While your newborn baby likely steals your heart from the moment you see him, you also want to be sure his heart is in tip-top working order. A simple screening may tell you. A recent study from England has provided evidence supporting the practice of screening newborn babies for heart defects at birth using a method called pulse oximetry . Screening for heart defects is recommended for newborns. Dr. Shakila Thangaratinam , a clinical senior lecturer at Queen Mary, University of London, led the research project that pulled together the results of 13 individual studies looking a...

Two medications commonly used to treat age-related macular degeneration (AMD) have been found to provide equal treatment benefit in the first long-term study comparing the drugs.  Injectable drugs Avastin ( bevacizumab ), an off-label cancer medication most frequently used to treat AMD, and Lucentis ( ranibizumab ), approved to treat AMD by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2006, both provided similar vision improvements at two years. Get regular vision exams to pinpoint vision loss early. Maureen Maguire, PhD, corresponding author and director of the Center for Preventi...

After a lumpectomy you can choose - 1) 5-7 weeks of 5-day-a-week radiation treatments, or 2) surgical implanting of a radiation tube ( brachytherapy ) that stays in place for 5-7 days - and you're done. Easy choice, right? Not so fast. Women with early breast cancer who choose to have brachytherapy following a lumpectomy are far more likely to need a later mastectomy than women who had so-called whole breast irradiation. Those who received brachytherapy are also more likely to have more post-surgical complications and radiation toxicity.  Ask you doctor the risks and benefits o...

Stress can make people look tired, worn out and even older than they really are. It turns out, that stress from being around violence during childhood can start the aging process on a cellular level too. A recent study that looks at the aging of DNA cells finds evidence that major stressors, like acts of domestic violence, can effect kids as young as 5 years old. Report violent acts, especially when a child is involved! Idan Shalev PhD., is working on his post-doctoral studies in psychology and neuroscience at the Duke Institute for Genome Sciences & Policy, and his resear...

Bone cancer is a relatively rare type of malignancy, with just under 3,000 Americans expected to be diagnosed with it in 2012. Osteosarcoma is the technical name for the most common form of the disease. A recent study examined if and how age impacts prognosis (outlook). After analyzing patient data, the Children's Oncology Group has found that young adults between the ages of 18 and 30 with osteosarcoma have a poorer outcome than other age groups. Experiencing bone pain, have it checked out. A team of investigators, led by Katherine A. Janeway MD, of the Department of Pedia...

Want to hear another reason breastfeeding is more beneficial for a baby than formula-feeding? Apparently, breastfed babies get more of the good germs partying in their tummies.

With many states passing laws against texting while driving, some claim that the laws will make driving more dangerous because drivers will conceal their phones. However, a new study tells a different story. The study, initiated by high school students, found that drivers make more driving mistakes while texting. They are more likely to drift from their lane, be unaware of accident hazards, and speed whether or not they were concealing their phone. Texting while driving increases your risk of being in an accident. "Any texting while driving has an adverse impact on driving p...

Planning a family? Thinking you might finally start eating healthier because a little one is watching your dietary habits? Parenthood may not change those habits as much as you'd like. A long-term study looking at the impact of having children on the eating habits of their parents found that starting a family does not necessarily lead mom and dad to eat healthier diets. Deciding to eat better is a win-win decision. Helena Laroche , MD, of the University of Iowa and the Iowa City VA Medical Center, and colleagues wanted to know whether the popular idea that parents may decide to ...