Move of the Week: Diagonal Burpee

Ah, burpees. Just hearing the word makes us want to crawl into a corner and cry. It’s one of those moves that, to be frank, suck. (For the uninitiated, think dropping down to a squat, kicking your legs back into a plank, bring your legs back in, and then standing back up. Now do that a million times, fast.)

As much as we hate them, though, there is no denying that burpees have plenty of good-for-you benefits. To jazz things up a bit, Health’s contributing fitness editor Kristin McGee offers up the Diagonal Burpee—a twist on the classic that works your core even more than the original. Plus, this do-anywhere bodyweight exercise revs up your ticker, torches major fat, and works every single muscle you’ve got.

Here’s how to do it: Squat and plant your hands on the ground. Kick your legs back and to the right to form a diagonal plank. Do one pushup. Hop your feet back to your hands and stand. On your next burpee, jump your legs to your left. Aim to do 10 of these (five on each side).

Trainer tip: If you’re struggling to complete the pushup on your toes, it’s okay to drop down to your knees.

Try it: Diagonal Burpee

RELATED: Gwyneth Paltrow’s Go-To Workout Moves

from Health News / Tips & Trends / Celebrity Health http://ift.tt/1HQdMYQ

How Many Steps a Day Should You Really Walk?

If you pluck someone off the street, whether in New York or Wichita or Seattle or Sacramento, and ask them how many steps people should aim for per day in order to get enough physical activity, they’ll probably tell you 10,000. In an age in which pedometers are cheaper, more accurate, and more feature-rich than ever, this number has taken on almost mythical proportions — a lofty-sounding goal (in reality, it’s approximately five miles, and a reasonably active person can pull it off fairly easily) that separates the active-lifestyle haves from the slothful have-nots.

But is there any medical reason to embrace this number? Not really. That’s because the 10,000-steps-a-day recommendation has nothing to do with sedentary, fast-food-drenched circa-2015 America. Rather, the recommendation first popped up in a very different food and environment: 1960s Japan.

“It basically started around the Tokyo Olympics” in 1964, said Catrine Tudor-Locke, a professor who studies walking behavior at LSU’s Pennington Biomedical Center. “A company over there created a man-po-kei, a pedometer. And man stands for ‘10,000,’ po stands for ‘step,’ and kei stands for ‘meter’ or ‘gauge.’” Ten thousand, it turns out, “is a very auspicious number” in Japanese culture, said Theodore Bestor, a Harvard researcher of Japanese society and culture, in an email. “That is, it seems likely to me that the 10,000 steps goal was subsidiary to having a good-sounding name for marketing purposes.” Whatever the reason for the adoption of this particular number, “It resonated with people at the time, and they went man-po-kei-ing all over the place,” said Tudor-Locke.

The problem, which barely needs stating, is that circa-1964 Japan was markedly different from the circa-2015 U.S. “By all accounts, life in Japan in the 1960s was less calorie rich, less animal fat, and much less bound up in cars,” said Bestor. Data from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations shows that the average per-capita food supply for Japanese people in 1964 was 2,632 calories, while the average for Americans in 2011 was 3,639. That’s a difference of about 1,000 calories — or, if you’re keeping track, about 20,000 steps for an average-size person. (Jean Buzby of the USDA said in an email that food supply is a commonly used rough proxy for food consumption.)

These sorts of numbers all vary hugely, of course, depending on region, social demographics, and a variety of other factors. But the point is no one can argue that Japanese people in the 1960s lived in the same sort of nutritional environment as Americans in 2015.

More broadly, 10,000 steps is just a bit too simplistic a figure, say nutrition researchers. All the ones I spoke to agreed that there’s nothing wrong with shooting for 10,000 steps, per se, and that on paper, walking (or doing any physical activity) more is better than walking less. But Tudor-Locke said that “The one-size-fits-all [approach] doesn’t necessarily work.”

Her work focuses on the most sedentary slice of the population (a rather big slice slice in the U.S.), and there, it can be a challenge to get people to take 5,000 steps, let alone 10,000. But moving from 2,500 steps a day, say, to 5,000, is a small but important victory for people who don’t get any exercise, and can have important health ramifications. “We know that you get the biggest bang for your buck by just moving from a sedentary state up a little bit,” she said.  “Your biggest bang comes from rolling off the couch and being active.” A big European study published in January that looked at the mortality rates for people with different activities levels, in fact, found that “a markedly reduced hazard was observed between those categorized as inactive and those categorized as moderately inactive” — a 20 to 30 percent reduction.

