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Don’t miss our upcoming webinar: Continuing Health Activism with Chronic Pain!
Nov 9th
Many of our health communities focus on the topic of chronic pain. And no matter what your condition specifically is, if your community members experience chronic pain and all of the challenges that come along with being in pain – it’s a uniquely taxing and integral topic that Health Activists must tackle. When your community begins to get into the depths of pain discussions – how do you pull them out and lift them up while still addressing the importance and relevancy of that pain? It’s not easy. Furthermore, as a Health Activist in pain, how do you find the energy to keep blogging, answering others’ questions, tweeting, or learning when that pain is physically occupying your body and your mind?
These are some tough questions that many Health Activists face on a daily basis. In fact, subject of chronic pain's impact on health communities is so important, we at WEGO Health have decided to host a webinar about it. Our webinar is called “Continuing Health Activism with Chronic Pain” and it will delve into this very challenging subject by bringing together the experiences and smart minds of three amazing Health Activist leaders that work daily to manage the pain and keep their community’s spirits high. Our Health Activists that will be featured on this panel-style webinar are Julia from Reasonably Well Julia, Kelly from RA Warrior, and Amy K from Unavitabella and the Mental Health Social Media Chat (#MHSM). These ladies are seasoned Health Activists who not only write about chronic pain but also live with chronic pain themselves.
These are some tough questions that many Health Activists face on a daily basis. In fact, subject of chronic pain's impact on health communities is so important, we at WEGO Health have decided to host a webinar about it. Our webinar is called “Continuing Health Activism with Chronic Pain” and it will delve into this very challenging subject by bringing together the experiences and smart minds of three amazing Health Activist leaders that work daily to manage the pain and keep their community’s spirits high. Our Health Activists that will be featured on this panel-style webinar are Julia from Reasonably Well Julia, Kelly from RA Warrior, and Amy K from Unavitabella and the Mental Health Social Media Chat (#MHSM). These ladies are seasoned Health Activists who not only write about chronic pain but also live with chronic pain themselves.
Our webinar will be held on November 22nd online at 8pm EST. All you need to do is RSVP on our Event Page and look out for a confirmation email with details and a link to the live webinar event. After hearing what these three awesome ladies have to share about their personal experiences with Chronic Pain and Health Activism, there will be an exclusive Q&A portion where they will answer your questions. If you have a particular question in mind, feel free to leave it in the discussion here or send it to us during the webinar in the chat function. Also be sure to follow along with on Twitter with #WEGOwebinar. Hope you’ll join us!
Health Activist Vlog Contest: Update!
Oct 21st
With a little over a week left in our first-ever Health Activist Vlog Contest, we wanted to give you a quick update on some of the fantastic video content we've been seeing from our Health Activists. Check out these great Health Activist videos and take a moment to create your own!
- Noah Ohlsen, fitness blogger at The Pursuit of Fitness, used our contest as a stepping stone into vlogging and shared some of the great ways that video can help illustrate fitness strategies in his video: FFVV (First Fitness Video Vlog)!
- Elder Care and Aging Health Activist Anthony Cirillo, who blogs at Who Moved My Dentures?, shares his personal story in his vlog: Why I'm a Health Activist
- Video entrant Glenda Bateman, posted by Make Women Matter - a campaign to improve the lives of women and put an end to preventable deaths related to pregnancy and childbirth, shares a personal story of Health Activism
- Ade, Sickle Cell Health Activist and founder of sikcell.ning.com, shares his personal Health Activist journey and some moving member stories in his vlog entry: Why I am a Health Activist for Sickle Cell
- Paul Winter, ME/CFS Health Activist and long term vlogger, uses his video: Why I am A Activist for ME/CFS Sufferers to share his own story and the benefits of using video
- In Persistence & Determination!, Diabetes Health Activist and Health and Chronic Illness Specialist Ginger Vieira tells us why Health Activism is so important and why each of us should be our own advocate
- Dani Z, vlogger at Dani Z World and Mental Illness Health Activist, shares the impact of video on her Health Activism and in breaking the stigma associated with Mental Illness in her video: Raising MI Awareness Through Video
We think these vlog entries are all an awesome testament to the power of video in Health Activism and we hope you found them to be as inspiring as we did! Be sure to record and share your own Health Activist video before our contest ends on October 31st!
Pot smoking during pregnancy may stunt fetal growth
Jan 22nd
Women who smoke marijuana during pregnancy may impair their baby's growth and development in the womb, a new study suggests.
Poor fetal growth and reduced head circumference at birth are linked to an increased risk of problems with thinking, memory and behavior in childhood. Cigarette smoking during pregnancy is known to impair fetal growth, but studies on the potential effects of marijuana have been inconclusive.
For the new study, researchers in the Netherlands followed more than 7,000 pregnant women, 3 percent of whom acknowledged smoking marijuana at least during early pregnancy. They found that babies born to marijuana users tended to weigh less and have smaller heads than other infants.
What's more, the study found, the longer a woman had used marijuana during pregnancy, the stronger the impact on birth size - suggesting that the drug itself was to blame.
And while most marijuana users in the study also smoked cigarettes, the drug appeared to have effects over and above those of tobacco. In fact, marijuana showed stronger effects on birth size than tobacco, the investigators report in the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.
The findings suggest that marijuana use, even restricted to early pregnancy, may have irreversible effects on fetal growth, write the researchers, led by Hannan El Marroun of Erasmus University Medical Center in Rotterdam.
The study included almost 7,500 pregnant women who were surveyed on their use of alcohol, tobacco and drugs, and had ultrasounds to chart fetal growth during the first, second and third trimesters.
Overall, 214 women said they had used marijuana before and during early pregnancy; 81 percent quit after learning they were pregnant, but 41 women continued to smoke marijuana throughout pregnancy.
The researchers found that, on average, marijuana users gave birth to smaller babies, particularly those who had used throughout pregnancy.
Women who had smoked only during early pregnancy had babies who were 156 grams -- about 5.5 ounces -- lighter than infants born to women who had not used the drug. Women who had continued to smoke past early pregnancy had babies who were 277 grams, or nearly 10 ounces, smaller.
Based on ultrasound, marijuana use only in early pregnancy impaired fetal growth by about 11 grams per week, while use throughout pregnancy slowed fetal growth by roughly 14 grams per week. That compared with a deficit of 4 grams per week with tobacco use, the researchers found.
Similar patterns were seen when the researchers looked at fetal head circumference.
According to El Marroun's team, mothers' marijuana use could stunt fetal growth for several reasons. Like tobacco smoking, it may deprive the fetus of oxygen. It is also possible that the byproducts of marijuana directly affect the developing nervous and hormonal systems of the fetus.
Finally, the researchers note, pregnant women who use marijuana may have other factors in their lives - such as a less-than-healthy diet or chronic stress -- that could contribute to poor fetal growth.
Source