Birth Control
Family Planning
May 12, 2012 12:03AM
May 11, 2012 05:36AM
Muscular Pregnant Women Have Healthier Placenta
Most women want a shapely, muscular body to enhance their looks. A new study reports that those firm, hard-won muscles also improve placental health in pregnant women.
May 10, 2012 03:56PM
Stage Fright When Conceiving a Baby
There's nothing like the pressure to perform to add insult to injury if a man is having problems getting an erection. But this can occur when a couple is planning to have a baby.
May 10, 2012 07:36AM
Mom's Weight & Kids' Test Scores
Shedding pounds before getting pregnant can reduce a number of health risks - but it may also add a few points to your child's reading and math scores.
A recent study has found a link between a mother's weight before pregnancy and their children's cognitive skills: obese women's children score lower on math and reading tests when they were 5 to 7 years old.
May 08, 2012 12:16PM
Are Fewer Teen Girls Having Sex?
No parents want to see their children grow up too fast or have sexual experiences before they're ready. Whatever parents concerns are, a new study shows that teen girls are having less sex and waiting longer before their first experience.
May 06, 2012 12:59PM
Test Tube Babies Have More Defects
Advances in fertility medicine have been a blessing for parents who struggled to have children on their own. But one hitch has been a higher rate of birth defects among test tube babies.
A large recent study has found an increased rate of birth defects among babies born through assisted reproduction, though different types of assisted reproduction had different higher rates of congenital problems.
May 01, 2012 06:52AM
Will You Eat Better When Baby Arrives?
Planning a family? Thinking you might finally start eating healthier because a little one is watching your dietary habits? Parenthood may not change those habits as much as you'd like.
A long-term study looking at the impact of having children on the eating habits of their parents found that starting a family does not necessarily lead mom and dad to eat healthier diets.
May 01, 2012 05:31AM
Adding folic acid to tortillas and other products can reduce the risk for birth defects, says a new petition recently filed with a federal agency.
A petition filed with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) argues that fortifying corn masa flour products with the B vitamin folic acid can help reduce serious birth defects of the brain and spine.
Apr 27, 2012 06:46PM
Better Nurses Produce Healthier Preemies
Every pregnant mom wants to receive quality care from doctors and nurses. According to a new study, delivering your baby at a hospital that’s recognized for nursing excellence can impact your baby’s health.
Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing studied more than 72,000 very low-birth-weight (VLBW) infants (less than 3.3 pounds at birth).
Mar 20, 2012 05:34PM
If you're planning to get pregnant, don't let a prior breast cancer diagnosis stop you. Pregnancy following breast cancer remission appears to be safe.
Mar 15, 2012 07:28PM
According to the old adage, you are what you eat, but for men eating fatty foods, their diets may be affecting their sperm counts too.
A new study reveals that the amount and types of fat consumed by men may be associated with the quality of their semen.
| Method | Failure rate (the number of pregnancies expected per 100 women | Some side effects and risks |
|---|---|---|
|
Sterilization surgery for women |
Less than 1 pregnancy |
|
|
Sterilization implant for women |
Less than 1 pregnancy |
|
|
Sterilization surgery for men |
Less than 1 pregnancy |
|
|
Implantable rod |
Less than 1 pregnancy Might not work as well for women who are overweight or obese. |
|
|
Intrauterine device |
Less than 1 pregnancy |
|
|
Shot/injection |
Less than 1 pregnancy |
|
|
Oral contraceptives (combination pill, or "the pill") |
5 pregnancies Being overweight may increase the chance of getting pregnant while using the pill.
|
|
|
Oral contraceptives (continuous/extended use, or "no-period pill") |
5 pregnancies Being overweight may increase the chance of getting pregnant while using the pill. |
|
|
Oral contraceptives (progestin-only pill, or "mini-pill") |
5 pregnancies Being overweight may increase the chance of getting pregnant while using the pill. |
|
|
Skin patch |
5 pregnancies May not work as well in women weighing more than 198 pounds. |
|
|
Vaginal ring (NuvaRing) |
5 pregnancies |
|
|
Male condom |
11-16 pregnancies |
|
|
Diaphragm with spermicide |
15 pregnancies |
|
|
Sponge with spermicide (Today Sponge) |
16-2 pregnancies |
|
|
Cervical cap with spermicide |
17-23 pregnancies |
|
|
Female condom |
20 pregnancies |
|
|
Natural family planning (rhythm method) |
25 pregnancies |
None
|
|
Spermicide alone |
30 pregnancies It works best if used along with a barrier method, such as a condom. |
|
|
Emergency contraception ("morning-after pill," "Plan B") |
15 pregnancies It must be used within 72 hours of having unprotected sex. Should not be used as regular birth control; only in emergencies. |
|
|
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