The successful practice of medicine involves a great deal of skill, insight and intelligence, but it also requires doctors to remain current with industry knowledge.
Pregnant Moms Receive Painkiller Meds Despite Safety Concerns
A recent study reveals that 14 percent of pregnant women in the U.S.
are prescribed powerful painkillers by their doctors. The statistic is particularly unsettling because there is little research about the effects of narcotics on unborn children.
Study: Gender-Specific Therapy For Brain Injuries Looks Promising
The medical community has long been aware that oxygen deprivation
before and during birth causes worse brain damage in boys than girls, but the reasons why have proved elusive. A recent study provides exciting insight into the differences between female and male brain neurons after oxygen deprivation, or hypoxia.
Medical Study Suggests That Infant Bedsores Are Wholly Preventable
Bedsores, also known as pressure sores or decubitus ulcers
, commonly victimize prematurely-born infants during their stay in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). Medical research has revealed that as many as 25 percent of infants born preterm will suffer pressure sores during hospitalization. That is why the results of a new study are encouraging to parents of babies born preterm.
Inadequate Fetal Monitoring Is Common Factor In Birth Asphyxia
Birth asphyxia
is a potentially deadly complication that happens when an infant isn't receiving a sufficient amount of oxygen before, during or immediately after birth. Because birth asphyxia may cause severe neurological injuries such as cerebral palsy, it's important for hospital staff to carefully monitor an infant's oxygen levels and act swiftly when a problem arises.
Surgeon Study Finds Correlation Between Skill, Complications
A recent study provided insight into bariatric surgical errors,
revealing that the skill of a surgeon largely impacts the likelihood that the patient will experience complications. This conclusion seems straightforward enough, but it's startling that patients of unskilled bariatric surgeons are three times more likely to suffer from errors than skilled surgeons.
The Impact Of Surgical Items Left Inside The Patient
Many things can go wrong during a surgery,
but the majority of patients have an operation that is considered successful and they begin healing normally. Incredibly, about 6,000 patients face severe post-surgery complications - including internal infection and wrongful death - because a surgical team left a sponge inside them.
Study Seeks Truth In Connection Between Diflucan, Birth Defects
Diflucan (fluconazole) is a medicine designed to treat fungal infections,
but it has recently been scrutinized for an alleged tie to birth defects. Many scientists believe that when pregnant women take high doses of Diflucan, the fetus faces an increased risk of birth defects.
Study Aims To Help Speech Of Children With Cerebral Palsy
Cerebral palsy often impacts a child's speech, making words slur or lack enunciation.
A speech problem can be just as troubling as a child's movement difficulties, so scientists at a Scotland university are about to begin a three-year study that will closely examine the speech patterns of children with cerebral palsy.
Study: Antidepressants Greatly Increase Risk To Pregnant Mothers
Postpartum hemorrhage is one of the leading causes of fatal birth trauma in the United States. 
For that reason, scientists have made efforts to decrease it and save lives. A new study from the British Medical Journal provides valuable insight into one of the common causes of postpartum hemorrhage: Antidepressant use during pregnancy.
