WARRIOR WOOG TAMES THE INNER BEAST

An incident, which occurred last week, took me straight back to the time that Linda Marsh's mum pulled my mate Penny up in the primary school playground and gave her the biggest dressing down I had ever seen in my whole 11 years on the planet.

To make matters worse, Mrs Marsh ( not her, left, but close) had a very thick Scottish accent and a comical appearance along with a habit of spitting when she talked.

Penny was getting tongue lashed by someone else's mum for all to see. (And if you thought Penny was unhappy, Penny's mum was steamily livid when she found out about it later that afternoon.)

The verbal assault set in train a series of unpleasant events and exchanges between the two women and soon became the talk of the town.

I would NEVER reprimand someone else's child unless they were about to light someone's hair on fire.

But it seems that there are some parents out there who feel it is their business.

My darling son, who is eight, apparently has an arch nemesis in the year above him. A girl who enjoys some argy bargy. Now do not get me wrong here, I know that my son can give it back as much as he gets it, but after a particularly unpleasant exchange, this girl told her father. And he took the matter into his own hands.

Mr Woog and I had fronted up to the school to attend an event. There we found our son in tears.

He had been accosted by the father of his nemesis who proceeded to have a bit of a yell and holler at him in front of his classmates. Our son was totally freaked out and started to calm down just as I started to fire up.

"Who was it?" I asked. "Point him out to me."

Source: http://thehoopla.com.au/warrior-woog-tames-beast//

Dental X-Rays May Be Linked to Benign Brain Tumors (4/10/2012)

Dental X-Rays May Be Linked to Benign Brain Tumors

Study found increased risk, but connection was not conclusive.

By Randy DotingaHealthDay Reporter
TUESDAY, April 10 (HealthDay News) -- People who underwent frequent dental X-rays in the past, before radiation doses were lowered, may be at greater risk of a usually benign form of tumor in the lining of the brain, a new study suggests.

The research doesn't definitely link dental X-rays to the tumors, which affect about 1 percent of people. It's also possible that dental X-rays, which are now given at a lower radiation dose, have nothing to do with the tumors.

Still, the study suggests that dental X-rays could be a risk factor for the tumors, called meningiomas, said study author Dr. Elizabeth Claus, a neurosurgeon at Brigham & Women's Hospital in Boston and a professor of epidemiology at Yale University School of Medicine. The findings suggest that patients should talk to their dentists about the possible dangers of X-rays and be aware of national recommendations regarding their use, she said.

"I do not get the feeling that people are aware of those guidelines," she said. "Many people are having them every six months or every year when the American Dental Association is saying once every two to three years." (That's the recommendation for the patient who's never had a cavity or only a small number of fillings and isn't at increased risk for a cavity.)

Meningiomas affect the lining of the brain and the spinal cord. More than 90 percent are classified as benign, not malignant. But in some cases they can grow to the size of a baseball and disrupt the brain's functioning, leading to vision problems, headaches, hearing and memory loss, and seizures.

Neurosurgeons often try to remove them in the most severe cases.

"They cause problems as soon as they achieve a certain size, because there is no room in the skull to accommodate growth. Any growth that is more than a couple centimeters can result in symptoms," explained Dr. Isabelle Germano, director of the Comprehensive Brain Tumor Program at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City.

Radiation is linked to various types of tumors, including meningiomas. In the new study, researchers sought to determine whether dental X-rays are connected to meningiomas that affect the lining of the brain specifically.

The researchers examined a group of more than 1,400 patients aged 20 to 79 who were treated for the tumors between 2006 and 2011, and compared them to 1,350 similar people who did not develop the tumors. The average age in both groups was about 57.

Those with tumors were more than twice as likely as the others to report having more frequent bitewing X-rays (at any time) and panorex X-rays (especially at a young age).

Bitewing X-rays allow views of the back teeth; patients bite onto a tab during the X-rays. Panorex X-rays show the whole area in and around the mouth from below the nose to the chin.

The design of the study didn't allow the researchers to specify the level of increased risk of a tumor that a person who's had dental X-rays would conceivably face. It does appear, however, that the raised risk would remain low, Claus said.

Overall, more than 92 percent of people in the study reported having had at least one bitewing X-ray.

Dr. Matthew Messina, a Cleveland dentist and spokesman for the American Dental Association, said one weakness of the study is that people's memories about their X-rays are fuzzy. "It's difficult to pin this down," he said, especially without dental records.

Messina added that the amount of radiation in dental X-rays has gone down significantly over the years, thanks to factors such as the improved speed of X-ray film and the advent of digital X-rays.

