Until it starts producing on its own, the fetus is largely dependent on the mother for the supply of several substances, including thyroid hormones. The thyroid hormones include TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone), T3, and T4/FT4. (FT4 is free T4, which is not bound to
MoreThe Consequences of Drinking Coffee during Pregnancy Maternal Caffeine Consumption and Risk of Cardiovascular Malformations
About 89 percent of American women drink coffee, and some of them continue to do so during pregnancy. While a number of recent studies claim that caffeine consumption has health benefits, such
MoreAn Early Dose of Hydrocortisone May Help Premature Babies Growth and Neurodevelopmental Outcomes after Early Low-Dose Hydrocortisone Treatment in Extremely Low Birth Weight Infants
Multiple studies have linked the severe symptoms of premature birth with hormonal deficiency, particularly low levels of cortisol. Low concentrations of cortisol in premature babies cause serious complications and has a negative
MoreIron supplements are often taken during pregnancy. However, some observational studies suggest that high iron intake may lead to gestational diabetes. Gestational diabetes (GD), or glucose intolerance during pregnancy, increases the risk
MorePregnancy and HIV: How Does It Affect Newborns? Maternal Antiretroviral Drugs during Pregnancy and Infant Low Birth Weight and Preterm Birth
The management of HIV infection has completely transformed. HIV is now considered a chronic, controllable disease instead of a lethal illness. As a result, a large number of HIV-positive women are deciding
MoreDo Diet and Nutrients Modulate Infant Sleep? Diet and Nutrients in the Modulation of Infant Sleep: A Review of the Literature
Establishing sleep patterns is very important for the neurological and behavioral development of a child. Physical, cerebral, and cognitive growth occurs at an extraordinary rate during early development, and sleep plays a
MoreN-Acetylcysteine May Help Children Who Suffer from Thalassemia N-Acetylcysteine Supplementation Reduces Oxidative Stress and DNA Damage in Children with β-Thalassemia
Beta thalassemias are a group of blood disorders associated with the defective production of hemoglobin. Thalassemia is characterized by severe anemia, which causes a lack of oxygen in many areas of the
MoreThe mother’s nutrition is critical to the development and outcome of pregnancy, affecting not only the size of the child at birth but also the duration of the pregnancy. When mothers are
MoreA New Way to Predict Neurodevelopment in Infants Serum Copeptin and Neuron-Specific Enolase Are Markers of Neonatal Distress and Long-Term Neurodevelopmental Outcome
Three out of every two thousand infants born in developed countries suffer from hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE). HIE is brain damage that occurs due to a lack of oxygen. Hypothermia therapy (also known
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