The Effects STD's Have on a Newborn Baby

The Effects STD's Have on a Newborn Baby
By Jamie R Cocco-Dunkleberger

The effects STD's have on a newborn can be detrimental, considering that newborns are much more fragile than a grown adult. The good news is that there is plenty of research and medications to treat the possible effects a newborn may experience should it be passed on to them through the womb. There are also treatment methods that can be used where a newborn will not experience any effects of an STD.

How Does HIV Affect a Newborn?

HIV is probably the most feared STD on the planet. What we often find especially sad is when a child is born with the virus and we know that their chances of surviving more than a few years of their life are pretty slim. HIV breaks down a person's immune system, thus leading them to be more vulnerable to illnesses and less likely to overcome them. The effects this STD has on a newborn would be especially terrifying, since a newborn's immune system is typically much weaker than a grown adult.

The good news is, however, many times if a mother is pregnant with the HIV virus the effects this STD has on a newborn can be limited or even completely avoided due to many medical advancements. Essentially, doctors can often prevent the STD from being transferred to the newborn. Any illnesses that a mother contracts during pregnancy become a priority as far as treatment due to the infected mother being so vulnerable to illnesses.

How Does the Birth Process Determine if a Newborn Will Get an STD?

Some STD's, such as gonorrhea, depend on the actual process of giving birth. The effects this STD has on the newborn can include spreading the infection to the eyes from being pushed through the birth canal. Cesarean sections are often the main solution to avoiding passing on this STD to a newborn baby during birth unless the infection can be taken care of before giving birth.

How Hepatitis B and C can Affect a Newborn Baby

Many STD's such as Hepatitis C and B are linked to premature birth and low birth weight. These effects STD's have on a newborn are risky. When a baby is born premature, they are sent to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of the hospital and provided 24 hour treatment. During this time the newborn's vital signs are monitored, feeding tubes are provided and healthcare specialists try to make sure the baby has the treatment they need. Blood transfusions are also provided since the baby may not have the ability to provide cell growth and development.

Hepatitis B is linked to liver disease and the effects this STD has on a newborn may result in the development of chronic liver disease. Treatment is available for newborns carrying this risk. Therefore, the possibility of preventing the newborn baby to contract liver disease is there both before and after the baby is born.

Preventing the effects STD's have on a newborn starts with prevention. When an infected pregnant mother begins treatment, these risks are minimized significantly. While STD screening is mandatory during pregnancy, it is a good idea to get screened regularly if you at risk for contracting an STD. Regardless of whether you are trying to become pregnant it may just save your life and your unborn baby's life as well.

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5 Most Common Problems You Will Encounter When Weaning From Breastfeeding – And How To Solve Them

Just like when you were first getting the hang of breastfeeding, the journey into weaning from breastfeeding also brings with it problems, especially when weaning is being done abruptly. This article will talk about the 5 most common problems moms encounter as they wean their babies from breastfeeding.

Engorgement
This happens because your body is producing and storing more milk than what your baby is drinking. If you skip a feeding, towards your next feeding, you’ll notice that your breasts will feel full, hard and uncomfortable, even painful.

The best way to relieve engorgement is to breastfeed or to express a little milk. If you are trying to stop breastfeeding, then you should express only as much as you need to feel comfortable, but do not empty the breast. Emptying the breast will signal to your body to produce more milk.

One way to soothe pain from engorgement is to put chilled cabbage leaves on your breasts. You may also want to talk to your doctor about taking pain relievers and low-dose birth control pills to help with engorgement.

Plugged Ducts
This happens when some milk calcifies and blocks the milk ducts, so the milk from those plugged ducts cannot get out. The area where the clog is found is usually hard to the touch, swollen and sometimes, even reddish. This is common among moms who are weaning because the breasts are not being emptied of milk as often and as much as before.

The best way to relieve plugged ducts is to empty the breasts. If you are not breastfeeding, you may want to consider expressing milk. Massage the area frequently and firmly. Placing a warm compress over the affected area while expressing or breastfeeding also helps.

Mastitis
Mastitis is an infection that requires medical attention. In some cases, it may be accompanied by fever. This happens when germs from your baby’s mouse, nose or throat enters the milk ducts through fissures and openings in your breast. It may also happen when plugged ducts are not immediately resolved.

When weaning, mastitis will usually need some medical intervention in order to be resolved because you are not emptying your breast as often and as completely as before. You doctor will prescribe antibiotics to treat the infection. You will also need to rest and to eat well to boost your resistance.

Nipple Confusion
When baby is used to being breastfed by you, they may initially refuse to feed from a bottle. This is called nipple confusion.

Some moms address nipple confusion by making sure that the things that are associated with breastfeeding are taken out when the bottle is being introduced. For example, instead of feeding in the place where you would normally breastfeed your baby, feed the bottle in a different area of the house. Or if your baby is used to being breastfed by you, you might want to try having somebody else give the bottle. That way, the baby isn’t confused by your presence and insist on breastfeeding.

