the intake visit, instead of having to come back for a separate visit. "We used to have to make the ladies come in three times," said Paul Miller, administrator of Lakeland OB-GYN. "We're trying to compress that into two now. ... We wanted to let them know we're there for them." He said the change will help expectant women who have child-care and transportation issues, concerns that sometimes stand in the way of beginning prenatal care early and sticking to appointments. The midwives who contract with Central Florida are under the supervision of Lakeland OB-GYN physicians, Miller said. He announced the new policy earlier this month. [ Robin Williams Adams can be reached at robin.adams@theledger.com or 863-802-7558. Read her blog at robinsrx.blogs.theledger.com. ] This content has passed through fivefilters.org. |
| SCV Pregnancy Center - Santa Clarita Radio Posted: 28 Nov 2009 01:51 PM PST Â The SCV Pregnancy Center offers education, pregnancy tests and counseling for women who become pregnant, and programs are in existence for parents and fathers to be.
While most of the Center’s services are geared towards new families, they do offer grief counseling for women who decide to terminate their pregnancy.  “Women who have a miscarriage can openly grieve the loss of their pregnancy. Women who terminate their pregnancy have a difficult time recognizing that they have suffered a loss," said Angela Benner, who heads up the SCV Pregnancy Center.  Bennett went on to say that often woman do feel grief and sometimes they try to suppress it by using drugs or alcohol.  For more information about the SCV Pregnancy Center, check out http://www.scvpc.org.  661 - 255 - 0082  24 Hour Hotline: 800-395-HELP  23838 Valencia Blvd Suite 270 Santa Clarita, CA 91355 This content has passed through fivefilters.org. |
| Vaccines during pregnancy and breastfeeding - abc40 Posted: 28 Nov 2009 03:53 PM PST From the Flu and Cold Health Center Congratulations on your pregnancy! You're eating right, getting extra rest and taking your prenatal vitamins. After all, you want to do everything you can to ensure a healthy baby! But have you given any thought to protecting yourself and your baby against infectious diseases—like seasonal influenza and the H1N1 flu virus, an additional flu risk this year? It's important to consider vaccination part of your prenatal care. That's why the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) has specific recommendations for pregnant and breastfeeding women. The committee notes that there is no evidence of risk to your developing baby if you are vaccinated with an inactivated viral or bacterial vaccine while pregnant. In either case, the committee notes, the "benefits of vaccinating pregnant women usually outweigh the potential risks when the likelihood of disease exposure is high, when infection would pose a risk to the mother or fetus, and when the vaccine is unlikely to cause harm." The CDC's ACIP recommends both the seasonal flu vaccination and the H1N1 vaccine for pregnant and breastfeeding women and for people 6 months to 24 years. The CDC also identifies four safe and effective optional vaccines for pregnant women, if you have been or could be exposed to any of the following bacterial and viral diseases: Hepatitis B, tetanus-diphtheria, meningococcal and rabies. So what makes the flu vaccines so important? Well, you're much more likely to be exposed to influenza in any given year than meningitis or rabies. Plus, pregnancy-related changes in your immune and respiratory systems mean that you are at higher risk for flu-related complications. In fact, if you get the flu while you're pregnant, you're more likely to be hospitalized with complications. Another good reason to get vaccinated against the flu is that a recent study found that your vaccine could protect your baby during his or her first six months—when infants can't receive a flu vaccine, yet when they are very vulnerable to flu-related complications. This year, the novel H1N1 flu ("swine flu") poses an additional risk. At this point, scientists expect illnesses from H1N1 flu to continue for some time, so it's important for people—especially pregnant women or parents of infants and young children—to be as informed about the virus as possible. Make Flu Vaccines a Family Affair You're not the only one who needs a vaccine. The people around you should also get flu vaccines this season. That reduces the risk that they'll catch the flu and bring it home to you or your newborn. Not one but two vaccines are recommended this year: One for seasonal flu and one for H1N1 flu. There are also two forms of seasonal flu vaccine: the inactivated virus vaccine, delivered as an injection; and the attenuated virus vaccine, delivered as a nasal spray. Pregnant women should only receive the inactivated, injection form. The nasal spray vaccine is approved only for use in healthy people 2 to 49 years of age who are not pregnant. One other thing: If you're severely allergic to eggs (the vaccine is grown