Rubella, also known as German measles, is a viral infection that can cause birth defects in an unborn baby. It is important for national health that we remain immune to this infection. Rubella is most commonly spread when someone inhales a cough or sneeze from an...

In a recent study from University of Queensland the statistics on a caesarean section were shared, “Of women who gave birth in Australian hospitals in 2009, around a third (32.6%) had a caesarean section delivery. The caesarean section rate of 42.5% for women in...

The term sepsis refers  to the presence of pyogenic or other pathogenic organisms and their toxins in tissues or in the blood. Shock is the inability (regardless of the underlying cause) for  the circulatory system to maintain adequate cellular perfusion. Inadequate...

The Apgar Score a measuring mechanism The Apgar Score is derived from an Apgar test, used by Obstetricians to assess the physical condition of a newborn baby. The Apgar test is usually conducted at one minute and five minutes after birth. Developed in 1952, the Apgar...

There are three methods that we will look at in detecting ovulation. Ovulation is the process of an ovarian follicle discharging an egg for the purpose of fertilisation. In this article we will look at the first of those three methods and discuss the process and its...

Within the early stages of the 2nd trimester, your obstetrician may ask you to come in for a procedure called amniocentesis. This procedure will be carried out by a medical professional like Dr Gary Swift who is an obstetrician and gynaecologist, who specialises in...

Antepartum refers to the time period of a pregnancy before labour and delivery. During antepartum, an Obstetrician will monitor the heart rate of the baby and conduct an ultrasound to obtain a measure of how well the pregnancy is proceeding for both the mother and...