The Healthy Dose

Updates from the experts at the UA Health Sciences

pregnancy

Making a Difference: Helping Mothers, Helping Babies

By Saira Kalia, Department of Psychiatry in the University College of Medicine – Tucson | May 1, 2019

Tags: maternal mental health, perinatal mood and anxiety disorder, pregnancy, childbirth, maternal & child health, family metal health

Around the world, as many as 2 in 10 new mothers experiences some type of perinatal mental health issues. Having a child is viewed as being a happy time in a woman's life however for many it can be a dark, terrifying and... (read more)

Pregnant woman and doctor holding a DNA model

Noninvasive Prenatal Testing: A New Genetic Screening Tool for Use by Pregnant Women

By Valerie Schaibley, PhD, Kenneth S. Ramos, MD, PhD, PharmB | Sep 14, 2018

Tags: prenatal testing, noninvasive prenatal testing, pregnancy, genetics, genomic testing, prenatal genetic testing, maternal DNA, Down syndrome, aneuploidies, liquid biopsies, fetus

During the past six years, advances in genetic technology completely have changed the way women and their health-care providers approach genetic testing during pregnancy. Noninvasive prenatal testing (NIPT), one of the newest... (read more)

Socioeconomic Conditions, Environment and Lifestyle Affect Severity of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

By Valerie Schaibley, PhD | Jan 23, 2018

Tags: fetal alcohol syndrome, alcohol exposure, pregnancy, maternal nutrition, maternal age, poverty, precision medicine, genetics, environment

Precision medicine uses data on an individual's person’s diet, exercise routine, family history, environment, genetics, and more to tailor treatment and prevention of certain conditions to that person’s unique... (read more)

Good Oral Health is More than a Smile - Especially for Pregnant Women

By Will Humble, MPH | Jan 10, 2017

Tags: oral health, pregnancy, pre-term deliveries, low birth weight, perodontitis, dental care, heart disease, new-born health

Good oral health is more than just a nice smile. Having good oral health improves a person’s ability to speak, smile, smell, taste, touch, chew and eat. Untreated tooth decay leads to needless pain and... (read more)