According to Save the Children, over two million newborns die within one day of being born worldwide every year - eight million children die each before they reach the age of five. Most of these deaths could be prevented if simple provisions were available, such as trained midwives.
The charity, in a report called The State of the World's Mothers 2006 says more than 500,000 women die annually from either giving birth or complications of pregnancy. Many of them give birth at home, alone.
Save the Children estimates that 70% of these deaths could and should be prevented.
The report describes childbirth as a dance with death for many babies and their mothers in the developing world. When I read it I was reminded of those baby turtles that break out of their eggs and race to the sea, hoping to make it before being picked off by swooping seagulls.
The report paints a bleak picture for many pregnant women and newborns in the developed world. It also reveals a gigantic gap between the rich and poorest nations.
Out of 1000 babies born in Japan, 1.8 die in their first day of life. In parts of sub-Saharan Africa the number stands at 200 out of every 1000.
четверг, 26 января 2012 г.
четверг, 19 января 2012 г.
Early Consumption Of Soda Indicator Of Unhealthy Diet
Young girls who drink soda have less healthy diets through adolescence than their peers who do not drink soda, according to a Penn State study.
The ten-year study showed that girls who drank soda at age five had diets that were less likely to meet nutritional standards for the duration of the study, which ended at age 15. Girls who did not drink soda at age five did not meet certain nutritional requirements, but their diets were healthier.
The difference between the two groups in nutrient intake is "not just because of what they are consuming, but because of what they are not consuming," said Laura Fiorito, postdoctoral fellow in Penn State's Center for Child Obesity Research.
Milk intake differed greatly between the two groups - soda drinkers drank far less milk than non-soda drinkers - and milk has all of the nutrients that differed between the groups except fiber. At age five, non-soda drinkers consumed 10 to 11 ounces of milk daily, while soda drinkers had less than seven ounces.
"Adequate nutrient intake is important for optimal health and growth," the researchers reported in a recent issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association.
For example, low calcium intake is associated with increased risk of bone fractures and higher added sugar is associated with dental problems and the development of several chronic diseases, such as type 2 diabetes.
The Institute of Medicine, part of the National Academy of Sciences, recommends that girls between age 14 and 18 receive at least 65 milligrams of vitamin C daily. In this study, soda drinkers fell short at just 55 milligrams daily, while non-soda drinkers exceeded the recommendation at 70.5 milligrams daily.
Although soda drinkers had less healthy diets, both groups failed to meet recommendations for certain nutrients. The Institute recommends that girls age 14 to 18 receive at least 1,300 milligrams of calcium daily. At age 15, soda drinkers in the study averaged 767 milligrams a day, while non-soda drinkers had slightly higher intakes at 851 milligrams a day, but were still deficient.
The researchers also found that both groups increased their soda consumption by age 15. However, soda drinkers were consuming nearly twice as much soda at age 15 than their counterparts - 6.6 ounces a day versus 3.4 ounces a day.
Although the study has considerable implications on how beverages impact diet, Fiorito believes children may already have developed drinking preferences and patterns by age five.
"We think that the patterns develop when they are younger. Some studies show that children already drinking soda or carbonated beverages at age two," said Fiorito.
The study followed 170 girls for 10 years, documenting meals three times every two years. Girls classified as "soda drinkers" - those who drank roughly four ounces of soda daily at age five - showed much lower intakes of fiber, protein, vitamin C, vitamin D, calcium, magnesium, phosphorous, and potassium throughout the study than "non-soda drinkers" -- those who had no soda intake at age five. Also, the soda drinkers had much higher intake of added sugars. The study did not distinguish between diet and regular soda because the "soda drinkers" drank both types, but diet soda intake was very low at age five.
Parents of soda drinkers in the study had higher body mass indexes than non-soda drinkers' parents. Fiorito believes this suggests that "parents model consumption patterns for their children," and that the parents' unhealthy eating habits not only contributed to an increased BMI, but influenced children.
There have been other studies on the effects of soda on dieting, but this is the first study to track the consumption of multiple beverages over a ten-year period. Included in the study were coffee/tea, soda, milk, 100 percent fruit juice, and fruit drinks - any fruit-flavored drinks with less than 100 percent fruit juice.
Other beverages have come under scrutiny in recent years for their possible negative health consequences. For example, the American Academy of Pediatrics issued a formal statement in 2001 that recommended limits on children's fruit juice intake. The Academy has not issued any formal statement on soda, but this study provides a clear link showing that soda can prevent people from maintaining a healthy diet.
Other researchers on the study were Leann L. Birch, distinguished professor of human development and family studies; Helen Smiciklas-Wright, professor emerita of nutritional sciences; Diane C. Mitchell, diet assessment coordinator, and Michele Marini, project assistant, all at Penn State.
The National Institutes of Health and the National Dairy Council supported this work.
Source:
A'ndrea Elyse Messer
Penn State
The ten-year study showed that girls who drank soda at age five had diets that were less likely to meet nutritional standards for the duration of the study, which ended at age 15. Girls who did not drink soda at age five did not meet certain nutritional requirements, but their diets were healthier.
The difference between the two groups in nutrient intake is "not just because of what they are consuming, but because of what they are not consuming," said Laura Fiorito, postdoctoral fellow in Penn State's Center for Child Obesity Research.
