Clipmarks | CrazyRedHead's 'health' clips

The Feral Child

Wed, 06 Aug 2008 04:12:21 GMT

clipped by: CrazyRedHead
clipper's remarks: She weighed 46 pounds. She was malnourished and anemic. In the pediatric intensive care unit they tried to feed the girl, but she couldn't chew or swallow solid food. So they put her on an IV and let her drink from a bottle.

Aides bathed her, scrubbed the sores on her face, trimmed her torn fingernails. They had to cut her tangled hair before they could comb out the lice.

Her caseworker determined that she had never been to school, never seen a doctor. She didn't know how to hold a doll, didn't understand peek-a-boo. "Due to the severe neglect," a doctor would write, "the child will be disabled for the rest of her life."

Hunched in an over sized crib, Danielle curled in on herself like a potato bug, then writhed angrily, kicking and thrashing. To calm herself, she batted at her toes and sucked her fists. "Like an infant," one doctor wrote.

Clip Source: www.tampabay.com

Two officers went into the house — and one stumbled back out.

Clutching his stomach, the rookie retched in the weeds.

"I've been in rooms with bodies rotting there for a week and it never stunk that bad," Holste said later. "There's just no way to describe it. Urine and feces — dog, cat and human excrement — smeared on the walls, mashed into the carpet. Everything dank and rotting."

First he saw the girl's eyes: dark and wide, unfocused, unblinking.

She lay on a torn, moldy mattress on the floor.

Her ribs and collarbone jutted out; one skinny arm was slung over her face; her black hair was matted, crawling with lice

she was naked — except for a swollen diaper.

"The pile of dirty diapers in that room must have been 4 feet high," the detective said. "The glass in the window had been broken, and that child was just lying there, surrounded by her own excrement and bugs."

When he bent to lift her, she yelped like a lamb.

Choking back rage, he approached the mother. How could you let this happen?

Tags: child, children, health, psychology, child abuse

"I'll breastfeed till they're EIGHT!"

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 20:39:03 GMT

clipped by: CrazyRedHead

Clip Source: www.dailymail.co.uk

Stella Onions doesn't worry about people staring.

Whether sitting outside a cafe or walking round the park, whenever she breastfeeds her two children, she ignores the women gawping and men brazenly pointing her out to their friends.

But such reactions are hardly surprising; the babes sucking at this middle-aged mother's breasts are toddlers aged five and three years old.

Josephine has said she doesn't want to stop till adulthood. She really enjoys it and has actually told me she won't stop until she gets married.

She often says: "I never want to stop my mummy milk."

'Zac loves it, too - he says it's yummy and sweet.'

Now Stella has begun a campaign to normalise breastfeeding, so that it becomes as acceptable elsewhere as it is in her home. She says the benefits must be appreciated.

Even the most liberal of mothers find the sight of other babies sucking beyond infancy disconcerting, let alone their own.

Tags: children, health, family, breastfeeding

Singapore Will Study Kidney Trading

Tue, 22 Jul 2008 19:14:17 GMT

clipped by: CrazyRedHead
clipper's remarks: What do you think? How much would you charge for one of your kidneys?

Clip Source: abcnews.go.com

Singapore is considering legalizing kidney trading to help meet demand for kidney transplants, the city-state's health minister said Monday.

"We should not reject any idea just because it is radical or controversial," Khaw said. "We may be able to find an acceptable way to allow a meaningful compensation for some living, unrelated kidney donors, without breaching ethical principles or hurting the sensitivities of others."

"There are desperate patients out there wishing to live and desperately poor people willing to exchange a kidney for a hopefully improved life," he said.

He said about 1,000 new cases of kidney failure are diagnosed every year, with nearly 40 percent unable to survive the first year.

Khaw's comments follow the cases of two Indonesian men who were jailed and fined by a Singapore court earlier this month after being convicted of agreeing to sell their kidneys to two patients in the city-state.

Tags: health, asia, ethics

Good vibrations may help reduce falls

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 01:00:54 GMT

clipped by: CrazyRedHead

Clip Source: www.abc.net.au

Less than ten minutes standing on a vibrating platform several times a week could help reduce older people's risk of falls, Australian researchers have found.

PhD student Sven Rees of the University of Technology, Sydney and colleagues report their findings in the Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport.

