For the first time, a large, population-based study links a chemical in plastic baby bottles to heart disease and diabetes in humans. Some scientists say the study — released today to coincide with a Food and Drug Administration meeting— shows that bisphenol A, or BPA, is too dangerous to allow in consumer products, especially those used by babies and pregnant women.
A study by Lynn Lawry, MD, MSPH, MSc, director of research and education with the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences' (USU) Center for Disaster and Humanitarian Assistance Medicine (CDHAM) and colleagues identifies the link between combatant status and sexual violence, psychological trauma, and general health in post-conflict Liberia. "This study is important because it brings at
Eating even small amounts of soy products may cut a man's sperm concentration, a study published online last Thursday in the journal Human Reproduction shows. Of the 99 men enrolled in the study, those who said they ate the most soy had much lower sperm concentrations than those who reported eating no soy. Soy eaters had, on average, 41 million fewer sperm per milliliter than those who avoided soy
A research abstract presented on Thursday at SLEEP 2008, the 22nd Annual Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies (APSS), finds a link between poor sleep and suicidal behavior among children and adolescents with depressive episodes. The study, authored by Maria-Cecilia Lopes, MD, PhD, of Sao Paulo University in Brazil, focused on 303 individuals with pediatric bipolar disorder and pe
Russia: A study conducted by Oleg Schumilov has linked suicide rates to changes in Earth's magnetic field. Schumilov studied suicide rates in Kirovsk over 50 years and found a correlation between peaks in the magnetic field and suicide rates.Schumilov stated that his study did not prove causality but noted that there were already studies that connected health and magnetics. An Australian study concluded that female suicide rates climbed significantly during geomagnetic storm activity.According to Kelly Posner, a psychiatrist at Columbia University, the most likely explanation is that magnetic storm activity desynchronises the circadian rhythm and disrupts the production of the sleep-promoting brain chemical melatonin. Source: www.news.com.au
'It's not just about eating well and exercising' Meagan Fitzpatrick, The Ottawa CitizenIs your neighbourhood making your child fat? A new study suggests that children growing up in Canada's poorest neighbourhoods are more likely to be considered overweight or obese than those raised in higher- and middle-income areas. "Obesity is very complex," Lisa Oliver, the study's main author, said in an interview. "It's not just about eating well and exercising, but how do the environments in which you live influence your ability to engage in physical activity or eating healthy?" The study suggests that in the fight to reduce childhood obesity, policies should target those environmental influences. "Residing in a disadvantaged neighbourhood
(This story has been copied from Fox News)
A new study finds that soft crib bumpers may actually do more harm than good.
In the study, which appears in the September issue of The Journal of Pediatrics, researchers reviewed three U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission databases for deaths related to crib bumpers and crib-related injuries from 1985-2005.
They found 27 accidental deaths reported by authorities of children up to 2-years-old that were attributed to suffocation or strangulation by bumper pads or their ties. They also found 25 non-fatal injuries in infants attributed to bumper pads.
Of the deaths in which there was a formal investigation, 11 infants likely suffocated when their face rested against the bumper pad, 13 infants died from being wedged between the bumper pad and another object and three infants died from strangulation by a bumper tie.
“Many infants lack the motor development needed to free themselves when they become wedged between the bumper pad and another
Common flame retardant may cause thyroid condition; could affect childrenWASHINGTON - A new federal study suggests that household dust containing a common flame retardant may be linked to an increase in cats getting sick from overactive thyroids.That could be a warning sign for how young children could get exposed to the chemical, said Linda S. Birnbaum, director of experimental toxicology at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and co-author of the study.The small study looks at chemical flame retardants called polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), which were used in foam, plastics, furniture, electronics, fabrics and carpet padding. The sole American manufacturer in 2004 agreed to phase out the types of PBDEs included in the study because of concern about toxicity in animals. But PBDEs remain in American homes.Link to complete story: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20297921/ ~Sandy G.
Researchers have discovered a relationship between early puberty in mothers and obesity in their children. A recent study shows that mothers who reached puberty by the age of 11 were twice as likely to have obese children than mothers whose first period came after the age of 13.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEJanuary 16, 2007Indianapolis - Education, family income, employment status, and other factors related to social class tend to moderate the effect of race/ethnicity on physical inactivity, according to new research published in this month's issue of Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise®, the official journal of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM). While research is just beginning to look at how social class affects leisure-time rates of physical activity in various ethnic and racial groups, previous studies have shown cultural trends such as blacks and Hispanics being more inactive during their leisure time than whites. The study also indicates education level—particularly for women—is related to physical inactivity. And, physical demands of one's occupation play a lesser role than previously thought in leisure-time inactivity levels, after adjusting for age and social status. "This is the first study to look at the effe
