Peds/OB/GYN

Retinopathy of Prematurity Associated with More Than Visual Impairment
The authors say that although blindness is now a rare complication, severe retinopathy carries a "poor prognosis for child development." They write that their observations "may help improve the ability to counsel parents and to select high-risk infants for long-term follow-up."  Journal Watch

Brain development -- the pivotal role of the stem cell environment
 The surprising discovery made by the Dresden-based researchers: two components in the stem cell environment – the extracellular matrix and thyroid hormones – work together with a protein molecule found on the stem cell surface, a so-called integrin. This likely explains why iodine deficiency in pregnant women has disastrous consequences for the unborn child, affecting its brain development adversely – without iodine, no thyroid hormones are produced. “Our study highlights this relationship and provides a potential explanation for the condition neurologists refer to as cretinism”, says Wieland Huttner, Director at the Max Planck Institute in Dresden. This neurological disorder severely impairs the mental abilities of a person. Max-Planck-Gesellschaft

Fewer than half of women attend recommended doctors visits after childbirth
Medical associations widely recommend that women visit their obstetricians and primary care doctors shortly after giving birth, but slightly fewer than half make or keep those postpartum appointments, according to a study by Johns Hopkins researchers. The researchers found that women with pregnancy complications were more likely to see a doctor post-delivery, but overall, visit rates were low. Eurekalert!

Nerve block eases troublesome hot flashes
Injecting a little anesthetic near a nerve bundle in the neck cut troublesome hot flashes significantly, shows a new randomized, controlled trial published online today in Menopause, the journal of The North American Menopause Society (NAMS). The technique could give women who cannot or prefer not to take hormones or other medications an effective treatment alternative. Eurekalert!