"We're trying to look at interventions to assist with physical function in old age," says Rees.

As people age, they are more likely to lose balance and muscle strength, which makes them more likely to fall over.

Rees says previous research has suggested that vibration of muscles can cause reflex contractions, which in turn strengthens the muscles.

Rees and colleagues tested how steadily participants were able to stand on one leg.

Then they got some of the participants to do light resistance training on a vibrating platform.

The exercise sessions lasted for less than 10 minutes and took place three times a week for eight weeks.

Tags: health, aging

5 Psychological Experiments That Prove Humanity is Doomed

Sat, 05 Jul 2008 04:47:30 GMT

clipped by: CrazyRedHead
clipper's remarks: ...Think about that when you're walking around the mall: Eight out of ten of those people you see would torture the sh*t out of a puppy if a dude in a lab coat asked them to.

Clip Source: www.cracked.com

The Asch Conformity Experiment

Subjects were told that they would be taking part in a vision test

everybody else in the room other than the subject was in on it, and they were were told to give obviously wrong answers

32 percent of subjects would answer incorrectly if they saw that three others in the classroom gave the same wrong answer

The Good Samaritan Experiment

subjects would pass a person slumped in an alleyway, who looked to be in need of help.

only 10 percent would stop to give any aid

Bystander Apathy Experiment

Clip Source: www.cracked.com

Stanford Prison Experiment

volunteers were all male college students who were then divided arbitrarily into 12 guards and 12 prisoners.

It took about one day for every subject to suddenly go as insane as a shit-house rat.

Milgram Experiment

The subject was told that whenever the other guy gave an incorrect answer, he was to press a button that would give him an electric shock.

Subjects will mindlessly deliver pain to an innocent stranger

Tags: science, health, mental health, psychology

Can a pet ease depression?

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 16:00:26 GMT

clipped by: CrazyRedHead
clipper's remarks: There is no evidence about which type of pet brings the most relief. It could be a fish, rat, cat, dog or bird; the important thing is that you become involved and engaged in its life.

Clip Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

I have a history of depression and have been advised to get a pet. Can you confirm that this would be beneficial?

Nurturing something else and considering its needs will help to shift your focus away from your illness.

Stroking animals is also therapeutic, so make sure you choose a tactile animal that likes human beings.

Pet shop owners say that rats are greatly underrated. They are very clean and can be trained; something that's fun and a focus for the time you spend together.

Another idea is to volunteer to work with animals. This would allow you to test the water first, and to meet people and gain the experience and skills you'll need to look after a pet.

Pets have been shown to have a marked effect on human psychology and wellbeing.

research at the University of Pennsylvania showed that stroke victims had a greater chance of survival if they owned a pet

Some mental health units also have on-site pets.

Tags: animals, health, depression, mental health

Aborted "Fetus" Speaks Out

Fri, 20 Apr 2007 07:26:48 GMT

clipped by: CrazyRedHead

Clip Source: www.dailymail.co.uk

• Thirty years ago, Gianna Jessen's mother had an abortion when seven-and-a-half months pregnant.

The abortion failed and, 18 hours later, Gianna (pictured) was born alive.

She suffered cerebral palsy as a result of the botched abortion, yet has defied doctors' predictions that she would never walk.

In fact she has run a marathon, is an accomplished singer and writer and travels the world to campaign against abortion.

Her mother was 17 when she decided to have the abortion. Weighing 2lbs when she was born, she spent several months in hospital fighting for her life, before being placed in a foster home.

Her cerebral palsy, which was caused by her brain being starved of oxygen during the abortion, was diagnosed at 17 months old. Doctors said she would never be able to crawl or even sit-up unaided, much less stand or walk.

She said: "If abortion is about women's rights, then what were my rights?

Tags: science, health, abortion, pregnancy, women

Trapped in a Living Hell

Sun, 01 Jun 2008 12:33:05 GMT

clipped by: CrazyRedHead
clipper's remarks: "Then a Cambridge neuroscientist put her in a special kind of scanner and performed an unprecedented experiment. It revealed evidence of fluctuating levels of brain activation when she was presented with pictures of her parents....."

Clip Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

Trapped inside their bodies, apparently switched off to the world, but still alive: they are the undead. Or so we thought. Forty per cent of patients in a ‘vegetative state’ are misdiagnosed.

