Health Tips for January 10

Health Tip: See Your Doctor Before Pregnancy

When you're pregnant, certain medical conditions can be dangerous for you and your developing baby, but you might not even be aware of some of these potential health risks.

So, it's important to have a thorough medical exam before you become pregnant.

The American Pregnancy Association offers this list of potential risk factors:

• Diabetes and high blood pressure should be diagnosed and well-controlled before pregnancy.
• Anemia can trigger symptoms of weakness and fatigue. A complete blood count (CBC) is used to measure factors including hemoglobin, red and white blood cell count, and platelet appearance.
• A test measuring thyroid-stimulating hormone can help determine if your thyroid is overactive or underactive. Either condition could pose risks for you and the developing baby.
• You should always be checked for sexually transmitted diseases before you become pregnant.

Health Tip: Medications and Pregnancy

You may take certain over-the-counter supplements and medications without thinking twice. But when you're pregnant, even drugs that you can buy without a prescription can affect the developing fetus.

The American Academy of Family Physicians offers these safety guidelines about medications and pregnancy:

• Don't take any medicine or herbal supplement without checking with your doctor.
• Try not to take any medicine during your first trimester of pregnancy, when your baby is most likely to be affected.
• If you are having pain, acetaminophen is usually safe for pregnant women to take for a short period. But you should first check with your doctor.
• Don't take aspirin while you're pregnant.
• Don't take an NSAID -- such as Advil, Motrin or Aleve -- while you're pregnant, particularly during your third trimester.