Women’s HealthFirst Wants You To Know
Panel Advises Pregnant Women To Get Whooping Cough Vaccine
After a frightening resurgence of whooping cough this year, an expert panel is urging expecting mothers to get a shot preventing the dreaded childhood disease, preferably in the last three months of her pregnancy to help protect her baby. The advice comes on the heels of one of the nation's worst years for whooping cough ... read more
With attention deficit hyperactivity attention disorder (ADHD) on the rise in the United States, researchers are searching for possible explanations for the uptick, including fetal exposure to certain toxins such as lead, tobacco, pesticides, and chemicals like PCBs. The latest suspect is mercury, a metal that affects the central nervous system, which investigators believe may ... read more
Study Finds Vitamin D May Do Nothing To Prevent Common Colds
Contrary to conventional wisdom, a new study finds a dose of Vitamin D--long considered a surefire way to prevent a common cold--does nothing to stave off colds or other forms of upper respiratory tract infections. The study, published this week in the Journal of the American Medical Association, included 322 healthy adults in New Zealand ... read more
Sleep-training a crying baby isn't easy, and few parenting decisions are as difficult and controversial as the choice parents make about how to get their babies to fall--and stay--asleep. However, a new study suggesting there are no long-term emotional or psychological conseqences linked to two popular sleep training methods may have parents resting a bit ... read more
U.S. Medical Advisors Say Ovarian Cancer Screening For Healthy Women May Cause More Harm Than Good
Healthy women should not be routinely screened for ovarian cancer because it won't reduce their risk of dying from the disease, and may even put them at increased risk for unnecessary harm, such as major surgery, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force announced Monday. The findings, published on Sept. 11 in Annals of Internal Medicine, ... read more
New Study Challenges Conventional Wisdom On Sex Life Of Teens
The conventional wisdom that teenagers who are not ready for sexual intercourse are experimenting with oral sex on large scale is being challenged by new data on the subject. According to data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, two-thirds of teenagers and young adults have had oral sex — about as many ... read more
If you believe your family is complete and you have considered permanent birth control, then a fast and convenient in-office procedure, called Essure, might be the perfect choice for you. Available right at Women's HealthFirst, Essure is a minimally invasive, technologically advanced means of sterilization. As effective as the traditional "tying your tubes", Essure is ... read more
With increasing numbers of women joining the workforce in general, it is no surprise that the number of women working during pregnancy has also risen sharply. However, a new study from the Netherlands cautions that standing and working long hours during a mother's pregancy may slow her baby's growth. According to the study, women who ... read more
ObamaCare and Doctor Shortages
As President Obama's signature health care law begins extending coverage to some 30 million Americans in 2014, some health experts fear a new “invisible problem” lurking on the horizon: a doctor shortage. The Association of American Medical Colleges estimates that in 2015 the country will have 62,900 fewer doctors than needed, with that number more ... read more
Although it may not always feel that way, becoming a parent can actually be good for your health. According to a new study published in the July edition of Psychosomatic Medicine, parents were half as likely to catch a cold than non-parents regardless of any pre-existing immunity and even after exposing them to cold viruses. ... read more