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Health
Big first trimester weight gain ups diabetes risk
By msnbc.com on March 11, 2010
Women who gain weight too quickly during the first three months of pregnancy are more prone to develop pregnancy-related diabetes, new research shows.
Brain scans help researchers read minds
By msnbc.com on March 11, 2010
By scanning your brain, scientists can tell what memory you are recalling.
Rome school’s condom machines create uproar
By msnbc.com on March 11, 2010
The decision by a Rome high school to install condom vending machines has set off a storm in Italy, with the Catholic Church charging the move will encourage young people to have sex.
Report: 12-year-olds abusing inhalants
By cnn.com on March 11, 2010
Washington (CNN) — When their kids turn 12, parents are concerned about peers pressuring them to smoke cigarettes, drink and use drugs, but it turns out 12-year-olds are doing something else: getting high on inhalants.
A new national survey from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration report finds that theyre using inhalants more than marijuana, hallucinogens and cocaine combined.
Some young people are sniffing — inhaling — a wide variety of products to get high. Inhalants are legal, cheap and everywhere. They can easily be found in most homes: spray paint, shoe polish, glue, air fresheners, hair spray, nail polish, gasoline, aerosols, computer cleaners, even the refrigerant from air conditioners.
"We continue to face the challenge of increasing experimentation and intentional misuse of common household products among the youngest and most vulnerable segments of our population: 12-year-olds," said Harvey Weiss, executive director of the National Inhalant Prevention Coalition.
"The data are ominous, and their implications are frightening because of the toxic, chemical effects of these legal products on growing minds and bodies."
According to the survey, 6.9 percent of 12-year-olds have "huffed," while 1.4 percent have used pot, 0.7 percent hallucinogens and 0.1 percent cocaine. The report found 5.2 percent smoked cigarettes.
Huffing can be fatal, leading to "sudden sniffing death."
Dr. Jennifer Caudle, director of the family medicine section of the Department of Internal Medicine at Sinai Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland, said its critical to educate adolescents about the dangers of huffing.
"Young people do not always realize the consequences of their actions. However, it is possible to die from trying inhalants even once. Sudden sniffing death causes the heart to beat rapidly, which can result in cardiac arrest."
Kevin Talley and his wife, Deborah, know that all too well. Their 17-year-old daughter, Amber Ann Suri, died after using inhalants in February 2009.
Talley said the teenager apparently had been inhaling for six months, but by the time they began to suspect something was wrong, it was too late.
"Parents must wake up to the reality that their child might try huffing and the consequences could be devastating," said Pamela S. Hyde, administrator for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. "Thats why SAMHSA is leading the way to get information out to health care providers, kids, parents and everyone in the community so that our children hear a consistent message about the dangers of huffing."
Its a message 17-year old Ashley Upchurch said she now takes seriously. She said she started huffing when she was 11.
"Inhalants were cheap, legal and an intense high that would also enhance the feeling I would get from other drugs," she said. "These highs nearly destroyed my life." Shes been in recovery for two years.
Many experts said 12 is considered a gateway age for inhalant use, but the National Inhalant Prevention Coalition and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration would like to slam that gate shut.
It is kicking off National Inhalants and Poisons Awareness Week, which starts Sunday. The American Osteopathic Association also is joining the national effort.
Bacterial meningitis reportedly kills student
By cnn.com on March 11, 2010
(CNN) — An Oklahoma elementary school student has died of bacterial meningitis, officials said Thursday, and two other students are hospitalized with the illness.
Health department officials are at Oologah Lower Elementary School in Oologah, Oklahoma, according to a statement from Oologah Talala Emergency Medical Services. Oologah Talala School Superintendent Rick Thomas has asked parents to remain calm until the health department makes recommendations on what actions should be taken, the statement said.
The medical team at the school may screen students or begin vaccinations, Thomas said, according to the statement.
No further details were available.
Oologah is about 30 miles northeast of Tulsa.
Meningitis is a disease caused by the inflammation of the meninges, the thin lining that surrounds the brain and the spinal cord, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The disease can be caused by a virus or by a bacterium, the CDC Web site says. Knowing how a particular case was caused is essential because the treatment for viral meningitis and bacterial meningitis are different.
"Viral meningitis is generally less severe and clears up without specific treatment," the CDC Web site explains. "But bacterial meningitis can be quite severe and may result in brain damage, hearing loss, or learning disabilities."
