Marijuana may cause fetal brain damage
|
| Posted
:
Tue, 29 May 2007 15:24:00 GMT |
| By
:
Health News Editor |
| Category
:
Health |
| News Alerts by
Email ( click
here ) |
|
|
|
|
|
STOCKHOLM, Sweden, May 29 A Swedish study suggests smoking marijuana during pregnancy may damage the fetal brain.Proper wiring of hundreds of millions of cells in the brain determines how people think, remember, move or show emotions throughout their lives, according to study leader Dr. Tibor Harkany of Karolinska Institute in Stockholm.The processes through which nerve cells recognize each other are guided by specific chemical signals.Scientists have identified that endogenous cannabinoids -- molecules naturally produced in the brain and functionally similar to THC from marijuana -- play unexpectedly significant roles in establishing how certain nerve cells connect to each other, according to the study published in the journal Science."Besides identifying a fundamental mechanism in brain development, the findings may provide new perspectives to identify the molecular changes in the brains of individuals prenatally affected by maternal cannabis abuse," Harkany said in a statement. Copyright 2007 by UPI
|
|
|
|
|
|
Related News
US House passes major health reform - Summary
Washington - The US House of Representatives passed a landmark health reform bill aimed at cutting costs and extending coverage to Americans who lack insurance. The House vote late Saturday marked the biggest victory yet for President Barack Obama's ...
House passes major health reform - Update
Washington - The US House of Representatives late Saturday passed a landmark health reform bill aimed at cutting costs and extending coverage to Americans who lack insurance. The House vote marked the biggest victory yet for President Barack Obama's ...
Bulgaria closes schools to curb flu outbreak
Sofia - Bulgarian health authorities said Friday that they ordered schools to remain closed Monday in order to try to curb the spread of swine flu. As the number of the infected continued to rise quickly, the government also said hospitals were to de...
Drug tested only on mice saves Australian baby
Sydney - An Australian doctor who used a German experimental drug that had been tested only on mice to save a baby's life left Friday to brief US and European medical authorities about the amazing success. In a race against time, doctors at the Monas...
US health reform wins major endorsements from doctors, seniors
Washington - President Barack Obama's hopes of overhauling the US health care system were given a major boost Thursday as two advocacy groups representing doctors and seniors backed the reforms. The American Medical Association (AMA) and AARP both is...
Charity warns West may be backtracking on AIDS treatment - Summary
Johannesburg - A leading international medical charity on Thursday warned that Western governments were showing signs of backtracking on their commitment to increase access to life-saving treatment for AIDS patients. Dr Tido von Schoen-Angerer, a dir...
Death toll still rising in Ukraine's flu outbreak
Kiev - The death toll in Ukraine's flu outbreak continued to rise on Thursday. A total of 95 persons have died from flu-related symptoms since the disease struck Ukraine's western provinces late last month, said Zinovy Mytnik, vice health minister, i...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
