TEL AVIV, Israel, Dec. 11 (UPI) — Children whose mothers were depressed throughout their first year of life have a higher risk of mental disorders themselves by age 6, researchers in Israel say.

Ruth Feldman, a professor at Bar-Ilan University in Israel, found 60 percent of children born to mothers who were consistently depressed across the first year of the children’s lives exhibited mental disorders when they were older. The children, similar to their mothers, also showed disordered functioning of the Oxytocin system.

Oxytocin, a mammalian hormone, is involved with sexual reproduction, childbirth, breastfeeding and pair bonding.

Researchers studied the mental health status, Oxytocin levels, genetic variation in Oxytocin receptors and interactions in 155 mother-child pairs during at-home visits. The mothers were surveyed for mental health symptoms at the birth of their child, and at 6 and 9 months after the birth of their child.

Of the pairs participating when the child reached 6 years of age, 30 percent of mothers were diagnosed with depression and had demonstrated symptoms of depression throughout the child’s first year of life. On average, these mothers had disordered Oxytocin functioning and produced less peripheral Oxytocin in their saliva.

Most children born to depressed mothers exhibited mental disorders, but 40 percent demonstrated more normal functioning of the Oxytocin system, no signs of mental illness, better social engagements and empathic behaviors.

“We found Oxytocin system functioning helps safeguard some children against the effects of chronic maternal depression,” Feldman said.

The findings were presented at the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology annual meeting.

Women’s health goes well beyond childbirth, covering all ages and stages of their lives. and research shows that when women engage in healthy lifestyles, the health of their entire family improves.

To learn more, Smart Business spoke to Dr. Susan Melvin, the associate chief medical officer at Long Beach Memorial, and Dr. Sandra Makela, chief of staff for MemorialCare Center for Women at Miller Children’s Hospital Long Beach and Long Beach Memorial.

Which disease most impacts women?

Heart disease is the no. 1 killer of women over age 25 in the U.S. Each year, six times as many women die of cardiovascular disease than breast cancer. The condition affects 10 percent of women between ages 45 and 64, and one in four women over 65 — about 8 million women in all.

Underdiagnosis and subtle, often silent, symptoms result in more women than men dying from the disease. For women, symptoms include nausea or dizziness; uncomfortable pressure or tightness; squeezing, fullness or heaviness in the chest that does not go away in a few minutes; cold sweats or pounding heart; pain radiating up the shoulders and neck or down the arms or back; difficulty breathing; and/or shortness of breath. Men say they feel crushing pain, like an elephant sitting on their chest.

Regular, moderate exercise, along with a healthy diet and avoiding smoking can all help to reduce the risk of heart disease.

What cancer is most prevalent?

Lung cancer surpasses breast cancer as the most common cause of cancer-related deaths in women. about 90 percent of lung cancers result from use of tobacco, which contains over 4,000 chemical compounds, many shown to be cancer-causing. Nonsmokers living with a smoker have a 25 percent higher risk for developing lung cancer than nonsmokers who don’t reside with a smoker. Incidence in the U.S. is decreasing, thanks to early education about dangers of smoking and effective smoking cessation programs.

Can you share the progress in breast cancer?

We’ve seen breast cancer survival rates improve 2 percent annually over the last decade, thanks to better treatment and vastly improved technology, education and awareness that allows us to detect breast cancers at smaller sizes and earlier stages. we cannot emphasize enough the importance of getting annual mammograms after age 40, or earlier if you have certain risk factors. to detect breast cancer early, also have regular breast exams by your doctor and perform self-exams every month.

We are proud that our MemorialCare Breast Centers are recognized nationally for advances in diagnosis and treatment and access to the latest technologies and techniques.

What about female cancers?

Women are at risk for gynecological cancers that attack the tissues and organs of the reproductive system, and include cervical, ovarian, uterine, vaginal and vulvar cancers. while symptoms may vary by the type of cancer, they may include pelvic pain, abnormal vaginal bleeding, persistent abdominal swelling or bloating, ongoing bowel changes, like constipation and diarrhea, and unintended weight loss or gain. Reduce your risks by getting regular pap smears, avoiding smoking and limiting exposure to human papillomavirus (HPV), a common sexually transmitted virus that in some cases, when it is left undetected or untreated, may progress into cervical cancer.

Are there other diseases that mostly affect women?

Among the diseases affecting women, osteoporosis, urinary tract infections and endometriosis are important to mention. of the 44 million Americans with highly preventable osteoporosis, 69 percent are women. to combat and lessen the effects of osteoporosis, keep your bones strong with weight-bearing physical activities, avoid fractures, maintain active lifestyles, ensure adequate consumption of calcium and vitamin D and discuss possible risks and prevention with your doctor.

