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Lawmakers, Officials Distort The Facts To Support Or Oppose Health Overhaul
"Confusing claims and outright distortions have animated the national debate over changes in the health care system," the Associated Press reports. The AP lists examples:

Royal College Of Nursing Moves To Neutral Position On Assisted Suicide
The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) moved to a neutral position on assisted suicide following a discussion at its Council meeting.
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New Research Evaluates The Impact Of Working Memory Training And Stimulant Medication On Kids With ADHD
A study to be published in the August 2009 edition of Applied Cognitive Psychology sheds new light on how Cogmed Working Memory Training and stimulant medication address working memory impairments in children with ADHD. Working memory, acknowledged as one of the core deficits in ADHD, represents the brain"s ability to hold and process critical information related to the present moment. This study represents the latest findings from a team of independent UK researchers whose ongoing work examines the impact of Cogmed"s software-based training program on individuals with disorders of memory and attention.
Medical Devices

Pregnancy Complications May Increase Autism Risk

Complications during pregnancy may increase the risk of having a child with autism, according to American researchers. The team reviewed 64 studies of prenatal risk factors for autism. It is the first time a meta-analysis of the relationship between pregnancy-related factors and risk of autism has been carried out. The analysis is published in the July issue of the British Journal of Psychiatry. Over 50 prenatal factors were examined. The researchers found that the factors most strongly associated with an increased autism risk are: - Being born to an older mother or father. - Having a mother who was born abroad. - Having a mother who experienced bleeding during pregnancy. - Having a mother who experienced gestational diabetes. - Having a mother who used medication during pregnancy. - Being the first born - or later born in families where there are three or more children. The researchers put forward possible explanations for these risk factors. For example, increased maternal age may be associated with autism because of a higher risk of chromosomal abnormalities in eggs. Mothers who are born in another country may not have natural resistance to infections in the country where they give birth, which may increase the risk for autism. Moving to another country may also put women under stress, which could increase their chances of having a child who develops autism. Bleeding during pregnancy, gestational diabetes and medication use are also associated with increased autism risk. Bleeding can cause foetal hypoxia (lack of oxygen to the brain of an unborn child). Women who develop diabetes during pregnancy experience hormonal and metabolic changes, which may affect their baby"s health and development. Foetal development may also be affected by some medications which can cross the placenta during pregnancy. The association between birth order and autism risk is unclear. However, children with autism are more likely to be the first-born in families with only two children. In larger families with three or more children, they are more likely to be born later. It is possible that parents decide not to have more children after one has developed autism. The researchers said there was "insufficient evidence" to point to any one prenatal factor as being particularly significant. However, writing in theBritish Journal of Psychiatry, they said: "There is some evidence to suggest that exposure to pregnancy complications in general may increase the risk of autism." Reference: "Prenatal risk factors for autism: comprehensive meta-analysis" Gardener H, Spiegelman D and Buka SL (2009) British Journal of Psychiatry, 195: 7-14 Royal College of Psychiatrists


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