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Modern life-making women 'ignorant and ill-equipped' to cope with motherhood

The growing trend to move miles away from hometowns and family for work is leaving many women feeling 'ignorant and ill-equipped' to cope with pregnancy and childbirth.

2 Mar 2009

Children born to women who have low blood levels of vitamin B12 have increased risk for neural tube defects

Children born to women who have low blood levels of vitamin B12 shortly before and after conception may have an increased risk of a neural tube defect, according to an analysis by researchers at the National Institutes of Health, Trinity College Dublin, and the Health Research Board of Ireland.

2 Mar 2009

Children reap social benefits from wearing contact lenses instead of glasses

Children wearing contact lenses felt better about how they look, their athletic abilities and acceptance by their friends than did children wearing eyeglasses in a recent study.

2 Mar 2009

Biphasic insulin provides significant improvements in more than 52,000 diabetic patients

A major international diabetes study of more than 52,000 patients from eight countries has shown that using biphasic BIAsp 30 insulin resulted in significant clinical improvements and greater patient satisfaction.

2 Mar 2009

Vaccine breakthrough in battle against bird flu

A vaccine to protect humans from a bird flu pandemic is within reach after a new discovery by researchers at the University of Melbourne, Australia

2 Mar 2009

Help for children with rheumatic heart disease

These bacteria carry a special protein sequence, the so-called PARF motif, on their surface.

2 Mar 2009

Blocking one protein RANK function inhibits bone loss

Soo Young Lee and colleagues, at Ewha Womans University, Republic of Korea, have developed a cell-permeable inhibitor of the mouse protein RANK (which they termed RRI) that is likely to aid in the development of selective drugs to treat diseases that involve substantial bone loss, for example, osteoporosis, periodontitis, and arthritis.

2 Mar 2009

Evidence appears to show how and where frontal lobe works

A Brown University study of stroke victims has produced evidence that the frontal lobe of the human brain controls decision-making along a continuum from abstract to concrete, from front to back.

2 Mar 2009

Possible new methods to enhance the success rate of fertility treatments

As hopeful moms-to-be learn, there are important considerations to the successful implantation of a fertilized human egg.

2 Mar 2009

Educational materials for new mothers may prevent shaken baby syndrome

Educational materials on how to deal with crying newborns lead to increased knowledge about infant crying and behaviours that are important to preventing shaken baby syndrome, found two new studies being published online March 2 in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal) and Pediatrics.

2 Mar 2009

Oseltamivir-resistant influenza A virus potentially serious to high-risk patients

A mutation of the influenza A(H1N1) virus that is resistant to the drug oseltamivir may pose a serious health threat to hospitalized patients who have a weakened immune system, according to a study to be published in the March 11 issue of JAMA, the Journal of the American Medical Association, and being released early online because of its public health importance.

2 Mar 2009

Drinking one glass of wine a day may lower risk of Barrett's esophagus

Drinking one glass of wine a day may lower the risk of Barrett's Esophagus by 56 percent, according to a new study by the Kaiser Permanente Division of Research in the March issue of Gastroenterology.

2 Mar 2009

Doctors endorse vegan and vegetarian diets for healthy pregnancies

Well-planned vegetarian and vegan diets are healthful choices for pregnant women and their children, and vitamin B12 needs can be easily met with fortified foods or any common multivitamin, say doctors and dietitians with the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM).

2 Mar 2009

Discovery provides better understanding of craniosynostosis

Craniosynostosis develops in the womb and affects one in every 2500 live births. Bones in the skulls and face of sufferers fuse together prematurely causing a range of distressing developmental problems.

2 Mar 2009

Better diagnosis and treatment of concussions in children

It's estimated that more than a half million kids in the U.S. go to the hospital each year with a concussion.

2 Mar 2009

Chantix side effects no worse for people with history of depression

People with a likely history of depression who take varenicline (Chantix) do not report more severe mood symptoms, medication side effects, or less success quitting smoking compared to people with no history of depression taking this drug.

2 Mar 2009

Broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables may protect against asthma, allergic rhinitis and COPD

Here's another reason to eat your broccoli: UCLA researchers report that a naturally occurring compound found in broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables may help protect against respiratory inflammation that causes conditions like asthma, allergic rhinitis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

2 Mar 2009

Alcohol abuse may lead to depression risk, rather than vice versa

A statistical modeling study suggests that problems with alcohol abuse may lead to an increased risk of depression, as opposed to the reverse model in which individuals with depression self-medicate with alcohol, according to a report in the March issue of Archives of General Psychiatry.

2 Mar 2009

Airborne microbial fungi linked to asthma

A survey of airborne fungi and fungal spores found in Eastern Puerto Rico suggests that certain species may be a major cause of the high incidence of childhood asthma in this part of the world.

2 Mar 2009