Urinary track infections, or UTIs, are more common in women, with one in five developing these during their lifetime. UTIs occurring during pregnancy can lead to premature delivery. Endometriosis, a reproductive condition that affects nearly 100 million women around the world, causes pelvic pain, heavy periods and irregularity with the menstrual cycle. and without treatment, symptoms can worsen, causing infertility.

How can businesses improve the wellness of their work force?

When individuals join with doctors and hospitals by learning their family medical history, educating themselves about medical issues, paying attention to changes in their bodies and taking even the simplest of steps to improve their health, the results can be significant and can be beneficial to everyone.

Partner with local hospitals to provide education, prevention, screening tests and wellness activities for your employees and their families. MemorialCare Health system offers specialized diagnostic and treatment programs for women. we also have online risk assessments, tools and information at memorialcare.org.

Remind your employees that taking care of themselves and their families is essential to living longer, healthier and happier lives.

Dr. Susan Melvin is associate chief medical officer at Long Beach Memorial. Dr. Sandra Makela is chief of staff for MemorialCare Center for Women at Miller Children’s Hospital Long Beach and Long Beach Memorial. The not-for-profit MemorialCare Health system includes Long Beach Memorial Medical Center, Miller Children’s Hospital Long Beach, Community Hospital Long Beach, Orange Coast Memorial Medical Center in Fountain Valley and Saddleback Memorial Medical Center in Laguna Hills and San Clemente. For additional information on excellence in health care, please visit memorialcare.org.

In truth, the Centers for Condition Manage and Protection have discovered that tetanus infections are affecting more youthful and younger people when it utilised to mostly attack individuals older than sixty many years of age.

Strangely, most folks have only heard of tetanus from the phrase “tetanus shot,” as an alternative of from knowledge what it is, or much more about tetanus signs and symptoms. If they had been far more knowledgeable, there would be far a lot more consideration given to efforts to avert contracting the deadly condition, and aggressively combating its spread among the normal population. Tetanus is a disease caused by a toxin manufactured by the bacteria called Clostridium tetani. Browse much more about tetanus signs.

When you check out a hospital for a surgical procedure or other course of action, you ought to expect to recover, not develop into even sicker than you had been ahead of. Having said that, there are some bacteria that can live in hospitals, infesting your surgical incisions and other wounds and resulting in infections that may possibly show to be fatal. If you arrive to the hospital to treat one particular of these wounds, or if you undergo surgery or childbirth in the hospital, you could be at threat for contracting tetanus in the health facility.

In reality, the Centers for Condition Handle and Safety have found that tetanus infections are affecting more youthful and younger folks when it employed to mainly assault people older than 60 several years of age.

• Stiffness in your neck, jaw, and other muscle tissue (lockjaw)
• Muscle spasms in your neck, jaw, and other regions
• Fever
• Issues with breathing

If you have endured from tetanus because of to unsafe premises maintenance, you really should battle again towards this negligence. To focus on your instance, make contact with a Danville premises liability attorney from Spiros Law, P.C. nowadays.

For details with regards to Tetanus indicators and symptoms go to: symptoms of tetanus,

Amongst the diseases i.e. stds, gonorrhea is the most infectious one causing infections to millions of people. Gonorrhea is commonly known as “the clap” and is the most common reason behind the disease occurs in women it is left untreated. the sexually transmitted diseases or std is commonly spread through unprotected sex without condom. Gonorrhea is also a type of std which can further affect the other organs if not treated properly. the possible way through gonorrhea or std can spread are penis, vagina, anus and mouth. it is possible that a mother can pass gonorrhea to her baby while childbirth.

The std like Gonorrhea is caused due to the infection of bacteria called as “Neisseria gonorrhoeae”. this bacterium can spread the infection to the unaffected parts of the body and can also cause serious health conditions in the new born baby. the causes of gonorrhea mainly include unprotected sexual intercourse. but it is not the only reason behind the infection because ejaculation is not required for an infection to occur. it can also spread with any type oral sex and can lead to the infection of throat, eyes and anus. the bacteria survive in the moist areas of the body so it does not affect the skin but especially from the skin of the fingers it can transported to the other parts of the body.

