To prevent getting too cold, wear proper clothing and shoes, such as: A hat and face mask. Layers of clothing to keep you warm and dry. Clothing made of wool or synthetic (not cotton) fabric. These are good insulators and will prevent loss of body heat even when the fabric gets wet. Wind- and waterproof outer layers to...
By week 12, you can now hear a fetus's heartbeat with a Doppler heart monitor. Wondering what a fetus looks like at 12 weeks? It is now about the size of a lime. How a fetus is changing Here are some important changes that happen around this time. By 10 weeks of pregnancy, an embryo has nearly all of the body structures...
By now, you may be looking a little more pregnant on the outside. And inside, your baby is starting to look more human and may even have sprouted a little bit of hair. Wondering what your baby looks like at 16 weeks? Your baby is now about the size of an avocado. Average baby length is 4.7 in. (120 mm). How your baby is...
By week 20, you've probably felt your baby move. It may not feel like an obvious kick—yet! Instead, your baby's first movements might feel like "butterflies" or gas bubbles. Wondering what your baby looks like at 20 weeks? Your baby is now about the size of a red pepper. Average baby length is 6.3 in. (160 mm). How your...
By week 24, you may have noticed some jerking movements inside your belly—or even seen them on the outside! Repetitive, jerky movements usually mean your baby has the hiccups. Hiccups are perfectly normal and can last anywhere from a minute to an hour. Babies at this stage can also now suck their thumbs and open and...
At 28 weeks, your baby may be moving a lot more—and possibly keeping you up at night! Babies find the movement and noise of daytime hours to be soothing. So they often sleep during the day and are awake at night. Wondering what your baby looks like at 28 weeks? Your baby is now about the size of a large eggplant...
Around this time, your baby is getting ready to do a very important thing that they will need to do in the outside world: Breathe. Wondering what your baby looks like at 32 weeks? Your baby is now about the size of a cabbage. Average baby length is 11 in. (280 mm). And average baby weight is 3.7 lb (1700 g). How your...
At this time, your baby may be spending a lot of time upside down. This "head-down" position can be more comfortable for your baby because of the pear shape of your uterus. It's also easier to give birth if your baby's head comes out first. Wondering what your baby looks like at 36 weeks? Your baby is now about the size...
At 40 weeks, you have reached your due date. Your baby could be coming any day. Wondering what your baby looks like at 40 weeks? Your baby is now about the size of a small watermelon. Average baby length is 20 in. (50 cm). And average baby weight is 8 lb (3400 g). How your baby is changing Here are some of the important...
During this stage, the pregnancy is called an embryo. Wondering what an embryo looks like at 8 weeks? It is now about the size of an olive. How the embryo is changing Here are some of the important facts and developments around 8 weeks. The embryo starts out looking like a tiny seed, and then like a tadpole with a tail...
There is a strong link between being overweight and the risk for coronary artery disease. Being overweight increases your chances of having risk factors for the disease. These include high blood pressure, diabetes, and high cholesterol. Losing weight and staying at a healthy weight can help lower your risk for coronary...
Learn how your thoughts can contribute to weight gain.
Get the skinny on weight loss. Discover what works for you to improve your chances of losing weight and keeping it off. According to research or other evidence, the following self-care steps may be helpful. Aim for total nutrition with a multivitamin Extra vitamins and minerals will help ensure your body gets the...
How do you make healthy food choices when trying to lose weight? There are many ways to make changes to your eating habits to help with weight loss. Here are some tips to help you choose fat, carbohydrate, and protein sources. Reduce calories from saturated fats to less than 10% of your total calories. You can do this...
Discusses healthy weight and why it is important. Covers the main steps to reaching healthy weight. Discusses difficulties of losing weight. Covers nutrition, lifestyle changes, and physical activity. Offers tips for preparing for changes.
Provides links to info on healthy living. Topics discuss healthy weight and weight loss. Discusses balancing how much you eat with how much you exercise. Covers whether your weight increases health risks. Includes info on nutrition.
The road to success: Choose the right diet for you, find your ideal weight, and discover helpful weight loss supplements to keep the pounds off once and for all. Select a topic: Weight Loss and Obesity My Ideal Weight Supplements for Weight Control Diet Foods Weight-Loss Diets Low-Carb Diets 6 Easy Weight-Loss Tips...
Guides through decision to use over-the-counter diet aids for weight loss. Explains lack of evidence that diet aids work. Lists the risks and side effects. Includes information about Alli. Includes an interactive tool to help you make your decision.
Explains how to practice reframing negative thoughts to be more helpful. Provides steps to practice choosing healthier thoughts. Includes keeping a thought diary.
Doing weight-bearing exercises throughout your life can help you prevent osteoporosis. They help you build strong bones as a young person. And they help you maintain your bone thickness (density) as an adult. But if you stop exercising, your bones will start to thin. Some weight-bearing exercise is aerobic, such as...
Bariatric surgery is surgery to help people lose weight and improve health problems related to weight. It may also be called metabolic surgery. This type of surgery is used for people who have obesity. Weight-loss surgery may be an option for people who have not been able to lose weight or improve weight-related health...
Make sure you know about each of the medicines you take. This includes why you take it, how to take it, what you can expect while you're taking it, and any warnings about the medicine. The information provided here is general. So be sure to read the information that came with your medicine. If you have any questions or...
Hear what other people thought about as they decided whether to have weight-loss surgery.
Find out what happens at well-baby visits, how they help you, and why they're important.
It's important for your child to have regularly scheduled checkups, often called well-child visits, beginning shortly after birth and lasting through the teen years. These appointments allow your doctor to keep a close eye on your child's general health and development. Finding possible problems early gives your child...
Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome is a serious brain disorder that can develop in people who drink alcohol excessively over time. Symptoms include blurred vision, rapid movement of the eyes, and difficulty walking. Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome is a combination of two conditions: Wernicke syndrome and Korsakoff syndrome...
West Nile virus is a type of virus spread by mosquitoes. Most people who get infected have no symptoms, and they recover fully. But in rare cases, people with West Nile have a severe infection that affects the brain or spinal cord. They may have permanent problems such as seizures, memory loss, and brain damage. There...
What is West Nile virus? West Nile virus is a type of virus that is spread by mosquitoes. The infection it causes may be so mild that people don't even know they have it. But in rare cases, West Nile leads to severe illness that affects the brain or spinal cord. People older than 50 are at the highest risk for serious...
Source: Public Health Image Library (PHIL). James Gathany; William Nicholshon. Available online: http://phil.cdc.gov. Western black-legged ticks are one of two types of ticks in the United States that carry Lyme disease bacteria.
Related Topics Find Health Concern Information Find Drug Interaction Information Body chemistry & health Your body functions because millions of chemical reactions are constantly going on inside you. Everything that you eat and drink influences those reactions, including foods, beverages, and drugs. Medicines are...
