Depression may underlie “transmission” of poverty
Children from poor families are more likely than their peers to be depressed as teenagers, with effects that can ultimately make it harder to climb out from poverty, a new study suggests. The study, which followed nearly 500 Iowa families for a decade, found that children in poorer families were at greater risk of depression symptoms by adolescence. These teenagers, in turn, were more likely to “grow... Read more
Study sheds light on deadly childhood cancer
A gene involved in cell division also helps fuel a deadly childhood cancer called neuroblastoma and could offer a new way to develop drugs to treat the disease, German researchers said on Monday. The study published in the journal Cancer Cell found that a protein produced by the AURKA gene feeds a different gene called MYCN, which scientists know plays a key role in fuelling tumor growth in children... Read more
Vitamin D deficiency common in diabetic kids
Children and teenagers with type 1 diabetes may have a particularly high rate of deficiency in bone-building vitamin D, a small study suggests. The findings, say researchers, underscore the importance of adequate vitamin D intake for children with type 1 diabetes — who, studies suggest, are already at particular risk for bone loss as they grow older. Among 128 children and teens with the disease,... Read more
British woman to deliver baby screened for breast cancer
A woman is to give birth this week to the first baby in Britain which has been selected to be free of a gene which greatly increases the risk of breast cancer, experts said. The 27-year-old woman, who wants to remain anonymous, decided to take the step because several of her husband’s close female relatives suffered from breast cancer. But one campaign group warned that such selection takes science... Read more
Mom’s infection raises risk of infant hearing loss
The risk of hearing loss due to congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection is greater when the mother-to-be is infected with the virus in the first three months of pregnancy rather than later in the pregnancy, researchers have found. More than half of the population is infected with CMV, a type of herpesvirus. The virus rarely causes symptoms in adults with healthy immune symptoms. However, CMV can... Read more
Managing Headaches During Pregnancy
If you’re pregnant and you’ve got a headache, it may not be wise to turn to medication to control your pain. The American Pregnancy Association offers these suggestions for additional ways to manage a headache while you’re pregnant: Soothe sinus headaches with a warm cloth or compress across your nose and eyes. Manage tension headache pain with a cold wrap around the bottom of your... Read more
Vitamin D Deficit in Pregnancy Tied to Caesarean Risk
Vitamin D deficiency greatly increases a pregnant woman’s likelihood of having a Caesarean delivery, U.S. researchers report. During the two-year study, Boston University School of Medicine and Boston Medical Center researchers examined the relationship between vitamin D levels in pregnant women and Caesarean section. Of the 253 women in the study, 43 (17 percent) had a Caesarean section. The... Read more
Gut bacteria primarily past from mother to child
Mother-to-child transmission appears to be the most common route of Helicobacter pylori infection in Japan. In The Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal, Dr. Mutsuko Konno and colleagues at Sapporo Kosei General Hospital in Sapporo note that previous studies have suggested that children are at high risk for H. pylori acquisition and that their mothers are the likely sources. H. pylori is a bacterium... Read more
Children of Centenarians Face Lower Heart Risks
Longevity runs in families, the saying goes, and new research shows there may be genetic and physiological reasons for the phenomenon. The children of people who live to 100 and beyond are themselves much less likely to develop cardiovascular diseases, such as heart disease and stroke, and even diabetes, researchers found. But they aren’t impervious to non-cardiovascular health problems, such... Read more
Many Americans turning to alternative medicine
About four in 10 U.S. adults and one in nine children are turning to alternative medical approaches for chronic pain and other health problems, health officials said on Wednesday. Back pain was the leading reason that Americans reported using complementary and alternative medicine techniques, followed by neck and joint pain as well as arthritis, according to the survey by the National Institutes of... Read more