Ten years ago, Kate went into a deep coma and was on a ventilator for several weeks. She had suffered severe brain inflammation after contracting a viral infection.

When she came out of the coma, she opened her eyes and could breathe naturally, but she was unresponsive

She was still in this condition four months after falling ill, and was later diagnosed to be in a persistent vegetative state, or PVS: in other words, persistently unaware. But the diagnosis was wrong.

She had a raging thirst that was not alleviated by the ward staff. She was racked with pain. Sometimes she’d cry out, but the ward staff thought it was just a reflex action

Kate suffered so much pain and despair that she tried to take her own life by holding her breath.

Tags: health, brain, science

The 10 Worst Products For Men Ever Created

Thu, 12 Jun 2008 04:20:04 GMT

clipped by: CrazyRedHead
clipper's remarks: "...there are still some things that make men feel insecure. Hoping to capitalize on these insecurities, some downright wacky products have been sold.
Here are the top 10 worst products ever made for men....."

Clip Source: artofmanliness.com

The Timely Warning

The Timely Warning was a penis cooling apparatus designed to prevent wet dreams. A man would attach the device to his penis before he went to bed. When an erection occurred during the night, levers opened to allow cold water to flow through tubes around the genitalia.

Spermatic Truss

The spermatic truss, patented in 1876, was designed to make erections impossible by binding the genitalia down. 21 years later, the designer changed the truss a bit, making erections possible. The only downside? An erection would now drive the genitalia against painful spikes.

Spike lined ring

This device was aimed not only at preventing masturbation, but nocturnal emissions as well.

The Heidelberg electric belt, touted as a cure, sent electricity to your genitals and promised to restore your vitality and strength.

This dilator promised to cure “piles, constipation, and prostrate problems.”

The Prostate Warmer

this device promised to “stimulate the abdominal brain!”

Chest Hair Toupee

Tags: men, science, health, idiots

Albinos Face Deadly Threat in Tanzania

Sun, 08 Jun 2008 15:03:54 GMT

clipped by: CrazyRedHead
clipper's remarks: "It is no accident that the Tanzania Albino Society’s office is on the grounds of a cancer hospital. Many of its members are sick."

Clip Source: www.nytimes.com

Discrimination against albinos is a serious problem throughout sub-Saharan Africa, but recently in Tanzania it has taken a wicked twist: at least 19 albinos, including children, have been killed and mutilated in the past year, victims of what Tanzanian officials say is a growing criminal trade in albino body parts.

Many people in Tanzania — and across Africa, for that matter — believe albinos have magical powers. They stand out, often the lone white face in a black crowd, a result of a genetic condition that impairs normal skin pigmentation and strikes about 1 in 3,000 people here.

Tanzanian officials say witch doctors are now marketing albino skin, bones and hair as ingredients in potions that are promised to make people rich.

Police officers are drawing up lists of albinos in every corner of the country to better look after them. Officers are escorting albino children to school.

Clip Source: www.nytimes.com

Police officials said the albino killings were worst in rural areas

Tags: race, africa, health, religion

Huey Lewis' Biggest Fans

Sun, 08 Jun 2008 15:42:14 GMT

clipped by: CrazyRedHead
clipper's remarks: The enduring bond between Huey Lewis and the developmentally disabled

Clip Source: www.sfweekly.com

Here are some facts about retarded people. First, they are zero-bullshit. If you are a jerk, they will call you on it. If you have a booger hanging out, they'll damn sure let you know. That's all I've ever asked for from a friend.

There is, however, one stereotype about retarded people that is true, one broad brushstroke that one can make about them all: Good gosh a'mighty, retarded people love them some Huey Lewis.

Part of the reason is that Huey is apparently a sweetheart who does a lot of volunteer work with people who have developmental disabilities. But another big part is the music.

there's no pathos or back story to News songs. They are straightforward ("Stuck With You"), energetic ("The Power of Love"), and easy to relate to ("Hip to Be Square").

These truths are appreciated by a wide variety of music lovers, some of whom just happen to be mentally retarded.

Bobbi, my date for the evening,

is all heart, with an easy laugh, Down syndrome, and a wicked crush on Huey.

