Marti Perhach from Group B Strep International joined me at the California Chapter March of Dimes Conference for Health Professionals: Preventing Prematurity, Birth Defects and Infant Mortality: Current Trends and Future Paradigms to share information about stillbirth and infection awareness. I enjoyed meeting the nurses, health care providers, and organizers from multiple national organizations who gathered to share the latest information on how to improve the survivals of our babies. I was particularly impressed by the commitment and enthusiasm for safe and healthy pregnancies by the health care providers from the high risk obstetrical units at labor and delivery units and clinics in Southern California, including Kaiser Permanente, Hoag Hospital, St. Mary's, St. Joseph's, Long Beach Memorial just to name a few. I was so thrilled that everyone was aware of the importance of decreased fetal movement and these facilities include kick counting instructions for their patients. They were excited to check out the kickTrak smart kick counter and we were able to provide kickTrak samples for their hospitals and clinics. We're very excited for expecting moms to have the opportunity to use our handheld tool to aid in kick counting. It was very motivating to be surrounded by other health care providers who are dedicated to the same mission that babykick has-- encouraging pregnancy health for all women. Who motivates you to keep moving forward in your own missions?
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Committed to Pregnancy Health: babykick Joins Fellow Health Care Professionals
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
What Steps Can Women take for Healthier Babies?
January is National Birth Defects Prevention Month, but not all birth defects can be prevented. A woman can, however, increase her chance of having a healthy baby. Many birth defects happen very early in pregnancy, sometimes before a woman even knows she is pregnant. Remember that about half of all pregnancies are unplanned.
Here are some steps a woman can take to get ready for a healthy pregnancy:
◘ Get early prenatal care and go to every appointment
◘ Keep up these healthy habits.
◘ Get early prenatal care and go to every appointment.
◘ Take a vitamin with 400 micrograms (mcg) folic acid every day.
◘ Avoid alcohol, tobacco, and street drugs.
◘ Keep hands clean by washing them often with soap and water to prevent infections.
◘ See a health care professional regularly. Talk with the health care professional about any medical problems and medicine use (both prescription and over-the-counter).
◘ Ask about avoiding any substances at work or at home that might be harmful to a developing baby.
◘ Eat a healthy, balanced diet.
◘ Avoid unpasteurized (raw) milk and foods made from it.
◘ Avoid eating raw or undercooked meat.
While Pregnant:
◘ Keep up these healthy habits.
◘ Get early prenatal care and go to every appointment
Monday, January 21, 2008
Call Attention to Infections and Pregnancy
The Network has over 250 members from all states,
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Infection Prevention: Ten Tips from babykick
Did you know that January is Birth Defects Prevention Month? This year’s focus is “Preventing Infections in Pregnancy." Infections in pregnancy contribute to the number of preventable birth defects that occur each year.
During pregnancy, a woman may be exposed to various infectious diseases, some of which have the ability to infect the placenta and seriously harm a fetus resulting in deafness, vision loss, neurological and behavioral disorders, or other birth defects. Toxoplasmosis, cytomegalovirus (CMV), varicella, rubella, and lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) are among the agents that are recognized to have the potential to cause birth defects in a developing fetus.
Although infections are common and familiar to many, there is a lack of knowledge among women about the serious outcomes of infections during pregnancy and how they can be avoided. Pregnant women on steps they can take to protect themselves and their unborn children using diligent hygiene methods in everyday life.
Here are a few practical, everyday tips for expecting parents to help prevent infection and keep unborn babies safe, courtesy of the National Birth Defects Prevention Network.
1. Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially when...
- Using the bathroom
- Touching raw meat, raw eggs, or unwashed vegetables
- Preparing food and eating
- Gardening or touching dirt or soil
- Handling pets
- Being around people who are sick
- Getting saliva (spit) on your hands
- Caring for and playing with children
- Changing Diapers
If soap and running water are not available, you may use alcohol-based hand gel.
2. Try not to share forks, cups, or food with young children. Wash your hands often when around children. Their saliva and urine might contain a virus. It is likely harmless to them, but it can be dangerous for you and your unborn baby.