It is a strange thing that sometimes symptoms of Gonorrhea cannot see in men at all or it may be seen after 3 to 5 days after being infected by the bacteria. Sometimes Gonorrhea symptoms may be after 30 days. In men symptoms of gonorrhea are burning and pain urinating, a white or yellow substance from penis. the symptoms of gonorrhea in men can also be pain or swelling in the testicles. In women Gonorrhea symptoms can be mild or there won’t be any symptoms. the symptoms include increase in the vaginal discharge, burning sensation or pain urinating, bleeding between periods. These mild symptoms of Gonorrhea can be turned into serious symptoms if left untreated or ignored.

Though the symptoms of Gonorrhea seem mild but if left untreated then it may convert into complicated one. In men the symptoms can be worse like the infection can lead to the ducts attached to the testicles causing epididymitis. Gonorrhea can become serious illness as it affects the blood joints and the infected person can get HIV infection easily. In women it can cause pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) characterized by abdominal pain, fever and long term pelvic pain. People who are infected with HIV and Gonorrhea can infect the other person more easily compared to the person who is infected only with HIV.

It is very important to diagnose Gonorrhea or std in the early stage of disease. this diagnosis can be done in the std testing centers. the treatment of Gonorrhea includes single dose of antibiotic. though the best treatment for gonorrhea would be its prevention. the seriousness of this disease and the effects after leaving it untreated are very harmful that’s why it is advisable to wear condom during sexual activity. for women also it is essential to wear female condom throughout the act including oral sex. it is important to avoid multiple partners as decreases the chances of getting gonorrhea and other std. If you are involved with multiple partners then it is better to get check up regularly for gonorrhea and other std.

In women with bipolar disorder, premenstrual mood changes are associated with more depressive episodes and more severe symptoms, researchers have found.

The findings from the study of nearly 300 women offer evidence that premenstrual flare-ups of mood symptoms may be a clinical marker predicting greater severity of bipolar disorder in reproductive-age women, said Dr. Rodrigo Dias and colleagues at Massachusetts General Hospital.

The bipolar women with pre-mentrual mood changes had more episodes of depression and worse symptoms the following year, compared with bipolar women without premenstrual mood changes, the researchers found.

The study is published in the Feb. 15 online edition of the American Journal of Psychiatry.

Through their action on the central nervous system, estrogen and other reproductive hormones influence mood, the researchers explained. the time period following childbirth and the menopause transition are also times when women with bipolar disorder are more vulnerable to relapse.

In general, the way fluctuating hormone levels influence mood may result in greater mood instability among these patients, the study authors noted.

“The results reinforce the importance of identifying mood fluctuations across the menstrual cycle in women with bipolar disorder,” Dias said in a journal news release. “The women with premenstrual mood changes may benefit from more intensive monitoring. the value of antidepressants isn’t clear, since on the one hand, these women were less likely to be taking antidepressants and might have benefited from them. But on the other hand, antidepressants can trigger manic symptoms in bipolar patients.”

The American Academy of Family Physicians has more about bipolar disorder.

Copyright © 2011 HealthDay. all rights reserved.

Robert Preidt

CHICAGO (Reuters) – A pregnancy hormone that relaxes blood vessels appeared to reduce symptoms of acute heart failure and improve survival, according to a preliminary study released by U.S. researchers on Sunday.

They said the hormone relaxin, which is being developed by privately held Corthera Inc of California, was safe, and showed signs of reducing the risk of death from heart problems during the study.

The findings suggest that "early administration of this drug, in addition to standard therapy, might be associated with more rapid, sustained and complete resolution of acute heart failure, as well as with more favorable long-term outcomes," John Teerlink of the University of California, San Francisco, and colleagues wrote in the journal Lancet.

"if established in larger studies, the benefits of relaxin might represent an important advance in the treatment of patients with acute heart failure," the researchers wrote.

In pregnancy, the hormone helps relax and lengthen the cervix to prepare for childbirth, but it is also thought to be a natural vasodilator, widening blood vessels and allowing blood to flow more freely.

Vasodilators are often given to people with high blood pressure, which is common in heart failure, a condition in which the heart gradually loses its ability to pump blood efficiently, leaving organs starved for oxygen.

Teerlink and colleagues studied 234 elderly patients with heart failure and high blood pressure who were given either a 48-hour intravenous infusion of the drug or a placebo.

They found it was safe and helped to reduce shortness of breath in 40 percent of patients who received a moderate dose of the drug, compared with 23 percent who took a placebo.

It also reduced the number of patients in the study who died from heart problems or were readmitted to the hospital within two months for kidney failure compared with the placebo, according to the results, which were also presented at the American College of Cardiology meeting in Florida.

