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Symptoms of Postpartum Depression

Commonly known as baby blues, Postpartum Depression hits some mother’s post childbirth pretty hard. The condition is also known as postnatal depression and is caused by the sudden lapse of hormones, such as estrogen and progesterone along with various hormones produced by the thyroid gland. Production of these hormones generally plummets after childbirth. Add sleep deprivation, hormonal shifts and anxiety and feeling of loss of control over one’s life; and you have a recipe for disaster.

In order to have a better understanding of postpartum depression, you should know what to expect in post birth and how to assist your spouse with this type of depression, the symptoms of postpartum depression are the following:

Inability to bond with baby

One of the most common symptoms of postpartum depression in women is the inability to bond with the baby. This could be both, physical and emotional. While some women experience lack of connection with their newborn and have to ask for their partner’s assistance or the hospital staff, others may find it difficult to hold and nurse the baby themselves at all.

Crying Fits

If you have forgotten all about PMS during pregnancy, you are in for a huge surprise after you deliver the baby for the postpartum symptoms, which includes excessive crying on top of the list. The feelings of guilt due to not being able to care for your child, the inability to help the baby latch on to you for a few days, or simply a colic child can induce the feeling of inadequacy, which are too common during the phase of postpartum depression.

Loss of Energy

Not only do new mothers face a drastic shift in their energy levels, but they also experience severe drops in appetite as well as overwhelming fatigue most of the time. Mothers experiencing these symptoms should consult their medical practitioners for treatment.

Suicidal Thoughts

Postpartum depression is obviously heightened if the mother is having suicidal thoughts or thoughts to cause physical harm to herself and (or) the baby. Usually, these symptoms occur in cases of acute depression. Anxiety and panic attacks are also common symptoms of postpartum depression.

Constant irritability

It is one thing being annoyed the morning after your baby had kept you up wailing all night, and it is an entirely different thing to be irritated at everything and every person around. Symptoms of postpartum depression include constant irritability and expressed thoughts about not being a good mother, or feeling unworthy of the bundle of joy.

Shift in Sleeping Patterns

Either the patient suffering from postpartum depression would face severe insomnia or would be sleeping too much. In either case, the symptom needs to be monitored for whether it is only the postpartum fatigue or postpartum depression (postpartum depression would be paired with various other symptoms of postnatal depression along with disturbed sleep patterns).

Reduced Interest in general Activities

Some postnatal depression patients report a sudden loss in interests and activities which they used to enjoy a lot. Many people lose interest in their jobs and quit considering it as a general aftermath of giving birth, but that’s not it. Also, many postpartum depression victims show symptoms of diminished thinking ability or lack of concentration on general matters.

Though it is often a difficult battle, overcoming postpartum depression is not impossible. It is critical that you seek help for it immediately, ensuring that you would be, in time, able to take the best care of your baby. Prolonged postpartum depression is detrimental to mental health in the long run and may heighten the risk of the problem recurring after future pregnancies.

First Zika Death in the United States

The first Zika-related death has occurred in the continental United States. A resident of Salt Lake County in Utah died by contracting the virus after traveling to parts of the world where the Zika virus is active. The Salt Lake County resident was also elderly and had an underlying condition according to the press release from the Salt Lake County Health Department.

The announcement came July 8th. The health department also stated that while the person did test positive for the virus, due to health privacy laws (HIPAA), health officials cannot and will not release further details about the person, as well as their travel history other than the person died in late June, tested positive for Zika, was elderly and traveled to a Zika affected region.

Dangers

Mosquito experts assure residents of Salt Lake County that there is no threat of Zika virus infection from the mosquitos in the area. Dr. Ari Faraji, manager of the Salt Lake City Mosquito Abatement District stated, “The exotic mosquito species capable of transmitting Zika virus are not found along the Wasatch Front. In fact, so far this season, we have not deemed those two species (Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus) anywhere in Utah.”

Current Locations

Health officials haven’t identified any Zika infections transmitted by local mosquitoes in regions of the continental United States where mosquitoes capable of carrying Zika virus are found. The most updated information about where mosquitoes are spreading Zika can be found on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s website.

Transmission

Health officials also caution that sexual activity can transmit Zika. Women that are trying to become pregnant or are pregnant should not have unprotected sex with a man that has recently traveled to a Zika affected region.

