• 04.22.2013   
      There are two forms of the tetanus-diphtheria-pertussis vaccines.  The DTap vaccine is administered to infants and children 6 years and younger.  The TDap vaccine is administered to children 6 years and older, adolescents and adults...
  • 11.30.2012   
      Asthma is a common chronic airway disorder characterized by periods of reversible airflow obstruction known as asthma attacks. One in 12 people (about 25 million, or 8% of the U.S. population) had asthma in 2009. It is estimated that the...
  • 11.15.2012   
      Head lice or pediculus humanus capitis, occurs in as many as 12 million children yearly nationwide. Lice are spread by direct contact with hair that is infested. Activities such as sharing combs, brushes, beds and hats may also contribute to...
  • 09.14.2011   
    Not only is the influenza vaccine approved for use in pregnancy, it is recommended that all women who are pregnant or thinking about getting pregnant during the influenza season (October-March) be vaccinated. The influenza vaccine that will be...
  • 03.17.2011   
    Potassium iodide was approved by the Food and Drug Administration(FDA) in 1982 for thyroid protection from radioactive iodine accidents.  Of the many radioactive elements released by nuclear accidents, radioactive Iodine-131 is a major...
04.22.2013   

 

There are two forms of the tetanus-diphtheria-pertussis vaccines.  The DTap vaccine is administered to infants and children 6 years and younger.  The TDap vaccine is...

11.30.2012   

 

Asthma is a common chronic airway disorder characterized by...

11.15.2012   

 

Head lice or pediculus humanus capitis, occurs in as many...

09.14.2011   

Not only is the influenza vaccine approved for use in pregnancy, it is recommended that all women who are pregnant or thinking about getting pregnant during the influenza...

03.17.2011   

Potassium iodide was approved by the Food and Drug Administration(FDA) in 1982 for thyroid protection from radioactive iodine accidents.  Of the many radioactive elements...

01.03.2011   

WEBFORUM:  This webforum consist of two sections,  one is the standard drug section where we only permit healthcare professionals to ASK...

08.03.2010   

Head lice during pregnancy and breastfeeding can be treated with pediculicides including permethrin, malathion, and ivermectin. There are studies providing evidence that these...

08.01.2010   

Nausea and vomiting of pregnancy (NVP) also known as morning sickness” is one of the most common conditions of pregnancy that...
06.22.2010   

Depression is a condition that affects women, during their reproductive years, twice as often as men. (1) It is important for women who are experiencing depression during...

06.03.2010   

Hypertension that develops during pregnancy is known as gestational hypertension. Gestational hypertension is defined as a systolic blood pressure equal to or greater than...

06.03.2010   

Medical conditions that can cause complications to an expectant mother and her fetus include diabetes, high blood pressure, seizures, heart disease, and obesity. It is...
06.03.2010   

Influenza is a viral infection that affects the respiratory tract. It is especially risky in pregnant women and increases the risk of premature delivery, abortion, and...

06.03.2010   

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) occurs in up to 80% or more of pregnant women. GERD is brought about by relaxation of the lower esophageal sphincter which results in...

06.03.2010   

Myasthenia Gravis is an autoimmune neuromuscular disorder that can cause weakness and fatigability. It is caused by antibodies that block the acetylcholine receptors at the post...

06.03.2010   

Although it is recommended to avoid the unnecessary use of drugs during pregnancy, approximately 90% of women take some form of drug while pregnant. These drugs include alcohol, over-the-counter...

06.03.2010   

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) refers to two diseases: ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease. Both are chronic diseases causing inflammation of the bowel. Although they...

06.03.2010   

Current medical practice recommends that pregnant women should most assuredly engage in some sort of exercise regimen while pregnant. Yet what is the effect of exercise on...
06.03.2010   

Women infected with HIV can transmit the virus to their child during pregnancy, at delivery, or through breastfeeding. There are ways to decrease the mother-to-child...

06.03.2010   

Due to the widespread prevalence of cell phone usage, it is pertinent that pregnant women are informed of any significant risks involving usage, to either themselves or the...
06.03.2010   

It is important that all women who are pregnant and will be pregnant during the influenza (flu) season get vaccinated against the flu.

Live virus vaccines seem to pose the greatest risk to...

06.03.2010   

Multiple Sclerosis, a progressive autoimmune disease that affects the central nervous system, occurs as a result of demyelination of the sheath that covers the nerve cells. This...