The most important thing to note is that drinking from the bottle is different from breastfeeding. Your baby needs time to adjust and to learn this new way of feeding. So if your baby doesn’t immediately take to breastfeeding, don’t worry. With a little coaxing, they’ll be able to learn it eventually.

Allergies
When babies are being switched from breast milk to formula, and even to solid foods, allergies may occur. This is because, unlike your breast milk which is the perfect food for your baby, your baby’s body may not be able to tolerate some of the components of formula and some solid food.

This is why it is always best to check with your doctor to find out what alternatives you should give your baby when you decide to wean them from breastfeeding. Keep a close eye on your baby whenever new food is tried. When trying new food, it pays to introduce 1 kind of food at a time, over a period of 3 to 5 days so that you can be certain that your baby is not allergic to that kind of food. Only when you are certain that they will not cause allergies to your baby should you combine foods to give to your baby.

Weaning isn’t as simple as just stopping breastfeeding. To know more about how our bodies work and how to wean gently and safely, I recommend Wendi Blaire's “Hello Milk, Bye-Bye Milk: An Expert Mom's Ultimate Guide to Breastfeeding and Weaning”. Her book deals extensively with the problems moms might encounter during the weaning process, and includes a host of expert tips and advice on how to go through this phase with the least amount of discomfort and pain for you and your baby.

You can learn more about her book here: Hello Milk, Bye-Bye Milk

Smoking Before or During Pregnancy

If you are a smoker and are thinking of becoming pregnant, the first step you must take is to stop smoking. If you're like most smokers, you may have thought of or tried to quit before. However, if you are pregnant or trying to conceive, it is now necessary not only to think about your health but the health of your unborn child. Smoke can effect both child development and future growth.

About 13% of women in the United States smoke during pregnancy. This is a shocking number when you consider that there would be an estimated reduction of 10% in infant mortality, if these women had quit.

Cigarette smoke contains thousands of chemicals - some 2,500 chemicals have entered your baby’s bloodstream with every puff of a cigarette. Nicotine, tar and carbon monoxide are the most dangerous and toxic to the fetus, affecting the most critical stages of development, while inside the womb.

Even if you do not smoke, the child may be affected by a mother who is often exposed to cigarette smoke. Passive smoking can be just as harmful to both mother and baby. A woman who smokes or is exposed to frequent second-hand smoke is more likely to have a baby born with low birth weight and stunted growth. The sooner a woman quits or stays away from passive smoking, the greater the chances of good health for her and her baby.

Smoking has been associated with a higher risk of ectopic pregnancy, which is when the embryo is implanted in the fallopian tube instead of the uterus. When this happens, medication must be taken to remove the embryo or in the worst case, the tube is removed surgically. Smoking can also increase the risk of stillbirth, miscarriage and vaginal bleeding, which is sometimes severe enough to harm the child.

Smoking during pregnancy can make the child develop more slowly, increasing the risk of low birth weight and the risk of preterm birth (the baby is delivered before 37 weeks of gestation) by 30%. You may also see an abnormalitiy such as cleft lip, cleft palate or other congenital defects. Also, infants born to smoking mothers are more likely to die from SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome), and can have a higher probability of developing asthma, behavioral problems and learning disabilities due to the slowdown in growth development.

It is clear that smoking during pregnancy - or being exposed to second-hand smoke,while pregnant can seriously affect you and your baby during pregnancy and early years of his life.

To learn of other important factors that can affect your pregnancy and ability to get pregnant, read the international best selling ebook, Personal Path to Pregnancy. 

Folic Acid and Pregnancy

One of the first things your doctor will tell you if you are trying to conceive or if you have recently discovered that you’re pregnant is you should take more folic acid. Folic acid can be found in a number of foods, including cereals and dark leafy greens. It’s very difficult to get adequate folic acid from food, so it’s important to take a good multivitamin containing folic acid to prevent serious birth defects such as spina bifida.

Before conception, it can be extremely easy to take folic acid for the health of your baby and a better pregnancy.

So what is folic acid? 
Often called folate, it is a B vitamin that can be found in green leafy vegetables like kale and spinach and orange juice. If you receive 400 micrograms of folic acid, or 4 milligrams of folic acid before conception, it can significantly reduce the risk of some types of neural tube defects.

One of the most common birth defect is spina bifida, which is an incomplete closure of the spinal cord and column. Taking folic acid can help reduce this problem significantly.

In addition, anencephaly, which is a serious underdevelopment of the brain, and encephalocele, which is when brain tissue protrudes through an opening in the skin abnormally, can both be reduced through the intake of folic acid. And all these anomalies occur in the first month of pregnancy, which is usually well before a woman knows she is pregnant. Therefore, intake of folic acid before the woman is pregnant is of utmost importance.

Only about 50% of pregnancies are planned, so intake of folic acid is important for anyone who wants or is considering conception in the future. Although the reasons why folic acid is so great at reducing the risk of these birth defects has not been explained, we know that it plays an important role in cell growth and development.

Learn more about folic acid and pregnancy plus all the other important vitamins necessary when trying to conceive by reading Personal Path to Pregnancy, the International best-selling fertlity guide.