in eggs), had a severe reaction to a flu vaccine in the past or are under six months of age, you should not be immunized. Also, if you have a fever, wait until you're better before getting the vaccine. You have another consideration when it comes to the vaccine: thimerosal or thimerosal free? Thimerosal is a mercury compound that has been used for more than 80 years to preserve vaccines. Numerous studies find no harmful effects from the preservative in children or adults. Still, some people worry about it, which is why manufacturers have now made a thimerosal-free vaccine available. Ask your healthcare provider about your options. Here's something else you should be aware of: Flu vaccines are not foolproof. It will not provide 100 percent protection against the flu. When the seasonal flu vaccine and the circulating viruses are similar, the vaccine can prevent the flu among 70 to 90 percent of healthy adults under 65. Even if you do get the flu, the vaccine can still protect you against flu-related complications by minimizing the severity of the illness. And, contrary to flu myths, you cannot get the flu from a flu shot or the nasal vaccine. If you get sick after a vaccine, it's just coincidence. In fact, the most common side effect of the shot is a little soreness at the injection site, and the most common side effect of the spray is a runny nose or nasal congestion. Now's the Time The best time for a flu shot is between September and December, before flu season really peaks in January, February or later. It usually only takes about two weeks for your body to make antibodies (immune system proteins that help your system recognize the flu virus) to the virus. So even if you get vaccinated after December, you still get some protection. While a single vaccine lasts the entire season, it won't protect you next winter because your immunity fades. Plus, flu viruses change from year to year. That's why it's important to get vaccinated every year. Guidelines for High-Risk Groups Pregnant women and children are considered high risk for both seasonal flu and the H1N1 flu virus and potential related complications. That's why vaccinations for these groups are such an important consideration and are highly recommended by federal government and health professional groups, such as the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. For information on other high-risk populations, visit the CDC's flu information Web site: http://www.flu.gov/ Remember, if you are a new mom breastfeeding your baby, you should get vaccinated against both seasonal and H1N1 influenza. If you have already delivered your baby, you're eligible for the nasal, or "attenuated," version of the vaccines. In fact, you can have any type of vaccine—except the smallpox vaccine—while breastfeeding with no worries about it negatively affecting your baby in any way. So what are you waiting for? Pick up the phone and make an appointment for your seasonal flu and H1N1 flu vaccines. Your health and your baby's health depend on you! For more on protecting yourself from the flu during pregnancy, visit: www.healthywomen.org/flufree
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| Migraine in pregnancy tied to stroke, heart attack - StarPhoenix Posted: 28 Nov 2009 01:37 PM PST NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Women who suffer from migraines while they are pregnant are at increased risk of having a stroke, heart attack, or other vascular disorders, according to a recent report. "Migraines, particularly those associated with an aura or visual changes around the time of the headache, have been previously linked to stroke and heart disease in women. This study further validates the association between the two," Dr. Cheryl Bushnell, from Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, said in a statement. The study, in the British Medical Journal, involved an analysis of data on more than 18 million pregnancies in a nationwide database. The researchers found that 185 out of every 100,000 women had migraines during pregnancy. Women with migraines had a 15-fold higher risk of having a stroke and twice the risk of a heart attack compared to women without migraines. Migraines were also associated with increased risks of developing high blood pressure or a blood clot in the lungs. Further studies are needed, the researchers note, to determine whether migraines actually cause the conditions identified. If so, the next step would be to see if various migraine treatments might prevent such complications during pregnancy. Meanwhile, they advise, "For pregnant women admitted to hospital with active migraines, modifiable cardiovascular risk factors and complications of pregnancy ... should be recognized and treated." SOURCE: British Medical Journal, online March 9, 2009. This content has passed through fivefilters.org. |
| Leaders work to heal Oklahoma's status - Daily Oklahoman Posted: 28 Nov 2009 09:58 PM PST Share with a friend
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