Here are some interesting developments from the world of health and medicine:
* How Women Eat Before Becoming Pregnant Can Affect Their Children’s Long-Term Health. Several studies recently discussed at the Society for Reproduction’s annual convention in Pittsburgh, Pa., reveal that what women’s nutritional habits were before becoming pregnant can affect the long-term health of their eventual offspring just as much as how she eats (or drinks or smokes) while gestating. For example:
- Women who eat too much sugar before becoming pregnant appear to be at a higher risk for delivering babies with heart defects, limb abnormalities and growth problems.
- Women with vitamin B12 and folic acid deficiencies prior to conceiving tend to produce children who are fatter, have increased insulin resistance and have higher blood pressure by the time they reach middle-age compared to the general public
- Low protein levels during just the few moments following conception can lead to babies who develop cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure and “jumpy” behavior.
Conclusion: If you plan to become pregnant, make sure you eat healthy well in advance. Your baby will thank you for it.
* Depression May Begin as Early as Second Grade. Children who eventually develop full-blown depression in adolescence may actually show symptoms as early as the second grade, according to researchers at the University of Washington. Seven- and eight-year-olds who feel isolated, anxious and have difficulty making friends may be expressing the first stages of an illness that is the number-one mental health problem in America, according to the UW scientists. Although the researchers emphasized that all people, including children, get moody now and then, prolonged depressive symptoms should be taken seriously and addressed to prevent more serious problems in the future. Their research also confirmed previous studies that showed that childhood depression is more common in girls than in boys, and that symptoms tend to be different as well. Whereas boys tend to express depression through violence and inattention, girls are more prone to show anxiety. If you have—or know—a child who shows symptoms of depression, you should consult a mental health expert to learn about possible therapies.
* Sugar Healthy? It Can Be if You Have an Open Wound. A Zimbabwe-born medical lecturer currently living in the United Kingdom is raising more than a few eyebrows for his pioneering work in the use of an ancient African folk remedy for the treatment of wounds: Granulated sugar. Senior Lecturer Moses Murandu has shown that a solution of 25% sugar can not only speed the healing of wounds such as bed sores, leg ulcers and even amputations, but it can significantly reduce pain in the process. Scientists believe sugar works by absorbing fluids from open wounds, thus providing bacteria with no medium in which to grow. (Salt can do the same thing, but can be very painful.) For demonstrating the healing power of simple sugar, Murandu was recently awarded a major research grant that will allow him to continue his investigations. So the next time you cut yourself , you might try reaching for the sugar bowl!
* College Students at High Risk for Secondhand Smoke Exposure. A study just released by the Wake Forest University School of Medicine reports that a large majority of college students are regularly exposed to secondhand cigarette smoke, and as a result could be at risk for the diseases associated with such exposure. In the study of students at traditional four-year colleges in North Carolina, 83 percent of students reported having been exposed to secondhand smoke at some time during the previous week. Since many college campuses do not yet formally ban smoking, such exposure commonly takes place in dormitories, Greek houses and at parties where drinking and smoking are common. Because secondhand smoke contains numerous carcinogens and chemicals that can lead to heart and lung disease, the researchers emphasized the need for colleges of all types to put serious restrictions on where and when smoking can occur.
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