An estimated 5.3 million Americans have heart failure, a chronic but often deadly condition that will cost $34.8 billion this year for direct and indirect U.S. treatment costs, according to the American Heart Association.

© Copyright (c) Reuters

Hypothyroidism normally occurs when the body produces insufficient thyroid hormones needed for body metabolism. Thyroid hormones are produced by thyroid gland which is located at the base of the throat.

Postpartum hypothyroidism is an autoimmune disorder of the thyroid gland affecting women after childbirth. it normally occurs between 3-8 months after childbirth and is characterized by an inflamed thyroid gland. Research has shown that between 5-10 percent of women develop this disorder after childbirth, and has been identified as the major cause of postpartum depression in most women.

The cause of this condition still remains unclear but the following types of women are at risk of developing postpartum hypothyroidism. These include women with a family history of thyroid diseases, with history of miscarriages, suffering from diabetes and arthritis, suffering from infertility, with high levels of cholesterol and those suffering from goitre

Symptoms vary in every woman depending on the type of risk factors. Thee followings are some of the symptoms of this condition;

• Depression
• Weight gain
• Constipation
• Slowed heart rate
• Hair loss
• Increased sensitivity to cold
• Fatigue
• Hoarse voice
• Dry skin

If you are at risk of developing postpartum hypothyroidism or diagnosed with this disorder, you need to consult your doctor for appropriate treatments. Treatment varies from one individual to another and depends on age, health and medical history of patient and severity of disease. A blood test normally carried out to measure the level of thyroid hormone, thyroxine or T4 and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH). Treatment normally involves the use of synthetic or natural thyroid hormone medication prescribed by doctor.

Apart from medications, you can improve your thyroid by modifying your diet. you need to incorporate certain foods into your regular diet in order to control this disorder. These include foods that are rich in iodine. Iodine is an important trace mineral needed by thyroid gland to function properly. Fish, seaweed, seafood and iodized salt are good sources of iodine. Others include selenium and tyrosine rich foods. They are all essential for proper functioning of thyroid gland. you should also eat plenty of fruits and vegetables regularly, and make sure to drink plenty of water everyday. this will help you to lose weight associated with hypothyroidism.

Tags: Hypothyroidism, Postpartum, Signs, Symptoms, Treatments

this entry was posted on Thursday, January 27th, 2011 at 8:19 pm and is filed under Postpartum Depression. you can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

You are probably here either because you heard about postnatal depression but is unsure what postnatal depression is about or you’re probably suspecting that you have this illness. Whatever the reason, here are some facts that you should know. first of all, this illness affects one in ten women and usually begins in the first six months after childbirth. however, postnatal depression can begin in pregnancy for some women. besides, an important thing to note is that postnatal depression can occur at any time within the first year after the birth of a baby and can last for longer than a year if no help is seek and received. Therefore, do seek help before it worsen as untreated postnatal depression can lead to the breakdown of relationships with your partners or children.

Are you being unsure whether you’ve contracted this illness? Fret not, here are some of the usual symptoms of postnatal depression.

You are anxious and fearful- You may feel very anxious and may even become obsessed with unjustified fears of your baby, yourself or your partner. besides, you may feel unsafe when no one is by your side and you need someone to be with you all the time. Another postnatal depression symptom also include you having overwhelming fears for example you or your baby dying.

You worry a lot- You have unjustified worries about the things that you normally take for granted. Everyone have worries from time to time, but something is definitely wrong when worrying become more than it would be usual for you. Therefore, you may have postnatal depression. Consult your doctor before it worsens.

You have uncontrollable feelings of panic- your heart beats faster, your palms of your hands becomes sweaty and you may feel sick, even that you are going to faint. These attacks can happen at any time but are most common in new or stressful situations.

You feel tense- You feel tightness in your neck and shoulders and may be unable to unwind and relax yourself no matter how hard you try. instead, you feel more tense up the harder you try to relax.

You have more physical aches and pains- This is another symptom of postnatal depression that includes headaches, blurred vision and stomach pains. These are however, signs of tension and that your body is telling you that you are not feeling well.

You are easily irritated- You may find yourself shouting and snapping at your children, baby, partner or other for no good reason at all. in fact, they can’t understand the reason of you shouting at them and why they deserve your anger.

You feel sad-There are a different level of sadness that vary from just feeling low, to utter despair which you feel as if your world is an empty space. besides, you think about negative things that focus on your failures all day long. in worst case, you might even feel that your baby and partner will be living better without you.