06.03.2010   

Dental care is extremely important during pregnancy. Pregnant women have elevated levels of estrogen and progesterone. These hormones cause the gums to be more sensitive to the...

06.03.2010   

During pregnancy there is an increased demand for certain vitamins and nutrients to ensure proper and adequate growth of the fetus. Prenatal vitamins generally contain higher...

06.03.2010   

The common cold is a viral infection of the upper respiratory system.  Some of the symptoms of the common cold include cough, sneezing,...

06.03.2010   

Folic acid is a vitamin essential to humans. It is required for DNA synthesis and other important metabolic processes. Folic acid is found in foods such as grains, green...

06.03.2010   

Due to unfortunate circumstances, the reckless use of tear gas for crowd control has been employed with blatant disregard over the safety of anyone caught amongst the impending chaos. Though we...

06.03.2010   

Although most radiological procedures do not increase the risk of congenital malformations during pregnancy, any procedure that is not essential during pregnancy should be...

06.03.2010   

Analgesics are drugs that are used to relieve pain. Analgesic drugs typically cross the placenta and if given at high doses can lead to respiratory compromise in the newborn. These drugs, which...

06.03.2010   

Opioid use during pregnancy can lead to premature delivery of the infant and it can also cause neonatal respiratory depression. Babies born to mothers who use opioids (particularly heroin) tend...

06.03.2010   

Caffeine is a common drug found in many of the products we consume daily. These include coffee, sodas, tea, and chocolate. Although studies have shown that consuming small amounts of caffeine...

06.03.2010   

The use of alcohol during pregnancy can cause serious consequences to the fetus and is one of the leading causes of congenital malformations. Unfortunately, we don’t know how much alcohol...

06.02.2010   

Sunscreen is safe to use during pregnancy and it is actually recommended for all women exposed to direct sunlight for more than 20 minutes a day. The American College of Obstetricians and...

06.02.2010   

Air travel is safe in pregnancy especially if completed during the second trimester. During the second trimester, the risk for spontaneous abortions and pre-term labor are very low. (1)...

06.02.2010   

Many women are concerned about using insect repellents during pregnancy, however, mosquito borne illnesses can be dangerous during pregnancy. Two examples of mosquito transmitted illnesses are...

06.02.2010   

Cocaine is a local anesthetic as well as a CNS stimulant. It can either be inhaled or in the case of crack, smoked. Use of cocaine during pregnancy is associated with premature birth, IUGR,...

06.02.2010   

There are many viral infections that are mostly common in young children that can affect women if they are acquired during pregnancy. These include, but are not limited to, CMV (...
06.02.2010   

Studies show that the use of hair products during pregnancy does not increase the risk of adverse fetal effects compared with the general population. (1) It is estimated that having hair...

06.02.2010   

Although malaria is not endemic to the US, many US travelers are affected by this illness when traveling to places such as sub-Saharan Africa and Central and South America. Malaria has been...

06.02.2010   

The use of marijuana in pregnancy is not recommended. Research indicates that the active chemical delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol or THC readily crosses the placenta. (1) It has been suggested that...

06.02.2010   

Rubella, also known as the German Measles, is a viral illness. If the infection occurs during pregnancy, it can result in what is known as congenital rubella syndrome (CRS). Women in their first...

06.02.2010   

In the past, any exposure to lead during pregnancy was thought to lead to miscarriages and premature births. However, one important thing to note is that the effects of lead  are...

06.02.2010   

While migraines are quite common (15-17% of women), the general consensus is that migraines tend to get better during pregnancy, especially during the second and third trimester (60-70%...
06.02.2010   

Smoking during pregnancy continues to be a problem with the biggest effect being infants born with low birth weights. Also, these infants are at a higher risk of SIDS (Sudden Infant Death...

03.26.2010   

Constipation is a common problem in pregnant women with the prevalence ranging from 11-38%. (1) The causes of constipation in pregnancy are numerous: anxiety, lack of exercise, and lack of...
03.26.2010   

Codeine is one of the most commonly used analgesics in the world. But interestingly it is not biologically active itself. Instead, it must be metabolized by the liver to its more active form,...

03.08.2010   

Asthma is a chronic medical condition that is characterized by airway inflammation, hyperresponsiveness, and reversible airway obstruction.  It is one of the most...