Greater Risk of Complications after Surgery for Older Adults

Each year, roughly 2 million adults age 65 and older undergo surgery involving the abdomen. For most patients, risks for common types of abdominal surgery are minimal; however, a recent study has found that those risks increase with age.

According to a study published in December’s Archives of Surgery, people age 65 and older have a greater risk of experiencing complications and death after an abdominal operation.

Researchers at the University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle looked medical records for more than 101,000 patients 65 and older. Each patient had undergone a hysterectomy, colectomy, cholecystectomy (removal of the gall bladder) or some other abdominal procedure between 1987 and 2004.

The research team found that about 17 percent of the patients experienced a complication within 90 days of the surgery and more than 5 percent died. For patients age 90 and older, nearly 23 percent had complications and almost 17 percent died following their abdominal operation.

If you have questions about the medical care you received during a surgical procedure or were injured by surgical malpractice, call or e-mail us today. We have helped hundreds of patients who did not receive proper medical care during their surgeries. Our experienced surgical malpractice attorneys will provide you with a free consultation.

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Study: Folic acid helps reduce risk of fetal heart defects

According to a new study published in the European Heart Journal, pregnant women and those planning on becoming pregnant should take folic acid supplements to help prevent fetal heart malformations.

For the study, researchers from the Netherlands looked at a national register of babies born with birth defects. They identified 611 mothers who delivered children with heart defects, matching them with 2,401 women who gave birth to children with genetic or other birth problems not associated with folic acid.

Giving birth to a child with a heart defect was 20 percent less likely for women who took a folic acid supplement of at least 400 micrograms compared to malformations not related to folic acid. Compared to the general population, the risk was 26 percent lower for women who took at least 400 micrograms of folic acid.

In the United States, bread and other foods made of wheat are required to be fortified with folic acid to prevent birth defects caused by lack of folic acid. Still, women should take a folic acid supplement before and during pregnancy to help prevent birth defects.

If your child’s birth defect or injury was caused by the negligence of a doctor or hospital, contact the birth injury attorneys at Silberstein, Awad & Miklos, P.C. today. We will evaluate your case for free and answer any legal questions you may have. Call us toll-free, 1-877-ASK4SAM and visit us online, www.ask4sam.net

Combinations of Blood Thinners Increase Bleeding Risk for Heart Attack Survivors

A recent study out of Denmark has found that patients who receive combinations of blood-thinning drugs after experiencing a heart attack are more likely experience bleeding requiring hospitalization. The study, published in the online journal The Lancet, looked at data from over 40,000 heart attack patients from 2000 to 2005.

When a person suffers a heart attack, doctors usually prescribe some combination of blood-thinning drugs, like aspirin, vitamin K antagonists (like Coumadin) and clopidogrel (Plavix). However, according to this study, these combinations of drugs may not be safe for patients.

About 4.6 percent of the 40,000 people analyzed in the study were either rehospitalized due to bleeding or died as a result of bleeding during an average of 16 months after experiencing their first heart attack. Of the patients who received Plavix and Coumadin, 12.3 percent returned to the hospital for bleeding, while only 2.6 percent of those who received aspirin alone were admitted for bleeding. Of the patients who received all three types of blood-thinning drugs, 12 percent required rehospitalization for bleeding.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. If you or a loved one has been seriously hurt by a misdiagnosis or delay in treatment of a heart attack, stroke or other cardiovascular event, call or e-mail Silberstein, Awad & Miklos, P.C. today for your free consultation. One of our medical malpractice attorneys will review your case for free and answer any legal questions you may have.

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Study: Potentially fatal blood clots following surgery bigger risk than suspected

According to a study out of England, life-threatening blood clots after surgical procedures are more of a risk than previously thought. Researchers also found that the risk lasts longer than estimated. For the study, which was published in the online edition of the British Medical Journal (BMJ), British researchers looked at statistics for nearly one million women. Each woman was followed for 6.2 years after surgery, on average.

