As a researcher and nurse practitioner helping women recover after giving birth, Janis Miller struggled answering some of the most common questions from new moms.
“Many women say they feel like something has changed ‘down there’,” says Miller, who is faculty at the University of Michigan School of Nursing and part of the Healthy Healing After Delivery clinic at the U-M Health System. “What has happened to me? Is this normal?’ Our best answer so far has been ‘well, you did just give birth.’”
News about a mysterious, tropical virus called Zika and its link to severe birth defects and newborn deaths abroad may be worrisome for many – especially pregnant women or those who are thinking about getting pregnant. The U.S Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued a first-of-its-kind travel alert recommending that pregnant women avoid countries where Zika has spread, and world health officials have declared a global emergency to control the Zika virus.
A small number of cases have recently been reported in the U.S. If you’re pregnant or have a loved one who is, you may understandably be concerned. Continue reading →
In late 2011, a new method of fetal genetic testing was introduced. Called cell-free fetal DNA testing or non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT), this testing uses maternal blood to test for abnormalities in the fetal DNA. First introduced to detect Down syndrome (trisomy 21), the test is now also used to detect the less common trisomies 18 and 13 as well as other conditions. This type of test is offered by several different companies that each have their own brand name for the test.
We offer NIPT to all women at increased risks for the designated conditions. Those in the high-risk group include women over the age of 35, someone with a blood test result or ultrasound marker associated with a chromosome abnormality, and anyone with a family history or previous pregnancy with a history of one of these conditions.
Newborn screening is a complicated system in a race against time. And if we lose the race, children can die from these disorders. If we can find affordable ways to make the system of newborn screening run the race faster, we can help save lives. With the help of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and experts across the University in health services, engineering and health policy, my research team is working to find a way to help us run a faster race.
What is newborn screening? Well, shortly after birth, every baby in the US is tested for a variety of inherited diseases. If babies who have these diseases are not found and started on treatment, they can become seriously ill, and, in some cases, die. This process of testing and treating children at birth for inherited diseases is called newborn screening. It is a 50 year-old public health program that is conducted in every state across the US.Continue reading →
I’ve been a midwife for 10 years, and I love my job everyday – even when it’s exhausting and difficult. It’s an amazing experience to work together with women and their families through the transformative experience of welcoming a new family member and stepping into motherhood.
Midwives have been providing health care to women for centuries, but a lot has changed since the early days of midwifery. Today, certified nurse midwives are an important part of the healthcare delivery system, with rigorous certification standards. In fact, in 2012, midwives delivered 11.8% of all vaginal births in the U.S., and that number is on the rise!
Still, many misperceptions about midwifery exist. In honor of National Midwifery Week, which runs from Oct. 5 to 11, here are five things you may not know about certified nurse-midwives. Continue reading →
When I first learned that I was pregnant with identical twins, I was six weeks into the pregnancy. My husband and I were informed shortly afterwards about the potential risks of developing twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS). Our doctor told us approximately 10 to 15 percent of twins who share the same placenta develop TTTS. The risk was always there in the back of our minds, but we didn’t dwell on what might happen.
We were referred to the University of Michigan Maternal Fetal Medicine team for high-risk pregnancies. I just figured we were going to receive top-notch prenatal care! Then, at my 16-week check up, the doctor saw signs that TTTS may be developing and immediately sent us for a more in-depth ultrasound.
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