How much space is considered 'adequate' between subsequent births?

   A common question asked most times is, “how much gap is good between one birth aπδ the subsequent pregnancy?”. A published study in the New England Journal of Medicine reported that the best outcomes for both mother and baby is seen when there is a gap of 18 – 23months from birth to subsequent pregnancy.
Pregnancy spacing doesn’t just affect the age difference but "too long" or "too short" spacing has enormous effect on the child’s health and that of the mother’s.

Possible outcomes of short birth spacing:
-Low birth weight: Babies given birth to usually have weights less than 2.5kg
-Preterm birth: This is when the baby is born before 37th week of pregnancy. Possible problems associated with preterm birth include increased risk of infections, breathing problems e.t.c.
-Small for gestational age: Baby is small in size for the expected weight.
 -Uterine rupture: A tear through the uterus especially when trying to deliver a baby through the vagina after a previous caesarean section can occur.
-Mental health issues: Mother’s are prone to having post-partum depression probably due to stress.
-A study done in 2011, also suggested a link between pregnancy intervals of less than 12months and autism in second – born children

Possible outcomes of long birth spacing:
-    Research suggests that a gap of 5yrs or more after giving birth poses concern for mothers and babies because it can be associated with increased risk of
-Slow or difficult labor or delivery
-Low birth weight
-Small gestational age

Truman syndrome...

  A delusion which is culture-based, and more in the western world where the sufferer believes that his or her life is stage-played or trapped inside a reality television show and his or her activities is being watched by everybody. This psychological disorder could be distressing and dangerous in that the patient could become frustrated and agitated at the fact that people continue to deny the reality of their delusions.
  Treatment could involve the use of anti-psychotics and antidepressants.

"Will my baby be normal?"...A pregnant woman's fear

    A common worry of expectant mothers is the fear that something will go wrong with their babies. Understanding the causes of birth defects will help alleviate this fear.
   Different forms of birth defects include: defects of the limbs (which is the commonest form), defects of the heart(of which ‘holes in the heart’ are the most common),defects of d spinal cord, face, stomach, intestines, sexual organs, e.t.c.
   Birth defects are also associated with chromosomal abnormalities,an example of which is Down’s syndrome and advanced maternal age (35years and above) is a predisposing factor.
A fetus is most vulnerable to defects between the 3rd to 8th week after fertilization and this period is said to be the “sensitive period”.


    What are the causes of birth defects?
Most birth defects arise from interplay of genetic and environmental factors.
   -Genetics: parents might sometime carry a defective gene, while not suffering from the defect themselves, which is passed on to the unborn baby leading to a birth defect. Sometimes, the defective gene occurs in the unborn baby without prior affectation of the parents.
  - Exposure to drugs: Use of some drugs during pregnancy such as thalidomide, tetracycline antibiotic, anticonvulsant drugs, alcohol and tobacco interfere with normal fetal development.
-Exposure to radiation such as x-rays,cancer radiation therapy has been found to induce mutation in a developing baby.Hence,prenant women are advised to avoid these.
-Some illnesses have been linked to birth defects e.g.TORCHES infections(Toxoplasmosis, Rubella, Cytomegalovirus & Herpes simplex virus infections, Syphilis). Also studies have shown that diabetic mothers are at risk of having babies with holes in the heart and obese mothers, children with spinal cord defect.
 
   How to prevent birth defects
 - Early and regular ante-natal visits.
 -Studies have shown that intake of folic acid before getting pregnant reduces the incidence of spinal cord defects.
 -Eating healthy and balanced diets, including vegetables, fresh fruits, fish and food rich in calcium help reduce the likelihood of birth defects.
-Vitamin supplements are also useful
-Avoidance of herbal remedies during pregnancy

Detection of birth defects before delivery can be achieved through the following methods:
-Ultrasound scan
-Blood test especially the Triple test(which includes testing for maternal blood levels of alpha feto-protein, Human Chorionic Gonadotropin and oestrol)
-Chorionic villus sampling
-Amniocentesis

Possible treatment options of birth defects:
1. Termination of the pregnancy
2. Corrective surgeries on unborn baby
                                                                              

                                                                                     Credited to Dr. Joel I.T

Dimple:A beauty or defect?