The study was also observational in nature, meaning it can show an association but not cause-and-effect.

So what should patients do?

Adult patients and parents of child patients should talk to their dentists about X-rays, Germano said. "It's always important to discuss what the X-ray is for and what the advantage is. It's not a good idea to assume that X-rays are a benign procedure," she said.

Messina agreed. "It's always good for patients to talk to their dentists about why they're getting X-rays and what is being done to shield the patient."

Overall, dentists are trying to balance the possible dangers of radiation and the usefulness of X-rays, he said. "We take dental X-rays because we're trying to make sure the person is healthy or trying to diagnose what's wrong with them."

The study appears in the April issue of the journal Cancer.

Source: http://www.womenshealt.gov/new/news/headlines/663600.cfm/

Children Born to Obese Moms May Face Higher Autism Risk: Study (4/9/2012)

Children Born to Obese Moms May Face Higher Autism Risk: Study

Maternal obesity, overweight also linked to other developmental delays.

By Jenifer GoodwinHealthDay Reporter

MONDAY, April 9 (HealthDay News) -- Children born to obese or very overweight mothers are at higher risk of having autism or developmental delays, new research suggests.

The study of more than 1,000 children found that the offspring of obese mothers had a 67 percent higher risk of autism than the children of normal-weight moms, and more than double the risk of having developmental delays, such as language impairment.

"The odds of autism and other developmental delays were significantly higher in the children of moms who were obese versus those who weren't," said lead study author Paula Krakowiak, a biostatistician and doctoral candidate at the University of California, Davis.

The research included more than 500 children aged 2 to 5 with mild to severe autism, about 170 children with another type of developmental disability, and 315 typically developing children, all taking part in the Childhood Autism Risks from Genetics and the Environment, conducted between 2003 and 2010.

Children were assessed by experts from the university's MIND Institute to confirm their autism diagnosis, while mothers were interviewed about various aspects of their health before and during pregnancy. Information about weight came from either medical records or mothers' recollections of their weight before and during pregnancy.

Obesity is defined as a body mass index of 30 and up. Body mass index, or BMI, is a measure of body size based on height and weight.

While diabetes was also associated with increased odds of developmental delays in offspring, there wasn't a statistically significant association between diabetes and autism.

The research is in the May issue of Pediatics, published online April 9.

Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder in which children have difficulties with social interaction, verbal and nonverbal communication such as reading facial expressions and understanding other social cues, and restricted interests and behaviors.

About one in 88 U.S. children has a so-called autism spectrum disorder, which includes milder forms of the disorder, such as Asperger syndrome, according to updated figures from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. One in six U.S. children has a developmental delay, such as a speech or language impairment or other intellectual disabilities, the CDC says.

Considering that about one-third of the women of child-bearing age in the United States are obese and almost 9 percent have diabetes, the findings could have serious public-health implications, said Krakowiak.

Dr. Andrew Adesman, chief of developmental and behavioral pediatrics at the Steven and Alexandra Cohen Children's Medical Center of New York, said the findings "should not be ignored." However, he noted that other genetic or environmental factors are likely contributing to autism. Many parents of autistic children are of normal weight, while many obese parents don't have autistic kids.

"Although the results of this study suggest obesity is a risk factor for developmental problems in offspring, one cannot assume that developmental problems in the offspring are due to obesity, and many other factors may be involved or responsible," Adesman said.

Indeed, other research published last week identified several spontaneous genetic mutations as the cause of a fraction of autism cases. Parents' ages, especially fathers older than 35, were also associated with autism in those recent studies, published online in the journal Nature.

The reasons for the link between obesity and autism/developmental delays are unknown, though some research suggests that obesity unleashes inflammatory proteins, some of which may be able to cross the placenta into the fetus. It's possible the inflammatory proteins, known as cytokines, may harm a fetus's developing brain, Krakowiak said.

She also noted that while the research found an association between obesity and autism/developmental delays, it did not prove that being obese causes autism or other brain problems in the fetus. The link may be indirect.

"It may not be the obesity itself, but other things that lead to obesity, such as genetics, or lifestyle, or diet," Krakowiak said.

About 24 percent of moms who had a child with a developmental delay were obese; 21.5 percent of moms who had a child with autism were obese; and 14 percent of moms with a typically developing child were obese.

Researchers noted that overweight mothers whose weight approached obese -- a BMI of 28 or 29 -- had risk levels similar to obese moms.

Mothers with a child with autism or a developmental delay were also more likely to have hypertension during pregnancy, but the association wasn't considered statistically significant. Researchers noted the number of women with high blood pressure in the study was small.

