If you’re pregnant and you got a disease, would it hurt the baby?

A: It depends on the disease. Many infections can be passed on to the fetus during pregnancy and many can affect the baby after it is born. Rubella (German measles) and toxoplasmosis (an infection picked up from handling raw meat or dirty kitty litter) are examples of infections that are very dangerous for the fetus. …

How many days do you have to wait to take a pregnancy test?

A: Pregnancy tests can detect pregnancy after a missed period — some can even detect it a few days before a missed period. Pregnancy tests work by detecting a hormone called the human chorionic gonadotropin hormone (HCG). HCG is the hormone that supports pregnancy and starts being released when the fertilized egg implants itself and pregnancy begins. …