Humana HealthBeat Transcript Archive

June 2

Pregnancy and Memory

When I was pregnant, I was convinced pregnancy affected my memory. Not so, says a new study out of the Australian National University in Canberra. Researchers found that there was virtually no difference between pregnant and non pregnant women on some memory tests, and that some pregnant women even did better than the non-pregnant women on some of the tests. What’s also interesting is that both the pregnant women and their partners rated them as having poor memory.

Many women choose to minimize the pain of labor with an epidural, or spinal anesthesia. There has been some controversy that epidurals increase the risk of C-section. A recent study presented at a meeting of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists compared two groups of women, those who delivered at Tripler Army Medical Center in Honolulu before epidurals were made available and those who delivered after epidurals were introduced at the Medical Center. Women in the second group were no more likely to have a C-section than women who had not received the epidural. However, it appears that the epidural added, on average, about 25 minutes to the length of labor.

One risk factor for needing a second C-section after having one for a previous delivery may be weight. Researchers reporting at last month’s meeting of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, found that women who were overweight or had their labor induced previously were more likely to need a second C-section. On average, the women who gave birth vaginally weighed about 170 pounds while the ones who had C-sections weight about 179 lbs.

And some good news—the Centers for Disease Control reports that more American women are getting earlier prenatal care now than a decade ago. Early prenatal care is associated with healthier babies. But many women who didn’t seek care say they didn’t have insurance or didn’t know they were pregnant. If you are pregnant, or think you’re pregnant, see your doctor. Don’t let money be a barrier—call your local health department to see if you are eligible for low-cost maternity care.

RESOURCES:

HumanaBeginnings
www.humana.com/humanabeginnings

June 2
Pregnancy and Memory
	When I was pregnant, I was convinced pregnancy affected my memory. Not so, says a new study out of the Australian National University in Canberra. Researchers found that there was virtually no difference between pregnant and non pregnant women on some memory tests, and that some pregnant women even did better than the non-pregnant women on some of the tests. What’s also interesting is that both the pregnant women and their partners rated them as having poor memory. Many women choose to minimize the pain of labor with an epidural, or spinal anesthesia. There has been some controversy that epidurals increase the risk of C-section. A recent study presented at a meeting of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists compared two groups of women, those who delivered at Tripler Army Medical Center in Honolulu before epidurals were made available and those who delivered after epidurals were introduced at the Medical Center. Women in the second group were no more likely to have a C-section than women who had not received the epidural. However, it appears that the epidural added, on average, about 25 minutes to the length of labor. One risk factor for needing a second C-section after having one for a previous delivery may be weight. Researchers reporting at last month’s meeting of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, found that women who were overweight or had their labor induced previously were more likely to need a second C-section. On average, the women who gave birth vaginally weighed about 170 pounds while the ones who had C-sections weight about 179 lbs. And some good news—the Centers for Disease Control reports that more American women are getting earlier prenatal care now than a decade ago. Early prenatal care is associated with healthier babies. But many women who didn’t seek care say they didn’t have insurance or didn’t know they were pregnant. If you are pregnant, or think you’re pregnant, see your doctor. Don’t let money be a barrier—call your local health department to see if you are eligible for low-cost maternity care.
	RESOURCES: HumanaBeginnings www.humana.com/humanabeginnings