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4D-Ultrasounds.com
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Ultrasound and 4D Ultrasound providers. Our directory
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4D Fetal Ultrasound centers
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News and Articles
How Ultrasound Works
by Yvonne Lapp Cryns
It used to be thought that the unborn baby was
protected from harm by the placenta which filtered out dangerous
chemicals. The tragedy of the limb-deficient Thalidomide babies in the
1970's, however, connected the use of drug with very real consequences
to the growing fetus. Additional anomalies were detected in off-spring
of women who took DES.
No drug has been found SAFE for the unborn baby. Generally, the
greatest danger from maternal drug consumption is seen in drug use
during the first trimester of the pregnancy. Some drugs will only cause
problems if taken with other drugs or if taken at a certain critical
point in the development of the baby. It must be assumed that every
drug the mother takes during her pregnancy will cross the placenta and
reach the baby. This includes prescriptions and over-the-counter drugs
like aspirin.
LABOR MEDICATIONS
The best and safest course to take is to avoid all drugs during labor.
The effects of many pain relieving drugs last much longer in the
newborn than in the mother. Barbiturates and sedatives may cause the
newborn to have respiratory difficulties and sucking problems.
Narcotics such as Demerol, Stadol, Dilaudid, etc., can affect the
newborn's ability to breathe and alter the baby's behavior for weeks.
Mothers who get a tranquilizer may also be lowering their baby's heart
rate or temperature, cause poor muscle tone in their babies and alter
the baby's responsiveness and behavior.
A great many American women receive PITOCIN at some point during their
labor to initiate labor or speed up the process. It has a known
side-effect of affecting the baby's heart rate causing oxygen
deprivation. It has also been linked with newborn jaundice.
At the 1994 MANA Convention in Chicago, I spoke with numerous labor and
delivery nurses from the area who were disgusted at the high rates of
intervention at their hospitals. Many of these nurses claimed that
their hospitals had about a 90% epidural rate! They acknowledged that
the real risks of taking this form of regional anesthetic was never
really mentioned to the women who asked for or accepted the procedure
and other drugs. As more women receive this form of pain relief,
hopefully more research and documentation on the adverse effects of
this procedure will accumulate and be made available to the public.
Currently we know that if any of the drug finds its way into the blood
stream, the baby's heart rate may change and the baby may be depressed
at birth. The passage of the baby through the birth canal is also
affected due to the relaxing of the mother's tissue from the medication.
ALTERNATIVES FOR PRE-LABOR DRUGS
Many alternatives to drugs are available. For those who reach
immediately for the aspirin bottle with a headache, relaxation
techniques may be a good substitute. Allergy symptoms that include
watery eyes, runny nose and coughs may be healed as much by honey and
lemon as by all the cold medicines on the market. Massage can alleviate
sore muscles and backaches and insomnia.
Many herbal preparations are currently for sale to alleviate frequent
problems. Homeopathic remedies are also available in many drug stores.
The low does herbal and homeopathic remedies available are generally
safe when used appropriately according to the directions. Many books
have been published to guide the consumer.
About the Author
Yvonne Lapp Cryns is the owner of Midwives .net -
http://www.midwives.net Yvonne is the co-founder of Nursing Programs
Online at http://www.nursingprogramsonline.com and a contributor to The
Compleat Mother Magazine at http://www.compleatmother.com . Yvonne is
also a law school graduate, a registered nurse and a Certified
Professional Midwife.
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