David Steinman
See book keywords and concepts |
 At the same time, childbearing women experienced unusually high miscarriage rates. The link between the herbicides and their miscarriages seemed strong, but I remembered how the attorneys for Dow used a line of questioning that made it look like anything could have caused the women's miscarriages. It was humiliating and unfair.
The largest chemical company in the United States, Dow Chemical is a leading producer of pesticides, plastics, hydrocarbons, and other chemicals. |
Bottom Line Health
See book keywords and concepts |
| There are some studies in animals that suggest that stress increases the risk of miscarriage. And doctors have long suspected that stress does the same in people."
Approximately 15% of recognized pregnancies end in miscarriage, according to the March of Dimes. But Stephenson says that statistic usually includes the pregnancies that survive for six weeks. "When you count the ones that occur before six weeks, up to half of the pregnancies end in miscarriage," she notes. |
| POSSIBLE EXPLANATIONS
Nepomnaschy says it's unclear why a boost in Cortisol might raise miscarriage risks, but he speculates, "The body might interpret that [increased Cortisol level] as conditions deteriorating, and that might trigger an abortion mechanism."
Another expert, Dr. Mary Stephenson, a professor of obstetrics and gynecology, who runs the Recurrent Pregnancy Loss Program at the University of Chicago, says, "It's an intriguing [study]. Certainly more research is needed. But it is a potential mechanism by which miscarriage may occur. |
| By choosing women of the same ethnicity who had similar diets and activity levels, Nepomnaschy was trying to rule out any other factors that might influence miscarriage rates. POSSIBLE EXPLANATIONS
Nepomnaschy says it's unclear why a boost in Cortisol might raise miscarriage risks, but he speculates, "The body might interpret that [increased Cortisol level] as conditions deteriorating, and that might trigger an abortion mechanism."
Another expert, Dr. |
David Steinman
See book keywords and concepts |
| The scientists concluded that while a high level of bisphenol-A did not in itself predict subsequent miscarriage, exposure to the chemical is associated with recurrent miscarriage. This report suggested that however it is happening, whether from baby bottles or other sources, certainly bisphenol-A is being absorbed by humans.
Puerto Rico has the highest known incidence of premature thelarche (breast development) ever reported, according to a report in Environmental Health Perspectives. |
Stacy Malkan
See book keywords and concepts |
 The pharmaceutical drug DES was a synthetic estrogen prescribed to millions of pregnant women in the US to prevent miscarriage. It was banned in 1971 after the discovery that "DES daughters" — daughters exposed to the drug in the womb — were developing cancer two decades after exposure. DES was also linked to higher rates of infertility, miscarriages and malformed reproductive tracts in the daughters. A study of DES daughters now over 40 found they are more than twice as likely to get breast cancer as women whose mothers did not take DES while pregnant. |
Bottom Line Health
See book keywords and concepts |
| Approximately 15% of recognized pregnancies end in miscarriage, according to the March of Dimes. But Stephenson says that statistic usually includes the pregnancies that survive for six weeks. "When you count the ones that occur before six weeks, up to half of the pregnancies end in miscarriage," she notes.
ADVICE: DE-STRESS
The best advice for women trying to get pregnant is to de-stress your life before you conceive, Stephenson suggests. "I talk about this a lot with my patients," she says. "I recommend that before they get pregnant, they take a serious look at their lifestyle. |
Andreas Moritz
See book keywords and concepts |
 A 1974 report by the Lancet showed that women who have an IUD fitted and become pregnant nevertheless are 50 percent more likely to have a miscarriage as opposed to a 17 percent rate of miscarriage for those using any other kind of contraceptive. Pelvic inflammatory disease is also common among users. Other problems include cramping, backaches, the risk of an ectopic pregnancy, perforation of the uterus, a greater incidence of tubal infertility, skin rashes, and increased susceptibility to infection. |
David Steinman
See book keywords and concepts |
| The scientists concluded that while a high level of bisphenol-A did not in itself predict subsequent miscarriage, exposure to the chemical is associated with recurrent miscarriage. This report suggested that however it is happening, whether from baby bottles or other sources, certainly bisphenol-A is being absorbed by humans.
Puerto Rico has the highest known incidence of premature thelarche (breast development) ever reported, according to a report in Environmental Health Perspectives. |
Tori Hudson, N.D.
See book keywords and concepts |
 Any type of miscarriage can present with abnormal bleeding that is also often associared with cramping pains. Women with an ectopic pregnancy (a pregnancy in the fallopian tubes rather than the uterus) can present with abnormal bleeding, as can those with a molar pregnancy (an abnormality of the placenta caused by a problem when the egg and sperm join together at fertilization).
