Music tames the wild… baby?
Music may be crucial to the recovery of sick infants, a study done by the University of Western Sydney suggests. Over a period of three years, forty babies in intensive care in an Australian hospital were studied. Some received music therapy during their stay in the hospital (which involved therapists gently singing to the infants on a regular basis) while the rest did not. Behavioural development tests performed on both groups of infants revealed that infants who received music therapy were more relaxed and cried less, speeding the healing process and reducing time spent in the hospital. Infants that didn’t receive the therapy became more irritable and had increasing difficulty coping with hospitalization. This finding could change the way hospitals around the world deal with behavioural therapy of sick infants. All that’s left is the choice of music: Debussy, Chopin, Bach… Fiddy?
-Jennifer Bates
Source: Research Australia
Broccoli and Brussel Sprouts and Grapefruits, Oh My!
Red grapefruits can now be added to the growing list of heart disease fighting foods. In a study done by Israeli researchers, eating one red grapefruit a day was found to significantly decrease cholesterol levels in patients with high blood fat levels that were not responding to prescription anti-cholesterol drugs. The effect might be due to antioxidants in the red grapefruit that make it even more effective than white grapefruit in fighting heart disease. This Valentine’s Day give that special someone twelve red grapefruits instead of twelve red roses: it’ll be a real gift of the heart.
-J.B.
Source: Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry
Vancouver’s drug problem
Given that needle-drug users are at high risk of lethal overdoses and HIV infection, would “supervised injection facilities” help? The first such facility in North America opened in Vancouver, in Sept. 2003: drug users can inject illicit drugs under medical supervision; the place also dispenses primary health care and counseling. Critics carp that they encourage drug use, increase relapse rates, and discourage addicts from seeking support. A recent study in the British Medical Journal, however, showed little change in drug user behaviour in the six months after the facility opened, compared to the 18 previous months. Although statistically sketchy-the study data was not good enough for statistical analyses-drug use and the number entering methadone treatment remained roughly level among the 700 participants; binge drug use fell slightly; only smoking of crack cocaine increased.
-Mike Ghenu
Source: British Medical Journal