Source: http://www.womenshealt.gov/new/news/headlines/663392.cfm/

Better Safeguards Needed for Imported Food, Drugs: Report (4/4/2012)

Better Safeguards Needed for Imported Food, Drugs: Report

U.S. needs to bolster safety systems in developing countries, prevent fraud, Institute of Medicine says.

By Steven ReinbergHealthDay Reporter
WEDNESDAY, April 4 (HealthDay News) -- A new report urges the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and other government agencies to play a stronger part in poor countries to ensure the safety of food and medications coming into the United States.

The report, prepared by an independent panel at the Institute of Medicine (IOM) and released Wednesday, said efforts to bolster safety systems should take three to five years.

"The recommendations in this report represent the committee's consensus on how to best bridge the gaps in food and medical product regulatory systems in low- and middle-income countries," report committee chair Jim Riviere said in an IOM statement.

A consumer advocacy group spokesman commented on the recommendations.

"Many parts of the report make good sense," said Jaydee Hanson, a senior policy analyst at the Center for Food Safety. "But having a good inspection system requires money."

And, according to Hanson, who was not involved in the report, the FDA doesn't have enough funds to institute more overseas inspections, much less expand its efforts in the United States.

"You don't have money going into the food safety system nationally or internationally," he said. "Basically, the FDA is supposed to accomplish more with the same or less money."

The need for these measures appears pressing as the United States imports more of its food and medicines than ever before and was highlighted earlier this year when a counterfeit version of the cancer drug Avastin was brought into the country.

On Wednesday, the FDA confirmed that another counterfeit version of Avastin -- containing no active ingredients -- has turned up in U.S. medical practices.

Counterfeit vials of Avastin were probably not harmful, but did not contain the active ingredient in the real drug, according to Roche, the Swiss drug maker.

Regulators in Europe said traces of salt, starch and acetone, a solvent found in paint thinner, were found in an analysis of the fake drug's contents, the Associated Press reported in February.

"More than 80 percent of active pharmaceutical ingredients and 40 percent of finished drugs come from abroad, as does 85 percent of the seafood Americans eat, according to federal estimates," the IOM statement noted.

Last year, the FDA did only 600 inspections internationally, so it is likely that things fall through the cracks, Hanson said. "If you're talking doubling that each year, with the volume of foods and drugs we import, that's not much."

The FDA-sponsored report calls for a number of changes to improve inspection of food and drugs abroad, including working with other developed countries around the world that also inspect food and drugs so efforts are not duplicated.

"These are multi-sectoral recommendations that involve action from a variety of stakeholders. We believe that the changes we suggest could greatly improve the safety of food and medical products around the world," said committee chair Riviere, director of the Center for Chemical Toxicology Research and Pharmacokinetics at the College of Veterinary Medicine at North Carolina State University in Raleigh.

The report also recommends developing low-cost technologies to prevent fraud and looking into whether the FDA pilot program, Secure Supply Chain, can be expanded. It rewards drug firms that track their products from manufacture to market by speeding entry of their products into the U.S. market.

The report also called for investing in safe food and drug programs in developing countries. Various U.S. agencies could provide technical expertise, training and tools to improve the surveillance systems in these countries, the report said, and provide this assistance directly or through international organizations such as the World Health Organization.

But, it's not as if food safety in the United States is all that good, Hanson said. "There is a need for better food safety inspection all along the way. We have folks who have not been able to get salmonella out of turkeys in the U.S.," he said.

The report said the FDA and the U.S. Department of Agriculture should provide incentives to businesses and academics to develop inexpensive technologies that can be used in developing nations to prevent and detect fraud and provide tracking and verification of products.

But, Hanson said, the government needs to be able to prosecute importers of bad food and drugs and cut off imports from countries where these problems are endemic. "One of the things that got cut from the Food Safety Modernization Act was real criminal penalties," he added.

Moreover, the FDA needs to be more transparent and post violations on the Internet, something the report doesn't call for, Hanson said.

Source: http://www.womenshealt.gov/new/news/headlines/663429.cfm/

Antibiotics Linked to Retinal Detachment Risk (4/3/2012)

Antibiotics Linked to Retinal Detachment Risk

The risk is very small and the reasons aren't known, researchers say.

By Steven ReinbergHealthDay Reporter
TUESDAY, April 3 (HealthDay News) -- People taking antibiotics called fluoroquinolones may be at a small risk of an eye condition called retinal detachment, a new study suggests.

These commonly prescribed antibiotics, used to fight a variety of bacterial infections, have been linked to other eye problems, including corneal perforations, optic neuropathy and retinal hemorrhages. But this is the first study that has linked them to retinal detachment, a serious medical emergency that may lead to blindness, the Canadian researchers said.