Abnormal bleeding in children can be caused by foreign bodies that they may have placed in their vaginas while playing. |
| The incidence of miscarriage due to fibroids is unknown but estimated to be two to three times greater than normal.
If a fibroid uterus is present, it can often be felt during a pelvic examination. It usually feels firm but can vary from soft to rock-hard. The uterus can be irregularly shaped or irregularly enlarged and often feels like it has protrusions. Most of the time it is not painful during the exam. Many times women don't realize they have a fibroid until the practitioner finds it. This is not cause for alarm. Fibroids are benign growths most of the time. |
Ann Blake Tracy, Ph.D.
See book keywords and concepts |
| There was also no stress put on the fact that the miscarriage rate for those using Prozac was double the miscarriage rate for the other drugs. miscarriage is generally due to a malformation or defect of the fetus or the poor physical condition or toxic condition of the mother. Just because the defect is being eliminated via a miscarriage before birth does not signify less risk with this drug. The truth is that we will not know for many years to come just how and what effect the drug has had upon children born to these mothers. |
Dr. Sharon Moalem
See book keywords and concepts |
 Something— and we don't know what—in the mother's epigenetic or genetic architecture sensed that she was carrying a boy and triggered a miscarriage.
We can speculate why this occurred, but we really don't know the truth. Males are both more demanding physiologically on the mother's body during pregnancy and less likely to survive if malnourished as children. Perhaps we have evolved a kind of automatic resource conservation system that is triggered in times of crisis— lots of females and a few strong males gives a population a better chance for survival than the other way around. |
Jonny Bowden, Ph.D., C.N.S.
See book keywords and concepts |
 But other research shows that even one to two cups of coffee may possibly increase the risk of early miscarriage in normal pregnancy. It's well known that too much caffeine can cause nervousness and jitters and interfere with restful sleep. Three or more cups a day can seriously increase the symptoms of PMS. And research shows that the amount of caffeine in two or three cups of coffee can raise systolic pressure 3 to 14 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg) and diastolic pressure 4 to 13 mm Hg in people without high blood pressure. |
Tori Hudson, N.D.
See book keywords and concepts |
| Smokers have a miscarriage rate twice as high as that of nonsmok-ers,126 and babies born to mothers who smoke have more than double the risk of dying of sudden infant death syndrome.127
Women who smoke may experience more ectopic pregnancies (a potentially dangerous situation in which the fertilized egg attaches to, and grows on, the fallopian tube outside the uterus). Children of smokers may have far more respiratory illnesses (like asthma) than those of non-smokers. Even secondhand smoke is seriously harmful to mother and baby and should be avoided when possible. |
| Teratogens are substances that cause birth defects, miscarriage, or pregnancy complication when a pregnant woman is exposed to them, especially in the early stages of pregnancy. Environmental chemicals such as mercury and lead, many prescription drugs such as Dilantin and Accutane, recreational drugs including cocaine and alcohol, and even some illnesses including rubella, diabetes, and herpes are all potentially teratogenic agents and able to cause loss of a pregnancy, birth defects, or pregnancy complications. |
Mehmet C. Oz., M.D. and Michael F. Roizen, M.D.
See book keywords and concepts |
 Too little of these hormones can result in infertility or miscarriage. Too much—which often happens when women take fertility drugs—can have the opposite effect, leading to twins, triplets, quadruplets, and septuplets.
Essentially, menopause signals the end of the hormonal symphony that produces ovulation: Your ovaries run out of viable eggs, interrupting your cycle of hormones and monthly periods. |
Tori Hudson, N.D.
See book keywords and concepts |
| False unicorn has traditionally been used as a uterine tonic before, during, and after pregnancy, especially for women who have a history of miscarriage. Similar to dandelion, it is used to support liver and digestive function. Due to its bitter taste, this herb is probably best tolerated in capsule or tincture form rather than as a tea.
Ginger (Zingiber Officinale). Ginger is probably best known for its treatment of nausea and vomiting, whether pregnant or not. |
Dr. Abram Hoffer, MD, FRCP (C) and Dr. Harold D. Foster, PhD
See book keywords and concepts |
 The anemia associated with malaria is linked to miscarriage, still-birth, and low birth weight.10
Malaria is caused by a protozoan parasite of the genus Plasmodium, which infects red blood cells. The protozoans cannot live outside their hosts and depend completely on the glucose, enzymes, and metabolism of such cells to survive.11 This parasitic relationship eventually destroys the red blood cells, usually at 2- or 3-day intervals. The release of associated waste products and pigments causes the intermittent fever and chills seen in malaria sufferers. |
Thomson Healthcare, Inc.
