Offspring
Children of centenarians live longer with no heart disease, stroke, diabetesA recent study appearing in the November issue of Journal of American Geriatrics Society revealed that centenarian offspring (children of parents who lived to be at least 97 years old) retain important cardiovascular advantages from their parents compared to a similarly-aged cohort.
Genetic screening for diabetes not helpfulScreening for a panel of gene variants associated with the risk for type 2 diabetes can identify adults at risk for the disorder but is not significantly better than assessment based on traditional risk factors such as weight, blood pressure and blood sugar levels.
Gene may predict an individual's pair-bonding behaviorVariation in the gene for one of the receptors for the hormone vasopressin appears to be associated with how human males bond with their partners, according to an international team of researchers.
Health of never-married people is improvingThe health of people who never marry is improving, narrowing the gap with their wedded counterparts, according to new research that suggests the practice of encouraging marriage to promote health may be misguided.
Childhood lead exposure is a risk factor for criminal behaviorLead exposure during childhood is associated with adult criminal behaviour, including violent crime, revealed by researchers in this week's PLoS Medicine. Childhood lead exposure is a purported risk factor for antisocial behavior, but prior studies either relied on indirect measures of exposure or did not follow participants into adulthood to examine the relationship between lead exposure and criminal activity in young adults.
Parents contribute to breech delivery in offspringA baby is twice as likely to be born bottom first if either or both the parents were themselves breech deliveries, according to a study published ahead of print on bmj.com. The results suggest genes are a contributing factor.
Less folate in diet cause abnormal spermHealthy men who report lower levels of the nutrient folate in their diets have higher rates of chromosomal abnormalities in their sperm, according to a new study by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.
Quit smoking in pregnancy to have easy going childGiving up smoking during pregnancy may boost the chances of giving birth to an easy going child, indicates research in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.
Zebrafish offer useful screening tool for genes, drugs that protect against hearing lossA small striped fish is helping scientists understand what makes people susceptible to a common form of hearing loss, although, in this case, it's not the fish's ears that are of interest. In a study published in the Feb. 29 issue of the journal PLoS Genetics, researchers at the University of Washington have developed a research method that relies on a zebrafish's lateral line-the faint line running down each side of a fish that enables it to sense its surroundings-to quickly screen for genes and chemical compounds that protect against hearing loss from some medications.
Kinship of couples may determine number of childrenIn a paper published by deCODE genetics (Nasdaq:DCGN) scientists establish a substantial and consistent positive correlation between the kinship of couples and the number of children and grandchildren they have.
Teenage fathers have babies with birth problemsTeenage fathers carry an increased risk of adverse birth outcomes, whereas advanced paternal age is not an independent risk factor for adverse birth outcomes, revealed by researchers in a study published in Human Reproduction.
Stress in pregnancy may lead to schizophrenia in offspringMost societies believe that a mother's psychological state can influence her unborn baby. Children of women who undergo an extremely stressful event-such as the death of a close relative-during the first trimester of pregnancy appear more likely to develop schizophrenia, according to a report in the February issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
Overweight pregnant women may have fatter childrenMothers-to-be beware. Women who are overweight during pregnancy may be more likely to have fatter children susceptible to chronic health problems, University of New South Wales (UNSW) research shows.
Prenatal starvation may lead to addiction later in lifeBabies conceived during a period of famine are at risk of developing addictions later in life, and a range of chronic disorders including physical conditions such as coronary heart disease, and psychiatric ones such as schizophrenia and clinical depression.
A good fight with spouse good for health & marriageA good fight with your spouse may be good for your health, research suggests. Couples in which both the husband and wife suppress their anger when one attacks the other die earlier than members of couples where one or both partners express their anger and resolve the conflict, according to preliminary results of a University of Michigan study.
Vitamin D deficiency may increase heart disease riskThe same vitamin D deficiency that can result in weak bones now has been associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, Framingham Heart Study researchers report in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.
Obese pregnant women give birth to heavier babiesThe number of overweight and obese Americans continues to grow rapidly. Today, 50 percent of adults are overweight and up to 20 percent are obese. While the number of overweight/obese children is at an all time high, the steady increase of overweight infants – individuals under 11 months old – is alarming.
Aging improves parent, child relationshipsThe majority of relationships between parents and their adult children improve as parents transition to old age, a Purdue University researcher has found. Karen Fingerman, an associate professor of developmental and family studies in the College of Consumer and Family Sciences, examined relationships adults 70 and older have with at least one of their adult offspring.