People in these categories, who at the moment are getting almost no exercise, aren’t going to benefit from the 10,000-steps recommendation. In fact, it might deter them from exercising, said Tudor-Locke. “For people who are very inactive or chronically ill or whatever have you, that might be a huge jump for them,” she said, “and that might be intimidating for them.” If the 10,000-steps goal has this effect, “then it loses its purpose.” From a public-health perspective, she said, a more pressing, realistic goal is “to get people away from taking less than 5,000” steps a day.

In a country where people eat really, really poorly, there’s also a chance that fixating on the 10,000-step milestone will lead people to neglect other, potentially important factors like their  diet. “Focusing exclusively on how many steps you’re getting and neglecting those other aspects isn’t going to lead to an overall improvement in health, unless you’re addressing those other factors simultaneously,” said Jeff Goldsmith, a biostatistics professor at Columbia’s Mailman School of Public Health.

In other words: Yeah, 10,000 steps is great, but if you follow up those 10,000 steps by buying a 500-calorie hamburger — and, more generally, spend the rest of your day eating junk — you can still gain weight and face all sorts of unpleasant negative health outcomes. “What we know from the scientific evidence is that diet and physical activity are relatively separate domains,” said Dr. Eric Rimm of the Harvard School of Public Health. “There are people who are overweight and eat poorly and still exercise, and on the other hand, there are people who eat really well but sit on the couch.” An overly narrow focus on 10,000 doesn’t encourage an integrated approach to getting healthier.

Finally, 10,000 steps might “be too low for children,” said Jean Philippe-Walhin, an exercise researcher at the University of Bath — and kids these days, as you’re probably already aware, aren’t doing so hot on the obesity front.

So while 10,000 steps is fun and easy to remember and a catchy marketing tool in (at least) two languages, maybe it’s time, given just how unhealthy so many people are and how much they’d benefit from moving around just a little more, to embrace an incremental-improvement approach to exercise. But even if the science of nutrition and exercise is complicated, that doesn’t mean the take-home message needs to be. “Stand rather than sit, walk rather than stand, jog rather than walk, and run rather than jog,” wrote Ulf Ekelund, lead author of the European mortality study, in an email. Tudor-Locke distilled things even further: “Just move more than before,” she said. “Keep moving more than before.”

More from Science of Us:

Walking Groups Are Really Good for You

How Exercise May Protect Against Alzheimer’s

The 4 Ways People Rationalize Eating Meat

Why You Should Go to the Movies (and Do Other Stuff) Alone

The Psychological Case Against Casual Fridays

Science of Us is a smart but playful window into the latest science on human behavior, with the goal of enlightening, entertaining, and providing useful information that can be applied to everyday life.

from Health News / Tips & Trends / Celebrity Health http://ift.tt/1GoTJWA

Pregnancy Often Leads to Changes in Migraines

FRIDAY, June 5, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Women who suffer from migraines may notice changes in their headache patterns when they’re pregnant, experts say.

For example, many women will have fewer migraines during pregnancy.

“If you suffer from migraine, there’s a good chance your migraine attacks will improve during pregnancy,” Dr. David Dodick, chair of the American Migraine Foundation, said in a foundation news release.

“Research has shown that 50 to 80 percent of women who have migraine before pregnancy may notice a reduction in migraine attacks, especially in the second and third trimesters, likely due to a rise in estrogen levels,” said Dodick, a professor of medicine at the Mayo Clinic School of Medicine in Arizona.

Women who have migraines associated with menstruation are particularly likely to have fewer attacks during pregnancy, the study authors pointed out.

However, Dodick said that some women who never had a migraine may get them for the first time during pregnancy. And, he said, some women with a history of migraine may have more severe attacks during pregnancy.

Some women with migraine may be at risk for pregnancy complications. For example, one study found that women with migraine were more likely to have blood vessel complications, sleep problems and more weight gain during pregnancy.