How to save a friend from the brink
By cnn.com on March 11, 2010
(CNN) — For five days, Alexis Moore carefully planned how she would take her own life. Shes not a violent person, so she knew handguns were out. She settled on vodka instead, to be followed by a bottle of Xanax.
She did it methodically. First, she says she drank the vodka for two hours. Then she lined up the 20 pills on the kitchen counter, taking a few at a time, going to her bedroom to cry and then coming back for more Xanax.
After about six pills, just when she was beginning to feel woozy and lethargic, Moore heard a knock on the door and someone calling her name. She ignored him, even though she recognized the voice as someone shed meet three days before at a business event. Then the man came around and banged on her bedroom window. She got up off the bed where shed been sobbing and let him in.
They sat down in her living room. She talked. He listened. By the end of the evening, she decided not to take her life. In the five years since, shes never tried to commit suicide again.
"If it werent for Ed (Ed isnt his real name; shed prefer he remain anonymous), Id be dead now," says Moore, 35, a second-year law student in Sacramento, California.
Some stories end tragically. On Monday, a funeral was held for Michael Bryan, the 18-year-old son of singer Marie Osmond. Police in Los Angeles classified his death as a suicide.
Nationally, 91 people commit suicide every day, according to the most recent data from the American Association of Suicidology.
If you know someone who seems depressed or desperate, the first step is get professional help, therapists say. If you see someone in immediate need, call 911. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is another place to turn, and the AAS has a list of other resources when someone is suicidal.
Even with professional help, depressed people can still benefit from your support. Often, its hard to know what to say.
"In many cases, youre afraid of saying the wrong thing and making it worse," says Dr. Nancy Rappaport, an assistant professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and author of "In Her Wake," a book about her mothers suicide.
But small words of kindness can go a long way, she says.
FDA rules out Fosamax, thigh fracture link
By msnbc.com on March 11, 2010
U.S. regulators said they have found no link between oral bisphosphonate osteoporosis medications such as Merck & Co Inc.’s Fosamax and certain thigh bone fractures.
31 reasons for no mom guilt
By cnn.com on March 11, 2010
(Parenting.com) — Sure, you could always be more organized, more cheerful, more on top of every little detail. But youre not a Mombot, thank goodness, and no one (except, perhaps, you!) expects you to be.
Below, weve rounded up 31 things among hundreds that you can give yourself leeway to do — without the burden of even one ounce of stress.
1 Taking a vacation with only your husband. Its such a tragedy for the kids to spend time with their superindulgent grandparents! Besides, theyll benefit from you two not giving each other the stink eye during dinner.
2 Feeling smug that youre a better parent than those on "Supernanny". No worries. We all feel smug watching "Supernanny". Until we dont, at which time we employ her techniques.
Parenting.com: Hot dads (and their super-cute babies)
3 Not signing up to be class parent. Think of it this way: Your ability to say no to volunteer tasks you cant handle will leave you better able to concentrate on what only you can do, like getting your kids fed, dressed, and onto the bus. Some days, thats huge!
4 Yelling at your son when he actually didnt do anything wrong. Sure, not a great move, but its a good opportunity to show him that even you screw up sometimes, and that saying sorry really does help make it better.
5 Enjoying your work. You can love your kids and still have that "Thank God Its Monday" feeling, well, every Monday. Especially after a long and dreary winter weekend.
6 Buying your daughter the generic UGGs. Shell live without the label, even if she thinks she will not, and her tootsies will be just as toasty.
7 Buying yourself the real ones. You treat your shoes better than your kid does, and you wont outgrow them. Plus, theyre really cute. Being the wage earner has its perks.
Parenting.com: 6 strategies for hiding clutter
8 Giving him the answer to the last problem on his math homework. Hell get more practice with the teacher in school.
9 Dipping into your sons goody bag when he isnt looking. Whats a funsize Snickers between family members?
10 Not going in the pool with them. Chlorine does a real number on your hair, and besides, thats what dads are for.
11 Accepting your sons compliment that youre a good cook when hes eating pre-breaded microwave chicken breasts. You did your part. You pressed "Start."
12 Wiping your daughters nose with a panty liner — the closest thing to a tissue you had in your purse. For heavens sake — it was clean!
13 Stashing the Häagen-Dazs in the back of the freezer, and showcasing the supermarket brand. If theyre not ready to dig, theyre not ready to appreciate the premium stuff.