Milk intake differed greatly between the two groups - soda drinkers drank far less milk than non-soda drinkers - and milk has all of the nutrients that differed between the groups except fiber. At age five, non-soda drinkers consumed 10 to 11 ounces of milk daily, while soda drinkers had less than seven ounces.
"Adequate nutrient intake is important for optimal health and growth," the researchers reported in a recent issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association.
For example, low calcium intake is associated with increased risk of bone fractures and higher added sugar is associated with dental problems and the development of several chronic diseases, such as type 2 diabetes.
The Institute of Medicine, part of the National Academy of Sciences, recommends that girls between age 14 and 18 receive at least 65 milligrams of vitamin C daily. In this study, soda drinkers fell short at just 55 milligrams daily, while non-soda drinkers exceeded the recommendation at 70.5 milligrams daily.
Although soda drinkers had less healthy diets, both groups failed to meet recommendations for certain nutrients. The Institute recommends that girls age 14 to 18 receive at least 1,300 milligrams of calcium daily. At age 15, soda drinkers in the study averaged 767 milligrams a day, while non-soda drinkers had slightly higher intakes at 851 milligrams a day, but were still deficient.
The researchers also found that both groups increased their soda consumption by age 15. However, soda drinkers were consuming nearly twice as much soda at age 15 than their counterparts - 6.6 ounces a day versus 3.4 ounces a day.
Although the study has considerable implications on how beverages impact diet, Fiorito believes children may already have developed drinking preferences and patterns by age five.
"We think that the patterns develop when they are younger. Some studies show that children already drinking soda or carbonated beverages at age two," said Fiorito.
The study followed 170 girls for 10 years, documenting meals three times every two years. Girls classified as "soda drinkers" - those who drank roughly four ounces of soda daily at age five - showed much lower intakes of fiber, protein, vitamin C, vitamin D, calcium, magnesium, phosphorous, and potassium throughout the study than "non-soda drinkers" -- those who had no soda intake at age five. Also, the soda drinkers had much higher intake of added sugars. The study did not distinguish between diet and regular soda because the "soda drinkers" drank both types, but diet soda intake was very low at age five.
Parents of soda drinkers in the study had higher body mass indexes than non-soda drinkers' parents. Fiorito believes this suggests that "parents model consumption patterns for their children," and that the parents' unhealthy eating habits not only contributed to an increased BMI, but influenced children.
There have been other studies on the effects of soda on dieting, but this is the first study to track the consumption of multiple beverages over a ten-year period. Included in the study were coffee/tea, soda, milk, 100 percent fruit juice, and fruit drinks - any fruit-flavored drinks with less than 100 percent fruit juice.
Other beverages have come under scrutiny in recent years for their possible negative health consequences. For example, the American Academy of Pediatrics issued a formal statement in 2001 that recommended limits on children's fruit juice intake. The Academy has not issued any formal statement on soda, but this study provides a clear link showing that soda can prevent people from maintaining a healthy diet.
Other researchers on the study were Leann L. Birch, distinguished professor of human development and family studies; Helen Smiciklas-Wright, professor emerita of nutritional sciences; Diane C. Mitchell, diet assessment coordinator, and Michele Marini, project assistant, all at Penn State.
The National Institutes of Health and the National Dairy Council supported this work.
Source:
A'ndrea Elyse Messer
Penn State
четверг, 12 января 2012 г.
Link Between Increased Contraceptive Supply And Fewer Unintended Pregnancies
Rates of unintended pregnancies and abortions decrease significantly when women receive a one-year supply of oral contraceptives, instead of being prescribed one- or three-month supplies, a UCSF study shows.
Researchers observed a 30 percent reduction in the odds of pregnancy and a 46 percent decrease in the odds of an abortion in women given a one-year supply of birth control pills at a clinic versus women who received the standard prescriptions for one - or three-month supplies.
The researchers speculate that a larger supply of oral contraceptive pills may allow more consistent use, since women need to make fewer visits to a clinic or pharmacy for their next supply.
"Women need to have contraceptives on hand so that their use is as automatic as using safety devices in cars, " said Diana Greene Foster, PhD, lead author and associate professor in the UCSF Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences. "Providing one cycle of oral contraceptives at a time is similar to asking people to visit a clinic or pharmacy to renew their seatbelts each month."
Foster also is director of research for Advancing New Standards in Reproductive Health, part of the UCSF Bixby Center for Global Reproductive Health. Her study's findings appear online here.
The researchers linked 84,401 women who received oral contraceptives in January 2006 through Family PACT (Planning, Access, Care, Treatment), a California family planning program, to Medi-Cal data showing pregnancies and births in 2006. Through Family PACT, some family planning clinics are able to dispense a one-year supply of pills on-site.
Oral contraceptive pills are the most commonly used method of reversible contraception in the United States, the team states. While highly effective when used correctly (three pregnancies per 1,000 women in the first year of use), approximately half of women regularly miss one or more pills per cycle, a practice associated with a much higher pregnancy rate (80 pregnancies per 1,000 women in the first year of use), according to the team.
The findings of this study have implications for women using oral contraceptives across the country. Most oral contraceptive users in the United States get fewer than four packs at a time; nearly half need to return every month for resupply, according to a 2010 study published in Contraception.
