Dr.Trupti Kaji Obs & Gynae Clinic

Intrauterine growth restriction is a condition where the foetus is smaller than it should be according to its age because it is not growing at a normal rate inside the uterus. This puts the baby at risk for several dangerous conditions during pregnancy, delivery and post-birth. Some of these are low weight at birth, caesarian delivery, decreased oxygen levels, low blood sugar, low resistance power, breathing problems and low body temperature. IUGR can lead to stillbirth in extreme conditions and to long-term growth problems too. This is the main reason why prenatal birth monitoring is very important.

Causes
IUGR can occur in expecting mothers who have a problem with the placenta. We already know that placenta is the cord of life that joins the mother with the foetus. It provides oxygen and food to the developing baby inside the womb. Apart from this, IUGR can occur if the mother has:

1. Diabetes
2. Hypertension
3. Heart disease
4. Rubella or syphilis infections
5. Kidney or lung disease
6. Malnutrition or anaemia
7. Twins and triplets also increase the risk for IUGR

The main symptom of IUGR is a small baby for its age in the womb. It may look small and sickly and the placenta is dry and shrivelled.

Management
Dealing with IUGR depends on many factors. Usually, doctors go for a slew of tests to see how the infant is doing. A detailed sonogram is usually performed to look for foetal anomalies. Tests like a urine sample, ultrasound, platelet count and liver function test are also administered to the mother. The mother is put on bed rest to improve blood flow to the foetus and antenatal steroids are prescribed to promote foetal lung maturity. General management also includes treatment of maternal disease like high BP and cessation of substance abuse or alcohol.

For management of IUGR, daily blood pressure measurements, foetal movement profiles, serial ultrasound examinations are important to determine the severity and progression of IUGR. If the situation becomes critical, labour is induced and the baby is delivered by caesarian section.

IUGR can’t be cured and can only be managed so it’s best to prevent it in the first place by keeping all of your prenatal appointments. You must be aware of your baby's movements. If your baby is not moving much or stops suddenly, you should rush to your doctor. You must also not take any medicine without consulting your doctor during pregnancy. Eat healthy and rest fully to have a risk free birth and last, but not the least, stay away from drugs, alcohol and smoke, even second hand, for the health of your baby.

Do you know about the different types of sexually transmitted diseases and how they are caused? STDs are caused mostly by bacterial infections. The bacteria get transmitted while having sex, in the case of most common STDs. There are several STDs which commonly occur in people, primarily because of having unprotected sex.

Causes:

There are various forms of infections, including bacteria like gonorrhea and syphilis, viral STDs like HIV, genital herpes, hepatitis B, and genital warts. The germs which lead to the STDs dwell in the semen, vaginal secretions, and saliva. The transmission mostly occurs through vaginal, anal, and oral contact. Certain STDs are caused due to skin contact.

Types of STDs:

The most common STD diseases are as follows:

1. Chlamydia- This bacterial infection occurs in your genital tract, and it is difficult to diagnose as no early symptoms are always experienced. The disease strikes three weeks after the exposure to the responsible bacteria. Lower abdominal pain and vaginal discharge are indicated as symptoms.

2. Gonorrhea- This is a bacterial infection, which affects the genital tract. It can also develop in your eyes, mouth, throat, and anus. The symptoms start appearing within ten days of the exposure. Major symptoms include thick, bloody discharge from the penis or vagina. Painful sensation while urinating is also indicated.

3. Trichomoniasis- This STD occurs from a microscopic, single-celled parasite called trichomonas vaginitis. It is commonly transmitted during sexual intercourse with an affected individual. In the case of men, the disease infects the urinary tract, without showing any symptoms in many cases. In women, the vagina is affected. The condition appears twenty-eight days within exposure. Mild irritation and severe inflammation are common symptoms. A clear white, greenish or yellowish vaginal discharge is likely in women, while discharge from the penis occurs in the case of men.

