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Is there a specific age at which you consider a child an adult for the purposes of giving a medication? My daughter is a normal 14-year-old and weighs 114 pounds. Would she be considered an adult when the doctor decides what dose to give her?
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A review of new immunization recommendations for adults, issued in late 2005.
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Drug interactions are changes in the effect of one drug due to the effect of either another drug taken at the same time (drug-drug interactions) or food consumed while the drug is being taken (drug-food interactions). Some drugs are deliberately combined for administration because there are beneficial effects to be derived.
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Drug allergies are a group of symptoms caused by allergic reaction to a drug (medication).
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Detailed information on different types of drug rashes, including acne, exfoliative dermatitis, fixed drug eruption, hives, morbiliform/maculopapular rash, purpuric eruptions, Stevens-Johnson syndrome
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A drug allergy is an adverse reaction to a medication, often an antibiotic, that is mediated by the body ' s immune system. A drug sensitivity is an unusual reaction to a drug that does not involve the immune system.
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If you want to be fully informed, you should read the fine print connected with any drug that you intend to use.
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Drug metabolism is the process by which the body breaks down and converts medication into active chemical substances. Precautions Drugs can interact with other drugs, foods, and beverages.
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Detailed information on food-drug interactions
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Exploring the causes and treatment for loss of taste, which may result from years of taking high blood pressure medications.
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A guide to information available online and in print about the side effects of prescription drugs.
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Chemotherapy and radiation treatments save lives. They also can bring a variety of temporary but unpleasant side effects.
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Can the high blood pressure drugs Vasotec and Toprol affect the libido?
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Ethyl alcohol, or ethanol, is the most commonly used drug in the world. Pharmacologically, alcohol is classified as a central nervous system depressant.
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This report includes information on recognizing the symptoms of problem drinking, treatment techniques, coping with a loved one's drinking, and overcoming denial.
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Alcoholism is defined as alcohol seeking and consumption behavior that is harmful. Long-term and uncontrollable harmful consumption can cause alcohol-related disorders that include: antisocial personality disorder , mood disorders (bipolar and major depression) and anxiety disorders.
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It's important to understand how alcohol and drugs can affect your health and well being.
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Excessive drinking can cause potentially fatal conditions, not only high blood pressure, but also damage to the brain, heart or liver; diabetes and stroke.
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Like cancer or heart disease, alcoholism is a primary chronic disease with its own symptoms and causes. The disease is progressive and often fatal if not treated.
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Effective treatment for alcohol dependency is available, but treatment rates among alcohol abusers are low because of lack of awareness and embarrassment.
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Each year, about 100,000 deaths in the United States are related to alcohol consumption. Learn more about the effects of abusing alcohol by taking this quiz.
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Early childhood experiences of neglect and abuse can have a profound long-term impact on the brain. Tracing the links between adult depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress syndrome and traumatic experiences in childhood.
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Detailed information on chronic pain, including causes, types, symptoms, and treatment
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Chronic pain, whether it comes and goes or is constant, makes it impossible to do your normal activities without discomfort.
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Detailed information on chronic pain, including causes, types, symptoms, treatment, and pain management rehabilitation
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After upper respiratory infections, pain is the next most common problem seen by primary care providers, one expert says.
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Between regular appointments, what should you do if symptoms flare up, or new ones appear?
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Understanding the Pain ResponseYour pain is important. It can slow healing and keep you from being active.
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Drug abuse is the use of illicit drugs, or the abuse of prescription or over-the-counter drugs. The abuse of legitimate drugs (prescription or over-the-counter) can be done by using the drugsin a manner or in quantities other than directed, or for purposes other than legitimate purposes. See also drug abuse first aid and drug abuse and dependence .
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Besides having trouble with school and relationships, teenagers taking drugs may display emotional extremes with irritability, anger and changes in sleep patterns.
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Antibiotics are not necessary for the majority of infections seen in the pediatrician's office.