Travel Warnings

Dr. Dagmar Vitek, medical director of Salt Lake County Health Department said, “This unfortunate situation is a tragic reminder of how important it is to receive proper pre-travel education and to protect yourself from mosquitoes when traveling abroad. Travelers need to also be mindful of other diseases found around the world, including mosquito-borne illnesses like Dengue fever, malaria, and chikungunya.”

You can visit the CDC website on travel information for the latest information on the Zika virus areas, as well as information on other diseases that are showing prominence worldwide. It is also recommended that you contact your physician for recommended vaccines if you are planning on traveling to any third world or underdeveloped country, or if you are unsure if the country you are going to may require a vaccination. Please note, there is no vaccination for the Zika virus at this time, so take extra precautions if you are planning to visit an area currently affected with the Zika virus.

Myths about Alzheimer’s Disease

Alzheimer’s is one of the irreversible diseases which deteriorates the memory and mental condition of the person, subjecting them to phases of memory loss, followed by complete loss and damage of cognitive skills over time. The disease is part of the more commonly known mental state called dementia, which is the generic term for those who lose their cognitive abilities. Alzheimer’s is a chronic, neurodegenerative disease and is one of the most dreaded, due to the fact that the person gradually loses their mental capacity until they cannot think of take care of themselves.

Apart from the commonly known facts, there are some myths surrounding the Alzheimer’s disease, which needs to be addressed, in order to obtain a better understanding if you are with a person suffering from it.

Alzheimer’s disease only happens to people of old age

This is one of the widely known misconceptions about Alzheimer’s disease. If someone is experiencing symptoms, then they shouldn’t put off the doctor’s appointment until their 50th birthday. This disease doesn’t wait to strike people in their senior years only. Although most of the patients of Alzheimer’s disease are above the age of 60 years on average, it doesn’t restrict the disease to old age and can be prevalent among young people as well. Due to not being considered under threat of the disease in midlife, many people aren’t tested for it, thus delaying the diagnosis. This results in major progression of the illness in old age. The early onset is usually genetic, so if someone has a family history of it, it’s better to get a thorough check up on a more frequent basis.

Alzheimer’s disease isn’t deadly

Often people do not take the disease too seriously, which results in failing to acknowledge the fact that it is one of the top 10 diseases leading to death in the U.S. Alzheimer’s patients go far beyond regular forgetfulness which is a part of the aging process, often forgetting to eat and drink even, if living alone. This could easily lead to the danger of starvation. The disease can also lead to breathing problems, pneumonia and trouble swallowing and chewing food which may be fatal.

There isn’t a current cure of Alzheimer’s disease

Although many stories have been published and there have been many claims by nutritionists about the cure of Alzheimer’s disease; there isn’t anything that could stop it from progressing. A healthy lifestyle, medicines and proper diet may improve the general health of an Alzheimer’s patient, subsequently slowing down the progress of the disease, but the illness does grow with time, leaving no other option but to accept it.

Getting mindfully engaged in mental exercises, like puzzles may lower the risk or slow the growth of Alzheimer’s disease, but no person should accept the claims made about medicines, diet regimen or exercise plans to cure it completely.

See latest developments in the cure for Alzheimer’s disease.

Identifying the Early Signs of Autism

The range and severity of symptoms in autism spectrum disorder can vary widely. However, there are common symptoms, such as difficulty with communication, obsessive interests, and repetitive behaviors.

Distinctions in Social Behavior

Deficits in social behavior is one very common symptom of autism. These defects often take the form of reduced eye contact, reduced showing of objects, reduced pointing, reduced following a speaker’s line of gaze, and other issues. As children with autism grow older, other social abnormalities, such as reductions in reciprocal social interaction and difficulty identifying and interpreting others’ emotions, often become apparent.

Early Detection

Identifying autism early, ideally before 18 months, can make a difference. But being able to catch autism early, means understanding autism and being able to identify early signs. Parents should keep an eye on when their child hits key social, emotional, and cognitive milestones. Developmental delays could indicate a heightened risk for autism.

Identifying Deficiency in Communication Skills in Young Children

Regression of communication skills is a serious warning sign. Children may start to develop communication skill, and then regress. This usually occurs between 12 and 24 months. Children who started to speak may stop entirely. Children who started playing social games, such as peek-a-boo, patty cake, or waving goodbye may stop doing so.

Infants with autism spectrum disorder won’t exhibit normal behaviors, such as responding to cuddling, reaching out to be picked up, or looking at their mothers when being fed. Early signs also include babies and toddlers who don’t smile when they are smiled at, don’t respond to their names or familiar voices, don’t follow objects visually or a gesture when someone points things out, don’t imitate movements and facial expressions, don’t play with other people, and don’t ask for help or make other basic requests.