Tags: music, developmental disability, health, brain, rock

Doctors ask to ban kitchen knives

Mon, 26 May 2008 14:19:49 GMT

clipped by: CrazyRedHead
clipper's remarks: Next - a ban on pointed sticks.

Clip Source: news.bbc.co.uk

doctors are calling for a ban on long pointed kitchen knives to reduce deaths from stabbing.

They argued many assaults are committed impulsively, prompted by alcohol and drugs, and a kitchen knife often makes an all too available weapon.

The research is published in the British Medical Journal.

The researchers said there was no reason for long pointed knives to be publicly available at all.

The study found links between easy access to domestic knives and violent assault are long established.

French laws in the 17th century decreed that the tips of table and street knives be ground smooth.

A century later, forks and blunt-ended table knives were introduced in the UK in an effort to reduce injuries during arguments in public eating houses.

The researchers say legislation to ban the sale of long pointed knives would be a key step in the fight against violent crime.

The manufacture, sale and importation of 17 bladed, pointed and other offensive weapons have been banned

Tags: crime, uk, murder, weird, silly, health

Children & Alcohol

Wed, 07 May 2008 14:37:16 GMT

clipped by: CrazyRedHead

Clip Source: timesonline.typepad.com

Eamon and Antoinette McGuckin were taken to hospital and their kids - ages 1 through 6 - were taken into care temporarily after the adult McGuckins apparently passed out in a hotel lobby and bar. The plot thickens as stories report that Antoinette says she only had three beers. Friends and neighbours describe them as devoted homebody parents rather than as, y'know, ginhead chavs.

Even for the most upstanding of us, drinking in front of children poses problems.

I've never gotten blotto around the under-18s but my daughter frequently brandishes her plastic stemware and says "This is my wine."

But so what? Drinking is part of the adult world. We drink responsibly. We don't drive afterward.

A big question is, does drinking around your children promote healthy drinking habits (witness the enduring story of Italian children learning to sip wine from their toddler years) or does it normalise a dangerous drug?

Do you drink around your kids and what is your stopping point?

Tags: children, alcohol, society, morality, health

The law said they were 'not viable' - but they all survived

Wed, 07 May 2008 14:27:08 GMT

clipped by: CrazyRedHead

Clip Source: www.dailymail.co.uk

David Ross Richardson, two, was born at 23 weeks.

Liam Watkins is 11. He was born at 24 weeks, weighing just 1lb 7oz.

Kirsty Stanton is six. She was born at just under 24 weeks, weighing 11/2lb.

Five-year-old Jamie Swanborough was born at 23 weeks, weighing 1lb, 6oz

Yesterday, a campaign was launched to reduce the legal limit of 'social abortions' from 24 weeks to 20 weeks.

Femail spoke to four families whose children were all born on or before the 24-week abortion threshold.

Tags: abortion, uk, health

21 Excuses for not Having Sex

Wed, 07 May 2008 14:34:20 GMT

clipped by: CrazyRedHead
clipper's remarks: — You can’t stop thinking about all the stuff you have to do tomorrow, and what you really want to do is find a pencil and a piece of paper.
— You have your teeth-whitening equipment in.
— You are bloody tired.
— You have hiccups.
— He hasn’t shaved.
— You think the heating might still be on. It is unbelievably hot.
— It is too cold to risk the duvet moving at all.

Clip Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

Clip Source: women.timesonline.co.uk

— You were in the mood an hour ago, then he insisted on watching more TV, and now all you can think about is Heather Mills and gifted children.

— He has been remiss. You can’t remember exactly how, but it was earlier, and you are still angry.

— You have drunk the perfect amount and now feel peculiar – any movement could provoke nausea.

— He doesn’t seem to be as keen as he should be, and if he is waiting for you to demonstrate keenness, which he may be, then you thought of it first.

— You are worrying about early-onset Alzheimer’s, particularly on account of the keys-left-in-the-front-door incident.

— You have noticed a large crack in the bedroom ceiling. This has led you into a spiral of self-loathing because of the decorating that still needs to be done

— You accidentally watched a documentary on Five called How to be Averagely Good in Bed by 21st-Century Standards, and it has taken the wind out of your sails.

— The dog is looking.

— You think you have a heart murmur.

Tags: sex, health, humour, humor