There’s no single known cause for autism, but researchers now point the finger at higher lithium levels in drinking water. Their new study found that pregnant women in Denmark whose household tap water had higher levels of lithium were more likely to have kids with autism, compared to pregnant women living in areas where tap water had lower levels of this element. Autism is characterized by problems with social interaction, communication and behavior. About 1 in 36 children in the United States have the disorder, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. April is Autism Awareness Month. “Maternal prenatal exposure to lithium from naturally occurring drinking water sources in Denmark was associated with an increased autism spectrum disorder risk in the offspring,’ said study author Dr. Beate Ritz, a professor of neurology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. “This suggests a potential fetal neurotoxicity of lithium exposure from drinking water that needs to be further investigated.” Lithium leaches into drinking water from soil and rocks, but these levels could rise in the future from waste in lithium batteries that are not disposed of properly. “Lithium interferes with neurodevelopment during pregnancy and early infancy,” Ritz said. A biological pathway called WNT signaling plays a role in brain development and autism, and the pathway is also affected by lithium in animal…  read on >  read on >

An experimental targeted drug could provide a fresh chance for people with recurring head and neck cancer that has grown resistant to other treatments, a new clinical trial says. Ficlatuzumab used in combination with the already approved targeted drug cetuximab (Erbitux) significantly improved progression-free survival in relapsed head and neck cancer patients, according to results from a phase II trial. The results are particularly encouraging because the ficlatuzumab/cetuximab combo only worked in patients whose cancers aren’t driven by human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, said lead researcher Dr. Julie Bauman, director of the GW Cancer Center at George Washington University in Washington, D.C. “People with HPV-positive virally driven cancer have a better prognosis. They usually respond better to just about any therapy that’s put in front of them,” Bauman said. Patients with “the worst of the worst prognosis, with HPV-negative disease, was the group that appeared to disproportionately benefit, which was unexpected and quite gratifying,” Bauman said. HPV-negative head and neck cancers are typically driven by alcohol or tobacco use or exposure to occupational pollutants. The combo therapy had a 38% response rate in HPV-negative head and neck cancer patients. In those patients, tumors shrank by at least 30%. “This was a very sick patient population, because these were patients who had had their cancer come back after initial treatment, and they were all resistant to chemotherapy,…  read on >  read on >

(HealthDay News) – After six weeks of in-patient treatment at Walter Reed National MIlitary Medical Center, Sen. John Fetterman is back home in western Pennsylvania and in remission from depression. Fetterman will return to the Senate when Congress reconvenes April 17 after a recess. The Pennsylvania senator had been hospitalized since Feb. 15. “I am so happy to be home. I’m excited to be the father and husband I want to be, and the senator Pennsylvania deserves. Pennsylvanians have always had my back, and I will always have theirs,” Fetterman said in a statement on Twitter. The 53-year-old senator has a wife and three school-age children. Fetterman suffered a stroke that almost killed him while campaigning last May, followed by surgery to implant a pacemaker to manage the heart conditions atrial fibrillation and cardiomyopathy. Depression is a common post-stroke symptom. Since then, he has also been dealing with an auditory processing disorder, which can affect a person’s ability to speak fluidly and quickly process spoken conversation. He uses devices to transcribe words in real time, the Associated Press reported. Fetterman was supplied with hearing aids while at Walter Reed. Fetterman spoke on Sunday about the symptoms he had been experiencing prior to being admitted to the hospital. During a “CBS Sunday Morning” interview, Fetterman said that “[I] had stopped leaving my bed, I’d stopped eating,…  read on >  read on >

A cancer diagnosis can be tough to take, and not just for the patient. Caregivers are a vital part of a cancer patient’s care team, but the role can be exhausting. Plenty of caregivers struggle with the challenges of helping their loved one navigate treatment and, hopefully, survival. Research published in the journal Medicine measured the scope of the problem. “The prevalence of anxiety and depression in cancer patient caregivers, as measured with validated instruments, is approximately 47% and 42%, respectively,” the researchers, led by Hai Mei Geng from Beijing Shijitan Hospital in China, said when the study was released. “This high prevalence of anxiety and depression affects the quality of life of the caregiver.” Here are some tips to help you navigate caregiving for someone with cancer and provide the best care you can for your loved one. Communication is key Take the time to listen to the patient. They may have strong feelings about what they want to do for themselves and where they need help. The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) suggests reassuring the patient they will be a central part of all decisions and discussions. Remain open to the patient’s feelings and opinions. Still, you should acknowledge your feelings when speaking with the patient. When communicating with the care team, use a notebook. Writing down your questions and keeping them…  read on >  read on >