Determining Autism in Older Children

In older children, red flags get more diverse but they still typically revolve around impaired social skills, speech and language difficulties, nonverbal communication difficulties, and inflexible behavior. Older children will appear disinterested in what’s going on around them; will have difficulty playing or making friends; will prefer not to be touched or held; won’t play pretend games, imitate others, or use toys in creative ways; and will seem aloof and detached from others.

Behaviors that may indicate autism is the repetition of the same actions or movements over and over again, which is known as self-stimulatory behaviors. Examples of these behaviors include hand flapping, rocking back and forth, snapping fingers, spinning objects, repeating words or noises, and watching moving objects.

Zika Virus Hits 324 in New York

The New York Department of Health announced this Thursday, June 30th, that as of Tuesday, there are 324 positive cases of Zika virus in New York, with at least 233 in New York City.

Of the 324 cases, 22 have been in pregnant women. In his statement Thursday, Health Commissioner Howard Zucker said, “Mosquito-borne diseases are a major public health threat, one that we monitor closely here in New York. The program is especially important this year as we work aggressively to protect New Yorkers from Zika and minimize the impact of this devastating disease.”

Areas Currently Affected in the United States

Nationwide, the virus is spreading, fortunately, not at an alarming rate. The map below illustrates the disease by state.

The mosquito-borne virus has also been reported in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands, and American Samoa.

Currently, in New York State, 18 of the state’s 57 counties outside of New York City have had a positive case of Zika as of last week. This includes two cases in Westchester, one in Putnam and three in Rockland. Dutchess, Monroe, Ontario and Tompkins county are also among those affected as well. The largest majority of Zika cases in New York have been in New York City with 241 and on Long Island, with 36 according to the data from the Department of Health.

Countries of High Risk

The people that are most at risk are those that have recently traveled to the Dominican Republic. Of the 233 that tested positive for Zika in New York City, 140 had reported recently arriving from the Dominican Republic. Other places frequently and recently visited by those that tested positive for the virus included Puerto Rico, with 20 cases, and Guyana with 14 cases.

Follow the Guidelines

The guidelines issued in February by the Department of Health are still in effect. These guidelines include a warning to all women that are pregnant or trying to become pregnant and who have traveled to Zika affected areas to be tested even with no symptoms. Zika virus infection can produce symptoms of fever and/or rash but can also produce zero symptoms.

Currently, pregnant women affected with Zika have a 1% – 29% of their baby being born with birth defects, including microcephaly. Zika virus is also associated with Guillain-Barre syndrome, a rare autoimmune syndrome that affected two people in New York City that were infected with Zika. They have since both recovered. Two other cases in New York City are thought to be a result of sexual transmission, which is a growing concern.

Dr. Tom Frieden, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said during a conference last month that in the coming months, thousands of pregnant women in Puerto Rico could become infected. Currently, a race to create a Zika vaccine is slowly coming into fruition as two new vaccines have shown to fight the virus in animal models.

Microcephaly Screening Won’t Catch All Cases of Zika in Newborns

Microcephaly is a condition in which the brain does not develop properly resulting in a physical deformity, specifically, a smaller than normal head.

It is one of the most common outcomes of Zika virus infection in newborns, but the infection cannot be accurately diagnosed in babies solely based on screening for the brain defect. According to researchers, in order to detect Zika virus infection in newborns, signs and symptoms of brain abnormalities, not just head circumference, should be included in the screening criteria.

After studying all suspected cases of microcephaly in newborns in Brazil, the researchers discarded 3 out of 5 cases because they ended up being normal newborn babies with small heads.

“However, one in five definite or probable Zika cases had head circumference values in the normal range, said lead author Professor Cesar G Victora from the Universidade Federal de Pelotas in Brazil. “Therefore, the current focus on microcephaly screening alone is too narrow.”

Of the 1501 live born cases investigated, 899 were discarded. However, Zika infection among 602 cases were categorized as probable or definite. Among these cases, the babies had small head circumference at birth and their mothers were more likely to have experienced a rash during pregnancy. The definite or probable cases were also 4 times more likely to die in the first weeks of life.

More than 100 of these cases had head circumferences with normal range, however. As such, they would not have been included in the analysis for Zika if the researchers had used smaller cutoffs for head circumference.