Dr. Sheena Aurora is a clinical associate professor of neurology and neurological sciences at Stanford University School of Medicine in California. She said, “Women with migraine should consider many aspects of pregnancy that migraines may affect. They should also talk with their doctor about what, if any, migraine medications to take during this time.”

Aurora, who is also a board member of the American Headache Society, added that women with migraine should “make sure their blood pressure and cholesterol are under control, and to stop smoking before they get pregnant.”

Also, she said, “if you have migraine, you should be seeing a migraine specialist, and make sure your obstetrician and migraine specialist are communicating regularly before and during your pregnancy. In some cases, your migraine specialist may also bring in a perinatologist, who specializes in maternal-fetal medicine, or a pregnancy pharmacologist.”

Lifestyle factors such as nutrition, exercise and sleep are also important.

“Patients need to recognize stressful situations and learn how to cope with them by learning relaxation techniques or meditation,” Aurora said in the news release. “Pregnant women who suffer from migraine should also speak with their doctor about whether yoga or massage are safe and might be helpful.”

More information

The U.S. Office on Women’s Health has more about migraine.

---

from Health News / Tips & Trends / Celebrity Health http://ift.tt/1T0Qfgu

Funny Thing About Humor: It May Be in Your Genes

FRIDAY, June 5, 2015 (HealthDay News) — How you smile or laugh may depend on your genes, a new study says.

Researchers tested 336 adults and found that those with short versions (alleles) of the 5-HTTLPR gene smiled or laughed more when looking at funny comics or amusing film clips, compared to those with long versions of the gene.

Previous research found a connection between the gene and negative emotions. This is the first time the gene has been linked to positive emotions, according to the authors of the study, which was published online June 1 in the journal Emotion.

The 5-HTTLPR gene is involved in regulating serotonin, a brain chemical implicated in depression and anxiety. This study adds to growing evidence that people with short versions of the gene may be more sensitive to emotional situations, the researchers said.

“Having the short allele is not bad or risky. Instead, the short allele amplifies emotional reactions to both good and bad environments,” study author Claudia Haase, assistant professor in the human development and social policy program at Northwestern University, said in a university news release.

“Our study provides a more complete picture of the emotional life of people with the short allele. People with short alleles may flourish in a positive environment and suffer in a negative one, while people with long alleles are less sensitive to environmental conditions,” Haase explained.

The study’s senior author, Robert Levenson, said the results provide “a dollop of support for the idea that positive emotions are under the same tent as negative ones, when it comes to the short allele.”

“It may be that across the whole palate of human emotions, these genes turn up the gain of the amplifier. It sheds new light on an important piece of the genetic puzzle,” Levenson, a professor of psychology at the University of California, Berkeley, said in the news release.

More information

The American Academy of Family Physicians explains how emotions affect your health.

---

from Health News / Tips & Trends / Celebrity Health http://ift.tt/1T0Qfgk

Autism Linked to Higher Smog Levels, Study Says

By Tara Haelle
HealthDay Reporter

FRIDAY, June 5, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Air pollution exposure may be linked to a child’s risk of autism, a recent study suggests.

The controversial findings echo similar results from a study last winter that found an increased risk of autism among children of women exposed to more smog late in pregnancy.

This new study — which does not establish a direct connection between dirty air and autism — did not find a statistically significant increased risk for autism related to air pollution exposure at any specific time during pregnancy.

Instead, the authors found a child’s odds of autism were 1.5 times greater when air pollution exposure was greater across the entire span of time from pre-pregnancy until the child was 2 years old.

“These findings are striking because they suggest that cumulative exposures over the course of the pregnancy may be important, as opposed to any individual period during the pregnancy,” said study author Evelyn Talbott, a professor of epidemiology at the University of Pittsburgh. But more research would be necessary to understand how pollution might affect autism risk, she said.

Autism spectrum disorder — a group of developmental disabilities that can cause significant communication and social challenges — affects 1 in 68 children in the United States, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The research involved 443 children living in six counties in southwestern Pennsylvania, about half of whom had autism. Researchers compared air pollution exposure — based on all addresses where the mothers reported living — before and during their mothers’ pregnancy and in the children’s first two years of life.

The researchers adjusted their calculations to account for each mother’s age, education and race, and whether she smoked.

