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Natural Awakenings Central New Jersey

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Magnesium Improves Childbirth for Mother and Newborn

Reduces Fevers and Complications

[dropcap]R[/dropcap]esearch presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Anesthesiologists has found that magnesium reduces fevers during childbirth, as well as complications among newborns. The study followed 63,000 deliveries from Northwestern Memorial Hospital, in Chicago, between 2007 and 2014. Of these, 6,163 women developed fevers of at least 100.4° F during labor. Of the women that developed fevers, 2,190 received magnesium sulfate intravenously during their labor.

Rates of fever at maternity dropped by half, to 4.3 percent, in women that received the magnesium, versus 9.9 percent in those that did not. The rate of newborn complications was also significantly lower among women given magnesium.

The study, led by Dr. Elizabeth Lange, an attending physician at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, is the first of its kind to investigate the effect of magnesium on childbirth. “By reducing the incidence of maternal fever, magnesium sulfate therapy may also reduce the incidence of complications in newborns,” says Lange.

Health Briefs
Tick Talk

Spring officially sprung on March 21. We have turned our clocks ahead. We are looking forward to warm winds, sunny skies and the smell of fresh cut grass. The daffodils and tulips have recently bloomed and we are just starting with the yard work that comes with the warmer weather.  Sadly, another season has started ramping up.  Tick season.

•             The best form of protection is prevention. Educating oneself about tick activity and how our behaviors overlap with tick habitats is the first step.

•             According to the NJ DOH, in 2022 Hunterdon County led the state with a Lyme disease incidence rate of 426 cases per 100,000 people. The fact is ticks spend approximately 90% of their lives not on a host but aggressively searching for one, molting to their next stage or over-wintering. This is why a tick remediation program should be implemented on school grounds where NJ DOH deems high risk for tick exposure and subsequent attachment to human hosts.

•             Governor Murphy has signed a bill that mandates tick education in NJ public schools. See this for the details.  Tick education must now be incorporated into K-12 school curriculum. See link:

https://www.nj.gov/education/broadcasts/2023/sept/27/TicksandTick-BorneIllnessEducation.pdf

•             May is a great month to remind the public that tick activity is in full swing. In New Jersey, there are many tickborne diseases that affect residents, including Anaplasmosis, Babesiosis, Ehrlichiosis, Lyme disease, Powassan, and Spotted Fever Group Rickettsiosis.

•             For years, the focus has mainly been about protecting ourselves from Lyme disease. But other tick-borne diseases are on the rise in Central Jersey. An increase of incidence of Babesia and Anaplasma are sidelining people too. These two pathogens are scary because they effect our blood cells. Babesia affects the red blood cells and Anaplasma effects the white blood cells.

•             Ticks can be infected with more than one pathogen. When you contract Lyme it is possible to contract more than just that one disease. This is called a co-infection. It is super important to pay attention to your symptoms. See link.

https://twp.freehold.nj.us/480/Disease-Co-Infection

A good resource from the State:

https://www.nj.gov/health/cd/topics/tickborne.shtml

 

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