 Most people use the term "dimple" to refer specifically to indentations on the skin, particularly on the cheeks and chins.Dimpled cheeks are considered attractive in many cultures.
The truth is, most dimples are actually genetic defects.The most common cause is shortened facial muscles, and this just goes to show you that not all “malformations” are bad.
Due to the shortened muscle, dimples are not always apparent in a relaxed state. They become apparent mostly when the muscle is active,like during smiling

    The genetics of dimples:
 Dimples can occur genetically or sporadically.Dimples are a dominant trait, which means that it only takes the presence of one defective gene to inherit dimples. If neither of your parents has dimples, you shouldn't have them either, unless you experience a spontaneous mutation (sporadic change) . If one of your parents has dimples, you have a 25-50% chance of inheriting the gene, since it means that parent inherited the gene from one or both parents. If both of your parents have dimples, you have a 50-100% chance of inheriting the gene, depending on how they inherited their dimple genes.
 Dimples often occur on both the cheeks. A single dimple on one cheek is a rare phenomenon.Dimples tend to disappear as the child becomes older
Dimple on the chin is not hereditary. It occurs due to the incomplete fusion of both halves of the lower jaw during development.
Other sites where dimples can be found include the buttock and sacral region.

Left - hander's day

 This holiday was started by Left Handers International, and was first observed in 1976.If you are a leftie, a "Southpaw", then National Left Hander's day is just for you. National Left Hander's Day is celebrated every year on the 13th of August. National Left Hander's day is meant to promote awareness of the inconveniences facing left handers in a predominantly right-handed world.

Some left handed facts:
- About 10 percent of the population is left handed.

- Lefties are also called "Southpaws".

- Right handed people use the left side of their brains. Left handed people use the right sides of their brains.

-Despite their minority status, lefties are more likely to excel in music, mathematics and athletics, according to studies. But left-handedness has also been linked to a higher risk of developmental disorders and mental illness.

-Among twins, there is a high tendency for one to be left-handed.

- 4 out of the 5 original designers of the Macintosh computer were left-handed.

- Left-handers usually reach puberty 4 to 5 months later than right-handers.

- George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and Barack Obama are all left handed. Ronald Regan was also left handed.

- Pablo Picasso, Isaac Newton, Albert Einstein, Leonardo Di Vinci and Michelangelo were left handed.

- Left handers tend to adjust quickly to seeing underwater.

- Right handers tend to chew food on the right side, left handers tend to chew on the left side.

- Left handed people who have higher I.Q.s tend to have an I.Q. of over 140.

- In some cultures it is impolite to touch your food with your left hand.
  

How much sleep do you need?

A person could die from lack of sleep sooner than they could from starvation, and this usually takes a few weeks. Good sleep has an impact on nearly every area of daily life. However, most people don't realize how much sleep they need and why it is so important.
    
    How much sleep do I need?:
Newborns (0-2 months old).....12-18 hours
Infants (3-11 months old)........14-15 Hours
Toddlers (1-3 years old)...........12-14 Hours
Pre-schoolers (3-5 years old)...11-13 Hours
School-aged Children(5-10 years old)....10-11 Hours
Teens (11-17 years old)............8-9 Hours
Adults.........................................7-9 Hours
 *By the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.

The Benefits of Sleep:
-Sleep reduces stress by lowering stress hormone level and blood pressure.
-Sleep improves your memory by allowing the brain to process new experiences and knowledge better, increasing your understanding and retention.
-Sleep helps to repair your body.
The body produces extra protein molecules while you're sleeping that helps strengthen your ability to fight infections and stay healthy.
-Sleep helps keep your heart healthy.
The cardiovascular system is constantly under pressure and sleep helps reduce this stress, hence helping the heart function better.
....And so on ...So, next time you hear someone say "why don't you sleep on it," take to the advice.

