Dr.Amos's blog

I am often asked by my patients 'How long should I wait after experiencing an early pregnancy loss or miscarriage before getting pregnant again?'

Recently, Salmonella was found in a common cereal. There’s a good chance someone you know personally has had salmonella. I know two people who got salmonella in the same house at the same time once.

There are many ways, high tech, low tech, and no tech to predict a baby's sex.

Boys are different than girls. Even their placentas are different.

This is a great review from the British Medical Journal of tocolytic therapy, treatment to stop preterm labor. It reviews  what works and what does not. There are two tocolytics that seem to have the highest success rate: prostaglandin inhibitors (eg indomethacin, ketorolac)  performed best closely followed by calcium channel blockers (nifedipine, nitrates).

Cytotec or misoprostol is a medication approved for treating stomach ulcers. Though it is not FDA approved for that purpose, obstetricians and hospitals often use Cytotec for inducing labor. That is called an "off-label" use and is not in and by itself a cause of malpractice. There are potentially serious problems associated with Cytotec during pregnancy. When given early in pregnancy, Cytotec could act as an "abortifacient", a drug to induce an abortion or termination of the pregnancy.

Serena Williams recently revealed that her labor was induced, she developed “fetal distress,” needed a cesarean delivery and subsequently developed a major complication called “pulmonary embolism”.

A cesarean scar defect (CSD), is also known as a "deficient uterine scar" or "scar

Many 40+ first-time Hollywood moms have a dark secret that can leave women frustrated.

Recently, there have been new definitions for infertility published in Fertility & Sterility:

Your due date, the calulated day when the baby is due, is the most important information you should know. Not because the baby will be born exactly on that day, only 5% of all babies are born on their due date, and 80% are born within 2 weeks before and after the due date.

Vaccines are given to pregnant women to protect the mother and the baby against serious infectious diseases. When you get vaccinated, you are protecting yourself. And you are also sharing some early protection with the baby too.

Preeclampsia is one of the most deadly medical problems affecting pregnant women. Preeclampsia complicates up to 10% of pregnancies worldwide and contributes to both maternal and infant morbidity and mortality as well as accounting for about 1 in 7 preterm births in the United States.

Below are some resources to find out more about chemicals and substances that may affect you, your fertility, or your pregnancy:

Question:

I have a perfect 6-month-old daughter and we will start TTC next month. I will be 37 in August and would LOVE to have twins. I have been eating a diet to increase chances for twins (as well as male)

My questions are:

The best (and only) correct website to calculate your fertile days is babymed.com. Scientifically proven. 

Do not use Accutane when trying to get pregnant and during pregnancy!

A recent study from Canada finds an elevated risk for diabetes when a person has both depression and metabolic syndrome; the diabetes risk is higher when the two disorders are combined than when only one or the other disorder is present.

One of my pregnant patients recently asked me if she should keep her heart rate no higher than 140 beats per minute when exercising? 

Answer:
There is presently no scientific basis and no official recommendation to keep the heart rate during pregnancy below certain levels.

The US Preventive Services Task Force issued an updated recommendation for screening all adults for depression. The last update, in 2009, did not recommend screening all adults over 18 but the 2016 update does. Depression in anyone 15 and older is one of the leading causes of disability in the US.

Screening Recommended for Expectant and New Mothers