Making oral contraceptive pills more accessible may reduce the incidence of unintended pregnancy and abortion, while saving taxpayers' dollars, the researchers state. If the 65,000 women in the analysis who received either one or three packs of pills at a time had experienced the same pregnancy and abortion rates as women who received a one-year supply, almost 1,300 publicly funded pregnancies and 300 abortions would have been averted, according to the team.
"The evidence indicates that health plans and public health programs may avoid paying for costly unintended pregnancies by increasing dispensing limits on oral contraceptives," said Foster. "Improving access to contraceptive methods reduces the need for abortion and helps women to plan their pregnancies."
Co-authors are Denis Hulett, Mary Bradsberry, Phillip Darney, MD, MSc, and Michael Policar, MD, MPH, all with the Bixby Center for Global Reproductive Health, UCSF Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, and San Francisco General Hospital.
Source:
Karin Rush-Monroe
University of California - San Francisco
Researchers observed a 30 percent reduction in the odds of pregnancy and a 46 percent decrease in the odds of an abortion in women given a one-year supply of birth control pills at a clinic versus women who received the standard prescriptions for one - or three-month supplies.
The researchers speculate that a larger supply of oral contraceptive pills may allow more consistent use, since women need to make fewer visits to a clinic or pharmacy for their next supply.
"Women need to have contraceptives on hand so that their use is as automatic as using safety devices in cars, " said Diana Greene Foster, PhD, lead author and associate professor in the UCSF Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences. "Providing one cycle of oral contraceptives at a time is similar to asking people to visit a clinic or pharmacy to renew their seatbelts each month."
Foster also is director of research for Advancing New Standards in Reproductive Health, part of the UCSF Bixby Center for Global Reproductive Health. Her study's findings appear online here.
The researchers linked 84,401 women who received oral contraceptives in January 2006 through Family PACT (Planning, Access, Care, Treatment), a California family planning program, to Medi-Cal data showing pregnancies and births in 2006. Through Family PACT, some family planning clinics are able to dispense a one-year supply of pills on-site.
Oral contraceptive pills are the most commonly used method of reversible contraception in the United States, the team states. While highly effective when used correctly (three pregnancies per 1,000 women in the first year of use), approximately half of women regularly miss one or more pills per cycle, a practice associated with a much higher pregnancy rate (80 pregnancies per 1,000 women in the first year of use), according to the team.
The findings of this study have implications for women using oral contraceptives across the country. Most oral contraceptive users in the United States get fewer than four packs at a time; nearly half need to return every month for resupply, according to a 2010 study published in Contraception.
Making oral contraceptive pills more accessible may reduce the incidence of unintended pregnancy and abortion, while saving taxpayers' dollars, the researchers state. If the 65,000 women in the analysis who received either one or three packs of pills at a time had experienced the same pregnancy and abortion rates as women who received a one-year supply, almost 1,300 publicly funded pregnancies and 300 abortions would have been averted, according to the team.
"The evidence indicates that health plans and public health programs may avoid paying for costly unintended pregnancies by increasing dispensing limits on oral contraceptives," said Foster. "Improving access to contraceptive methods reduces the need for abortion and helps women to plan their pregnancies."
Co-authors are Denis Hulett, Mary Bradsberry, Phillip Darney, MD, MSc, and Michael Policar, MD, MPH, all with the Bixby Center for Global Reproductive Health, UCSF Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, and San Francisco General Hospital.
Source:
Karin Rush-Monroe
University of California - San Francisco
четверг, 5 января 2012 г.
NIH Panel Releases Conclusions About Compound BPA's Effect On Reproductive Disorders
A 12-member panel from NIH's Center for the Evaluation of Risks to Human Reproduction on Wednesday said it has "minimal" or "negligible" concerns that the compound bisphenol A, which is found in plastic and is similar to estrogen, can cause human reproductive disorders, the Los Angeles Times reports. The panel also said that the compound, also known as BPA, could pose some risk to the neurological development of infants and children (Cone, Los Angeles Times, 8/9).
The journal Reproductive Toxicology last week published on its Web site a statement warning that BPA likely is causing various human reproductive disorders. The statement was accompanied by a new study from NIH that found uterine damage in animals exposed to BPA. The damage is a potential predictor of reproductive diseases among women, including fibroids, endometriosis, cystic ovaries and cancers. Several dozen scientists reviewed about 700 earlier studies and for the first time linked BPA to female reproductive disorders. They also concluded that people are exposed to higher BPA levels than those found to harm laboratory animals. Infants and fetuses are most likely to experience harm from BPA.
In the statement, 38 scientists said that BPA causes cells to turn genes on or off, which could predispose a fetus or child to a reproductive disorder. In addition, BPA levels found in lab animals are similar to those found in human fetal blood, the statement said.
According to Retha Newbold of NIH's National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, the study found that BPA can cause reproductive damage similar to the anti-miscarriage drug diethylstilbestrol, which was given to pregnant women from the 1940s to the 1970s. Diethylstilbestrol was later found to cause infertility and reproductive cancers among children born to women who took the drug. No studies have been conducted on BPA's effects among humans, and the scientists who signed the statement are calling for human research (Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report, 8/6).