The type of pollution measured was fine-particle air pollution, included in smog. It’s composed of small particles from car exhaust or other forms of burning wood, coal and other fossil fuels that can be inhaled deep into the lungs, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The American Lung Association ranks southwestern Pennsylvania among the nation’s worst regions for this type of pollution.

The children’s odds of having autism were 45 percent greater if they were exposed to the highest levels at age 2, the study found. Their odds were 51 percent greater if the highest exposure occurred from three months before pregnancy through the child’s second year.

The findings were published in the July issue of the journal Environmental Research.

It is not clear, however, how significant the findings are overall, since the study cannot show cause and effect between air pollution and autism, said Dr. Alyson Gutman, an attending physician in developmental and behavioral pediatrics at Cohen Children’s Medical Center in New Hyde Park, N.Y.

“We know that there are several interacting factors that likely contribute to the cause of autism spectrum disorders,” Gutman said. Those factors include genetics, environmental risk factors and medical risk factors, such as a history of prematurity, she said.

“Exposure to pollutants may be a contributing factor,” she said. “However, it is difficult to determine the significance of this risk factor.”

Dr. Glen Elliott, chief psychiatrist and medical director of Children’s Health Council in Palo Alto, Calif., where he specializes in autism, expressed skepticism about the study’s conclusions.

“I am stunned that the editors permitted the authors to make the claims they did,” he said. He noted that the only single point in time when the data was statistically significant was when the children were 2 years old.

“The authors offer no theoretical basis for how particulate matter that the mother breathes might affect the child’s development,” Elliott said. “They also did not add the much-needed caution that correlation does not equal causation, even if their data were much stronger than it is.”

If parents are concerned about their possible exposure to air pollution, they should discuss their concerns with their doctors, Gutman said.

People can also check on their local air quality on various websites and purchase air filters that target smaller particles and pollutants within the home, said Talbott.

“They can also write to lawmakers to put pressure on them to make policies that reduce air pollution and harmful emissions,” Talbott said. “More work needs to be conducted both in other geographic areas of the United States as well as in other countries to further our understanding of this association.”

More information

For more about autism, visit the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

---

from Health News / Tips & Trends / Celebrity Health http://ift.tt/1T0Qd8u

Babies Recognize Faces Way Sooner Than You’d Think

The web has gone gaga for a video of an adorable baby meeting his mother’s twin for the first time. It’s fascinating to see little Felix eagerly greeting her, then staring fixedly at his mom as if to say, “Wait, lady, you’re my mom.”

Turns out that children are able to recognize distinct faces at a very young age, per new research just out this week.

Scientists at the University of Louvain in Belgium outfitted 15 babies ages 4 to 6 months with caps fitted with electrodes, then showed them a rapid succession of images of faces mixed in with images of animals, plants, and objects such as a lamp and a phone. Seeing the faces triggered a spike in the right hemisphere of the brain, the area responsible for facial recognition.

RELATED: See How This Adorable Baby Prevents Her Mom From Getting Anything Done

There’s been interesting prior research on babies and facial recognition, too, including the much-referenced (and somewhat depressing) 1991 University of Texas at Austin study showing that babies prefer to look at attractive faces. Even newborns showed the same preference, per a 2000 study published in Infancy, proving—as psychologist Alan Slater, PhD, noted—that “attractiveness is not simply in the eye of the beholder, it’s in the eye of the infant right from the moment of birth, and possibly before birth.”

But here’s some reassuring news for anyone less than perfect (i.e., a lot of us): Babies prefer plump bodies, per a 2013 study published in the Journal of Experimental Child Psychology. When shown photos of both muscular models and ordinary chubby men, babies consistently fixated on the beer-gut guys. The researchers’ conclusion: During infancy, preferences for human shapes are a reflection of familiarity and exposure, as opposed to cultural stereotypes of attractiveness.

Props, babies!

RELATED: Babies Using Cell Phones: Not Great, But It’s Happening

from Health News / Tips & Trends / Celebrity Health http://ift.tt/1FXyh7U

The Facts About Beau Biden’s Cancer

Photo: Getty Images

With mourners gathering in the Delaware Senate to pay their respects Thursday, the death of Vice President Joe Biden’s oldest son Beau at 46 from brain cancer brings to a light a rare, but lethal disease that remains stubbornly resistant to treatment.