“Although we believe that the underreporting of microcephaly cases is rare during the epidemic, newborns infected with the virus late in pregnancy may go unreported due to their head size being within normal range,” Victora said.

According to the researchers, their findings suggest that some, but not all fetuses in pregnancies affected by Zika will have brain abnormalities and microcephaly. However, other fetuses will have abnormalities with normal head sizes, and others still will not be affected. A surveillance system should not just focus on microcephaly or even rash during pregnancy, as for one-third of definite or probable cases there was no history of rash.

Unfortunately, the researchers have not yet determined the ideal cut-off point for head circumference.

New Gene Linked to Parkinson’s Disease

Mutations in a gene have been linked to confirmed cases of Parkinson’s disease. The gene TMEM230 is only the third to be definitively linked to the disease and was discovered by researchers at Northwestern Medicine.

The scientists published findings in Nature Genetics of evidence that TMEM230 mutations occurred in patients with Parkinson’s in both North America and Asia. The findings provide new clues about how the disease develops in the brain and could help find therapies for Parkinson’s disease. Currently, there is no cure and few known causes.

“Previous research has associated Parkinson’s disease with various factors in the environment, but the only direct causes that are known are genetic,” principal investigator Teepu Siddique, MD, the Les Turner ALS Foundation/Herbert C. Wenske Foundation Professor of Neurology and of Cell and Molecular Biology, said in a statement. “Many genes have been claimed to cause Parkinson’s disease, but they haven’t been validated. We show that mutations in this new gene lead to pathologically and clinically proven cases of the disease.”

TMEM230 is responsible for producing a protein involved with packaging dopamine in neurons. The researchers believe that the protein is involved in the movement of synaptic vesicles that release dopamine to cells that project into parts of the brain controlling motor activity and other organ systems affected by Parkinson’s.

“Our new findings suggest that normalizing synaptic vesicle trafficking may be a strategy for future therapeutic development,” study first author Han-Xiang Deng, MD, PhD, research professor of Neurology, said. We can develop drugs to promote this critical pathway.”

Only 15% of Parkinson’s disease cases are thought to be caused by genetics. The other genes known to be associated with the disease are SNCA and LRRK2. The researchers discovered TMEM230 after they began investigating a family with 15 members who had symptoms of Parkinson’s in 1996. The scientists then performed an analysis of the DNA of the entire family—those with and without the disease—in order to find a common mutation. Eventually, they identified TMEM230 as the gene with the disease-causing mutation.

“This particular gene causing Parkinson’s disease is not just limited to one population in North America,” Dr. Siddique said. “It’s worldwide, found in very different ethnic and environmental conditions. These mutations are that strong.”

Plant-Based Diet Could Lower Type 2 Diabetes Risk

Everyone knows the key to good health is a healthy diet. A new study from the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston has showed that a plant-based diet may significantly lower the risk of type 2 diabetes.

The study contained information from over 200,000 Americans that completed a series of questionnaires about their diet, lifestyle, medical history and current health. This information was collected over a period of 20 years. “This study highlights that even moderate dietary changes in the direction of a healthful plant-based diet can play a significant role in the prevention of type 2 diabetes,” said lead author of the study Ambika Satija, a postdoctoral fellow at the Harvard School.

The study presents clear evidence that current dietary recommendations are supported by the findings. The results are clear, the healthier the diet, the lower the risk for type 2 diabetes. Those that followed a plant-based diet low in animal-based foods had a 20 percent reduced risk of type 2 diabetes than those who didn’t. A plant-based diet is one that contains plenty of healthy vegetables, fruit and whole grains. Those in the study that followed a less healthy plant-based diet had a 16 percent increased risk of type 2 diabetes. This less healthy diet includes vegetables, fruits and whole grains but also included refined grains, potatoes and sugar-sweetened beverages. This shows that a healthy diet needs to contain less sugar and less simple carbohydrates in order to be effective.

The study also showed that a healthy version of the plant-based diet that included whole grains, vegetables, fruits, nuts and legumes lowered the risk for type 2 diabetes by 34 percent. “A shift to a dietary parent higher in healthful plant-based foods and lower in animal-based foods, especially red and processed meats, can confer substantial health benefits in reducing risk of type 2 diabetes,” said the study’s senior author Frank Hu, professor of nutrition and epidemiology at Harvard. This study was published this Tuesday, June 14th, in the journal PLoS Medicine and funded by the U.S. National Institutes of Health.