Life is something that happens when you can't get to sleep.  ~Fran Lebowitz

Sayings on breastfeeding

For me this is the best show of love and care by man,you cant simply get it better than this but sadly, the trend has changed so much that other mammals do it better than we do...the question is, does breast milk come in flavors like vanilla, chocolate because there must be a reasons why we men are so fixated to breasts,as if we were all weaned too soon.......moi

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My opinion is that anybody offended by breastfeeding is staring too hard.  ~David Allen

A newborn baby has only three demands.  They are warmth in the arms of its mother, food from her breasts, and security in the knowledge of her presence.  Breastfeeding satisfies all three.  ~Grantly Dick-Read

Mammals:  a family of vertebrate animals whose females in a state of nature suckle their young, but when civilized and enlightened put them out to nurse, or use the bottle.  ~Ambrose Bierce

 

 People need to understand that when they're deciding between breastmilk and formula, they're not deciding between Coke and Pepsi.... They're choosing between a live, pure substance and a dead substance made with the cheapest oils available.  ~Chele Marmet 

While breastfeeding may not seem the right choice for every parent, it is the best choice for every baby.  ~Amy Spangler

Nursing does not diminish the beauty of a woman's breasts; it enhances their charm by making them look lived in and happy.  ~Robert A. Heinlein
  

                                                      
There are three reasons for breast-feeding:  the milk is always at the right temperature; it comes in attractive containers; and the cat can't get it.  ~Irena Chalmers .....( me) Lol

If a multinational company developed a product that was a nutritionally balanced and delicious food, a wonder drug that both prevented and treated disease, cost almost nothing to produce and could be delivered in quantities controlled by the consumers' needs, the very announcement of their find would send their shares rocketing to the top of the stock market.  The scientists who developed the product would win prizes and the wealth and influence of everyone involved would increase dramatically.  Women have been producing such a miraculous substance, breastmilk, since the beginning of human existence.  ~Gabrielle Palmer 

It is only in the act of nursing that a woman realizes her motherhood in visible and tangible fashion; it is a joy of every moment.  ~Honore de Balzac

Breastfeeding is nature's health plan.  ~Author Unknown

Breastfeeding is an unsentimental metaphor for how love works, in a way.  You don't decide how much and how deeply to love - you respond to the beloved, and give with joy exactly as much as they want.  ~Marni Jackson

A woman's life isn't worth a plateful of cabbage if she hasn't felt life stir under her heart.  Taking a little one to nurse, watching him grow to manhood, that's what love is.  ~Carol Shields, The Stone Diaries

Breastmilk:  the gift that keeps on giving.  ~Author Unknown

“bottles fill his stomach, but breastfeeding fills his soul”
― diane wiessinger
 

   

Why alcohol causes memory loss

Events of last Saturday appear difficult to remember after i ordered my sixth bottle. Why? Scientists have discovered that the centre of memory formation and learning(the Hippocampus) has a high concentration of Zinc. Studies done by M.I.T. and DUKE researchers revealed that Zinc deficiency limits communication between neurones, disrupting learning ability and memory formation. Too much alcohol has been said to interfere with the body's ability to absorb zinc..Hence too much alcohol and low zinc body store can blur one's memory. Zinc is present in a variety of foods consumed daily. The foods with the highest Zinc content per serving are oysters, red meat and poultry. Some other food sources that contain Zinc are whole grains, fortified cereals, beans, nuts, dairy products and some seafoods. Males require more Zinc than females, as the mineral is released when a man ejaculates. The more sexually active a male, the more zinc required, as semen has the highest Zinc content in the body. An average adult woman should consume about 7 milligrams of Zinc daily, while an average male should consume 9.5 milligrams daily.