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Although it’s dangerous to take a prescription medication without a prescription, abusing such medications is the fastest growing type of drug abuse in the United States, outpacing marijuana abuse by a factor of two, according to some studies.
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Medication abuse occurs when patients do not take medication in the prescribed manner, when they use other people ' s medication, or when they combine prescribed medication with over-the counter, traditional, or herbal medicines. Such medication misuse among the elderly is responsible for one out of every ten dollars spent in the health care systems of North America.
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Brain research is finding that drug addiction causes permanent changes in the brain that diminish the addict's capacity for pleasure, while at the same time making the likelihood of relapse into addiction more likely.
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Substance abuse is a maladaptive pattern of alcohol or other drug use that causes social, physical, legal, vocational, or educational distress or impairment. In addition to those trained specifically as substance abuse counselors, mental health and rehabilitation counselors work with individuals who abuse alcohol and other drugs.
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Substance abuse is a pattern of drug, alcohol or other substance use that creates many adverse results from its continual use. The characteristics of abuse are a failure to carry out obligations at home or work, continual use under circumstances that present a hazard (such as driving a car), and legal problems such as arrests.
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Substance abuse and dependence refer to any continued pathological use of a medication, non-medically indicated drug (called drugs of abuse), or toxin. Although there are on-going debates on the exact distinctions between substance abuse and substance dependence, the current practice standard- distinguishes between the two by defining substance dependence in terms of physiological and behavioral symptoms of substance use, and substance abuse in terms of the social consequences of substance use.
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Substance abuse is a pattern of behavior that displays many adverse results from continual use of a substance. Substance dependence is a group of behavioral and physiological symptoms that indicate the continual, compulsive use of a substance in self-administered doses despite the problems related to the use of the substance.
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Substance abuse is the continued compulsive use of mind-altering substances despite personal, social, and/or physical problems caused by the substance use. Abuse may lead to dependence, in which increased amounts are needed to achieve the desired effect or level of intoxication and the patient ' s tolerance for the drug increases.
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Public health has an opportunity to address the issues of substance use, abuse, and dependency across all age groups in the community since it occurs in all age groups. Substance abuse prevention and treatment professionals are acutely aware that alcohol and other drugs have a destructive impact on a person ' s physical, mental, and social development.
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The Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP) is the U.S.
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When you exercise, you gain more strength and flexibility. Your mood will improve, and you'll be able to think better.
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In elderly patients, symptoms of depression can be mistaken for symptoms of another medical problem, so it is important for clinicians to consider all physical problems and medications of elderly patients before making a diagnosis.
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Aimed at older adults, this report provides practical advice on how to avoid common and often deadly accidents at home.
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Learn how to put together a caregiving plan, draw on useful services, and address legal, medical, and financial planning issues. Also, find advice on involving family members, handling daily tasks, and maintaining your well being.
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Communicating environmental risk is central to the successful management of environmental hazards. The field of risk communication is rapidly evolving due to a better understanding of the importance of effective communication in the maintenance of a healthy environment, and due to social and technological changes that affect how risk is communicated and understood.
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A chronic illness is a disease that has a prolonged course, does not resolve spontaneously, and rarely is completely cured. Typical examples include cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and arthritis.
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Although anyone can suffer from depression, it is particularly common among older adults. Depression affects 15 out of every 100 adults older than 65.
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Learning about your condition and doing your best to manage it can help you live a less fearful and more expansive life.
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If you can't regain your health, you can still recover control of your life. You not only can learn to live with the disease, you can learn to live well.
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Any trip requires advance planning so you can be comfortable and lower your risk for worsening symptoms.
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Dealing with stress isn’t easy. And being tired or in pain can make stress worse. Learning to control stress does take effort. Yet reducing stress can help you stay healthy.
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Unlike the flu that you can treat and resolve, chronic diseases are unpredictable and ever-present. But they're also manageable, with the right medical attention, a healthy attitude and smart lifestyle choices.
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Detailed information on psychological complications of chronic illness and teens
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Here are ways to help you fine-tune your lifestyle to promote optimum health.
