Congenital Cytomegalovirus: Is Your Baby at Risk? (Part 1)

It’s a little talked about virus known as Cytomegalovirus, or CMV. CMV is a member of the herpes virus family, which includes the herpes simplex viruses and the viruses that cause chicken pox (varicella-zoster virus) and infectious mononucleosis (Epstein-Barr virus, a.k.a., mono). The virus is found in body fluids, including urine, saliva (spit), breast milk, blood, tears, semen, and vaginal fluids – and once you have it, it’s there for life, although it remains dormant most of the time, causing no signs or symptoms in normally healthy people.

The virus is passed through bodily fluids, including blood, breastmilk and saliva. 33% of women who become infected with CMV pass the virus to their unborn babies during the course of the pregnancy.

So what do you need to know about CMV to protect yourself and your child

Here are the basic facts, according to the Centers for Disease Control:

* Approximately 1 in 150 children is born with congenital CMV infection

* Approximately 1 in 750 children is born with or develops permanent disabilities due to CMV

* Approximately 8,000 children each year suffer permanent disabilities caused by CMV

* Congenital CMV (meaning present at birth) is as common a cause of serious disability as Down syndrome, fetal alcohol syndrome, and neural tube defects

Most children who are born with CMV go on to lead completely normal lives, never developing a single sign or symptom of the virus. However, for those who are affected by congenital CMV, temporary symptoms at birth can include:

* Liver, spleen and lung problems

* Jaundice (yellow skin and eyes)

* Purple skin splotches

* Small size at birth

* Seizures

The more permanent problems caused by CMV can be far more serious and even permanent, including:

* Hearing and vision loss

* Mental disability

* Small head

* Lack of coordination

* Seizures

* Death

Congenital Cytomegalovirus: Is Your Baby at Risk? (Part 2)

A simple blood test is all it takes to find out for sure if you are a carrier of CMV. The test determines whether or not your body has developed the necessary antibodies to fight off the virus. So, if you test positive, you have enough of the good antibodies you need and your chance of passing CMV on to your child is small. If, on the other hand, your test result is negative, you stand a higher chance of passing the virus on to your children, should you become infected over the course of your pregnancy. An amniocentesis is one test that could determine if your unborn baby is infected, but because most babies with CMV develop normally, the test is not necessary for this purpose. If you have any concerns about possibly being infected with CMV, consult your doctor straightaway.

Presently there is no treatment for CMV, so your best bet for staying safe is prevention. Here are four easy ways to make sure you and your baby stay safe and sound:

* Practice good personal hygiene, especially hand washing with soap and water after contact with diapers or saliva (particularly with a child who is in day care). Wash well for 15 to 20 seconds.

* Do not kiss children under the age of 6 on the mouth or cheek. Instead, kiss them on the head or give them a hug.

* Do not share food, drinks, or utensils (spoons or forks) with young children.

* If you are pregnant and work in a day care center, reduce your risk of getting CMV by working with children who are older than 2 ½ years of age, especially if you have never been infected with CMV or are unsure if you have been infected.

Growing Pains Without the Cute Factor

However, there is one pain that you should be aware of and pay attention to. Round ligament pain typically shows up in your second trimester and is felt in your lower abdomen and groin area. It can either be a sharp, stabbing pain or a dull ache, and usually pops up when you suddenly change position -- such as getting up out of your cush y reading chair. You might feel the dull pain after a day when you’ve done lots of walking or another physical activity (sounds like a good reason to have your partner do the vacuuming!).Even though the pains are largely a routine matter of course, you should always call your doctor or midwife for any of the following reasons:

* If pains continue after a short rest

* If you have severe cramping or more than four contractions in an hour (call even if the contractions don’t hurt)

* If you have lower back pain that you didn’t have previously, or an increase in pressure in your pelvic region (such as a feeling like the baby is pushing down)

* Bleeding, spotting or change vaginal discharge

* Fever, chills, faintness or nausea and vomiting

* Pain or burning when you urinate

Feel free to use common sense here: if you have more pain when you are more active, cut back a bit and see if it helps. If you have pain when you make sudden movements, try moving more slowly -- don’t bolt up out of your chair or shoot out of the tub. If these things don’t work, the pain worsens or you experience any of the issues above, don’t hesitate to bug your doctor -- better to be a pest than risk your health!

How to Manage Your Morning Sickness

How to Manage Your Morning SicknessMorning sickness is the most difficult aspect of pregnancy for many women: It can run the gamut from mild nausea to disabling bouts of vomiting, wreaking havoc on your days.Symptoms usually start to fade by week 14, but it's not unheard of for the nausea to continue even further into the pregnancy.You may not be able to gain complete relief from your symptoms, but the following home remedies may help: 

Doxylamine with vitamin B6. Doxylamine is simply an antihistamine (it's the ingredient that makes Unisom work). It's usually available over the counter, but ask your doctor to make sure you get the right dose!

Ginger. Ginger is not only effective in tea form, but also when you take the powder as a capsule, or even crystallized ginger. Relief may not be immediate, but you should see some improvement in a day or so.

Snacks. Keeping a small amount of food in your stomach may seem counterintuitive when you are throwing up, but many women find that it actually helps to settle their tummies.

Rest. Make sure you are getting adequate rest, and take a break when you need it. Fatigue can make your symptoms worse.

Acupressure. Pressure firmly placed on the P6 point (the inner side of your arm, in line with your middle finger and one-sixth of the way between your wrist and elbow), relieves nausea for some women. You can purchase special acupressure bands at most drugstores.