If you have any symptoms or similar symptoms, do consult your doctor immediately. Early diagnosis and treatment of postnatal depression will result in a faster recovery. Therefore, don’t lose hope too soon!

Is teaching toddlers causing you depression? Learn the effective way of teaching toddlers with Desebelle Jane. Teaching toddlers has never been so easy!

No more leaks: Stimulating the leg with an electric current can ease the symptoms of ?incontinence

Stimulating the leg with an electric current can ease the symptoms of ?incontinence.

New research has found the technique helped 70 per cent of women with an overactive bladder and more than halved the frequency of their symptoms.

The condition is caused by the bladder muscle contracting before the organ is full. Symptoms include the need to ?urinate often and without much warning, and urge incontinence — where there is a strong need to urinate which cannot be stopped.

It is estimated that around one in five women over 40 experience some form of incontinence. Most cases are either stress incontinence, which occurs when the ?pelvic floor muscles become ?weakened — often by pregnancy or ?ageing — or urge incontinence.

Urge incontinence occurs when the ?signals between the brain and the ?muscles that control the bladder become mixed up.

The cause is largely unknown, although it is linked to hormones (it’s more ?common in women after the ?menopause), childbirth and nerve problems.

Although men and women suffer equally, women are more likely to have accidents.

Men have two sphincter muscles and the prostate to help control the bladder, rather than just one ?partial sphincter in women.

Most people can hold 350ml to 550ml of urine, but the nervous system ?usually signals the need to urinate when there is about 200ml in the bladder. with urge ?incontinence, people often need to go even before this.

Conventional treatments include pelvic floor exercises to strengthen the muscles and ?bladder training, which involves learning techniques to increase the time between feeling the need to urinate and passing urine.

Medication can also help by ?blocking the nerve impulses to the bladder that cause it to contract and leak. but it is estimated that up to a third of patients will not be helped by these therapies. for some, ?surgery is the only option.

One solution is to have a ?permanently implanted device, which ?electrically stimulates a group of nerves at the base of the spine called the ?sacral nerve plexus.

These nerves run down the spine to the back of the leg and into the foot, and are involved in ?controlling the bladder. the device stimulates them permanently.

But the latest technique, known as percutaneous tibial nerve ?stimulation, doesn’t involve an implant. Instead, doctors insert a small needle into the calf to ?stimulate the tibial nerve — this runs up through the calf to the ?sacral plexus.

The needle is connected to a device that sends electrical pulses into the nerve — and the ?therapy is ?painless. In a new trial, led by doctors from North ?Middlesex University ?Hospital in London, 43 women with an ?average age of 55 had a 30-minute treatment each week.

None of the women had ?benefited from other treatments previously.

At the end of the six weeks, 70 per cent of them showed an improvement in symptoms.

Frequency of urination declined from an average of 15 to seven times in 24 hours, while the ?average number of incontinence pads required also fell by 34 per cent.

It is thought nerve stimulation works by blocking the signals from the hyper-reactive nerves in the bladder. Gradually, it also re-trains the nerves to behave normally.

However, the research suggests the treatment must be repeated fairly frequently; patients reported their symptoms worsening three weeks after the treatment ended.

Raj Persad, consultant ?urologist at the Bristol Royal Infirmary and ?Southmead Hospital, says: ‘Urge ?incontinence is a ?troublesome symptom, which can ruin a patient’s quality of life.

‘when tablets fail, we may try Botox injections into the bladder, but this involves a general ?anaesthetic. Beyond this, only major surgery is left as a ?treatment option.

‘Tibial nerve stimulation ?treatment allows an easily ?delivered treatment to be offered without the need for ?general ?anaesthetic. the results look encouraging, and in the long run it may be a more economical ?treatment than medication.’

• A plaster you stick on your back could be another way to stimulate the sacral nerves which control the bladder. although sacral ?stimulation ?usually involves implanting an ?electrode near the sacral nerve in the spine, ?researchers at the ?Princess Anne Hospital in ?Southampton are ?assessing whether a new adhesive patch could also help. the patch contains ?nerve-?stimulating electrodes powered by a small battery. In the trial, the non-invasive patches will be worn for a month and changed every week.

if you are prone to fibroids or have a scar from a caesarean section than there is a small risk of uterine ruptures in subsequent pregnancies.

anne frye on vbac .uterine rupture.

information about trying to conceive, early pregnancy symptoms, the stages of pregnancy, labor .delivery, pregnancy drug dangers, what to buy for your baby .

find out what causes a uterine rupture after childbirth .how it’s treated.

if a rupture occurs there can be a number of symptoms.