The National Cancer Institute (NCI) estimates that close to 23,000 people will be diagnosed with brain cancer, and nearly 14,000 people will die from the disease this year. (To put that in perspective, more than 230,000 people will get breast cancer, and about 40,000 will die from it.)

Beau Biden was originally diagnosed back in 2013. After surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation, he went back to work as Delaware’s Attorney General and even had plans to run for Governor in 2016, according to the Washington Post. Sadly, he suffered a recurrence this spring, and his health quickly deteriorated.

The Biden family has not released specifics about his diagnosis. But one common type is the glioma, a broad category of tumors that arise in the brain from glial cells, which are  cells that are wrapped around neurons throughout the central nervous system. The most common and most deadly type of glioma is called glioblastoma, which can be very aggressive in the final stages.

While death rates from many cancers have declined thanks to better prevention, screening, and treatment, with the overall cancer death rate among Americans falling 22% between 1990 and 2011, death rates from glioblastoma remain virtually unchanged, says Dr. Adilia Hormigo, director of the Neuro-Oncology Program at Mount Sinai and Mount Sinai Health System. “The progress has been very limited; we’re kind of stuck with the same treatments.”

Part of the reason for this, according to Dr. Hormigo, is that the disease is so rare that there hasn’t been a big commitment on the part of pharmaceutical companies to fund development of new treatments. “It’s an orphan disease,” she added.

Brain cancer treatment

“Surgery is the backbone of therapy for most gliomas, because you get a diagnosis and then you take out a good portion of the tumor,” says Brian Alexander, MD, director of CNS radiation oncology at the Dana Farber Brigham and Women’s Cancer Center in Boston.

But glioblastoma grows very quickly, and is rarely fully eradicated with surgery. “For adults, most of the time, the tumors will come back,” Dr. Alexander says. “Glioblastomas progress within months or even days if you don’t treat them after surgery.”

First-line treatment of brain cancer typically involves surgery to remove as much of the tumor as possible, followed by radiation and chemotherapy with the drug temozolomide. Once radiation therapy is complete, patients continue taking temozolomide for another six to 12 months.

But even with this state-of-the-art treatment people live an average of just 14.6 months after being diagnosed with glioblastoma, according to Dr. Alexander. And just 33.3% of patients with all brain or nervous system cancers will survive past five years, compared to a five-year survival rate of 89.4% for breast cancers, according to the NCI.

Certain genetic profiles, for example those who have an inactivated MGMT gene in their tumors, have slightly better odds, Dr. Hormigo says.

And “of course you always have exceptions, I have had patients living eight years and patients who passed the 10 years margin, I think we all have,” she adds. “We give hope to the patients based on those cases.”

There are also a few hopeful treatment possibilities on the horizon, she added, including immunotherapy and even alternating electric field therapy, also known as tumor treating fields (TTF), a controversial treatment involves placing electrodes on a patient’s head and exposing cancer cells to electromagnetic waves.

Who gets it and why

People can be diagnosed with brain cancer at any age; it’s slightly more common in men than women.

The only known risk factor for the disease—aside from a handful of rare genetic syndromes—is ionizing radiation, according to Dr. Alexander. “Most of the patients that come in don’t have the genetic syndromes or exposure to ionizing radiation,” he added. “Most of the time, it’s unknown what causes it.”

Different types of brain cancer and their symptoms

There are more than 100 types of brain tumors, and not all types are as lethal as glioblastoma. For example, brain metastases, meaning tumors that have spread to the brain from elsewhere in the body, are about ten times as common as tumors originating in the brain, and may be easier to treat.

Meningiomas are tumors that form in the membranes surrounding the brain and are benign; these can sometimes be cured with surgery in the early stages. Meningiomas tend to grow slowly, and may not cause symptoms at all.

Aggressive brain cancers, on the other hand, can cause a host of symptoms, based on where they are located in the brain. These can include headache, seizures, sensory and movement problems, and changes in mental function or personality. And as the disease progresses, patients may have trouble speaking or walking or have other disabilities. “It’s difficult in all aspects,” Dr. Hormigo says.

RELATED: 25 Breast Cancer Myths Busted

from Health News / Tips & Trends / Celebrity Health http://ift.tt/1H5WXwU

FDA Panel Endorses Women’s Libido Pill

THURSDAY, June 4, 2015 (HealthDay News) — An advisory panel to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommended approval Thursday of what many call the “female Viagra” pill.