The panel reviewed 500 animal studies and used five rankings -- negligible concern, minimal concern, some concern, concern and severe concern -- for its findings, the Times reports. For fetuses, pregnant women, infants and children, the panel said there is "some concern that exposure to BPA causes neural and behavioral effects." For fetuses and children, the panel said there is "minimal concern" that BPA harms the prostate gland and causes premature puberty. The panel also said that there is "negligible concern" that BPA cases birth defects. For adults, they reported "negligible concern about adverse reproductive effects." According to the Times, part of the reason the panel ranked the reproductive risks less seriously than the other group of scientists is that the panel rejected several studies in which animals were exposed to BPA through injection rather than through their diets. The panel's recommendation will be reviewed by the National Toxicology Program for a federal report that could lead to regulations restricting use of the chemical, the Times reports.
The journal Reproductive Toxicology last week published on its Web site a statement warning that BPA likely is causing various human reproductive disorders. The statement was accompanied by a new study from NIH that found uterine damage in animals exposed to BPA. The damage is a potential predictor of reproductive diseases among women, including fibroids, endometriosis, cystic ovaries and cancers. Several dozen scientists reviewed about 700 earlier studies and for the first time linked BPA to female reproductive disorders. They also concluded that people are exposed to higher BPA levels than those found to harm laboratory animals. Infants and fetuses are most likely to experience harm from BPA.
In the statement, 38 scientists said that BPA causes cells to turn genes on or off, which could predispose a fetus or child to a reproductive disorder. In addition, BPA levels found in lab animals are similar to those found in human fetal blood, the statement said.
According to Retha Newbold of NIH's National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, the study found that BPA can cause reproductive damage similar to the anti-miscarriage drug diethylstilbestrol, which was given to pregnant women from the 1940s to the 1970s. Diethylstilbestrol was later found to cause infertility and reproductive cancers among children born to women who took the drug. No studies have been conducted on BPA's effects among humans, and the scientists who signed the statement are calling for human research (Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report, 8/6).
The panel reviewed 500 animal studies and used five rankings -- negligible concern, minimal concern, some concern, concern and severe concern -- for its findings, the Times reports. For fetuses, pregnant women, infants and children, the panel said there is "some concern that exposure to BPA causes neural and behavioral effects." For fetuses and children, the panel said there is "minimal concern" that BPA harms the prostate gland and causes premature puberty. The panel also said that there is "negligible concern" that BPA cases birth defects. For adults, they reported "negligible concern about adverse reproductive effects." According to the Times, part of the reason the panel ranked the reproductive risks less seriously than the other group of scientists is that the panel rejected several studies in which animals were exposed to BPA through injection rather than through their diets. The panel's recommendation will be reviewed by the National Toxicology Program for a federal report that could lead to regulations restricting use of the chemical, the Times reports.
Comments, Reaction
John Bucher, associate director of NTP, said the panel gave the most weight to neurological effects in children, infants and fetuses because studies consistently have found those effects when newborn animals are exposed to low doses similar to what humans encounter. He added that because the science remains uncertain, it is up to individuals to decide whether to avoid products with BPA.
Steve Hentges of the American Chemistry Council's polycarbonate division said the panel's report is a "strong reassurance to consumers" that products containing BPA are safe. Frederick vom Saal, a University of Missouri-Columbia reproductive toxicologist who has conducted studies on BPA, said that it is disappointing that the panel did not rank the risk higher but that the "panel is now on record saying there are human health concerns."
Some environmental advocates "lambasted" the panel's report, saying it minimized the risks and ignored important research, according to the Times. Anila Jacob of the Environmental Working Group said, "Only the chemical industry agrees with the decision that BPA has little or no human health risks." She added, "That by itself should speak volumes about the corrupted process endorsed by the panel today" (Los Angeles Times, 8/9).
The panel's report is available online. Note: You will need Adobe Acrobat to view the report.
CNN on Thursday included a discussion with CNN medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen about the panel's findings (Phillips, CNN, 8/9). A transcript of the segment is available online. In addition, NPR's "All Things Considered" on Thursday included a discussion with panel member Jane Adams, a neurodevelopmental toxicologist, about the findings (Seabrook, "All Things Considered," NPR, 8/9). Audio of the segment is available online.
Reprinted with kind permission from kaisernetwork. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at kaisernetwork/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. © 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.
четверг, 29 декабря 2011 г.
How Rett Syndrome Mutation Targets The Brain
Researchers have pinpointed why mutations that cause Rett Syndrome (RTT)--among the leading causes of mental retardation in females--specifically target the brain rather than other body tissues. They said their findings yield important insight into the origin and course of the disease.
RTT has been especially puzzling because girls with the disorder develop normally through the first 6 to 18 months of life. But then they lose motor skills and speech, their heads cease normal growth, and they begin to show irregular breathing, obsessive hand-wringing, and autistic behaviors.
Researchers had traced the RTT's cause to mutations in the gene for methyl-CpG-binding protein 2 (MeCP2)--a protein found in tissues throughout the body that regulates many target genes by repressing their activity. The gene for MeCP2 is found on the X chromosome, which is why females, with two X chromosomes, are far more likely to suffer from RTT than are males.
In their new studies, reported in the October 19, 2006, issue of the journal Neuron, published by Cell Press, Michael Greenberg and colleagues tackled a central mystery of the disorder: why mutations in the MeCP2 gene specifically produce neural pathology. They also sought to understand why the pathology of RTT does not appear until well into infant development.