14 Closing the bedroom door in their little faces. You did not magically lose your need for privacy when you gave birth. If someones bleeding or not breathing, by all means, they can knock.
25 iPhone apps to keep kids entertained
15 Giving in once in a while. It can be a wise parental trade-off, especially if what youre acceding to will buy you a few minutes of quiet time, private time, or time to regroup. You dont need to be perfectly consistent.
16 Making your daughter get down from the top of the monkey bars, simply because it makes you nervous. Yes, shes done it a million times safely, and shell likely do it again, but who says you have to watch? Your comfort level counts, too!
17 Making the grandparents take them to "Disney on Ice." Its torture for you, but for them, its a future memory theyll cherish forever. Whats the problem?
18 Tossing their artwork. After youve saved the truly superior thumb pots and the especially sentimental glitter collages, you will still have a heap of crafts the size of Mount Etna. Fill up a big black Hefty bag after theyre asleep, pour yourself some wine, and then watch Hoarders. Youll feel better instantly.
19 Being psyched that the best friend you never liked has moved to another state. Youre not happy your daughter is upset, of course, and youll help her through it. But being secretly pleased that you wont ever have to host Little Miss Caitlin-Who-Gets-to-Wear-Belly-Shirts for a sleepover again doesnt make you a bad person.
20 Neglecting to videotape his role as "third planet from the sun" in the school solar-system pageant. There will be other, more important achievements, and you can bet your son wont notice.
21 Letting it slip that the tooth fairy was actually her daddy. You didnt destroy her childhood innocence. You let her in on a grown-up secret that she must never, ever tell her little brother, which makes her feel mature and important.
22 Knowing you could go months without sex, without even missing it. Guilt about not feeling frisky makes you even less so. So your libido isnt what it used to be when you had no children to wear you out by 9 p.m. If you can remain open to the idea of sex, and get into it when you can, thats fine until things change. Which they probably will as your children get older.
23 Only pretending to be sad that your childs birthday falls in mid-August. No gigantic birthday parties, full of political decisions as to whom to invite.
Parenting.com: 20 great birthday outfits and accessories
24 Reading this article instead of soliciting donations for the PTA auction, cultivating your organic vegetable garden, or cleaning out that kitchen drawer with the random rubber bands, screwdrivers, and old keys in it. Even machines need to unplug and reboot every so often.
25 Sitting and reading. You do not need to be on the treadmill in your first free 20 minutes in three days. Youll exercise at the next break in the action when you can.
26 Looking forward to guys weekend even more than your husband. Its so much easier sometimes to just take care of stuff by yourself without having to take someone elses opinion into account. Plus, a little time apart is never a bad thing.
27 Not letting her pierce her ears until the age at which you were allowed to. Just because.
28 Finding aspects of motherhood incredibly tedious. If you didnt find watching your child go down the slide for the 100th time that day ("Mom, look at meeee!") or nagging him to put his socks in the hamper a bit of a snooze, youd be too easily amused, and hence a moron.
29 Noticing the hot dad at drop-off. Ahem, you have eyes in your head, and (sex drive or no) youre not dead yet! Did you lick him? No? Youre okay.
30 Still being really POd about the stretch marks.
31 Forgetting to lay out her best outfit for school photo days. Years from now, youll appreciate seeing her as the adorable, rough-and-tumble tomboy she really was — instead of some dolled-up version of herself.
Stephanie Dolgoff is Parentings editor-at-large. You can follow her as she explores her own guilt issues on her blog, FormerlyHot.com.
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Doctors fail to cut cholesterol enough
By msnbc.com on March 11, 2010
Only half of patients at high risk of heart disease are given the right targets for cutting their cholesterol and millions may suffer heart attack or stroke due to doctors’ poor advice, scientists said on Thursday.
Women guilty of feeling too guilty, study shows
By msnbc.com on March 11, 2010
Men are guilt-deficient, while women suffer from destructive guilt largely imposed by society, suggests a recent Spanish study.
World »
U.S. troops probed in Iraqi reporter death
March 11, 2010
U.S. troops open fire on a car in western Baghdad, killing an Iraqi journalist and her husband, a police official says.
