Health News

The Effect On The Fetus Of Maternal Smoking

Date: Jun-06-2012
Smoking during pregnancy has widely documented health repercussions both for mother and baby. A study at the University of Zaragoza on 1216 newly born babies confirms that those born to mothers who smoke weigh and measure less. A new study lead by the University of Zaragoza evaluates the differences in body composition and proportional distribution of body mass between babies born to mothers who have or have not smoked during pregnancy. Published in the Early Human Development journal, the study reveals that children of woman who did not smoke during pregnancy weigh and measure more...

Amniotic Fluid Utilized In Potential New Approach To Regenerating Skeletal Muscle Tissue

Date: Jun-06-2012
An innovative strategy for regenerating skeletal muscle tissue using cells derived from the amniotic fluid is outlined in new research published by scientists at the UCL Institute of Child Health. The paper shows that damaged muscle tissues can be treated with cells derived from the fluids which surround the fetus during development, leading to satisfactory regeneration and muscle activity. The treatment resulted in longer survival in mice affected by a muscle variant of spinal muscular atrophy...

New Interactive Smoking Cessation Website Designed To Appeal Across The Social Spectrum

Date: Jun-06-2012
StopAdvisor is a new web-based smoking cessation program, which takes smokers from preparation for the target quit date to the quit date itself. It achieves this by offering expert advice through a combination of interactive menus and personalised sessions. Post quit date, it encourages users to report important information that the program will use to help them overcome the difficulties they encounter along the way. In their study¹ Robert West and Susan Michie from University College London and collaborators describe the development process of the StopAdvisor intervention...

Poor Diagnosis In Denmark Of Anxiety Disorders In Children

Date: Jun-06-2012
Only few children suffering from anxiety disorders undergo treatment. Researchers at the University of Copenhagen have looked into how many children who suffer from the most common yet treatable anxiety disorders are actually diagnosed in the psychiatric system in Denmark. According to the researchers, the number is surprisingly low compared to other western countries, indicating that anxiety disorders in children and youth are disregarded in Denmark. Only 5...

For Stroke Rehab And Brain Injured Patients, Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation Shown To Impact Walking Patterns

Date: Jun-06-2012
In a step towards improving rehabilitation for patients with walking impairments, researchers from the Kennedy Krieger Institute found that non-invasive stimulation of the cerebellum, an area of the brain known to be essential in adaptive learning, helped healthy individuals learn a new walking pattern more rapidly. The findings suggest that cerebellar transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) may be a valuable therapy tool to aid people relearning how to walk following a stroke or other brain injury...

Cymbalta Helps Treat Chemotherapy-Induced Painful Peripheral Neuropathy

Date: Jun-05-2012
Antidepressant Cymbalta (duloxetine) has been found to relieve the symptoms of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy, a painful tingling sensation many patients experience after undergoing chemotherapy. The researchers, from the University of Michigan School of Nursing, reported their findings at the American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting. They explained that Cymbalta was effective for 59% of the patients in their clinical trial. Some chemotherapy medications can cause peripheral neuropathy - a tingling feeling which is usually felt in the toes, feet, fingers and hands...

Mesothelioma And Other Asbestos Disease Victims Celebrate Victory In Louisiana

Date: Jun-05-2012
Nemeroff Law Firm says it is celebrating a win for many of its clients - victims of asbestos related diseases, including mesothelioma. The firm says it played a vital role in "striking down Neil Abramson's Asbestos Bankruptcy Trust Transparency bill", which would have probably meant considerably reduced legal judgments and unfair regulations for those seeking compensation for their asbestos-related injuries. H.B. 477 was unanimously passed in the House, but was defeated in committee by the Louisiana Senate (vote 4-2)...

New Method For Detecting Fetal Down Syndrome And Edwards Syndrome Shows Promise

Date: Jun-05-2012
A new study, published online in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology states that false positive and false negative results have been produced by current Down syndrome and Edwards syndrome screening methods, but researchers have found a new genetic test which is close to 100% accurate. The research shows that Down syndrome, caused by fetal trisomy 21 (T21) and Edwards syndrome, caused by fetal trisomy 18 (T18) have false negative rates of 5% or higher, and false positive rates from 2-3%...

New Synthetic Drug "Bath Salts" Causing Zombie Chaos

Date: Jun-05-2012
The synthetic version of marijuana, known as spice, made headlines recently when the Federal Government moved to extend the ban on its distribution. Now, a far more horrific substance nicknamed "bath salts" is hitting the streets. The name is certainly misleading and it's definitely not going to give you a relaxing lavender scent while you lounge in the Jacuzzi with your lover; as one unfortunate young man from Tennessee discovered...

Genetic Risk Scores And Obesity Later In Life Among Children

Date: Jun-05-2012
People with higher genetic risk scores usually have a greater chance of becoming chronically obese when they are adults, researchers from Duke University, Durham, N.C. report in Archive of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine. Certain genetic characteristics lead to rapid growth during childhood, and a higher risk of obesity during adulthood, the authors added...