Closing schools can curb swine flu-spread: StudyNovember 27th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Closing schools in the event of an infectious disease pandemic could have a significant role in reducing illness transmission, according to a new study. Niel Hens, from Hasselt and Antwerp University, Belgium, conducted a study with the assistance of a team of European researchers to reach the conclusion that the spread of diseases on weekends/holidays were significantly lesser than on school days.
Obesity increases risk for HIV patientsNovember 25th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Obesity can increase risk among people with HIV, according to a new study. The study has shown that antiretroviral therapy may not be as effective on obese HIV patients as it is with people of normal weight.
Why circumcision cuts HIV riskNovember 24th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Circumcision reduces the risk of HIV infection in men, but this link cannot be explained by a reduction in sores from conditions such as herpes, according to a new research. Two clinical trials including more than 5,000 men in rural Uganda had shown that circumcision reduced the risk of HIV infection in men by about 60 percent.
Many pregnant African women avoid HIV screeningNovember 20th, 2009 WASHINGTON - A large number of pregnant women in Uganda, Africa deliberately avoid being tested for HIV, increasing the risk of mother-to-child transmission, says a study. In a new paper, researchers discussed how mother-to-child transmission of HIV can be easily and cost-effectively prevented using a short course of antiretroviral therapy.
Maternal depression can worsen asthma in kidsNovember 20th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Maternal depression can worsen asthma symptoms in children, says a new study. Analysing data from interviews with 262 mothers, Johns Hopkins investigators found that children whose mums had more depressive symptoms had more frequent asthma symptoms during the six-month study.
Regular exercise cuts men's risk of brain damage by strokeNovember 14th, 2009 WASHINGTON - A new study has revealed that regular exercise can significantly reduce the risk of brain damage caused by stroke in men. Lead researcher Carl D.
Iron-folic acid supplements during pregnancy 'cut mortality rates among kids'October 29th, 2009 WASHINGTON - In a new study, researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health found that offspring whose mothers had been supplemented with iron-folic acid during pregnancy had dramatically reduced mortality through age 7. The researchers found that other supplement combinations, including the multiple micronutrient supplement, did not confer the same benefit.
Maternal smoking may increase distress levels of newbornsOctober 22nd, 2009 WASHINGTON - Maternal smoking could increase the level of distress of newborns, according to a new study. Previous studies have shown that prenatal cigarette smoke exposure is associated with increased rates of behaviour problems, irritability, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, the risk of violent offenses, conduct disorder, adolescent onset of drug dependence, and the risk for criminal arrest in offspring.
HIV-1 treatment during pregnancy can prevent transmission to newbornsOctober 17th, 2009 WASHINGTON - In what could be good news to hundreds of HIV positive pregnant women, a new study by American researchers has found that mothers receiving antiretroviral therapy (HAART) to treat HIV-1 infection have less chances of transmitting the deadly virus to their newborn child through breastfeeding. The research led by Taha E.
Trials to test H1N1 vaccine efficacy in HIV-infected pregnant women underwayOctober 10th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Scientists have launched a trial to test the efficacy of 2009 H1N1 influenza vaccine in HIV-infected pregnant women. The vaccine, manufactured by Novartis Vaccines and Diagnostics, contains inactivated 2009 H1N1 influenza virus, so it is impossible to become infected with the virus by receiving the vaccine.
Expectant mums shouldn't give up asthma medication: StudyOctober 6th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Women who shun asthma medications during pregnancy face increased risk of transmitting the condition to their offspring, reveals a new study. The research team from the Universite de Montreal, the Hopital du Sacre-Cur de Montreal and Sainte-Justine University Hospital Research Centre has revealed that 32.6 percent of children born to mothers who neglected to treat their asthma during pregnancy developed the respiratory illnessin later life.
Novel biocontrol method can help cut malaria transmissionOctober 2nd, 2009 WASHINGTON - The transmission of malaria can be reduced by using biopesticides that contain a fungus that is pathogenic to mosquitoes, particularly in combination with insecticide-treated bednets (ITNs), according to a study. Dr. Penelope Hancock, from Imperial College London, says that incorporating this novel vector control technique into existing vector management programmes may substantially reduce malaria transmission rates, and help manage insecticide resistance.
Children, adolescents 'most vulnerable to malaria'October 1st, 2009 WASHINGTON - Children as young as five and teenagers are at an increased risk of developing life-threatening malaria, says a new study. Lead researcher Abdisalan M Noor, from the Kenyan Medical Research Institute-Wellcome Trust Research Programme and the University of Oxford, said as an unintended consequence of attempting to achieve the targets of the Abuja declaration and Millennium Development Goals, children and adolescents over five are being put at risk.
Smoking during pregnancy 'puts kids at risk of psychotic symptoms'October 1st, 2009 WASHINGTON - Pregnant women who smoke put their children at increased risk of developing psychotic symptoms in their teenage years, says a new study. The research published in the October issue of the British Journal of Psychiatry has shown a link between maternal tobacco use and psychotic symptoms.
15pc preschoolers suffer from anxiety, depression: Canadian studyAugust 29th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Almost 15 pct of the preschoolers suffer from high levels of depression and anxiety, according to a Canadian study. The five-year investigation showed that children with atypically high depression and anxiety levels are more likely to have mothers with a history of depression.