See book keywords and concepts |
 Unproven Uses: Native Americans used the herb for amenorrhea, dysmenorrhea, threatened miscarriage, contraction-like spasms, rheumatic symptoms, and conditions resulting from uterus atonia. None of these uses have been proved.
Homeopathic Uses: Uses include problems of menstruation and labor, as well as rheumatism of the fingers and toes. contraindications
Blue Cohosh is contraindicated in the presence of heart disease.
Pregnancy: Not to be used during pregnancy. precautions and adverse reactions
Blue Cohosh may cause cardiac toxicity (Jones & Lawson, 1998). |
| Pregnancy: Not to be used during pregnancy and in women with a history of miscarriage.
Breastfeeding: Not to be used while breastfeeding. precautions and adverse reactions
If taken over an extended period, the drug can bring about digestive disorders, mucous membrane irritation, constipation, excitatory states, hallucinations, and occasionally deliria. Adverse reactions may include irritation of the mouth, stomach, and mucous membrane in high doses; higher doses may be toxic. Jaundice and hemolytic anemia may occur in people with glucose-6-phosphate-dehydrogenase deficiency. |
| Uses included hemorrhages, climacteric hemorrhages, menorrhagia and metrorrhagia, before and after miscarriage, for removal of the placenta and shortening of the afterbirth period, for atonia of the uterus, and also for migraine.
Homeopathic Uses: Uses in homeopathy include uterine and muscle spasm, convulsions, paralysis, circulatory problems accompanying arterial disease, and a tendency to bleed. Efficacy has not been proved. |
Jonny Bowden, Ph.D., C.N.S.
See book keywords and concepts |
 Women with PCOS have a 10 to 15 percent greater risk of miscarriage than women without it.) Estrogen becomes dominant and isn't balanced by sufficient progesterone, and other hormones, called androgens, remain high. The result is a host of symptoms, triggered by or aggravated by a hormonal imbalance characterized by elevated levels of male hormones and low levels of progesterone.
These hormonal imbalances prevent ovulation from taking place regularly and cause the ovaries to form multiple cysts. |
| Note: If you're pregnant, don't use oil of oregano, as it may induce miscarriage.
FOOD CURES
Celery for High Blood Pressure
HERE ARE TEN WORDS you probably haven't heard your doctor say in a while: "Take four celery sticks and call me in the morning." But if you have high blood pressure, that's exactly what you should do.
Now let's be clear: Celery alone isn't going to "cure" hypertension. But peer-reviewed research has found that eating four sticks of celery a day lowers blood pressure. |
Tori Hudson, N.D.
See book keywords and concepts |
| To help prevent miscarriage, higher doses of the tincture can be used (}A to Vl teaspoon every three to four hours).
SUBSTANCES TO AVOID DURING PREGNANCY
Besides supplementing with multivitamins, minerals, and other appropriate nutrients, a pregnant woman improves her chances for a complication-free pregnancy and birth by avoiding harmful substances such as alcohol, caffeine, nicotine, and recreational and prescription drugs. |
Joan Liebmann-Smith, Ph. D., and Jacqueline Nardi Egan
See book keywords and concepts |
 If you have these purple skin patterns and are pregnant or have had a history of miscarriage, mention it to your doctor.
Dark Patches
If you have dark patches on your body rather than your face and they're thicker or more velvety than normal skin, it may signal a type of hyperpig-mentation medically known as acanthosis nigricans (AN). When they first notice it, people with AN often complain that they have a dirty area on their skin that doesn't seem to wash off. The patches range in color from tan to dark brown and in size from very small to quite large. |
Connie Bennett, C.H.H.C. with Stephen T. Sinatra, M.D.
See book keywords and concepts |
 Sadly, however, as scrumptious as those sweet snacks taste, indulging too much and too often could contribute to a number of serious female problems, including infertility, miscarriage, birth defects, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), and even fibromyalgia (a chronic disorder involving musculoskeletal pain, fatigue, and tenderness in areas such as the neck, spine, shoulders, and hips). |
| Diabetes, for example, is associated with higher rates of miscarriage and fetal problems. But the good news is that proper blood sugar management can lower these risks. Not only can quitting white-carb foods improve the insulin profiles of infertility patients, but it also helps women with other reproductive health challenges such as endometriosis, a disease that causes an overgrowth of tissue outside the uterine lining.
In fact, Dr. David Ludwig of Children's Hospital Boston warns of the dangers of being pregnant while insulin resistant. |
Email this page to a friend
