What is Fetal Alcohol Syndrome?

Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) is not a single disease but a range of disorders which include numerous physical and mental problems, as well as various developmental defects, that may occur as a result of alcohol consumption by the mother while pregnant. No amount of alcohol is considered safe during pregnancy since alcohol passes easily through the placenta to reach the fetus, where it may also affect the fetal brain. Consuming even a small amount of alcohol carries the potential danger of irreversible birth defects in the baby. However, the risk may be lower with occasional drinking than with regular heavy drinking.

continue reading Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) – Alcohol and the Unborn Baby

Hemostasis is the mechanism by which the body stops blood loss. It involves a series of steps first to rapidly plug the leak and then to secure it followed by permanent healing processes that restores the integrity of the blood vessel. One of the important phases of hemostasis is the coagulation phase which involves several chemical reactions and  different compounds known as clotting factors to form prothrombin activator. This series of chemical reactions in the coagulation phase is known as the coagulation cascade and defects at this point is one of the more common causes of blood clotting disorders.

continue reading Prothrombin Time (PT) Test, Principle, Normal and “High” Values

The basic aim of treatment of an injured nerve is to restore its function to the best extent possible. In patients whom it is not practically possible, the treatment is aimed at improving the quality of life to the maximum that can be attained. This also requires proper management of the injuries sustained by other tissues like reduction fracture or dislocation.

continue reading Types of Surgical and Non-Surgical Treatment for Nerve Injury

Injury to a nerve may arise due to a number of causes. In most acute peripheral nerve injuries, the nerve may be crushed, stretched or severed (cut). Sometimes nerve injury arises secondary to some other pathology related to trauma like compression with swelling of a neighboring organ or structure. Once injured, the nerve may lead to a host of signs and symptoms like pain, abnormal sensations or even a loss of sensation when a sensory nerve is injured. If a motor nerve (responsible for muscle function) is affected, then it can lead to muscle weakness or even paralysis. Identifying the severity of the nerve injury and rapid action may help to restore normal function but this is also dependent on the type of injury.

continue reading Damaged or Severed Nerve Diagnosis, Complications, Outlook

What is Premature Birth?

The duration of most pregnancies is usually about 40 weeks but it is quite normal for a baby to be born a week or two earlier. However, when a baby is born before 37 weeks of gestation, it is said to be a premature birth and such babies are known as premature babies or preemies. Prematurity is a leading cause of perinatal mortality and morbidity.

Premature babies born around 36 to 37 weeks of gestation may be relatively free from complications, whereas those born much before the due dates are more likely to have serious problems which may require management in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Babies born before 24 weeks have less of a chance of survival. Complications usually arise as a result of immaturity of the lungs and other organs which have not yet developed fully at the time of birth and which may not be ready to function outside the uterus.

Early and regular prenatal care can reduce the risk of a premature birth.

continue reading Premature Baby (Preterm Birth)