Mothers and Substance Use
By Christopher Welsh, MD
Women have some unique challenges when it comes to alcohol, tobacco and drug use and misuse. These differences are based on both biology and culturally defined expectations of women. Hormonal changes, the menstrual cycle, fertility issues, pregnancy, breastfeeding and menopause can all impact a woman’s use of substances. Women often use smaller amounts of a substance for shorter amounts of time before developing a problem. They also may have greater physical problems from their substance misuse.
Alcohol, tobacco and drug use during pregnancy can present significant problems for both the mother a...
Source: Life in a Medical Center - May 19, 2017 Category: Universities & Medical Training Authors: UMMC Tags: Health Tips Source Type: blogs
Physical Fitness and Sports Month: Commonly Asked Questions About Sports Injuries with Dr. Packer
Dr. Jonathan Packer is an orthopaedic surgeon with the University of Maryland Department of Orthopaedics and an Assistant Professor of Orthopaedics at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. Dr. Packer specializes in sports medicine and is a Team Physician with the University of Maryland Terrapins. Below he answers common questions about sports injuries.
What are the most common sports-related injuries you see in your clinic?
The most common sports related injuries are ankle sprains and contusions. The most common knee injuries that I see are meniscus tears and knee ligament injuries, such as the MCL (meniscus...
Source: Life in a Medical Center - May 16, 2017 Category: Universities & Medical Training Authors: UMMC Tags: Doctors Employees & Staff Health Tips Orthopaedics Source Type: blogs
3 Things to Know about Mother-Child Relationships
By Sarah Edwards, DO
Healthy moms = healthy children and families. Healthy moms are essential to building children’s healthy brains and helping everyone in the family grow well and love well. Maternal depression, anxiety and stress can affect how a mother interacts and develops a relationship with her baby. Babies need a safe and stable connection with a caregiver for social, emotional and cognitive development. If this attachment is not strong, it can have lasting effects on a child’s brain, and puts children at risk for behavior and emotional problems.
Family bonding is key to a healthy family. The good news is that...
Source: Life in a Medical Center - May 15, 2017 Category: Universities & Medical Training Authors: UMMC Tags: Children's Health Health Tips Kids Source Type: blogs
The Love Blanket Project Spreads Love Around UMCH
Love comes in many shapes and sizes, but for Robin Chiddo it’s square, 44×44 and fuzzy.
Today, Robin from the Love Blanket Project dropped off 33 custom t-shirt blankets that will be given out to children staying at the University of Maryland Children’s Hospital.
The Love Blanket Project started in 2015 when Robin, who recently retired from her position as director of business development at the UMD Alumni Association at College Park, was looking for a heartfelt gift for her sister. In her research, Robin also wanted to find a company that had a clear, mission-driven purpose—then she came across Deaf Initiative...
Source: Life in a Medical Center - May 10, 2017 Category: Universities & Medical Training Authors: UMMC Tags: Kids Child Life children's hospital Love Blanket Project Robin Chiddo UMCH Source Type: blogs
Going Above and Beyond to Ease the Stress of Blood & Marrow Transplant Patients
The facility where the stem cells are stored.
The Blood and Marrow Transplant unit at the University of Maryland Medical Center was presented with a challenge in housing recovering cancer patients at the beginning of March 2017. Usually, UMMC and the BMT unit use The American Cancer Society’s Hope Lodge to provide temporary housing for out-of-town BMT patients recovering from stem cell transplants. However, building construction began across the street from the Hope Lodge, making it unsafe for recovering BMT patients to stay there. Recovering from a stem cell transplant can be physically challenging, and construction deb...
Source: Life in a Medical Center - May 9, 2017 Category: Universities & Medical Training Authors: UMMC Tags: Cancer Employees & Staff patient care Uncategorized Source Type: blogs
Maternal Mental Health Matters
MAY 3, 2017 IS WORLD MATERNAL MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS DAY
#maternalMHmatters
Today is World Maternal Mental Health Awareness Day, and we’re helping to bring attention to an important health issue and available treatment options.
Worldwide, as many as one in five women experience some type of perinatal mood and anxiety disorder (PMAD). PMADs include postpartum depression, postpartum anxiety, postpartum obsessive compulsive disorder and others.
“There is still this myth that pregnancy is blissful and if you don’t enjoy pregnancy and having your baby, there’s something wrong with you,” says Patricia Widra, MD, assis...
Source: Life in a Medical Center - May 3, 2017 Category: Universities & Medical Training Authors: UMMC Tags: Women's Health anxiety disorder maternal mental health mood disorder patricia widra PMAD Source Type: blogs
Fertility: 12 things you didn ’t know (and 1 to never ask)
By Katrina Mark, MD
1. Fertility naturally declines as we age
That alone doesn’t mean you should start to worry. The general advice I give a woman is if she has been trying to become pregnant for a full year with no luck, she might consider a fertility evaluation. For a woman over age 35, she might consider it after six months. If a woman is younger and has irregular periods, it’s likely she isn’t regularly ovulating, so she might want to be evaluated sooner.
2. Sometimes there’s a reason for infertility – and sometimes, there’s not
There are some things we know cause infertility. About 20 percent of the time,...
Source: Life in a Medical Center - May 2, 2017 Category: Universities & Medical Training Authors: UMMC Tags: Health Tips Women's Health fertility Katrina Mark obgyn UMMC Source Type: blogs
All About Infant Immunizations: Q & A with Pediatrician Dr. Adam Spanier
Adam Spanier, MD, PhD, MPH is an Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and a Pediatrician with University of Maryland Medical Center.