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Detailed information on psychological complications of chronic illness and teens
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In a new study, chronically ill patients report an overall satisfaction with life equal to that of healthy individuals.
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Malnutrition is the condition that occurs when a person's body is not getting enough nutrients. The condition may result from an inadequate or unbalanced diet, digestive difficulties, absorption problems, or other medical conditions.
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Nutritional deficiencies occur when a person ' s nutrient intake consistently falls below the recommended requirement. Nutritional deficiencies can lead Children between 10-19 years of age face serious nutritional deficiencies worldwide, according to the World Health Organization.
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Advice From the Nutrition CoachGeorgia Kostas has helped more than 50,000 patients use diets for disease recovery, prevention and weight control. She was also a consultant to the 1996 U.S.
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Malnutrition is a condition that develops when the body does not get the proper amount of protein, energy (calories), vitamins , and other nutrients it needs to maintain healthy tissues and organ function. Poor eating habits or lack of available food may lead to malnutrition.
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The nutritional requirements of the human body reflect the nutritional intake necessary to maintain optimal body function and to meet the body ' s daily energy needs. Malnutrition (literally, " bad nutrition " ) is defined as " inadequate nutrition, " and while most people interpret this as undernutrition , falling short of daily nutritional requirements, it can also mean overnutrition, meaning intake in excess of what the body uses.
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Malnutrition is the condition that develops when the body does not get the right amount of the vitamins , minerals , and other nutrients it needs to maintain healthy tissues and organ function. Undernutrition Malnutrition occurs in people who are either under-nourished or over-nourished.
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Personality disorders (PD) are a group of psychiatric conditions characterized by experience and behavior patterns that cause serious problems with respect to any two of the following: thinking, mood, personal relations, and the control of impulses. Most personality disorders are associated with problems in personal development and character which peak during adolescence and are then defined as personality disorders.
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Personality disorders are a group of psychiatric conditions marked by chronic behavior patterns that cause serious problems with relationships and work.
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Understanding Personality DisordersYou may think of your "personality" as the self you show to others. But personality is more than a nice smile or sense of humor.
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A psychosocial disorder is a mental illness caused or influenced by life experiences, as well as maladjusted cognitive and behavioral processes. The term psychosocial refers to the psychological and social factors that influence mental health.
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Detailed information on the most common types of personality disorders, including paranoid personality disorder, schizoid personality disorder, schizotypal personality disorder, borderline personality disorder, antisocial personality disorder, narcissisti
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Long-standing, deeply ingrained patterns of social behavior that are detrimental to those who display them or to others. Personality disorders constitute a separate diagnostic category (Axis II) in the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders ( DSM).
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A new system for diagnosing mental illnesses, using composite descriptions called prototypes, offers more thorough and accurate diagnosis and allows clinicians to take a more individualized approach to treatment.
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Postpartum depression is a mood disorder that begins after childbirth and usually lasts beyond six weeks. The onset of postpartum depression tends to be gradual and may persist for many months, or develop into a second bout following a subsequent pregnancy .
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The first month after a delivery (the post-partum period) is a time of major changes for women. Their hormones and weight are rapidly readjusting. There may be new and stressful changes in relationships with other children, the father of the baby, parents and in-laws, colleagues at work, and friends. Of course, the new baby needs almost constant attention and feeding every two hours, resulting in sleep deprivation. All of these factors can contribute to post-partum mood swings. If the moodiness only lasts 2 -3 weeks and then goes away, it's commonly called the "baby blues". This natural reaction to stress is experienced by more than half of new mothers. However, if the feelings of depression or anxiety continue more than three weeks , a more serious condition called post-partum depression may exist. About 10% of women experience significant depression after a pregnancy.
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For many women, the "baby blues" pass quickly. For others, the feelings of sadness don't ease and may become worse.
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You’ve just had a baby. You know you should be excited and happy. But instead you find yourself crying for no reason. You feel sad, tired, and hopeless most of the time. You may even feel ashamed or guilty.
