Women's Health: Mothers who smoke, give birth preterm more than triple their cardiovascular disease risk ♦ Prenatal cocaine exposure linked to adolescents engaging in sex by age 15

Mothers who,, give birth preterm more than triple their cardiovascular disease risk Mothers who smoke and have a preterm birth more than triple their risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), according to research in more than 900,000 mothers. The researchers also discovered that CVD risk was even greater in smoking mothers with more severe or recurrent preterm births.

Intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy linked to liver cancer, other diseases later in life In a new study of more than 125,000 pregnant women, researchers found that the risk of hepatobiliary cancer and immune-mediated and cardiovascular diseases later in life is higher in women with intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP) than in women without this condition.

3D model to help researchers study pelvic floor disorder linked to childbirth Researchers have developed the first-ever 3D complete computer model to help study treatment for pelvic organ prolapse, a mysterious condition often linked to childbirth that causes distress and discomfort and requires surgery for more than 200,000 women a year

Prenatal cocaine exposure linked to adolescents engaging in sex by age 15 Since 1994, researchers have studied mothers -- some who used cocaine while pregnant and others who did not -- to understand how the drug affected their children's cognitive and social development . Their latest findings suggest a link between prenatal cocaine exposure and an adolescent's likelihood to have sexual intercourse before age 15.

1/26/13 Health News: Factory Worker Arrested Over Food Poisoning - Saliva Test Asthmatic Kids Exposure To Second Hand Smoke - Contact Lens Helps With Diabetes

Factory worker arrested over Japan food poisoning

Japanese police on Saturday arrested a factory worker for allegedly poisoning frozen food with pesticides, in a case that sickened more than 2,800 people across the nation, news reports said. Gunma Police Department arrested the … continue reading

Saliva Reveals Asthmatic Kids' Smoke Exposure

Asthmatic children who are exposed to cigarette smoke are more likely to make repeat trips to the hospital for breathing problems. But researchers say asking parents about kids' smoke exposure may not yield the most reliable information. In a recent study, saliva revealed exposure to tobacco smoke in roughly 80 percent of children brought to the hospital for asthma or breathing problems. But only about a third of parents said their children came in contact with smoke. What's more, finding evidence of nicotine, a chemical in tobacco, in children's saliva was a better predictor of whether they would need to come back to the hospital, compared to the information parents gave to doctors. /Continue Reading

'Smart Contact Lens' Could Help Millions With Diabetes

Google has announced it's testing a smart contact lens that can help measure glucose levels in tears. The contacts contain a tiny wireless chip and a sensor. The company is hoping the technology could lead to a new way of helping people with diabetes manage their disease. Continue Reading