THURSDAY, Aug. 28 (HealthDay) -- One in four women in the United States carries a bacterium that could cause a debilitating and life-threatening infection in their newborn babies. And many don't know it.

Infants who contract Group B streptococcus before or during birth can be miscarried, stillborn, or die soon after birth. Those who survive often suffer permanent disabilities such as blindness, deafness, mental retardation and cerebral palsy, according to Group B Strep International, a nonprofit group dedicated to informing the public about the disease.

By: Brie Cadman/DivineCaroline

WEDNESDAY, Aug. 27 (HealthDay News) -- Compared to mothers who don't spank their children, mothers who've spanked their child in the past year are three times more likely to use harsher forms of punishment.

That's the conclusion of a new study from the Injury Prevention Research Center at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

TUESDAY, Aug. 26 (HealthDay News) -- Infections of amniotic fluid are more common than previously believed and may be a major cause of premature births, says a study led by researchers at Stanford University School of Medicine.

About 12 percent of all births in the United States are premature, and the frequency of premature birth is increasing.

By Alan Mozes
HealthDay Reporter

MONDAY, Aug. 25 (HealthDay News) -- Breast-feeding moms who take medicines containing codeine may be unwittingly risking the health of their infant, new Canadian research suggests.

The study indicates that a relatively rare genetic predisposition causes some women to metabolize codeine-laced drugs into morphine far faster than normal -- possibly harming the infant's central nervous system in the process.

SUNDAY, Aug. 24 (HealthDay News) -- With new "extended cycle" and "continuous" oral contraceptives on the market, women today can choose to have monthly withdrawal bleeding just four times a year -- or not at all.

To many American women of childbearing age, these options have tremendous appeal. In fact, more than two-thirds of women said they are interested in suppressing monthly bleeding, according to national survey results presented at an Association of Reproductive Health Professionals (ARHP) reproductive health conference.

Dr. Marrazzo, Associate Professor, Division of Allergy & Infectious Diseases at the University of Washington in Seattle explains how often a women should get tested for a sexually transmitted disease.

(This is me, right after I had a complete hysterectomy. It's been several years, but this time in my life is indelibly imprinted in my mind....)

On the outside it appears as if I have everything a woman could possibly want. I'm living a fairy tale life with a wonderful husband, extraordinary daughter, and a beautiful home. But on the inside I am crumbling.

Disintegrating. And slowly. I'm trapped in a body that I no longer know, as if my mind and heart have been plucked from my old, familiar body and thrust into a new one that is not only foreign, it is falling apart.

THURSDAY, Aug. 21 (HealthDay News) -- One reason why abstinence-only programs don't do much to prevent teen sexual activity is because abstinence can mean different things to teens than it does to adults, according to a University of Washington study.

Teens' attitudes and intentions about sex are more powerful than their attitudes and intentions about being abstinent, the researchers found.

(HealthDay News) -- Most women need regular pap tests to check for early signs of cervical cancer. It's important to prepare before the test to get the most accurate results possible.

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, in the two days before the test, you should avoid:

* Douching.
* Using a tampon.
* Using any suppositories, creams or medications that must be inserted into the vagina.
* Using any vaginal deodorant sprays or powders.
* Having sex.