| Japanese celebrate male heir to throne
With shouts of "Banzai," Japanese celebrated the birth Wednesday of the imperial family's first male heir since the 1960s, a development that squelched hopes of reform to allow women on the throne. Princess Kiko, wife of Prince Akishino, gave birth to a boy by Caesarean section at a Tokyo hospital. The boy, who will be named Tuesday, is Emperor Akihito's first grandson and is third in the line to the throne, behind brothers Crown Prince Naruhito and Akishino. The news was cheered by many Japanese, who maintain an enduring respect for the imperial family more than 60 years after Emperor Hirohito renounced his status as a divinity at the end of World War II. Newspapers published extra editions, supporters gathered outside the hospital where the 39-year-old Kiko gave birth, and TV networks ran continuous coverage on the delivery.
To Your Health
Your health-care provider will tell you that aspirin and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, the common pain relievers, predispose to nosebleeds and make treatment difficult. Also, some people with heart problems need to take blood thinners such as warfarin or heparin that will increase the risk of nosebleeds. If you are taking such medications, your doctor may be able to find substitutes. Less well known is the tendency of some antidepressants to cause bleeding disorders by affecting the blood platelets that are involved in blood clotting. There are rare but serious genetic conditions that show up only later in life as nosebleeds. Hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia, also known as Rendu-Osler-Weber disease, is one such disorder that tends to appear after age 50 or so. Nosebleeds are the first and mildest symptom; the effects on brain, liver, lungs, and gastrointestinal tract can be much more serious.
Improvement seen in fetal survival following preeclampsia
Fetal survival following a preeclamptic pregnancy has improved substantially over the last 35 years in Norway, likely due to a reduction in stillbirths and improvements in clinical management, according to a study in the September 20 issue of JAMA. Preeclampsia (a potentially dangerous condition that may develop in late pregnancy with symptoms that include high blood pressure, fluid retention, excessive weight gain, and the presence of protein in the urine) is a well-known cause of perinatal (occurring during the period around birth) death. Despite improvements in clinical management, preeclampsia often culminates in the delivery of a very preterm infant following medical intervention. Even mild preterm delivery substantially increases the risk of neonatal death. Preeclampsia can progress rapidly, putting both mother and child at severe risk if no action is taken.
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