Respiratory distress syndrome (RDS), previously called hyaline membrane disease (HMD), is a newborn health condition characterized by breathing difficulty. It occurs when a baby’s body does not produce enough of a lung-lubricating substance called surfactant. Babies with RDS have trouble expanding their lungs, which can make it difficult for them to take in oxygen and...
Birth Injury
The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) is essential to the survival of many premature and sick infants. However, babies in the NICU may also be exposed to certain types of harm, including neurotoxic chemicals (such as phalates and phenols), restricted social interaction (which can hinder bonding and language development), and abnormal light and sound stimuli...
It is well known that returning soldiers often develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a condition marked by flashbacks to a trauma, hyperalertness, avoidance of situations that trigger upsetting memories, and negative emotions such as guilt or shame. However, fewer people know that parents commonly experience similar symptoms after their babies stay in the neonatal intensive...
New research finds that most babies who get bacterial meningitis within the first 90 days of life get it from E. Coli or Group B Strep. Each of these two bacteria accounts for roughly one-third of bacterial meningitis cases. Why is this important? There are two considerations that need to be taken into account: the...
According to a 2006 study by obstetricians and gynecologists Gary D. Hankins, MD, Shannon M. Clark, MD and Mary B. Munn, MD, planned elective cesarean sections can significantly reduce the risk of birth injuries. The doctors studied over 2,100 articles from the national library of medicine. They searched for the following terms: fetal trauma, shoulder dystocia,...
A mother whose baby went past the due date was given Cytotec to induce labor. When the mother’s labor stopped, she was given Pitocin. The medical team did not continuously monitor the baby’s heart rate with the fetal heart monitor; the monitor was taken off at various times during delivery. At birth, which was 13...
During a home birth, a delay in getting the baby to the hospital for a C-section when the baby was getting no oxygen (due to a uterine rupture and prolapsed umbilical cord) caused the baby to have permanent brain damage....
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