Some patients with early testicular cancer may not need chemotherapy and radiation, researchers report. Instead, surgery to remove lymph nodes in an area behind the abdomen lining called the retroperitoneum may be enough, according to their new study. “We found that the majority of participants in the study were cured with surgery alone, avoiding the toxicities associated with traditional therapies. We are confident that surgery for this disease state will be included into treatment guidelines in the near future,” said lead investigator Dr. Sia Daneshmand, a urologic oncologist at Keck Medicine of the University of Southern California and a member of USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center. Testicular cancer is typically treatable and most commonly affects younger men, ages 15 to 35. When it only spreads to the retroperitoneum, it is classified as early metastatic or stage 2 seminoma. Seminoma is a slow-growing type of testicular cancer. Standard treatment is chemotherapy and radiation to shrink and kill the cancer in the lymph nodes, though when that fails, surgery is often done. But surgery has not historically been used as a standalone treatment for this metastatic cancer. However, chemotherapy and radiation are associated with long-term side effects that include heart disease and secondary cancers. To study the issue, the researchers enrolled 55 patients from 12 institutions. Patients had previously undergone surgery to remove the testicle or testicles…  read on >  read on >

Women who are heavier or older may take longer to heal after surgery to reduce the size of their breasts, new research indicates. Body weight and age can affect complication risk after breast reduction, according to a report in the April 2023 edition of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. “While reduction mammaplasty is a safe procedure, our study suggests that patients in higher BMI categories may take longer to heal, with increased risk of wound healing times longer than two months,” lead author Dr. Jesse Payton said in a journal news release. Payton is a researcher at Baylor Scott & White Medical Center in Temple, Texas. Reduction mammaplasty is used to reduce back and neck pain and to improve body image and low self-esteem in women with breasts considered overlarge. For the study, researchers reviewed data on 277 patients who underwent reduction mammaplasty between 2014 and 2018. Patients’ average age was 36. Average BMI (body mass index) was 30 — the low end of obesity. Despite being at this high-BMI cutoff point, the patients were generally healthy, with low rates of other health problems, according to the study. About 49% of patients whose cases were reviewed had minor complications, such as superficial wound-healing problems. Major complications were uncommon, occurring in a little more than 4% of patients. On initial analysis, BMI was unrelated to the risk…  read on >  read on >

Parents who harshly discipline their young children may be putting them on a path toward lasting mental health symptoms, a new study suggests. Researchers found that among 7,500 children followed from age 3 to 9, about 10% fell into a “high risk” group where mental health symptoms — ranging from persistent sadness to acting out — worsened over the years. And children whose parents often used harsh discipline, including yelling or physical punishment, were about 50% more likely than their peers to end up in that group. Experts said the findings, published March 30 in the journal Epidemiology and Psychiatric Sciences, underscore an important reality: Some parents need to learn better strategies for managing young children’s behavior. That might mean a “timeout” to nip a tantrum in the bud, according to study leader Ioannis Katsantonis, a doctoral researcher at the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom. But it also means setting up clear and consistent behavior rules that young kids can understand. In this study, “consistent” parenting styles seemed to have benefits for children’s mental well-being. For those families, kids’ early-childhood behavior and emotional issues typically improved over time. “This could be because consistent parenting provides children with a sense of predictability and security, which can act as a buffer against worsening mental health,” Katsantonis said. When parents are consistent, he said, it suggests…  read on >  read on >

Children should feel safe at school, but learning of a mass shooting — like this week’s tragedy at Covenant School in Nashville — can threaten their sense of security. For parents, it can be challenging to know what to tell them. Two children’s mental health experts from UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas offer some advice. Just as important as what’s said is what not to say, according to Dr. Beth (Betsy) Kennard, a professor of psychiatry and member of the Peter O’Donnell Jr. Brain Institute, and Dr. James Norcross, chief of child and adolescent psychiatry. “The first thing to consider is the developmental level of the children so that you can provide answers and information at their level of understanding,” Norcross said in a medical center news release. “All children, regardless of their age, should be encouraged to express their reactions to the event, and parents should feel free to talk about their emotions.” Kids are typically worried about their personal safety after experiencing a traumatic event, Norcross continued. “As parents, you should provide reassurance that they are safe and that you are there to protect them from harm,” he said. The Nashville shooting on Monday took the lives of three children and three adults. Police killed the shooter at the scene and are trying to piece together a motive for the attack. Gun…  read on >  read on >