What vaccines are recommended for infants and children?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has a group of medical and public health experts called the Advisory Committee of Immunization Practices. They develop and regularly review vaccine recommendations. Parents should talk to their pediatrician or family doctor, or reference the CDC or American Academy of Pediatrics. It’s important to know the vaccine schedule is revi...
Source: Life in a Medical Center - April 28, 2017 Category: Universities & Medical Training Authors: UMMC Tags: Uncategorized Source Type: blogs
Minority Health Month
By Jameson Roth, Communications Intern
Each April marks the beginning of Minority Health Month at UMMC, when we strive to celebrate and acknowledge the initiatives in place to reduce health disparities among minority groups in the greater Baltimore area. UMMC also seeks to honor the service of the individuals who work tirelessly to bring these initiatives to deserving communities across the city.
One of these hardworking individuals is Anne Williams, DNP, RN, whose current role is director of community health improvement at University of Maryland Medical Center.
Williams perfectly sums up her mission at UMMC, “I am commi...
Source: Life in a Medical Center - April 25, 2017 Category: Universities & Medical Training Authors: UMMC Tags: Uncategorized Source Type: blogs
Brain Injury Awareness Month
By Jameson Roth, Communications Intern
At UMMC, we recognize individuals who have experienced Traumatic Brain Injury, directly and indirectly, throughout the month of March with the acknowledgment of Brain Injury Awareness Month.
Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is defined as a complex injury caused by an outside force on the brain, which can result in the permanent or temporary loss of brain functions. Individuals who have survived a TBI may experience symptoms such as memory loss, impaired cognition, headaches and mood swings following their injury.
The leading causes of TBI include motor vehicle crashes, said Karen McQuill...
Source: Life in a Medical Center - March 30, 2017 Category: Universities & Medical Training Authors: UMMC Tags: Employees & Staff Health Tips Neurology Patient Safety and Quality trauma Karen McQ TBI Traumatic Brain Injury Source Type: blogs
High Blood Pressure Has No Minimum
How tall is your child? How much does he or she weigh? Most parents can answer those questions easily. But here’s a tougher question: what is your child’s blood pressure?
High blood pressure, or hypertension, is often considered an adult health problem. But this serious condition is no longer adults-only.
“The number of children with high blood pressure is rising,” says Susan Mendley, MD, head of the Division of Pediatric Nephrology at the University of Maryland Children’s Hospital and an associate professor of pediatrics at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. “Left unchecked, high blood pressure ca...
Source: Life in a Medical Center - March 22, 2017 Category: Universities & Medical Training Authors: UMMC Tags: Uncategorized Source Type: blogs
What Can Women Do to Prevent Early Menopause?
About Early Menopause
The average age a woman goes into menopause is 51. Menopause is considered abnormal when it begins before the age of 40 and is called “premature ovarian failure.” Common symptoms that come with menopause include hot flashes, night sweats, sleep problems, sexual issues, vaginal dryness, pain during sex, pelvic floor disorders (urine, bowel leakage, pelvic organ prolapse), losing bone mass, and mood swings.
Menopause is mostly genetically predetermined, which means you generally can’t do much to delay it from happening. What we can do is work to counter-balance or prevent the symptoms and effe...
Source: Life in a Medical Center - March 13, 2017 Category: Universities & Medical Training Authors: UMMC Tags: Health Tips Women's Health diet and exercise early menopause tatiana sanses Source Type: blogs
Child Life Month
How Play is Helping UMMC’s Youngest Patients
By: Colleen Schmidt, System Communications Intern
As many parents know, the hospital can be a scary and unfamiliar place for a child. To help relax these fears, UMMC’s team of child life specialists and assistants use a variety of techniques to help children adjust to the hospital setting. Child life specialists, or CLS, aim to provide a positive and non-traumatic hospital experience for all patients at the University of Maryland Children’s Hospital. UMMC’s Child Life team consists of six CLS and two assistants. They work in the Pediatric Progressive Care Unit (PPCU)...
Source: Life in a Medical Center - March 8, 2017 Category: Universities & Medical Training Authors: Hope Gamper Tags: Children's Health Emergencies Employees & Staff Kids patient care Patient Safety and Quality Patient Stories Source Type: blogs
Answering Your Colon Cancer Questions with Dr. Jiang
A new study released by the National Cancer Institute shows colon and rectal cancers have increased dramatically and steadily in young and middle-age adults in the United States over the past four decades. Dr. Yixing Jiang, a Medical Oncologist at the University of Maryland Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center, answers all the questions you’re now asking yourself about colon cancer.
Q. What are the risk factors for colon cancer?
A. The risks for developing colon cancer are: obesity; insulin resistance diabetes, red and processed meat; tobacco; alcohol; family history of colorectal cancer; certain hereditary syndromes (...
Source: Life in a Medical Center - March 6, 2017 Category: Universities & Medical Training Authors: Hannah Braun Tags: Cancer Health Tips colon cancer maryland research study treating colon cancer Source Type: blogs
Joint Replacement Q & A with Dr. Theodore Manson
Theodore Manson, MD is an Orthopaedic Surgeon at the University of Maryland Medical Center and an Associate Professor of Orthopaedics at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.
Dr. Manson specializes in hip and knee replacements and orthopaedic trauma. Below he answers the most common questions about joint replacement.
Q. What advances have there been in joint replacements including new technologies, changes in patient-management and rehabilitation?
A. One significant advancement in the last 10 years has been around pain management and early recovery protocols. The goal is to minimize the amount of narcotics...
Source: Life in a Medical Center - March 2, 2017 Category: Universities & Medical Training Authors: Hannah Braun Tags: Doctors Health Tips Orthopaedics Uncategorized Source Type: blogs
