Bio
- Dr. Coleen Boyle, PhD, MS
- @CDC_NCBDDD
Specialties:
- Public Health & General Preventive Medicine
Affiliation:
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Location:
- Atlanta, GA
Group Memberships:
Links:
Credentials
Activity
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Dr. Coleen Boyle, PhD, MS of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) answeredOn Dec 11, 2014Can folic acid reduce the risk of birth defects?
Folic acid is a B vitamin. Our bodies use it to make new cells. Everyone needs folic acid. Folic acid is very important because it can help prevent some major birth defects of the baby's brain and spine (anencephaly and spina bifida). For folic acid to help prevent some major birth defects, a woman.
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Dr. Coleen Boyle, PhD, MS of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) answeredOn Dec 10, 2014What is a pulse oximetry screen?
Newborn screening using pulse oximetry is a tool that can identify some of the babies born with a critical congenital heart defect or disease (critical CHD), so they can receive prompt care and treatment. About 1 in 4 babies born with a heart defect has a critical CHD and needs surgery or other...
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Dr. Coleen Boyle, PhD, MS of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) answeredOn Dec 05, 2014How can I prevent birth defects if I have diabetes?
If a woman with diabetes keeps her blood sugar well controlled before and during pregnancy, she can reduce the chance of having a baby with birth defects. Controlling blood sugar also reduces the chance that a woman will develop common problems of diabetes, or that the problems will get worse during
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Dr. Coleen Boyle, PhD, MS of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) answeredOn Nov 21, 2014What are the signs and symptoms of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders?
FASDs refer to the whole range of effects that can happen to a person whose mother drank alcohol during pregnancy. These conditions can affect each person in different ways, and can range from mild to severe. A person with an FASD might have: Abnormal facial features, such as a smooth ridge
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Dr. Coleen Boyle, PhD, MS of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) answeredOn Oct 29, 2014Why is folic acid important during pregnancy?
Folic acid is a B vitamin that our bodies use to make new cells. Everyone needs folic acid, but for women who can get pregnant, it is extremely important. If a woman has enough folic acid in her body before she is pregnant, it can help prevent major birth defects of her baby's brain and spine, calle
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Dr. Coleen Boyle, PhD, MS of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) answeredOn Oct 29, 2014Who should take folic acid?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that all women of childbearing age (between 15 and 45 years of age) consume 400 micrograms (mcg) of folic acid daily to prevent two common and serious birth defects, spina bifida and anencephaly. This is because half of U.S. pregnancies
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Dr. Coleen Boyle, PhD, MS of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) answeredOn Oct 29, 2014What are signs of autism in children?
Autistic Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) begin before the age of 3 and last throughout a person's life, although symptoms may improve over time. Some children with an ASD show hints of future problems within the first few months of life. In others, symptoms might not show up until 24 months or later. Some
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Dr. Coleen Boyle, PhD, MS of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) answeredOn Sep 24, 2014What are the risk conditions for hearing loss in children?
Hearing loss can happen any time during life, from before birth to adulthood. The following are some of the things that can increase the chance that a child will have hearing loss: • There is a family history of childhood hearing loss. 50% to 60% of hearing loss in babies is due to g
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Dr. Coleen Boyle, PhD, MS of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) answeredOn Sep 22, 2014If I'm pregnant, how can I reduce my risk of getting Cytomegalovirus?
Pregnant women may want to take steps to reduce their risk of exposure to CMV and so reduce the risk of CMV infection of their fetus. Here are a few simple steps you can take to avoid exposure to saliva and urine that might contain CMV: Wash your hands often with soap and water for 15-20 se
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Dr. Coleen Boyle, PhD, MS of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) answeredOn Sep 17, 2014Can birth defects be prevented?
Not all birth defects can be prevented. But, a woman can increase her own chances of having a healthy baby, by managing health conditions and adopting healthy behaviors before becoming pregnant. This is important because many birth defects happen very early during pregnancy, sometimes before a woman
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Dr. Coleen Boyle, PhD, MS of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) answeredOn Sep 05, 2014Why do women need more iron than men?
Women and girls need more iron than boys and men during the years before menopause, (when they stop having periods), because they lose iron when they bleed during their period, and because they need more iron during pregnancy, and when they breastfeed. The presence of the CDC logo and CDC content..
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Dr. Coleen Boyle, PhD, MS of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) answeredOn Sep 05, 2014Can a person be anemic and have too much iron at the same time?
Yes. Anemia is a condition that develops when your blood lacks enough healthy hemoglobin -- the main part of red blood cells that binds oxygen. If you have too few or abnormal red blood cells than you will not get enough oxygen. The presence of the CDC logo and CDC content on this page should not..
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Dr. Coleen Boyle, PhD, MS of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) answeredOn Sep 05, 2014What causes iron overload?
The body does not have a way to remove extra iron so iron ‘overload’ occurs when too much iron builds up in the body. Iron overload can be caused by a mutation or change in the genes that provide instructions to the body to absorb iron causing the body to absorb more than a healthy amount of iron...
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Dr. Coleen Boyle, PhD, MS of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) answeredOn Sep 05, 2014What is VKDB and how can it be prevented in newborns?
Vitamin K deficiency bleeding (VKDB) is a serious, but preventable bleeding disorder that can cause bleeding in the brain. A dose of vitamin K at birth prevents VKDB. In the United States, a vitamin K injection at birth has been a standard practice since it was first recommended by the American Acad
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Dr. Coleen Boyle, PhD, MS of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) answeredOn Sep 05, 2014What foods should I eat to help raise my iron levels?
Red meats, fish and poultry are food sources that are high in iron. Fortified cereals, beans and vegetables, such as spinach, are good sources of iron as well. Please visit the CDC website at www.cdc.gov/nutrition/everyone/basics/vitamins/iron.html#Iron%20Sources for additional foods with iron. ...
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