In experiments with rats and mice, the researchers identified a particular site, called S421, on the MeCP2 protein that is the trigger site for activating MeCP2 during its normal function. MeCP2 is activated by a process called phosphorylation, in response to neuronal activity, as when the brain receives sensory experience, they found. Without such activation, as occurs when MeCP2 is "crippled" by a mutation affecting S421, the protein does not function properly.
Particularly significant was the researchers' finding that MeCP2 is selectively phosphorylated at the S421 site only in the brain. This specificity explains why mutations affecting that site target brain development, they said.
The researchers' experiments showed that mutating the MeCP2 gene specifically at the S421 site disrupts normal growth of interconnections, called dendrites, among neurons. Such growth is necessary for the brain to wire itself normally in response to experience. Dendrites are the structures that form one side of the contacts, called synapses, among neurons.
"In this study, we identify an important missing link in the synaptic hypothesis of RTT by identifying S421 as a major site of activity-dependent modification on MeCP2 that is required for the maturation of neuronal connectivity, thereby providing a potential mechanism by which experience-dependent stimuli might regulate MeCP2 function," concluded the researchers.
They wrote that "These findings suggest a key role for the activity-dependent regulation of MeCP2 in the maturation of neuronal connectivity and provide a new framework for understanding how mutations in MeCP2 lead to the deregulation of these processes in RTT."
The researchers include Zhaolan Zhou, Elizabeth J. Hong, Sonia Cohen, Hsin-yi Henry Ho, Wen G. Chen, Yingxi Lin, Eric C. Griffith, and Michael E. Greenberg of Children's Hospital Boston and Harvard Medical School in Boston, Massachusetts; Wen-ning Zhao and Charles J. Weitz of Harvard Medical School in Boston, Massachusetts; Lauren Schmidt, Erin Savner, Linda Hu, and Judith A.J. Steen of Children's Hospital Boston in Boston, Massachusetts.
This work was supported by the Rett Syndrome Research Foundation (M.E.G.), National Institutes of Health grants (NS048276,M.E.G.; NS43491, C.J.W.), the NIH Medical Scientist Training Program (S.C.), the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation (H.-y.H.H), the Fannie and John Hertz Foundation (E.J.H.), and the Helen Hay Whitney Foundation (E.C.G., Z.Z.).
Zhou et al.: "Brain-Specific Phosphorylation of MeCP2 Regulates Activity-Dependent Bdnf Transcription, Dendritic Growth, and Spine Maturation." Publishing in Neuron 52, 255??"269, October 19, 2006. DOI 10.1016/j.neuron.2006.09.037 neuron/
Contact: Heidi Hardman
Cell Press
RTT has been especially puzzling because girls with the disorder develop normally through the first 6 to 18 months of life. But then they lose motor skills and speech, their heads cease normal growth, and they begin to show irregular breathing, obsessive hand-wringing, and autistic behaviors.
Researchers had traced the RTT's cause to mutations in the gene for methyl-CpG-binding protein 2 (MeCP2)--a protein found in tissues throughout the body that regulates many target genes by repressing their activity. The gene for MeCP2 is found on the X chromosome, which is why females, with two X chromosomes, are far more likely to suffer from RTT than are males.
In their new studies, reported in the October 19, 2006, issue of the journal Neuron, published by Cell Press, Michael Greenberg and colleagues tackled a central mystery of the disorder: why mutations in the MeCP2 gene specifically produce neural pathology. They also sought to understand why the pathology of RTT does not appear until well into infant development.
In experiments with rats and mice, the researchers identified a particular site, called S421, on the MeCP2 protein that is the trigger site for activating MeCP2 during its normal function. MeCP2 is activated by a process called phosphorylation, in response to neuronal activity, as when the brain receives sensory experience, they found. Without such activation, as occurs when MeCP2 is "crippled" by a mutation affecting S421, the protein does not function properly.
Particularly significant was the researchers' finding that MeCP2 is selectively phosphorylated at the S421 site only in the brain. This specificity explains why mutations affecting that site target brain development, they said.
The researchers' experiments showed that mutating the MeCP2 gene specifically at the S421 site disrupts normal growth of interconnections, called dendrites, among neurons. Such growth is necessary for the brain to wire itself normally in response to experience. Dendrites are the structures that form one side of the contacts, called synapses, among neurons.
"In this study, we identify an important missing link in the synaptic hypothesis of RTT by identifying S421 as a major site of activity-dependent modification on MeCP2 that is required for the maturation of neuronal connectivity, thereby providing a potential mechanism by which experience-dependent stimuli might regulate MeCP2 function," concluded the researchers.
They wrote that "These findings suggest a key role for the activity-dependent regulation of MeCP2 in the maturation of neuronal connectivity and provide a new framework for understanding how mutations in MeCP2 lead to the deregulation of these processes in RTT."
The researchers include Zhaolan Zhou, Elizabeth J. Hong, Sonia Cohen, Hsin-yi Henry Ho, Wen G. Chen, Yingxi Lin, Eric C. Griffith, and Michael E. Greenberg of Children's Hospital Boston and Harvard Medical School in Boston, Massachusetts; Wen-ning Zhao and Charles J. Weitz of Harvard Medical School in Boston, Massachusetts; Lauren Schmidt, Erin Savner, Linda Hu, and Judith A.J. Steen of Children's Hospital Boston in Boston, Massachusetts.