The panel voted 18-6 that the FDA grant approval to the drug, flibanseri, which is designed to boost a lack of sexual desire in premenopausal women. However, the panel members who voted yes said full FDA approval should come with certain conditions.

Those conditions include proper warning labels and education about side effects of the drug, which had been twice rejected by the FDA in recent years. Earlier trials of the drug revealed potential side effects such as fainting, nausea, dizziness, sleepiness and low-blood pressure, the Washington Post reported.

Thursday’s endorsement by the advisory panel was somewhat muted, with the committee calling the drug’s benefits “moderate” or “marginal,” the Post reported.

The FDA typically follows the recommendations of its advisory panels, but is not bound to do so. Formal approval of the drug could come by the end of summer, the newspaper said.

The refiled application for flibanserin followed a strong lobbying effort by women’s groups, consumer advocates and politicians who support approval of the daily pink pill for sexual dysfunction, the Associated Press reported. There is no drug on the market for women with low libido, and drug companies have been trying to get one approved since Viagra’s successful introduction for men in the late 1990s.

In a statement before the panel convened Thursday, Cindy Whitehead, CEO of flibanserin maker Sprout Pharmaceuticals, said, “The review of flibanserin … represents a critical milestone for the millions of American women and couples who live with the distress of this life-impacting condition without a single approved medical treatment today,” according to an NPR report.

Flibanserin, which would be sold under the brand name Addyi if granted final approval, shifts the balance of the brain chemicals dopamine, norepinephrine and serotonin to treat what is called “hypoactive sexual desire disorder,” or HSDD, in premenopausal women.

Viagra, on the other hand, works by increasing blood flow to the male genitals.

In clinical trials conducted by Sprout, women whose average age was 36 took the medication for five months and reported an increased sexual desire, reduced distress and an increase in “sexually satisfying events” compared with women taking a placebo, the Los Angeles Times reported.

The latest application by Sprout included new information requested by the FDA about how the pill affects driving ability. FDA scientists asked for the data because previous results in company clinical trials found that sleepiness occurred in nearly 10 percent of women who took the drug.

In the new study, Sprout compared the driving ability of women the morning after they took flibanserin with those who took a common sleeping pill or a placebo, the AP reported.

The FDA refused to approve flibanserin in 2010 and again in 2013, citing low levels of effectiveness and such side effects as nausea, dizziness and fatigue.

In an effort to pressure the FDA, groups funded by Sprout and other drug companies began pushing the lack of a female libido drug as a women’s rights issue.

An online petition by a group called Even the Score stated: “Women deserve equal treatment when it comes to sex,” and has collected nearly 25,000 supporters.

The group receives funding from Sprout Pharmaceuticals, Palatin Technologies and Trimel Pharmaceuticals, all of which are working on drugs to treat female sexual disorders. Nonprofit supporters of the group include the Women’s Health Foundation and the Institute for Sexual Medicines, the AP reported.

However, the National Women’s Health Network, a nonprofit advocacy organization, called on the FDA to deny approval of the drug in an organization news release, saying, “Based on our review of the data about flibanserin, it’s clear the problem with this drug is not gender bias at the FDA but rather the drug itself.”

In response to the panel’s action, Cindy Pearson, executive director of the organization, expressed disappointment and said, “Women rely on the FDA to ensure that any drugs or devices market to and used by them are both safe and effective. In this case, we still have serious doubts about women’s ability to make informed decisions about the safety and effectiveness of this controversial drug.”

More information

The American Sexual Health Association has more on women’s sexual difficulties.

---

from Health News / Tips & Trends / Celebrity Health http://ift.tt/1FXygkg

Falls Are Leading Cause of Childhood Injuries, Expert Says

THURSDAY, June 4, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Falls are the leading cause of childhood injuries, and most of them occur in the home, a pediatric trauma expert said.

Many people associate falls with playgrounds, but kids can tumble off changing tables. They can also fall out of infant seats, shopping carts and windows, resulting in serious injuries, according to Dr. Christopher Moir, a pediatric surgeon at the Mayo Clinic Children Center in Rochester, Minn. Falling from windows often results in more serious injuries, according to Moir.

