· 4 min read
“All the forces on this planet will never beat that of a mother’s love.” – Elle Smith She didn’t actually believe it was possible that at the age of 60, she could go full-term as a gestational surrogate for her son and his partner. 61-year-old Cecile Eledge from Nebraska, Omaha, desperately wanted to be a […]
· 6 min read
She wasn’t pregnant at 4 am (or so she thought) but became a mother several hours later. Klara Dollan spent nine months not knowing she was pregnant until she went into labor and gave birth in her apartment bathroom. Circumstances like hers are known as cryptic pregnancies, a rare but not unheard-of phenomenon. What are […]
· 5 min read
Every year, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), there are about 15 million babies born early (or preterm) – and this number continues to rise. Linked to that are preterm birth complications, which are the leading cause of death for children 5-years-old and under. But, what exactly does preterm mean? Generally, says WHO, babies […]
· 4 min read
They say no one is truly prepared for the life-changing experience of childbirth, but no person was as unprepared as this mother. Imagine rushing to the hospital for a kidney stone operation, but as you arrive, you are giving birth — to triplets. This is what happened to Dannette Giltz from South Dakota on August […]
· 4 min read
Sepsis is dangerous, no matter how old you are. Newborns with sepsis, however, are at a particularly high mortality risk. This is because their immune systems are not yet well-developed. In recent years, doctors are reporting an increased struggle with Neonatal sepsis as antibiotic resistance continues to rise. This blood infection is now killing more […]
· 4 min read
Many animal mothers instinctively lick their newborns to clean them. This act of grooming is important for several reasons. One, it removes amniotic fluid, which conducts heat away from the body and warms the baby. Plus, it stimulates the newborn and brings their attention to their mother. Another possibility is that licking removes the smell […]
· 4 min read
A champion is defined as a person who has defeated all rivals in a competition. Allyson Felix fits this description threefold. First, she won gold in her 12th World Championship relay race, beating out Usain Bolt for having the most gold medals. Two, she came out on top in a wage battle against Nike. Three, […]
· 6 min read
In 2005, when my little brother died two days after his birth, we watched our lives crumble right before our eyes. My mother had still been in the hospital, recovering from her C-section. The pain we felt was physical, our hearts were literally broken into pieces, and we never thought we’d recover from it. After […]