Politics »
Dems try to finish health care reform
March 11, 2010
Washington (CNN) — Health care reform takes center stage Thursday as President Obama and top congressional Democrats work behind closed doors to nail down a final agreement.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi — who has sounded increasingly optimistic that she will be able to round up the 216 votes needed to pass the Senate health care bill — will host a meeting of the entire House Democratic caucus in the morning.
On the other side of Capitol Hill, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid will try to build public momentum by framing the issue in more personal terms, holding a news conference with an 11-year-old boy whose mother died of pulmonary hypertension after losing her health insurance.
"We are making progress. A lot of decisions were made," Reid told reporters Wednesday. "I really believe the goal weve been seeking for a long time of health care reform is going to be done. We dont have it all worked out yet but we made a lot of progress."
Obama is set to discuss health care in afternoon and evening meetings with African-American and Hispanic members of Congress. He is also planning to take his increasingly populist, anti-insurance industry message back on the road early next week, delivering yet another reform speech in the political battleground state of Ohio.
The president delivered passionate, campaign-style health care stump speeches earlier this week in Pennsylvania and Missouri. Obama has dismissed questionable poll numbers about the Democratic reform plan, declaring the debate over and urging a final up-or-down vote on the matter in Congress.
"The time for talk is over," he said Wednesday in St. Charles, Missouri. "Its time to vote."
GOP leaders, meanwhile, remain furious over the Democratic strategy for passing an overhaul bill. If the House approves the Senate version of the bill, according to Democratic sources, a separate package of changes designed in part to make the overall measure more palatable to House liberals would then be approved by both chambers — getting through the Senate under a legislative maneuver known as reconciliation. Bills passed under in the Senate reconciliation require only a simple majority of 51 votes.
Senate Democrats lost their filibuster-proof 60-seat supermajority with the election in January of Massachusetts GOP Sen. Scott Brown to the seat formerly held by the late Democratic Sen. Ted Kennedy.
Liberal House Democrats contend, among other things, that the Senate bill does not include an adequate level of subsidies to help middle- and lower-income families purchase coverage. They also object to the Senates proposed tax on expensive insurance plans.
Separately, a handful of socially conservative House Democrats argue the Senate plan doesnt do enough to ensure taxpayer funds are not used to fund abortions. Several political analysts have said lingering divisions over abortion may prove to be the toughest hurdle for Democratic leaders to overcome.
Republicans argue that reconciliation, which is limited to provisions pertaining to the budget, was never meant to facilitate passage of a sweeping measure along the lines of the health care bill.
Reid dismissed the GOPs arguments in a letter sent to Minority Leader Mitch McConnell on Thursday.
"The reconciliation bill now under consideration would not be the vehicle for comprehensive reform — that bill already passed [the Senate] outside of reconciliation," Reid wrote.
"Instead, reconciliation would be used to make a modest number of changes to the original legislation, all of which would be budget-related. There is nothing inappropriate about this."
Four Senate Republicans who previously served in the House warned House Democrats in a news conference Wednesday that there is no guarantee the reconciliation strategy will succeed.
A unified Senate GOP caucus will fight to prevent changes promised by the Democratic leadership, they said.
House Democrats "better think long and hard" about voting for the Senate plan if they dont like it, said Sen. John Thune, R-South Dakota. "If you vote for the Senate-passed bill, you own the Senate-passed bill."
Business »
Report: Linux Gains Ground, Windows Stumbles
January 26, 2010
Linux inched ahead in the operating-system arena during the final month of 2009, even as Windows and Mac gave up some ground. That’s according to research firm Net Applications, which recently released its Market Share report covering operating systems in December. Linux accounted for 1.02 percent of the market in December, up from an even 1 percent the month before.
Technology »
Verizon Tips Its 4G Handset Hand
March 11, 2010
Verizon will have the first handset running on its Long-Term Evolution 4G network by the middle of next year — about six months ahead of schedule — according to a report in The Wall Street Journal. The development of LTE means faster cellular data transfers than the 3G networks now in widespread use by U.S. carriers, though exactly when LTE will become common has long been a source of uncertainty.
Health »
Big first trimester weight gain ups diabetes risk
March 11, 2010
Women who gain weight too quickly during the first three months of pregnancy are more prone to develop pregnancy-related diabetes, new research shows.
Sports »
Woods out until at least Masters, sources says
March 11, 2010
Tiger Woods intends to remain out of golf at least until the Masters, two people with knowledge of his plans have told The Associated Press.