This work was supported by the Rett Syndrome Research Foundation (M.E.G.), National Institutes of Health grants (NS048276,M.E.G.; NS43491, C.J.W.), the NIH Medical Scientist Training Program (S.C.), the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation (H.-y.H.H), the Fannie and John Hertz Foundation (E.J.H.), and the Helen Hay Whitney Foundation (E.C.G., Z.Z.).
Zhou et al.: "Brain-Specific Phosphorylation of MeCP2 Regulates Activity-Dependent Bdnf Transcription, Dendritic Growth, and Spine Maturation." Publishing in Neuron 52, 255??"269, October 19, 2006. DOI 10.1016/j.neuron.2006.09.037 neuron/
Contact: Heidi Hardman
Cell Press
четверг, 22 декабря 2011 г.
Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report Highlights Women's Health Policy Issues Related To 2006 Elections
The following highlights recent election-related news on women's health issues.
Connecticut: Although Gov. M. Jodi Rell (R) supports abortion rights, NARAL Pro-Choice Connecticut recently chose not to endorse her bid for re-election in part because of her lack of support for legislation that would require hospitals to provide rape survivors access to emergency contraception and because of the voting record of her running mate, the AP/Stamford Advocate reports. According to gubernatorial candidate John DeStefano's (D) campaign, Rell's running mate, former state Rep. Michael Fedele (R), in 1998 voted for a failed amendment to a measure that would have classified performing a late-term abortion as a class D felony, punishable by up to five years in prison. NARAL Pro-Choice Connecticut Executive Director Carolyn Treiss said that Fedele did not return the group's candidate questionnaire for the November election, adding in a statement, "It concerns us Gov. Rell did not take the issue of women's reproductive freedom into account when selecting a running mate." Rell said that Fedele supports abortion rights, adding, "A lot of people feel very strongly on the 'partial-birth' abortion, but Mike has always been pro-choice." Rell also said she is proud of her record on women's issues, including supporting legislation allowing women to stay in the hospital longer after a mastectomy and increasing access to mammograms (Haigh, AP/Stamford Advocate, 10/3).
Iowa: Gubernatorial candidates Jim Nussle (R) and Chet Culver (D) on Monday during their first televised debate discussed abortion rights and human embryonic stem cell research issues, the Des Moines Register reports (Beaumont, Des Moines Register, 10/3). Nussle, a U.S. representative, last year voted against a bill (HR 810) that would have expanded federal funding for embryonic stem cell research and in July voted to sustain President Bush's veto of the measure, saying he opposes giving federal funding to research using human embryos. Culver, Iowa's secretary of state, has said if elected, he would call for the repeal of a 2002 state law that bans multiple forms of stem cell research and would call for the allocation of $10 million to create an Iowa Center for Regenerative Medicine at the University of Iowa Hospital and Clinics (Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report, 7/25). Culver also has said he supports abortion rights and would veto any legislation seeking to place limitations on the procedure. Campaign staff for Nussle has said he would sign a bill banning abortion in the second and third trimesters of pregnancy if elected (Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report, 9/8). Nussle on Monday also said Iowa should approve a law requiring minors seeking abortion to obtain consent from their parents (Glover, AP/Charles City Press, 10/3). Culver said that his position on abortion rights is with the "mainstream in the state" and that Nussle's is an "extreme position." Nussle said, "I do not have an extreme position unless you believe that it's extreme to protect unborn life" (Gearino, Sioux City Journal, 10/5).
Ohio: Secretary of State and gubernatorial candidate J. Kenneth Blackwell (R) in a meeting before the Columbus Dispatch editorial board said medical science has advanced to the point at which choosing to save the life of a pregnant woman or aborting the fetus is "no longer the dilemma the medial profession had to deal with," the Dispatch reports. U.S. Rep. Ted Strickland, the Democratic gubernatorial candidate, who supports abortion rights and also attended the meeting, said "every physician I've talked with" has said that Blackwell's statement "is flat out wrong," adding that Blackwell has "nuanced" his position from opposing all abortions during the Republican primary to now allowing it to save the life of the pregnant woman. Blackwell said that he has not changed his position. He also said that if his daughter were raped, the "more traumatic choice for that young woman, in this case my daughter," would be to undergo an abortion rather than to carry the pregnancy to term. Strickland said, "It ought to be her choice" (Hallett/Niquette, Columbus Dispatch, 10/3).
"Reprinted with permission from kaisernetwork. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at kaisernetwork/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation . © 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.
четверг, 15 декабря 2011 г.
West Australian Women: Drinking Before, And During, Pregnancy
* In a survey of non-indigenous West Australian women, 79.8 percent reported drinking alcohol in the three months before becoming pregnant.
* Nearly half of the women (46.7%) surveyed reported that their pregnancy was unplanned.
* More than half (58.7%) drank alcohol during pregnancy despite recommendations of abstinence.
Complications due to drinking during pregnancy can range from the very serious Fetal Alcohol Syndrome to the less severe and possibly greater-occurring Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders. The timing of alcohol consumption, its frequency, the beverage size and type, all appear to be crucial elements of identifying risk. A new survey has found that nearly 80 percent of non-Indigenous West Australian women consumed alcohol during the three months before pregnancy; nearly half had not planned their pregnancies; and more than half drank alcohol during pregnancy despite recommendations of abstinence.
Results are published in the February issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research.
