http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?fid4ct=15676 Preterm birth – multiple births usually occur before the full term and may have to be delivered by caesarean section. => Slow intra-uterine growth of the babies due to sharing of all nutrients from the mother => Birth defects => Anaemia => Complications of the amniotic sac, umbilical cord or the placenta => Too much fluid in the amniotic sac => Death of one or more fetuses. What problems does the mother face? The mother may also have to face certain problems in case of a multiple pregnancy. Some of these are: => Excessive weight gain => Conditions like hyperemesis gravidarum => Gestational diabetes => Toxaemia of pregnancy (high blood pressure) => Post partum haemorrhage (excessive bleeding after delivery) What are the precautions to be taken? As soon as it is diagnosed that the woman is carrying multiple fetuses, she may be prescribed more rest than normal pregnancies. Extra precaution has to be taken during the pregnancy since the chances of a preterm birth are greatly increased. Also, the babies tend to be smaller than single babies. Frequent tests may be done to ensure the good health of the babies. Dietary modifications may be needed since the pregnant woman needs more nutrition to meet her needs. It should be decided in advance whether the babies would be born vaginally or by a caesarean section. Any complication should be brought to the notice of the doctor ]]> Sun, 04 Apr 2010 15:23:46 EDT Sat, 20 Dec 2008 04:02:45 EDT http://backend.userland.com/rss RapidFeeds v0.1 -- http://www.rapidfeeds.com <p><strong>What is a multiple pregnancy?</strong><br /><br />A multiple pregnancy is one in which there is more than one baby in the uterus. Multiple births are a relatively rare phenomena and only about 1 in 36 babies born is a pair of twins. Triplets or multiplets are even rarer. The recent increase in fertility treatments has led to an increase in the incidence of multiple births. <br /><br /><strong>How is a multiple pregnancy diagnosed?</strong><br /><br />A multiple pregnancy is diagnosed with the help of an ultrasound which is done as a routine procedure. The doctor will check for the presence of two amniotic sacs and separate placentas in case of a multiple pregnancy. The mother&rsquo;s abdomen may also be larger than usual if she is carrying more than one baby.<br /><br /><strong>Why do multiple pregnancies occur?</strong><br /><br />Multiple pregnancies usually occur by chance, but the probability may be more in women who have a family history of multiple pregnancies. They also result due to fertility treatments that women undergo to increase the chances of pregnancy. Older mothers are more likely to have multiple births than younger ones. In some cases, certain medication cause more eggs to be released which increases the chances of having a multiple pregnancy.<br /><br /><strong>What are the complications?</strong><br /><br />There are some risks that multiple fetuses may be prone to:<br />=&gt;&nbsp; Preterm birth &ndash; multiple births usually occur before the full term and may have to be delivered by caesarean section.<br />=&gt;&nbsp; Slow intra-uterine growth of the babies due to sharing of all nutrients from the mother<br />=&gt;&nbsp; Birth defects<br />=&gt; Anaemia<br />=&gt;&nbsp; Complications of the amniotic sac, umbilical cord or the placenta<br />=&gt;&nbsp; Too much fluid in the amniotic sac<br />=&gt;&nbsp; Death of one or more fetuses.<br /><br /><strong>What problems does the mother face?</strong><br /><br />The mother may also have to face certain problems in case of a multiple pregnancy. Some of these are:<br />=&gt;&nbsp; Excessive weight gain <br />=&gt;&nbsp; Conditions like hyperemesis gravidarum<br />=&gt;&nbsp; Gestational diabetes<br />=&gt;&nbsp; Toxaemia of pregnancy (high blood pressure)</p><p>=&gt;&nbsp; Post partum haemorrhage (excessive bleeding after delivery)<br /><br /><strong>What are the precautions to be taken?</strong><br /><br />As soon as it is diagnosed that the woman is carrying multiple fetuses, she may be prescribed more rest than normal pregnancies. Extra precaution has to be taken during the pregnancy since the chances of a preterm birth are greatly increased. Also, the babies tend to be smaller than single babies. Frequent tests may be done to ensure the good health of the babies. Dietary modifications may be needed since the pregnant woman needs more nutrition to meet her needs. It should be decided in advance whether the babies would be born vaginally or by a caesarean section. Any complication should be brought to the notice of the doctor</p> http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=4722590 http://feeds.rapidfeeds.com/?iid4ct=4722590 Sun, 20 Dec 2009 04:00:42 EDT