What Is Histamine? Histamine is an important part of your bodyâs immune response, but high levels of the chemical compound can cause health problems. Histamine is a chemical produced in cells throughout the body as part of the bodyâs inflammatory response to allergy, infection, or injury. When damaged or exposed to allergens, cells in the skin, nose, throat and lungs release histamine, resulting in pain, itchiness, redness, runny nose, and wheezing.
WASHINGTON Mom-to-be closing in on her due date? The nation's obstetricians are getting more precise about exactly how close makes for a full-term pregnancy. On average, a pregnancy lasts 40 weeks, counting from the first day of the woman's last menstrual period. That's how a due date is estimated. A baby is considered preterm if he or she is born before 37 weeks of pregnancy. Until now, a term baby was defined as one born anytime from 37 weeks to 42 weeks, a few weeks before or after the calculated due date.
'Full-term' pregnancy gets a new, narrower definition. Generations of mothers-to-be have heard that babies born any time between 37 and 42 weeks of pregnancy were at term â meaning they were neither too early nor too late. But that is now officially outdated wisdom, two leading medical groups said Tuesday. Full term: Between 39 weeks and 40 weeks, six days. â¢ Late term: Between 41 weeks and 41 weeks, six days. â¢ Post term: 42 weeks and beyond. The definitions were developed at a workshop in 2012 that included representatives from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development and other medical groups.