Author: Ariana Eunjung Cha
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Forty years after 1st ‘test tube’ baby, science has produced 7 million babies – and raised moral questions
BROOKLYN, N.Y. – Esther Friedman held the Book of Psalms with both hands as she peered over her glasses at the fertility lab monitor. There were eight beautiful round eggs, retrieved from a young woman earlier that day. “A good number,” Friedman said, nodding. A technician grabbed a long glass tube, filled it with sperm…
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One parent’s right to use frozen embryos over the other’s objection to be weighed by Colorado Supreme Court
During three emotional days of divorce talks, Drake and Mandy Rooks managed to agree on how to divide up almost every aspect of their old lives down to the last piece of furniture. Only one thing remained: the frozen embryos. There were six of them, created from his sperm and her eggs, and they had…
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Colorado court to weigh if one parent has the right to use frozen embryos if the other objects
During three emotional days of divorce talks, Drake and Mandy Rooks managed to agree on how to divide up almost every aspect of their old lives down to the last piece of furniture. Only one thing remained: the frozen embryos. There were six of them, created from his sperm and her eggs, and they had…
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Calcium and vitamin D supplements may not protect against bone fractures
One of the most contentious questions in nutrition science over the past decade has been whether older adults should be taking supplemental vitamin D and calcium. As the world’s population ages and broken bones and fractures become even more of a public health concern, with huge social and economic consequences, researchers have been trying to make sense of…
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In a first, scientists edit genes inside a man’s body to try to cure a disease. What’s next?
Scientists have attempted to cure a patient with a rare genetic disorder by rewriting the DNA inside his body, in a first-of-its-kind therapy they hope could one day be applied to numerous other conditions including hemophilia and sickle cell disease. The procedure, which took place on Monday at the University of California at San Francisco’s…
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Nearly half of U.S. adults will have high blood pressure under new guidelines
Leading heart health experts tightened the guidelines for high blood pressure Monday, a change that will sharply increase the number of U.S. adults considered hypertensive in the hope that they, and their doctors, will address the deadly condition sooner. The American Heart Association, the American College of Cardiology and nine other groups redefined high blood…
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Could ADHD be a type of sleep disorder? That would fundamentally change how we treat it.
Over the past two decades, U.S. parents and teachers have reported epidemic levels of children with trouble focusing, impulsive behavior and so much energy that they are bouncing off walls. Educators, policymakers and scientists have referred to attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, as a national crisis and have spent billions of dollars looking into its cause.…
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First human embryo editing experiment in U.S. ‘corrects’ gene for heart condition
Scientists have successfully edited the DNA of human embryos to erase a heritable heart condition that is known for causing sudden death in young competitive athletes, cracking open the doors to a controversial new era in medicine. This is the first time gene editing on human embryos has been conducted in the United States. Researchers said in interviews this week that they consider…
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More than a third of teenage girls experience depression, new study says
Parents usually watch for depression in the turbulent teenage years, but the condition can strike children when they’re much younger, a new study shows. A recent large study shows depression in many children appears to start as early as age 11. By the time they hit age 17, 13.6 percent of boys and a staggering…
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Fathers sing more to daughters and roughhouse with sons, study finds
The idea that fathers have a sweet spot for their daughters and are stricter with their sons is a bit of a cliche. Researcher Jennifer Mascaro wanted to find out to what extent it’s true, so she persuaded 52 dads to give her an intimate glimpse at 48 hours of their lives through devices that…