“It happens every day. Actually 14 times on average every day a child will be seriously injured from falling out of a window,” Moir said. “Kids play. They are active, imaginative and creative and they fall all the time. That’s what they do. But parents need to know how essential it is to never lose sight of their child while they are young and defenseless.”

About 8,000 children are treated daily in emergency rooms for falls, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Falls accounted for 35 percent of injuries involving children at Mayo Clinic’s Level 1 Pediatric Trauma Center in 2014, Moir pointed out.

There are a number of ways parents can protect their children from falls, according to Moir. Here are some tips:

• Always ensure that children have adult supervision.
• Make sure children are buckled or strapped into bouncy seats, car seats and carriers.
• Don’t put bouncy seats or car seats on countertops, tables or appliances.
• Keep one hand on babies when they are on the changing table or couch.
• Use baby gates at the top and bottom of stairs.
• Don’t let kids stand in shopping carts.

It’s also important for parents to understand that window screens don’t prevent children from falling from windows, Moir cautioned.

Screens keep insects out, but they don’t keep children in, he said. Be sure that upstairs windows are closed unless they are opened from the top down. Avoid opening windows that children can reach. Never place furniture that children can climb on near windows. Be sure to set clear rules and let children know they are not allowed to play near windows or patio doors. Commercial window guards are also available to protect children from falls.

Children with a serious or life-threatening injury from a fall should receive immediate medical attention. Children who fall but do not appear to be injured should be closely monitored. Children who are not behaving normally should be seen by a doctor right away.

More information

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provides more tips on how to prevent child falls.

---

from Health News / Tips & Trends / Celebrity Health http://ift.tt/1EYAbAZ

Scientists Bioengineer First Artificial Animal Limb

THURSDAY, June 4, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Researchers say they have taken the first steps in creating artificial replacement limbs that could be used for transplantation in the future.

Massachusetts General Hospital scientists have developed bioartificial rat forelimbs with functioning vascular and muscle tissue. (The term “bioartificial” means using biomaterials and cells to make replacement organs or limbs.) The scientists believe this process could one day work in primates — including humans — as well.

The researchers reported their findings online recently in the journal Biomaterials.

Although advances in prosthetic technology have helped the more than 1.5 million U.S. residents who are missing limbs, the artificial devices have functional and aesthetic drawbacks, the study authors noted. And transplants with donor hands, developed over the past two decades, expose recipients to risky immunosuppressive therapy for life, the researchers said.

“The composite nature of our limbs makes building a functional biological replacement particularly challenging,” said study senior author Dr. Harald Ott.

“Limbs contain muscles, bone, cartilage, blood vessels, tendons, ligaments and nerves — each of which has to be rebuilt and requires a specific supporting structure called the matrix. We have shown that we can maintain the matrix of all of these tissues in their natural relationships to each other, that we can culture the entire construct over prolonged periods of time, and that we can repopulate the vascular system and musculature,” Ott said in a hospital news release.

Ott and his colleagues explained that a recipient can provide the specific cells needed to regenerate all of the tissues that make up a limb. “What has been missing is the matrix or scaffold on which cells could grow into the appropriate tissues,” they said in the news release.

In Ott’s previous research, living cells were stripped from a donor organ with a detergent solution. The remaining matrix was repopulated with specific cells appropriate to the particular organ.

For the new study, he and his colleagues used this “decellularization” technique to tackle the complexities of a bioartificial limb, while growing muscle and vascular cells in culture.

According to the news release, the resulting limb is complete with vascular cells along blood vessel walls and appropriate fibers of muscle cells.

When transplanted into animals, blood circulated through the vascular system, and electrical stimulation of muscles flexed the wrists and digits of the animals’ paws, the researchers said.

Although animal research isn’t necessarily applicable to humans, the researchers said they also successfully decellularized baboon forearms to show the feasibility of working on a human scale.

One of the upcoming challenges, Ott said, is regrowing nerves within a limb graft and reintegrating them into a recipient’s nervous system. “Additional next steps will be replicating our success in muscle regeneration with human cells and expanding that to other tissue types, such as bone, cartilage and connective tissue,” he said.

More information

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs talks about engineering artificial limbs.

---

from Health News / Tips & Trends / Celebrity Health http://ift.tt/1G9V3dZ