"There is a lack of information as it relates to the measurement of alcohol consumption during the periconceptional period of pregnancy," said Lyn Colvin, a researcher at the Telethon Institute for Child Health Research at The University of Western Australia and corresponding author for the study. "In particular, information on specific alcoholic beverage consumed, frequency, timing during pregnancy, and volume in standard drinks are rare."
Colleen O'Leary, a research associate at the Telethon Institute for Child Health Research, concurs. "The most vulnerable period for the fetus is during the first trimester," she said, "although there is potential risk to the baby from drinking throughout pregnancy. It is important to know how much alcohol women are drinking both during the periconceptional period and throughout pregnancy, as well as more about the relationship between alcohol consumption during the periconceptional period and unplanned pregnancy. This information is important for women and men, policy makers and researchers."
Researchers analyzed data from a survey of 4,839 women 12 weeks after delivery. The women had agreed to participate in the 1995 - 1997 West Australian Pregnancy and Infancy Survey, created from a 10-percent random sample of all non-Indigenous women giving birth in Western Australia. Each participant was asked questions about alcohol consumption during four time periods: the periconceptional period, and each trimester of pregnancy. Questions were designed to measure the volume and type of alcoholic beverage consumed, as well as frequency of consumption.
* Nearly 80 percent reported drinking alcohol in the three months before becoming pregnant.
"Of those 3,860 women consuming alcohol in the three months before pregnancy," said Colvin, "the majority (55.6%) drank more than one type of alcoholic beverage. Once pregnant, the majority (65.5%) drank only one type of alcoholic beverage."
* Nearly half of the women (46.7%) surveyed had not planned their pregnancy.
"These data are in agreement with other Australian studies, and studies from the United States and Britain," said O'Leary. "It is concerning, however, that with the range of contraceptive options available to women that such a high proportion of pregnancies are unplanned." Furthermore, she added, the women who had planned their pregnancies were significantly less likely to drink alcohol during the first trimester than women who did not plan their pregnancy. "This would indicate that many pregnancies may be exposed to high levels of alcohol during the periconceptional period, prior to pregnancy awareness."
* More than half of the women (58.7%) drank alcohol during pregnancy despite the recommendation at the time of the study (1995-1997) of abstinence.
"It is interesting to note that the number of women who consumed alcohol during the 2nd trimester (42.4%) was similar to the number during the 1st trimester (42.1%)," said Colvin. "This probably indicates that the pregnant women were unaware of the recommendation of abstinence."
"Until 2001," added O'Leary, "the Australian guideline for alcohol consumption during pregnancy was abstinence. However, to my knowledge, there was no health promotion campaign in WA to educate women of this policy during or prior to the period these data were collected. Furthermore, a survey of health professionals conducted in WA during 2002 - 2003 found that fewer than half of health professionals surveyed routinely provided information to pregnant women about alcohol consumption during pregnancy."
'Despite what initially appears alarming, said Colvin, "it is actually encouraging that many women who drank alcohol reduced their consumption in the first trimester of pregnancy. With appropriate information, they and others may be able to further reduce or abstain from consuming alcohol when they are pregnant or might soon become pregnant. The challenge is to develop effective health promotion messages to reach women of child-bearing age before they consider pregnancy so they can make informed decisions." She added that involving health-promotion practitioners, medical practitioners and obstetricians would be key.
Both Colvin and O'Leary were concerned about "binge" drinking among women of childbearing age. "The findings that 14.2 percent of women surveyed consumed five or more standard drinks per occasion during the three months prior to pregnancy, and that almost half of the pregnancies were unplanned pregnancies, indicate that many women may have exposed their babies to high levels of alcohol before they were aware of their pregnancy," said O'Leary. In addition, she observed, "the percentage of Australian teenagers who binge drink has increased over the past decade since these data were collected. We need to find ways to reduce the very culture of binge drinking which is particularly concerning in young people as this is when drinking patterns are established."
O'Leary spoke of the need to educate both men and women. "We need to be careful how we frame our health-promotion messages since many women may have consumed alcohol prior to pregnancy awareness and unintentionally exposed their baby to alcohol," she said. "It is important not to generate undue fear and/or guilt. In addition, it is important not to place all the responsibility onto women alone: both women and men need to know about the risks to the baby from the consumption of alcohol during pregnancy; and many women and men need to take better precautions to prevent unplanned pregnancies."
Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research (ACER) is the official journal of the Research Society on Alcoholism and the International Society for Biomedical Research on Alcoholism. Co-authors of the ACER paper, "Alcohol Consumption During Pregnancy in Non-Indigenous West Australian Women," were: Jan Payne, Deborah E. Parsons, and Carol Bower of the Telethon Institute for Child Health Research at The University of Western Australia; and Jennifer J. Kurinczuk of the National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit at the University of Oxford. The study was funded by the Health Promotion Foundation of Western Australia.
Contact:
Lyn Colvin, M.P.H.
Colleen O'Leary, M.P.H.
Telethon Institute for Child Health Research
Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research
* Nearly half of the women (46.7%) surveyed reported that their pregnancy was unplanned.
* More than half (58.7%) drank alcohol during pregnancy despite recommendations of abstinence.