4. HIV- HIV occurs because of the human immunodeficiency virus. HIV is a severe health disease which disrupts your body’s immune system, or your body’s ability to fight fungi and bacteria that lead to illness. HIV results in AIDS, which is a chronic, life-threatening condition. Commonly, early stage symptoms are not experienced in case of HIV. An illness which is similar to flu within two to six weeks of infection is likely to occur in some patients. You need to take a screening test for HIV for the diagnosis of this condition.

Another common STD which occurs is genital herpes. This is caused due to a certain form of the HSV or herpes simplex virus. The virus enters your body through tiny breaks in your skin membrane or mucous.

Flat stomach is a matter of pride as it gives the impression to others that a person keeps himself fit and is cautious about what he eats. A fit body makes a person stronger and less prone to injuries. Some are born fitness freak, so they maintain their body in such a manner that others, who are not, would envy them and wish if they had the same physique. So, people who are not born with flat stomach or concerned about keeping themselves fit and healthy but they still need to have flat stomach, there are some very good exercises, which if done in a religious manner can help them yield the desired benefits.

Some of the best exercises for flat stomach are discussed in detail as follows:

1. Burpee: This is a very effective exercise which requires going from a pushup position to a jump and back again to a pushup position. It puts pressure on every muscle from head to toe. 10 fast paced repititions are enough and as effective as a 30 second all out sprint. One can burn their accumulated fat in the tummy faster.
2. Side Plank: This exercise is done by extending one’s legs and lying on the right side in such a way that the feet and hips rest on the floor or top of each other. Now place the right elbow under your shoulder, while contracting the core muscles, lift the hips and knees off the floor. Keep yourself in that position for few seconds and come back to normal. Repeat it for the other side.
3. Mountain Climber: Consider a pushup position with the hands below your shoulders and your body forming a straight line from your head to your heals. This is the position you start off with the exercise. Now, raising the right foot off of the floor, drive the right knee towards the chest. Then tap the floor with the right foot and return back to the starting position. Do it alternately for both the legs with each repetition.
4. Russian Twist: Russian Twist is another extremely useful exercise to get rid of your fat and get a flat stomach. For this, one needs to sit on a floor mat with knees bent slightly and heels kept flat on the mat. Start leaning back till you feel that the abdomen muscles are getting engaged.
5. Dumbbell overhead walking lunge: In this exercise, a person needs to grab a pair of medium to light-weight dumbbells. Dumbbells should be pressed overhead so that the palms face one another. Take a step forward into a lunge position, pause and then bring the back leg forward to step both the feet together. Do it alternately for both the legs.
6. Dumbbell hot-potato squat: This is done by grabbing a medium to light-weight dumbbell and holding it in the racked position with elbow bent and the end resting on your shoulder. Get into a squat position, so that the quads are parallel to the floor, then quickly get back to standing, tossing the dumbbell from one hand to another in front of the face.

In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!

First-trimester screening is a prenatal test. It is conducted to get early information about a baby's risk of certain chromosomal conditions. It can detect conditions like Down syndrome (trisomy 21) and extra sequences of chromosome 18 (Trisomy 18).

It is usually conducted in two steps:

1. Blood test
2. Followed by USG

Initially, a blood test is conducted to ascertain the levels of two pregnancy specific substances in the mother's blood. The blood is tested for pregnancy associated plasma protein and human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG). Thereafter, a USG is done to find out the size of the clear space in the tissue that is present at the back of the foetus’s neck.

The screening is done between weeks 11 and 14 of pregnancy. The doctor is able to gauge the risk of your baby having Down syndrome or Trisomy 18 by using your age and results of the test. This screening is quite helpful and can guard you against deadly consequences in the future. Down syndrome is known to cause impairments in the mental and social development of the child. Trisomy 18 gets often fatal by age 1. However, first screening doesn’t find out the risk of neural tube defects.

Scoliosis causes the spine to curve to one side. It can affect any part of the spine, but the most common regions are at the level of the chest and the lower back.Complications of scoliosis include chronic pain, respiratory deficiencies, and decreased exercise capacity.