Your own sense of security as a child and how you think can have enormous effects on your child’s sense of security with you. One interesting exercise is to ask, “What type of baby were you?” As documented in numerous research studies, we know there is a great similarity between the type of baby we […]

Deep venous thrombosis in the antenatal period in a large cohort of pregnancies from western India
Background: Deep venous thrombosis (DVT) is an important complication in the peripartal and postpartal period. Methods: We followed up prospectively the prevalence of DVT in 34720 prenatal mothers between June 2002 and July 2006 attending the antenatal clinics of two major hospitals in Mumbai, India. Thirty two women (0.1%) presented for the first time with symptomatic DVT i.e. 17 in the first trimester, 6 in the second and 9 in the third trimester of pregnancy. Nine had history of fetal loss while in the remaining twenty three there was no history of fetal loss. Results: The evaluation of both acquired and heritable thrombophilia showed a conglomeration of thrombophilia in this group when compared to 100 normal pregnant women who have given birth to at least one healthy baby with no history of fetal death, DVT or other obstetrical complications. The relative risks for all the antiphospholipid antibodies (APA) studied i.e lupus anticoagulant (LA), IgG/IgM antibodies for cardiolipin (ACA), 2 glycoprotein 1 ( 2 GP 1) and annexin V were significantly higher in women with pregnancy associated DVT (RR 7.4 95% CI 4.3 11.3 P < 0.05). Among the genetic thrombophilia markers studied, Protein S (PS) deficiency was the strongest risk factor (RR 5.00 95% CI 3.02 5.00 P < 0.05) followed by factor V Leiden (FVL) mutation (RR 4.57 95% CI 2.23 4.57 P < 0.05) and PAI 4G/4G homozygosity (RR 3.24 95% CI 1.85 5.12 P < 0.05). Protein C (PC) and endothelial protein C receptor (EPCR) 23 bp insertion polymorphism was also increased in the patient group as compared to controls but the difference was not statistically significant. The MTHFR C677T, fibrinogen gene 448 Arg/Lys polymorphisms were not significantly different from the normal controls, while antithrombin III (AT III) deficiency and PT G20210A polymorphism were absent in both controls and patients. Two or more risk factors were present in 22 out of 32 cases (68.75%). Conclusion: We conclude that the prevalence of DVT in India is more or less similar to other reports published and both acquired and heritable thrombophilia show strong association with DVT associated with pregnancy.

For Your health: Coffee May Boost Memory in Women
Coffee is a favorite beverage throughout the world, but most drinkers aren’t aware that a cup or two a day may actually provide health benefits. A recent study, for example, found that women who regularly consume 300 mg of caffeine (about three cups of coffee) daily have better language and memory abilities over time than non-consumers. Women also benefit from calcium. Up to one gram of calcium daily was recently shown to help women have healthier pregnancies.

For Your health: Vitamin D: Most Americans Aren’t Getting Enough
In the spotlight once again, vitamin D continues to show health benefits beyond supporting healthy bones. A recent review article in the New England Journal of Medicine notes that in addition to bone health, vitamin D may play a part in immune health, muscle health and more. Unfortunately, most Americans aren’t getting enough of this important nutrient. In fact, it’s estimated that one billion people worldwide are deficient in vitamin D. Find out how much you should be getting, as well as the proper form to take.

Daily health Tip: Handling Stress Properly Increases Good Cholesterol
And that can help protect your arteries, study suggests

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