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Privacy an issue for mothers with newborns in neonatal intensive care

Many mothers of newborns in neonatal intensive care units have difficulty finding private, quiet places in the hospital to express milk, according to a new study from the Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing at Case Western Reserve University.

The lack of privacy—if it causes mothers to miss feedings or makes them too timid to express milk—is an even greater health risk for low-weight premature newborns, because milk enriched with the mother's antibodies helps ward off infection and gastrointestinal problems.

PR people not just 'yes men' when pressured to be unethical

Public relations professionals who have provided ethics counsel to senior management are at least as fervent about serving the public interest — sometimes even more so — as they are about their duty to their organizations, according to a Baylor University researcher.

Study examines link between incarceration and psychiatric disorders

WASHINGTON, DC, January 16, 2013 — Psychiatric disorders are prevalent among current and former inmates of correctional institutions, but what has been less clear is whether incarceration causes these disorders or, alternatively, whether inmates have these problems before they enter prison.

Parents' financial help linked to lower college GPAs, higher graduation rates

WASHINGTON, DC, January 15, 2013 — College students who aren't studying hard may have their parents' financial support to blame.

Youth mentoring linked to many positive effects, study shows

Toronto, January 15, 2013 –The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) and Big Brothers Big Sisters Canada (BBBSC) are releasing the first results of one of the largest mentoring studies ever conducted.

The five-year study, which tracks the experiences of almost 1,000 children and teenagers registered with Big Brothers Big Sisters agencies across Canada, found that those with a mentor are significantly more confident in their academic abilities and considerably less likely to display behavioural problems.

You're still racist, say psychologists

A new psychology paper suggests that commonly observed differences in how groups perceive racism may be explained by ignorance about (and even denial of) the extent of racism over the course of history.

ACP recommends Stage 3 Meaningful Use focus on measuring improvements in health outcomes

PHILADELPHIA, January 15, 2013 -- Stage 3 Meaningful Use measures need to focus more on measuring improvements in patient health outcomes rather being than a large and growing collection of functional measures, the American College of Physicians (ACP) says in a letter submitted to the Health Information Technology Policy Committee (HITPC).

No panaceas for Mexico's violent drug war, but prohibition has failed

While Mexico and the United States have ramped up their efforts to control and perhaps defeat Mexico's increasingly violent drug cartels, the outcome of these efforts remains in doubt and no panaceas are in sight, but prohibition has once again proved to be a failure, according to a paper from Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy.

EGFR mutation not prognostic factor in non-small cell lung cancer

DENVER – Recent studies have demonstrated that molecular-targeted agents, such as epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI), may prolong survival of selected patients based on tumor biomarkers. The presence of mutation in the EGFR gene is known as a predictive marker for the response to treatment. However, whether or not these EGFR mutations are prognostic factors for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has not been known.

War was central to Europe's first civilization, contrary to popular belief

Research from the University of Sheffield has discovered that the ancient civilisation of Crete, known as Minoan, had strong martial traditions, contradicting the commonly held view of Minoans as a peace-loving people.

The research, carried out by Dr Barry Molloy of the University of Sheffield's Department of Archaeology, investigated the Bronze Age people of Crete, known by many as the Minoans, who created the very first complex urban civilisation in Europe.

Simple intervention helps doctors communicate better when prescribing medications

When it comes to prescribing medications to their patients, physicians could use a dose of extra training, according to a new study led by a UCLA researcher.

In previous studies, Dr. Derjung Tarn and her colleagues found that when doctors prescribed medicines, the information they provided to patients was spotty at best, they rarely addressed the cost of medications and they didn't adequately monitor their patients' medication adherence.

Low birth weight not associated with asthma risk

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. (January 15, 2012) – Asthma is a serious condition that affects more than 25.7 million Americans, and is responsible for nearly 4,000 deaths annually. While the cause of asthma remains unknown, a study released today in the January issue of Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, the scientific journal of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI), has concluded that low birth weight is not associated with asthma risk in young children.

Large Mismatch Between Patients' Expectations and the Actual Duration of a Cough

There is a large mismatch between patients' expectations regarding the duration of an acute cough and the actual duration based on the best available evidence, and this disparity has important implications for unnecessary antibiotic prescribing.

A systematic review of the medical literature showed the mean duration of a cough is 17.8 days. When surveyed, nearly 500 adults in Georgia reported a median duration of only five to seven days and a mean duration of seven to nine days, depending on the specific scenario.

Selective D-Dimer Testing for Suspected Deep Vein Thrombosis Safe and More Efficient than Testing Everyone

D-dimer testing based on clinical pretest probability for deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is safe and reduces diagnostic testing compared with testing all patients. Researchers randomly assigned 1,723 outpatients presenting for the first time with symptoms of DVT to either selective testing (D-dimer testing for patients with low or moderate clinical pretest probability of DVT or venous ultrasonograpy without D-dimer testing in patients with high clinical pretest probability) or uniform testing (testing for all patients presenting with symptoms).

Generic HIV treatment strategy could save nearly $1 billion annually but may be less effective

Replacing the combination of brand-name, antiretroviral drugs currently recommended for control of HIV infection with soon-to-be-available generic medications could save the U.S. health care system almost $1 billion a year but may diminish the effectiveness of HIV treatment. A study led by Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) investigators, appearing in the January 15 Annals of Internal Medicine, examines the potential impact of such a change.