"These are powerful antibiotics, so they should only be used in patients who really need them, as many studies show they are inappropriately prescribed," said lead researcher Dr. Mahyar Etminan, an assistant professor of medicine at the Child and Family Research Institute of British Columbia in Vancouver.

"Patients who experience floaters or flashes of light in their visual field while taking these drugs should see an ophthalmologist to prevent possible retinal detachment," he added.

"Since this condition is serious and may lead to severe loss of visual acuity or even blindness, patients taking these drugs should be familiar with these signs," he said.

The report was published in the April 4 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

For the study, Etminan's team analyzed records of almost 1 million patients who saw an ophthalmologist between January 2000 and December 2007.

Among these patients, more than 4,300 had a retinal detachment. The researchers paired each of these patients with 10 individuals who did not have the condition.

The investigators found that those suffering a retinal detachment were more likely to be near-sighted, have diabetes or have had cataract surgery.

In addition, 3.3 percent of those with a retinal detachment were taking fluoroquinolones, compared with 0.6 percent of those without the condition, the study authors noted.

However, there was no risk of retinal detachment among people who had taken the antibiotics recently or those who had taken them in the past, the study found.

And while current users of fluoroquinolones had a nearly five times higher risk of retinal detachment, the absolute risk was very small -- only 1 in 2,500, for any use of fluoroquinolones, they noted.

"This magnitude of risk seems small, but given that there are about 40,000,000 prescriptions written for these drugs in the U.S., it translates to around 4,000 new cases per year," Etminan said.

The study does not establish a cause-and-effect relationship between antibiotics and retinal detachment, only a weak association.

Commenting on the study, Dr. William Smiddy, a professor of ophthalmology at the University of Miami Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, said, "I don't believe it."

If the risk were real, you would expect to find people who had taken the antibiotics to have had the condition, but the study didn't find that, he said.

"It's not something we can discount, but it's hard to believe," Smiddy added. "It's not something I've even heard described, before this paper."

In addition, Smiddy noted that the study only suggests there may be a connection.

"Even if there is a risk, it's a low risk, so if you need a fluoroquinolone you should be on a fluoroquinolone," Smiddy said. "We don't want to throw the baby out with the bathwater."

Source: http://www.womenshealt.gov/new/news/headlines/663420.cfm/

CDC: Americans' Levels of Vitamins, Nutrients Basically OK (4/2/2012)

CDC: Americans' Levels of Vitamins, Nutrients Basically OK

Intake of vitamins A, D and folate satisfactory for most, but some need more vitamin D and iron.
MONDAY, April 2 (HealthDay News) -- Most Americans have good levels of vitamins A and D and folate -- a B vitamin -- but some groups of people need to increase their levels of vitamin D and iron, according to a federal report released Monday.

The study by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also found that rates of vitamin and nutrient deficiencies vary by age, gender and race/ethnicity, and can be as high as 31 percent for vitamin D deficiency among blacks.

The study results were based on measurements of vitamins and nutrients in blood and urine samples collected between 1999 and 2006 from participants in the CDC's National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

"These findings are a snapshot of our nation's overall nutrition status," Christopher Portier, director of CDC's National Center for Environmental Health, said in an agency news release. "Measurements of blood and urine levels of these nutrients are critical because they show us whether the sum of nutrient intakes from foods and vitamin supplements is too low, too high, or sufficient."

Lead researcher Christine Pfeiffer said in the release: "Research shows that good nutrition can help lower people's risk for many chronic diseases. For most nutrients, the low deficiency rates, less than 1 to 10 percent, are encouraging, but higher deficiency rates in certain age and race/ethnic groups are a concern and need additional attention."

Pfeiffer and her colleagues found that since the fortification of cereal-grain products with folic acid began in 1998, there has been a sustained increase in folate levels.

Folate deficiency has dropped to less than 1 percent, and blood folate levels in all racial/ethnic groups have increased 50 percent.

Folate is a B vitamin found in foods such as leafy green vegetables, fruits and dried beans and peas. Folic acid is a synthetic form of folate found in supplements and used to fortify foods, according to the U.S. National Institutes of Health.

Folate is especially important for women prior to and during pregnancy and for children during infancy. It can help prevent major birth defects of the brain and spine, such as spina bifida.

The CDC study found that rates of vitamin D deficiency were 31 percent among blacks, 12 percent among Mexican Americans and 3 percent among whites. Vitamin D is essential for good bone health and may also improve muscle strength and protect against cancer and type 2 diabetes, the researchers said.

