Brain Enlargement May Be Characteristic of Autism
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Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has found evidence of brain enlargement in a relatively large sample of children with autism, compared with children who do not have the disorder, according to a study in the December issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
Autism is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder defined by social deficits, abnormalities in communication, and stereotyped, repetitive behaviors. While the neuroanatomical basis of this condition is not yet known, numerous lines of evidence suggest that abnormalities in brain volume may be characteristic of autism, according to background information in the article.
Backpacks damage kids’ shoulders and backs
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Kids today are carrying too much of a load on their backs and researchers say back pack weight should be reduced for comfort and safety.
The average backpack load of a typical U.S. teen in middle school is far too heavy and the researchers warn that excessive pressure on the shoulder from weighty backpacks may lead to shoulder pain, and low back pain.
Australian breast cancer study seeks participants
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RMIT University researchers are seeking healthy, postmenopausal women to participate in a study to determine if diet and lifestyle can reduce the risk breast cancer.
“Previous research indicates that flaxseed may contain compounds that protect postmenopausal women from breast cancer,” Leah Williamson, a postgraduate researcher at RMIT’s Department of Food Science, said.
“These compounds, called phytoestrogens, work at lowering levels of estrogens linked to breast cancer. Flaxseed is particularly high in one such phytoestrogen, lignan, which is believed to reduce the enzymes and the estrogens that cause the breast to produce potentially cancerous cells.
Africans meet in Nigeria to share news on HIV/AIDS
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African scientists and others involved in the fight against HIV/AIDS in the worst-hit continent opened a conference on Sunday in the Nigerian capital to pool the latest information and ideas.
Organizers said that while previous big international HIV/AIDS conferences aimed at raising awareness of the epidemic, the focus now is on finding ways to make better use of funds and implement projects more effectively.
“Our number one concern is to make the money work,” said Peter Piot, head of UNAIDS, at a news conference just before the launch of the 14th International Conference on HIV/AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Infections in Africa (ICASA).
Singapore informs spouses of HIV-positive partners
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Singapore’s Health Ministry has started informing spouses of HIV-positive patients directly about their partners’ disease in order to curb the spread of AIDS, the ministry said.
Letters had been hand-delivered to 41 women since July informing them that their husbands were HIV-positive, the ministry quoted Senior Minister of State for Health Balaji Sadasivan as saying in a speech made on Monday.
A ministry official declined to elaborate on Tuesday, referring to the ministry’s Web site for more details.
Exercise Helps Children With Congenital Heart Defects
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Exercise is good for the heart, even a child’s heart damaged by a birth defect, say researchers here.
Results from a small study suggest that regular exercise can improve cardiac function and reduce morbidity in children with congenital heart disease.
England considers raising smoking age to 18
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The minimum age for buying tobacco in England could be raised to 18 from 16 under proposals being considered by the government, a Department of Health spokeswoman said on Sunday.
The change is not yet government policy and it would have to go to public consultation if it is included in a health bill currently being debated by parliament.
Moderate drinkers show lower obesity risk
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People who have an alcoholic drink or two a day may have a lower risk of becoming obese than either teetotalers or heavy drinkers, a study published Monday suggests.
Researchers found that among more than 8,200 U.S. adults, those who said they enjoyed a drink every day were 54 percent less likely than non-drinkers to be obese. Similarly, those who drank a little more (two drinks per day) or a little less (a few drinks per week) had a lower risk of obesity than teetotalers did.
Africa could stop babies getting HIV, experts say
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A Nigerian HIV-positive mother, whose two children did not contract the virus, challenged African countries on Saturday to make better use of simple, affordable tools to reduce mother-to-child transmission.
Adding her voice to those of world experts who met in Abuja to assess the fight against transmission to babies, Lucy Auwalu said antenatal care, drugs, information and clean water could give hope to HIV-positive African women who wanted children.
Women in US need more breastfeeding support
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A number of factors influence whether a women will give up breastfeeding before the baby can derive any health benefits from it, new research suggests—but with more encouragement and help many more women might persevere.
Numerous studies have documented the health benefits of breastfeeding for the infant, such as a decreased risk of upper respiratory infections and possibly even a reduced risk of dying. Still, many women forgo breastfeeding altogether or stop it after just a few days or weeks, despite recommendations that a few months of breastfeeding is needed to see a benefit.
Study finds kids with weak hearts can exercise
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Children born with heart defects who have traditionally been told not to exercise can improve their heart function through programs that involve exertion, according to a U.S. study published on Monday.
“With the approval of a pediatric cardiologist, and after careful exercise testing, exercise is generally safe and tolerable for children with congenital heart defects,” said Jonathan Rhodes, a cardiologist at Children’s Hospital in Boston who led the study published in the December issue of Pediatrics, the journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Heparin Antibodies May Pose Risk in Heart Surgery Patients
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New research suggests that patients who develop antibodies to the anti-clotting drug heparin nearly double their risk of death or serious complication after heart surgery.
“Complications after heart surgery are typically attributed to the surgery alone,” said Thomas Slaughter, M.D., co-principal investigator on the project and a professor of anesthesiology at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center. “Our study examined whether development of heparin antibodies before surgery poses an independent risk.”
Survival rate still poor when bone cancer returns
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Although as many as 70 percent of patients who have the localized stage of the bone cancer osteosarcoma survive after surgery and chemotherapy, the overall survival rate after recurrence is less than 30 percent, researchers report.
However, lead investigator Dr. Paul A. Meyers told Reuters Health, “the chances of survival are better for patients whose recurrence is detected after a longer interval from the completion of initial therapy and for patients whose recurrence is limited to fewer sites.”
Blunt trauma raises heart attack risk
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New research supports the idea that that blunt trauma can lead to a heart attack.
“A direct trauma to the heart, namely blunt cardiac injury, created the greatest risk for heart attack, while abdominal or pelvic trauma seems to be important in persons 46 years or older,” said Dr. Rovshan M. Ismailov from the University of Pittsburgh, Philadelphia.
Bacterial vaginosis makes viral shedding more likely
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Women with bacterial vaginosis are four times more likely to shed cytomegalovirus in their lower genital tract than women without bacterial vaginosis, a new study shows.
Bacterial vaginosis, the most common type of vaginal infection in women of childbearing age, occurs when there is imbalance in the bacteria of the vagina favoring certain “bad” microbes over “good” ones. A foul-smelling vaginal discharge is a common symptom of the disease, which if not treated with antibiotics can lead to complications, such as infection of the womb.