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It's common to have short spells of sadness or grouchiness after giving birth, because of the pain, change in hormone levels, and lack of sleep. But sometimes the feelings are extreme and won't go away. These feelings may be signs of postpartum depression.
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Postpartum depression is a mood disorder that begins after childbirth and usually lasts at least six weeks. Postpartum depression, or PPD, affects approximately 15% of all childbearing women.
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Depression or depressive disorders (unipolar depression) are mental illnesses characterized by a profound and persistent feeling of sadness or despair and/or a loss of interest in things that were once pleasurable. Disturbance in sleep, appetite, and mental processes are a common accompaniment.
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Postpartum depression is a depression that can range from mild to suicidal and can occur anytime after delivery up to one year later. Postpartum depression is an affective disorder (any mental disorder characterized by a consistent change in mood that affects thoughts and behaviors) that can occur after pregnancies of all duration, from spontaneous (not induced) abortions, also called miscarriages, to full-term deliveries.
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Postpartum depression (PPD) is a major depressive episode that occurs after childbirth . There are conflicting data regarding the time of onset.
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Pregnancy is the condition of having a developing embryo or fetus in the body. The union of an egg (ovum) with sperm is called fertilization, or conception, and it is this union that produces the embryo.
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Detailed information on pregnancy and childbirth, including information on birth statistics, pregnancy planning, preconception care, prenatal care, pregnancy discomforts, pregnancy tests, pregnancy risks, pregnancy warning signs, labor and delivery, breas
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A great deal of public health resources is spent on pregnancy. It is clear that prenatal and neonatal health play a large role in determining the health of a population, and in fact, pregnancy outcomes are often used as an indicator of a nation ' s health.
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More doctors now suggest a pre-conception checkup and pre-conception counseling before getting serious about having a baby. Many problems that can affect a pregnancy can be avoided if addressed and dealt with before becoming pregnant.
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For most women, this is called the "golden trimester." You're starting to show. And you're starting to glow.
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Detailed information on planning and preparing for a healthy pregnancy
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Detailed information on planning a pregnancy, including reducing the risk of pregnancy and delivery complications
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Detailed information on what to do before (and during) your next pregnancy to reduce the chance for birth defects
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Nutrition during the preconception period, as well as throughout a pregnancy, has a major impact on pregnancy outcome. Among prepregnancy considerations, the prepregnancy Body Mass Index (BMI), folic acid status, and socioeconomic status are the most important.
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Your blood sugar will most likely return to normal after delivery. But gestational diabetes is a warning sign that you are at risk for getting diabetes later in life. You're also more likely to have gestational diabetes with your next pregnancy.
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Detailed information on planning and preparing for a healthy pregnancy
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Detailed information on caring for the mother physically and emotionally following childbirth, including information on postpartum depression
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Quitting smoking is one of the best things you can do for your baby. Only you can decide whether you're ready to quit.
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A friend of mine is six months pregnant and says her baby moves all the time. I am also pregnant (five months) and rarely feel the baby -- maybe every other day. Is it abnormal to not feel the baby moving very often? I get regular check-ups and the baby is fine. At what stage does it become a concern when I don't feel the baby throughout the day?
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As your body changes during pregnancy, your back must work in new ways. This can be painful if your back isn’t prepared.
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Learning the proper ways to bend, lift, and carry objects may help relieve back strain. It will also help you protect your back after your baby is born. Remember, if you’re having trouble protecting your back, it’s okay to ask the people around you for help!
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Did you know that standing, sitting, or lying in certain ways can lead to back pain? To ease pain, use positions that support your body comfortably.
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Detailed information on post-term pregnancy, including causes, diagnosis, and management
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Detailed information on medication use during pregnancy
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Detailed information on preparing the family for the arrival of a newborn
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Detailed information and examples of non-teratogenic agents
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Following these guidelines can help keep you and your developing child healthy in the months to come.
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Detailed information on blood types in pregnancy
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Detailed information on medication use during pregnancy
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