Even though blacks had the highest rate of vitamin D deficiency, they had greater bone density and fewer fractures than the other groups. Further research is needed to explain these findings, the researchers said.

Among the other findings in the study:

Women aged 20 to 39 had the lowest iodine levels among any age group of women and their levels were just above iodine insufficiency. Iodine is an essential component of thyroid hormones that regulate human growth and development.

Compared to other racial or ethnic groups, iron deficiency was more common among Mexican American children aged 1 to 5 (11 percent), and among black and Mexican American women of childbearing age, 16 percent and 13 percent, respectively.

Blood levels of heart-healthy polyunsaturated fatty acid differ by race/ethnicity.

Source: http://www.womenshealt.gov/new/news/headlines/663372.cfm/

Hair Of The Dog London – Houndstanding!

Hair Of The Dog London – Houndstanding!

Hair Of The Dog is a new concept lifestyle

boutique for dogs and cats, in the heart of Highgate village, London."My aim at Hair Of The Dog London is to source a well-designed stylish
range for our four legged friends from around the globe" said Sophie "with
particular emphasis on handmade, natural, recycled and organic products.

"I opened the shop in December 2010 and now also have a successful
online business through which we are able to reach customers throughout the
UK and around the world!

"I recognised a gap in
the market for quality products, finding it very difficult to find gorgeous
things for Mr Echo my schnauzer that also complemented my home and personal
style. After a trip to Berlin, where I discovered an amazing dog boutique quite
different to anything I'd seen before, I
was convinced the idea would work here and six months later Hair Of The Dog
London was born.

"North London was the perfect location as the locals appreciate good
quality products and are a very dog-loving community!

"My background was in
styling and buying and I have always had a creative eye. Hair of the Dog merged all my loves together! I am continually
searching the globe for unique stock, which is what makes Hair Of The Dog London stand out from its competitors.

"We stock many brands
exclusively, including the gorgeous Vurv
Design Studio hand-crafted wooden double feeders from Canada made from
maple cherry and walnut.

"Renowned sculptor and designer Matthew Wurr (alias my dad!) has created
gorgeous toy tidy units, which are handmade to order from original wine
boxes. Each box is lovingly sanded and finished with satin lacquer for
durability and then fitted with hand knotted soft touch rope handles.

"Hair Of The Dog London was the first in the UK to import the Planet
Dog 100 % bamboo ball throwers, the best performing, best-constructed dog ball
toss we've ever tested and engineered with sustainable bamboo and reused cork
scraps.

"We also exclusively
stock Handmade for Hounds whose
coats are all lovingly hand crafted, each a unique one-off piece, allowing your
pet to stand out from the crowd."

Regular grooming of your pet is an important part of their
wellbeing whether they are long haired or short. Hair Of The Dog London even have this covered with groomers
situated at the rear of the store.

"It is the owner's responsibility to make sure their dog is regularly
and properly groomed to maintain the dog's coat condition. This will keep
your pet shiny, healthy and free from fleas and tangles" said Sophie. "Routine
grooming controls shedding and it is during a professional groom at Hair Of The Dog London that we also
check a dog's nails, ears and eyes.

"We do everything possible to ensure the grooming experience is a happy
and relaxing one. The spa itself is state of the art equipped and we make
sure we maintain a relaxed and calming environment so that our customers leave
with their tails wagging and want to come back!

"Our groomers are hugely experienced and able to offer a complete
range of services.

"Since opening the support and feedback from customers has been
outstanding, we are grateful for their ideas and offer regular impromptu
gatherings of dogs and their owners in the garden courtyard.

"One of our popular
events was a Lily's Organic Kitchen dog
food tasting where we set up a dog restaurant in our courtyard, on their
own little dog height table. We support
a local charity All Dogs Matter and are actively involved in helping them
all we can. We plan to host and take part in many more similar events, as
being an active part of our community is very important to us."

For more information
visit www.hairofthedoglondon.com

Poppy Watt Hair Of The Dog London would like to offer you the chance to win a 100% natural edible rawhide
Easter card for your pet.

To enter just answer the following
question:

What is the name of the breed of
the gorgeous dog in our Collars section?

For assistance visit www.hairofthedoglondon.com

Send your answer to competitions@womentalking.co.uk
ensuring you put the word Hair Of The
Dog in the subject header and also including your Women Talking username.

The competition is only open to
Women Talking subscribers and any
submission without a valid username will not be admissible for entry.

The competition closes on April 8th and the winner will be
contacted soon after.

Source: http://womentalking.co.uk/new//topics/lifestyle/hair-dog-london-%E2%80%93-houndstanding/