Ultrasounds May Now Have Become The Norm, But Some Women Are Refusing Them Over Health Concerns

Experts say ultrasounds have been used to monitor pregnancy for decades, and there’s no meaningful evidence that they can cause harm to a developing fetus. But some women say they would rather trust their bodies than take the chance. In other public health news: aid-in-dying, biobanks, measles, blood pressure, PTSD and ovarian cancer, a left-handedness gene, and more.

Stat: Against Doctors' Advice, Some Pregnant Women Refuse Ultrasounds
When Sarah Carter was pregnant with her first child, she started digging into the research on ultrasounds, scouring studies in mice and rats. She couldn’t find any evidence in humans they cause harm — professional groups agree that ultrasounds are helpful and safe to perform during pregnancy. But Carter didn’t see any studies that explicitly showed they were safe. Then, she heard something that compounded her concerns. After an ultrasound, a friend of a friend was told her fetus had a limb malformation. She spent her pregnancy riddled with anxiety, only to find out nothing was wrong after the baby’s birth. (Thielking, 9/6)

The New York Times: The Role Of Nurses When Patients Decide To End Their Lives
When Ben Wald, 75, was dying of cancer in 2012, he wanted to use Oregon’s Death with Dignity Act to receive a prescription for a lethal medication that would end his life. His hospice nurse, Linda, was part of the discussion and provided both information and support, said his wife, Pam Wald, of Kings Valley, Ore. His colon cancer had spread to his lungs, and his weight dropped from 180 to 118 pounds. He struggled to speak or eat. (Lucchesi, 9/6)

NPR: Big Data Biobanks Aren't Equally Open To Researchers
More than a million Americans have donated genetic information and medical data for research projects. But how that information gets used varies a lot, depending on the philosophy of the organizations that have gathered the data. Some hold the data close, while others are working to make the data as widely available to as many researchers as possible — figuring science will progress faster that way. But scientific openness can be constrained b y both practical and commercial considerations. (Harris, 9/6)

WBUR: Why The Measles Surge Could Open The Door To A Host Of Other Diseases
With measles making a comeback in many upper-income countries including the United States and still rampant in some poorer nations such as Democratic Republic of Congo and Madagascar, a leading measles expert is warning of a danger beyond the spread of the disease itself: There's mounting evidence that when a person is infected with measles, the virus also wipes out the immune system's memory of how to fight off all sorts of other life-threatening infections – ranging from gastro-intestinal bugs that cause diarrhea to respiratory viruses that trigger pneumonia. (Aizenman, 9/5)

CNN: Mouthwash After Exercise May Counter Blood Pressure Benefit, Study Finds
A new study found using antibacterial mouthwash after working out negated the blood-pessure-lowering effects of exercise. But don't rush out and change your habits just yet, says cardiologist Dr. Martha Gulati. She runs the cardiology division at the University of Arizona College of Medicine and is a spokesperson for the American College of Cardiology. (LaMotte, 9/5)

Tampa Bay Times: Study: Women With Post-Traumatic Stress At Higher Risk For Ovarian Cancer
Women who have experienced multiple symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder have double the risk of developing ovarian cancer, according to a new study authored in part by a researcher from Tampa’s Moffitt Cancer Center. The research team, which also included members from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, found that women who experience six or more symptoms of PTSD in their lifetimes double their risk for ovarian cancer compared to women who’ve never suffered that level of trauma. (Griffin, 9/5)

Los Angeles Times: Why Does So Much News Seem Negative? Blame Human Attention
Ever wonder why there’s so much bad news out there? Maybe it’s because people find bad news more interesting than good news. A new study involving more than 1,000 people across 17 countries spanning every continent but Antarctica concludes that, on average, people pay more attention to negative news than to positive news. The findings, published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, hint that this human bias toward negative news might be a large part of what drives negative news coverage. (Khan, 9/5)

CNN: Scientists Identify The Genes Linked To Left-Handedness
For the first time, scientists have identified the genetic differences associated with left-handedness, a trait found in 10% of the human population. What's more, those genetic variants result in differences in brain structure, which might mean that left-handed people have better verbal skills than the right-handed majority. (Dixon, 9/5)

The Associated Press: Marijuana Use By US College Students Up, Highest In 35 Years
U.S. college students are using marijuana at the highest rates in 35 years, according to a report released Thursday. About 43% of full-time college students said they used some form of pot at least once in the past year, up from 38%, a University of Michigan survey found. About 25% said they did so in the previous month, up from 21%. The latest figures are the highest levels seen in the annual survey since 1983. (9/5)

Kaiser Health News: Watch: Five Things To Know About Hunger Among America’s Aging
One out of every 13 seniors in America struggles to get enough food to eat while the federal program intended to help hasn’t kept pace with the graying population. Kaiser Health News Midwest editor/correspondent Laura Ungar explains what you need to know about this largely hidden problem. (9/6)

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