En Caul with Dr. Gaither
Through En Caul, Dr. Gaither aims to keep her readers up to date with news, information and the latest research pertaining to women’s health matters and prenatal care.
What is a ‘Caul’ Birth? “Born in the caul” is a phrase that’s connected with a lot of cross-cultural myths and superstitions — babies born in the caul are supposed to be destined for lives of fame and fortune. Biologically a ‘caul birth,’ rare in nature, refers to a baby that’s born with part of the amniotic sac still attached. Even more extraordinary – occurring approximately once in every 80,000 births is something called ‘en-caul,’ a baby born within a completely intact amniotic sac, fluid and all.
Respect the Big P: A Closer Look at Preeclampsia
**Originally posted on The Huffington Post Parents** Spring has graciously sprung and with it has come new opportunities, new alliances, and of course new perspectives. As a maternal fetal medicine [...]
Manicures, Miscarriages, and Mayhem
**Originally Posted by The Huffington Post - Healthy Living** Since my medical school training, medicine as an art has expanded itself. Among its many facets, has emerged the field of [...]
Space: It Is NOT The Final Frontier
In 1966, American television was taken by storm with a different kind of series -- enter "Star Trek." It explored "brave new worlds" beyond what we knew on Earth, and [...]
To NIPT or to not NIPT? That is the Question.
There are many conversations had between an expectant mother, and her prenatal care provider - for the most part, these are positive in nature and revolve around ensuring the health [...]
Five Things You Didn’t Know About Breast Cancer
1. Breast Cancer can occur in teen years. Although rare, Breast Cancer can present during the teenage years. It is important for teens to learn to examine their breasts early. [...]
The ‘Diabetical’
I have loved the term ‘diabetical’ since the matriarch of Tyler Perry's ‘Madea’ movie franchise first coined the phrase. The term masterfully highlights the diabolical nature of the disease, which [...]
Diabetes AND Pregnancy
Approximately 1 in 1000 pregnant women in the United States have diabetes requiring insulin treatment prior to pregnancy. Another 3% to 12 % develop diabetes for the first time during [...]
Autism: Who’s the Culprit? Mother Nature or Mother Nurture?
April is Autism Awareness Month and before the month left, I wanted to write something ‘profound’ on the topic. Having completed a lot of research on the subject before putting [...]
The Two Faces of Motherhood: Maternal Health in the U.S.
I am a maternal fetal medicine specialist; simply put, I take care of pregnant women with high-risk complications like HIV, diabetes, brain tumors and fetal anomalies. I have had the [...]
Postpartum Depression: This is NOT the Fairytale
A new mom and depressed? These seem like two realities that radically contradict each other. However, given the fact that you have just delivered a child, and are feeling sad and overwhelmed [...]