Amniocentesis is highly accurate, but expectant parents must wait until at least the 15th week of pregnancy, and it does involve some risks. There are some other tests available that can either be done earlier or are less invasive. Chorionic Villus Sampling (CVS) Chorionic Villus Sampling (CVS) is an alternative to amniocentesis that can be […]
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Here are some frequently asked questions related to amniocentesis: Q: Does amniocentesis hurt? A: Most women will feel slight pain during amniocentesis. For the first day or so afterward, some women may feel cramps like those during their menstrual period, but that is the most discomfort a woman undergoing the procedure is likely to experience. Bleeding,
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Here is a summary of the important facts and information related to amniocentesis: Amniocentesis is a relatively painless procedure that is performed in a doctor’s office or hospital. A small amount of the amniotic fluid bathing a fetus is removed during amniocentesis to identify potential birth defects and many other problems. The procedure involves inserting a needle
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Here are definitions of medical terms related to amniocentesis: Alpha-fetoprotein: A protein, also called AFP, which the fetus produces in its liver and brain. The level of alpha-fetoprotein tends to increase in the amniotic fluid when a fetus has an open neural tube defect or abdominal wall defect. The protein can be found in adults as
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Here are some reliable sources that can provide more information about amniocentesis: The March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation Phone: 1-888-MODIMES (663-4637) http://www.modimes.org American Academy of Obstetricians and Gynecologists http://www.acog.org National Down Syndrome Society Phone: 1-800-221-4602 http://www.ndss.org National Tay-Sachs & Allied Disease Association Phone: 1-800-906-8723 http://www.ntsad.org Sickle Cell Disease Association of America Phone: 1-800-421-8453 http://www.sicklecelldisease.org Cord Blood
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Here is a summary of the important facts and information related to AIDS And Women. AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency, or immune deficiency, syndrome) is an advanced stage of a viral infection that attacks the body’s disease-fighting immune system. HIV (the human immunodeficiency virus) is the infectious agent that is the cause of AIDS. Women can become infected with
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Here are definitions of medical terms related to AIDS And Women. AIDS: Acquired immunodeficiency (or immune deficiency) syndrome, an advanced stage of a viral infection caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) Antibodies: Proteins produced by the immune system to fight infectious agents, such as viruses Antigen: A substance that stimulates the production of antibodies Antiretroviral drugs: Chemicals that
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Here are some reliable sources that can provide more information on AIDS And Women. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 1-800-311-3435 http://www.cdc.gov/ U.S. National Library of Medicine Web site http://www.nlm.nih.gov/ AIDS.org, a nonprofit organization designed to inform and educate using the Web http://www.aids.org AIDS Legislative Update and Resources, a Web site designed to
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AIDS stands for Acquired imunodeficiency (or immune deficiency) Syndrome. It results from infection with a virus called HIV, which stands for human immunodeficiency virus. This virus infects key cells in the human body called CD4-positive (CD4+) T cells. These cells are part of the body’s immune system, which fights infections and various cancers. When HIV
HIV is a type of virus called a retrovirus. Like all viruses, it must invade the cells of other organisms to survive and reproduce. HIV multiplies in the human immune system’s CD4+ T cells and kills vast numbers of the cells it infects. The result is disease symptoms. Nice To Know: There are two forms
HIV infection is spread in three ways: Sexual intercourse Direct contact with infected blood From an infected mother to her unborn child However, there is much misunderstanding about the ways in which HIV infection is not spread. About one out of every three people in the U.S. infected with HIV, the virus that can lead to
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Most people newly infected with the HIV virus show few, if any, symptoms for a few years. But during this asymptomatic period, HIV is actively multiplying, infecting, and killing cells in the immune system, particularly CD4+ T cells. People are very infectious during this early phase. As the immune system weakens, symptoms begin to emerge. Early Symptoms
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