3. Cook your meat until it's well done. The juices should run clear and there should be no pink inside. Do not eat hot dogs, luncheon meats, or deli meats, unless they are reheated until steaming hot. These undercooked meats and processed meats might contain harmful bacteria.
4. Avoid unpasteurized (raw) milk and foods made from it. Do not eat soft cheeses such as feta, brie, and queso fresco unless they have labels that say they are pasteurized. Unpasteurized products can contain harmful bacteria.
5. Do not touch or change dirty cat litter. Have someone else do it. If you must change the litter yourself, be sure to wear gloves and wash your hands afterwards. Dirty cat litter might contain a harmful parasite.
6. Stay away from wild or pet rodents and their droppings. Have a pest control professional get rid of pests in or around your home. If you have a pet rodent, like a hamster or guinea pig, have someone else care for it until after your baby arrives. Some rodents might carry a harmful virus.
7. Get tested for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), including HIV, and protect yourself from them. Some people that have an STD do not feel sick. Knowing whether or not you have an STD is important. If you do have an STD, talk to your doctor about how you can reduce the chance that your baby will become sick.
8. Talk to your doctor about vaccinations (shots). Some are recommended before you become pregnant, during pregnancy, or right after delivery. Having the right vaccinations at the right time can help keep you healthy and help keep your baby from getting very sick or having life-long health problems.
9. Avoid people who have an infection. Stay away from people who you know have infections, such as chickenpox or rubella, if you have not yet had it yourself or did not have the vaccine before pregnancy.
10. Ask your doctor about group B strep. About 1 in 4 women carry this type of bacteria, but do not feel sick. An easy swab test near the end of pregnancy will show if you have this type of bacteria. If you do have group B strep, talk to your doctor about how to protect your baby during labor.
You can learn more about these tips by visiting the Centers for Disease Control. If you think you might have an infection or think you are at risk, see your doctor. This is not a complete guide to a healthy pregnancy. Be sure to talk with your doctor to learn more about safe food preparation, wearing insect repellent when outside, taking medicine, and other important topics.
Do you have any other tried and true ways to stay healthy while pregnant?
It’s a Blog! BabyKick Welcomes the Newest Family Member!
We are happy to bring you the Make Every Kick Count blog, updating you regularly on pregnancy health topics. Today’s post is about what we know best-- kick counting! Would you believe that Americans rarely address a devastating event that affects one US family every 20 minutes-- that's 70 American families a day and over four million families worldwide every year. While stillbirth is, without a doubt, a tragedy for every family that experiences it firsthand, there’s an even larger underlying issue. Stillbirth is the least talked-about pregnancy complication.
Sure, stillbirth isn’t a very pleasant topic for a casual discussion. But if we want to reduce the risk for families everywhere, we have to bring it into the light of day. That’s part of our mission at BabyKick—to end stillbirth’s reign as a hush-hush topic.
One way to reduce the risk of stillbirth and other pregnancy complications is by monitoring fetal movement. Fetal movement is one of the best indicators of a baby’s health before birth. In general, healthy babies will make ten movements within two hours. Most babies do so in less than 15 minutes. Kick counting is a simple, safe and effective method for monitoring fetal movement as recommended by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Moms can start counting fetal movements--kicks, jabs, rolls, twists and turns at 28 weeks, once a day, at about the same time when their baby is most active. Once the baseline is established, moms can have peace of mind about their baby's well being, and can inform their health care provider promptly if there is a significant change in his or her movements.
Unfortunately, not all pregnant women are aware of the importance of paying attention to how often their babies are moving and of the importance of decreased movement. The BabyKick Foundation was created to increase awareness of kick counting among moms-to-be and other health care providers. We hope to advance that mission through this blog.
Make Every Kick Count will, of course, provide current information on the movement advancing kick counting and share related resources. We also hope to be a resource for information about pregnancy health and safety in general. If kick counting has made a difference in your life, or if you've avoided a tragedy because of it, we’d love to hear from you! Any suggestions for what you’d like to see on Make Every Kick Count?