Complications due to drinking during pregnancy can range from the very serious Fetal Alcohol Syndrome to the less severe and possibly greater-occurring Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders. The timing of alcohol consumption, its frequency, the beverage size and type, all appear to be crucial elements of identifying risk. A new survey has found that nearly 80 percent of non-Indigenous West Australian women consumed alcohol during the three months before pregnancy; nearly half had not planned their pregnancies; and more than half drank alcohol during pregnancy despite recommendations of abstinence.
Results are published in the February issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research.
"There is a lack of information as it relates to the measurement of alcohol consumption during the periconceptional period of pregnancy," said Lyn Colvin, a researcher at the Telethon Institute for Child Health Research at The University of Western Australia and corresponding author for the study. "In particular, information on specific alcoholic beverage consumed, frequency, timing during pregnancy, and volume in standard drinks are rare."
Colleen O'Leary, a research associate at the Telethon Institute for Child Health Research, concurs. "The most vulnerable period for the fetus is during the first trimester," she said, "although there is potential risk to the baby from drinking throughout pregnancy. It is important to know how much alcohol women are drinking both during the periconceptional period and throughout pregnancy, as well as more about the relationship between alcohol consumption during the periconceptional period and unplanned pregnancy. This information is important for women and men, policy makers and researchers."
Researchers analyzed data from a survey of 4,839 women 12 weeks after delivery. The women had agreed to participate in the 1995 - 1997 West Australian Pregnancy and Infancy Survey, created from a 10-percent random sample of all non-Indigenous women giving birth in Western Australia. Each participant was asked questions about alcohol consumption during four time periods: the periconceptional period, and each trimester of pregnancy. Questions were designed to measure the volume and type of alcoholic beverage consumed, as well as frequency of consumption.
* Nearly 80 percent reported drinking alcohol in the three months before becoming pregnant.
"Of those 3,860 women consuming alcohol in the three months before pregnancy," said Colvin, "the majority (55.6%) drank more than one type of alcoholic beverage. Once pregnant, the majority (65.5%) drank only one type of alcoholic beverage."
* Nearly half of the women (46.7%) surveyed had not planned their pregnancy.
"These data are in agreement with other Australian studies, and studies from the United States and Britain," said O'Leary. "It is concerning, however, that with the range of contraceptive options available to women that such a high proportion of pregnancies are unplanned." Furthermore, she added, the women who had planned their pregnancies were significantly less likely to drink alcohol during the first trimester than women who did not plan their pregnancy. "This would indicate that many pregnancies may be exposed to high levels of alcohol during the periconceptional period, prior to pregnancy awareness."
* More than half of the women (58.7%) drank alcohol during pregnancy despite the recommendation at the time of the study (1995-1997) of abstinence.
"It is interesting to note that the number of women who consumed alcohol during the 2nd trimester (42.4%) was similar to the number during the 1st trimester (42.1%)," said Colvin. "This probably indicates that the pregnant women were unaware of the recommendation of abstinence."
"Until 2001," added O'Leary, "the Australian guideline for alcohol consumption during pregnancy was abstinence. However, to my knowledge, there was no health promotion campaign in WA to educate women of this policy during or prior to the period these data were collected. Furthermore, a survey of health professionals conducted in WA during 2002 - 2003 found that fewer than half of health professionals surveyed routinely provided information to pregnant women about alcohol consumption during pregnancy."
'Despite what initially appears alarming, said Colvin, "it is actually encouraging that many women who drank alcohol reduced their consumption in the first trimester of pregnancy. With appropriate information, they and others may be able to further reduce or abstain from consuming alcohol when they are pregnant or might soon become pregnant. The challenge is to develop effective health promotion messages to reach women of child-bearing age before they consider pregnancy so they can make informed decisions." She added that involving health-promotion practitioners, medical practitioners and obstetricians would be key.
Both Colvin and O'Leary were concerned about "binge" drinking among women of childbearing age. "The findings that 14.2 percent of women surveyed consumed five or more standard drinks per occasion during the three months prior to pregnancy, and that almost half of the pregnancies were unplanned pregnancies, indicate that many women may have exposed their babies to high levels of alcohol before they were aware of their pregnancy," said O'Leary. In addition, she observed, "the percentage of Australian teenagers who binge drink has increased over the past decade since these data were collected. We need to find ways to reduce the very culture of binge drinking which is particularly concerning in young people as this is when drinking patterns are established."
O'Leary spoke of the need to educate both men and women. "We need to be careful how we frame our health-promotion messages since many women may have consumed alcohol prior to pregnancy awareness and unintentionally exposed their baby to alcohol," she said. "It is important not to generate undue fear and/or guilt. In addition, it is important not to place all the responsibility onto women alone: both women and men need to know about the risks to the baby from the consumption of alcohol during pregnancy; and many women and men need to take better precautions to prevent unplanned pregnancies."
Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research (ACER) is the official journal of the Research Society on Alcoholism and the International Society for Biomedical Research on Alcoholism. Co-authors of the ACER paper, "Alcohol Consumption During Pregnancy in Non-Indigenous West Australian Women," were: Jan Payne, Deborah E. Parsons, and Carol Bower of the Telethon Institute for Child Health Research at The University of Western Australia; and Jennifer J. Kurinczuk of the National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit at the University of Oxford. The study was funded by the Health Promotion Foundation of Western Australia.
Contact:
Lyn Colvin, M.P.H.
Colleen O'Leary, M.P.H.
Telethon Institute for Child Health Research
Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research
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