Artificial Pancreas For Diabetics

The pancreas is an organ that is responsible for producing important hormones such as insulin. Insulin is needed to keep blood sugar levels within normal range. Those suffering from diabetes know that a lack of insulin can lead to high blood sugar. Those suffering from type 1 diabetes know that insulin injections are critical for survival.

Medical technology is currently developing a completely new option for those suffering from type 1 diabetes mellitus and it involves the so-called “artificial pancreas”. Type 1 diabetes, also called diabetes mellitus type 1 is a form of diabetes that occurs when the autoimmune system destroys insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas.

The artificial pancreas is a concept that started 20 years ago with the goal of automating the delivery of insulin for type 1 diabetics to normalize their blood sugar levels. The idea is that this is not a solution for diabetes but is meant to improve quality of life for diabetics. The Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) is the engineering core in this project responsible for the algorithm and design being tested in clinical trials.

This artificial pancreas is not a replica of the pancreas organ; instead it is an automated insulin delivery system designed to mimic a healthy person’s glucose function. This closed-loop system consists of an insulin pump, a glucose monitor placed under the skin, and advanced control algorithm software in a smartphone that provides the brains of the system. The pump will deliver the needed insulin based on a series of variables such as stress, sleep, meals consumed, physical activity, and metabolism.

The first of two trials planned as part of the new $12.7 million National Institutes of Health funded study will test the safety and effectiveness of the artificial pancreas in 240 patients with type 1 for six months. The second trial will follow 180 patients that completed the first study for an extra six months to test the advanced adaptive control algorithm developed by the Harvard team led by dean Francis J. Doyle III and Professor of Engineering and Applied Sciences at Harvard Elizabeth S. Armstrong.

Also involved in the study is the University of Virginia School of Medicine Center for Diabetes Technology, that is also developing the artificial pancreas system. The institutions that make up the International Diabetes Closed Loop Consortium that will be participating in the clinical trials include Mount Sinai Hospital, New York, Stanford University, the Mayo Clinic, University hospitals in France, Amsterdam, and Italy among others. With clinical trials already underway, there is finally hope for an optimal and easier way to deliver insulin that will soon be accessible to anyone with type 1 diabetes.

Suicide, Drug Overdose, Alzheimer’s Drive Increase in US Mortality Rate

For the first time in a decade, the mortality rate in the United States has risen, and researchers are speculating that Americans between the ages of 45 and 54 may be a “lost generation” with a future that is less bright than those who preceded them.

A new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported that the death rate for all causes of death increased from 823.9 per 100,000 in 2014 to 841.9 per 100,000 in 2015.

A total of 18 causes of death rose between 2014 and 2015, lead mostly by increases in the death rates from Alzheimer’s disease, drug overdose, suicide, and heart disease. The death rate for Alzheimer’s disease rose from 29.3 per 100,000 in 2014 to 34.3 in 2015. The rate deaths from heart disease rose from 192.7 in 2014 to 196.2 in 2015. Deaths from drug overdose rose from 14.2 per 100,000 population in the second quarter of 2014 to 15.3 for the same quarter in 2015. Death rates for suicide increased from 13.2 per 100,000 in the third quarter of 2014 to 13.6 in the same quarter of 2015.

In comparison, CDC reported that death rates for only 2 diseases declined from 2014 to 2015: HIV (2.1 deaths per 100,000 in 2014 to 2 in 2015) and cancer (185.6 deaths per 100,000 in 2014 to 185.1 in 2015).

In a similar study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS), researchers found that whites in particular are dying younger than ever. Specifically, white Americans between the ages of 45 and 54 years are dying at higher rates. Meanwhile mortality rates at midlife for all other racial groups have fallen.

“…if the epidemic is brought under control, its survivors may have a healthy old age,” the authors of the PNAS study concluded. “However, addictions are hard to treat and pain is hard to control, so those currently in midlife may be a “lost generation” whose future is less bright than those who preceded them.”

The PNAS study reported that there are 3 main culprits for the increased mortality rate among whites in midlife: drug and alcohol poisoning, chronic liver diseases and cirrhosis, and suicide.

“The increase in midlife morbidity and mortality among US white non-Hispanics is only partly understood,” the authors of the PNAS study admitted.

There is a hot line for people who are depressed or are just looking to end their lives, which is 1-800-273-8255. There are people who will answer 24/7 to talk to you about your problems.