Abnormal Part of Brain Believed to be Cause of SIDS

An area of the brain that is responsible for breathing, arousal, and other key functions may be the missing link behind the cause of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). The study, completed by Children's Hospital Boston and Harvard Medical School, provides hope that a treatment for the devastating problem may one day be possible. It may also go a long way in explaining just why babies who are lying face down are more acceptable. When lying face down, the infant's reflexes and sense of a arousal are more challenged making breasting more difficult.

The limited study focused on the deaths of 41 infants who died in California and included data obtained from their autopsies. The abnormality was found on the lower part of the brainstem, the medulla oblongata, responsible for serotonin production. Serotonin acts as an arousal agent waking infants from their sleep when some physical condition is not correct. SIDS is caused by the inhalation of excess carbon dioxide when the baby is face down or when it's face is covered.

In children with normal serotonin production, the agent wakes the children up and prompts them to move allowing them to inhale more oxygen. Children who do not produce enough serotonin, however, do not receive this stimuli and fail to wake up despite the danger eventually causing their death if the baby is deprived of oxygen for too long. More public is needed for the problem and campaigns are underway to inform the public of the risks associated with SIDS. The study may aid others in creating a test for the defect and in creating a drug to combat the problem.

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Lead Exposure Tied to Brain Cancer

A new study from the University of Rochester’s Medical Center has indicated that prolonged workplace exposure to lead increases a person's risk for brain cancer. Those routinely exposed to lead had a nearly 50% higher chance of dying from the cancer. Despite causing nearly 2.5% of all cancer deaths, a total of approximately 13,000 deaths a year, very little is known about the cause of brain cancer. The only known cause of brain and spinal cord tumors is exposure to radiation.

Lead has long been a known environmental hazard; however studies such as this one have solidified the link. It has been suggested that more studies need to be completed to not only further establish the dangers of lead, but also of other environmental factors and their adverse health affects.

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Low Vitamin E in Mother's Linked to Asthma in Offspring

A new study first published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine has established a link between the amount of vitamin E present in pregnant mothers and their offspring. Children born to mothers who had low vitamin E were approximately five times more likely to develop asthma and other breathing problems such as quickened shortness of breath and wheezing than children born to mother’s who had received sufficient amount of vitamin E. The scientists from the University of Aberdeen, Scotland also stressed just how important it is for expectant mothers to receive enough vitamin E, particularly in the earlier months of pregnancy.

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Stem Cell Solution?

One of the most debated issues that have taken place during President Bush's time in the white house is that of stem cells. This debate has stretched far and wide and has reached nearly all American's in one form or another, whether being affected by the potential first hand, or becoming involved through religion or other reasons. Arguments arise not only about the effectiveness of the treatments, but also whether and how much funding the government should provide to a science which, until this week, required the "death" of an embryo. New research has brought the debate to the forefront yet again, this time with a new and unique twist.

The debate over embryonic stem cell research has typically focused on the loss of life associated with the typical extraction of stem cells. A procedure announced this week by a publicly traded company out of California, Advanced Cell Technology, hopes to avoid the question all together. The answer? The study suggests removing single cells from 2-3 day old embryos and growing them into unique stem cell lines, allowing the embryo to survive in most cases. The key reason this research is being completed is due to the lack of government funding available to stem cell processes which destroy embryos.

This process may help stem cell research reconnect with main stream . Up to this point, the use of stem sells has been associated with the loss of life, no matter how small. The use of this process may enable to science to reconnect by using a process deemed acceptable by the general public.

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Drug-Resistant Staph Infection Making a Comeback

Emergency rooms have yet another thing to worry about. A once rare form of staph infection is making an unpredicted and astounding comeback and it comes with a twist: It's drug-resistant. The revived strain is responsible for over half of all skin infections that are being treated in the hospital and the number of cases is rising every day. Many victims of the infection don't realize they have anything serious until the virus has had time to progress. To find out more about the situation and what is being done to solve it.

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