Pregnancy Tests

Pregnancy tests work by testing a woman’s urine to find out if they have a hormone called Human Chorionic Gonadotropin. This hormone is also called the pregnancy hormone and it builds up in the woman’s body every day that she is pregnant. There are two different types of pregnancy tests. One tests the blood, and the other tests the urine. Women who want to check their blood to find out if they are pregnant will need to see a doctor. A Home Pregnancy Test, can be bought at most Pharmacies.

Women who think they may be pregnant may wonder when is the best time to take a pregnancy test. Blood tests can usually indicate a pregnancy quicker than a home pregnancy test. If a woman wants to find out if she is pregnant by buying a home pregnancy test, the best time to take the test is first thing in the morning with the first urine of the day. The first urine in the morning will give the most accurate reading. A woman should also make sure that the pregnancy test is not expired, otherwise they could get a faulty reading. The digital home pregnancy tests are the best tests to purchase because they give a reading of either pregnant, or not pregnant. Other tests just give an indicator of a minus sign or a plus sign. The minus sign meaning they are not pregnant, and the plus sign meaning they are pregnant. When taking a home pregnancy test, a woman should wait for one week after their first missed period. The longer a woman waits, the more time the pregnancy hormone has time to show up. If a woman takes a pregnancy test too soon, it could give them a false negative, when they are actually pregnant.

When a woman takes a home pregnancy test, she will need to urinate on the home pregnancy indicator stick, and then wait for ten minutes after taking the test. The pregnancy test will usually indicate a pregnancy ten minutes after the urine is placed on the stick. Pregnancy tests can give a false negative if they are not used in the right way. If a pregnancy test has expired, it will give a false reading. If the woman takes the test later on during the day, she may get a false negative because the urine is not as potent. Most urine builds up over night while a person is sleeping, so they will get a lot of urine during the early morning hours, but it decreases in potency as the day goes by.

When you are trying to get pregnant or first find out that you are pregnant, there are so many people telling you what you should or should not do that it can become quite confusing. If in doubt, talk to your doctor because they can give you the best, and correct, information. As most new mothers, or mothers-to-be, the first few weeks of growth are the most important part of the baby’s life so you should be careful what you eat. This also pertains to the couple, both mom and dad, who are trying to conceive.

To help prevent unintended health related issues, birth defects, and to help with the mobility and health of the sperm, produce and vegetables that have been sprayed with pesticides need to be avoided. Some of the most contaminated produce that you should avoid are apples, peaches, bell peppers, strawberries, lettuce, celery, cherries, carrots, pears, and imported grapes. If you just have to have them, eat organic.

Eat a lot of vegetables and fruit with folic acid while you are pregnant and when you are trying to conceive. These could include dried beans, citrus fruit, spinach, peas, and broccoli. In the early stages of a baby’s development, if you have enough folic acid you can help prevent neurological defects, but do not go overboard and have too much. Talk to your physician to see how much you should have.

In addition, you should slow down on the amount of animal fat you are eating because these types of products can contain antibiotics, synthetic hormones, and chemicals like DDT, or other pesticides. These all can accumulate in animal fat, and then transfer to our own fat. When you are buying any type of meat, dairy, or poultry, look for low fat options. Make sure that you trim all the fats and skin away before you cook them. Broil all meat if possible so the fat will drain away, but do not fry the meat because that locks in the contaminants.

Be careful of the plastic dishes you use and avoid the ones that are numbered PC 1, 3, 6, or 7 as they may contain chemicals that are suspected of causing harm to the fetus. They also suggest that you only eat food that is fresh, frozen, or packed in glass jars because cans have a plastic resin that has a hormone-disrupting chemical. This also goes for canned beverages.

These are just some steps you can take to help your baby before it is conceived and afterwards during the first few weeks of development. Talk with your doctor if you have any questions.

Annual Vaccine For Childhood Flu May Interfere With The Development Of Crossresistance

The annual flu vaccine may interfere with the development of cross-reactive killer T cells to flu viruses in children. This is according to a study from the November Journal of Virology.

Study author Rogier Bodewes of Erasmus Medical Center in Rotterdam, The Netherlands and his colleagues have made several researches and used blood samples from Dutch children afflicted with cystic fibrosis and who were vaccinated yearly for influenza. Blood samples were also taken from healthy children who were not vaccinated. Both blood sample groups were tested for the presence of virus – specific killer T cells. These cells are responsible to act on viral proteins which are similar to different flu viruses. These are different from highly variable proteins that are main targets of antibodies induced by the annual influenza vaccines.

These were the results of the study: in healthy invaccinated children, the number of virus – specific T cells rises with age which was not present in children who were vaccinated annually. Vaccination seems to interfere with the induction of killer T cells.

It is true that most countries recommend annual vaccination for flu for people who belong to high risk groups but some countries recommend annual flu vaccination of all healthy children more than 6 months of age. With the result of the study in mind, we could be protecting our kids from the seasonal flu but leaving them vulnerable to novel pandemics. This study therefore recommends the need to develop vaccines in the light of the pandemic threat of avian influenza A/H5N1.

Nevertheless, guidelines for annual flu vaccination must not be overlooked. Children and high risk adults (teachers, members of the medical team, individuals working in health centers, nursing homes, prisons, and treatment facilities) must have their yearly shots to prevent influenza.