The potentially deadly blood clots, which are found in the deep veins and lungs, are known as venous thromboembolism. Medical professionals have known these clots to be a possible problem after surgical procedures.

The study found that in women who were required to stay in the hospital after their surgery, 1 in 140 returned to the hospital for venous thromboembolism within three months. For women who received knee or hip replacement surgery, the rate was highest, with 1 in 45 women having these clots. Following a surgical procedure for cancer, 1 in 85 women were readmitted for venous thromboembolism. For women who were not required to stay in the hospital after their operation, 1 in 815 returned with these clots. The risk of venous thromboembolism for women who did not have a surgical procedure was 1 in 6,200, according to researchers.

Previously, it was believed that minimally invasive surgeries reduced the risk of these clots; however, the study found that without proper treatment following surgery, clots are still possible. According to the study, treatment using clot-preventing drugs should be used for a longer period after surgery.

If you or a loved one was injured by surgical malpractice, call or e-mail the lawyers at Silberstein, Awad & Miklos, P.C. today for a free consultation. Our experienced surgery malpractice attorneys have handled cases involving Bronx surgical malpractice, Brooklyn surgical malpractice, Queens surgical malpractice, and Long Island surgical malpractice cases.

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Changes in Guidelines for Pap Smears

According to new guidelines from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), women should start receiving Pap smears at age 21 and have one every two years up to age 30. Women age 30 and over should receive a Pap smear once every three years, according to the new recommendations, which intend to lower the risk of unnecessary treatment.

Preceding guidelines recommended that women start receiving annual Pap smears at age 21, or three years after becoming sexually active. The new guidelines are based on evidence that overtreatment is brought about by more frequent screening. One of the consequences of overtreatment in young women is an increased risk of preterm labor, amplifying the possibility of birth defects.

Women do not get cervical cancer first, they acquire HPV, noted Dr. Jennifer Milosavijevic, a specialist in obstetrics and gynecology who supports the new guidelines. HPV is the most common sexually transmitted infection, which slowly progresses from an infection to cervical cancer over several years. According to Milosavijevic, most cervical cancer deaths in the U.S. are in women who are screened rarely or not at all.

If you or a loved one has had a delay in diagnosing cervical cancer and have questions about the quality of the medical care received, contact us today. The cancer malpractice attorneys at Silberstein, Awad & Miklos will review your Manhattan cancer malpractice, Bronx cancer malpractice, Brooklyn cancer malpractice, Queens cancer malpractice or Long Island cancer malpractice case for FREE.

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New Breast Cancer Screening Recommendations from Task Force

According to the American Cancer Society, roughly 200,000 women in the U.S. will be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer in 2009. A mammogram is one of the screening tests doctors use to detect breast cancer in women. A mammography screening every year or two for women age 40 and over was the previous recommendation of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force’s, however, that recommendation was recently changed.

The task force recently updated their guidelines for breast cancer screening, recommending that women ages 40 to 49 make a decision on being screened after talking to their doctor about the benefits and risks of a mammogram. Women in their 40s should not receive routine mammograms, according to the group. For women 50 to 74, the task force recommends mammograms every two years.

Data revealed that mammograms detect breast cancer in about 15 percent of women age 40 to 49. However, a percent also receive false positive mammogram results, causing needless biopsies and unnecessary worry. The task force concluded that women in their 40s should discuss having a mammography at present rather than waiting to their 50s.

If you or a loved one has breast cancer medical malpractice questions, call or e-mail the medical malpractice attorneys at Silberstein, Awad & Miklos, P.C. Our firm has served clients with Brooklyn cancer malpractice, Bronx cancer malpractice, Queens cancer malpractice and Long Island cancer malpractice cases.

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Birth Injuries Reduced by Cooling

A recent study published in The Lancet Neurology has found that by cooling babies who have been deprived of oxygen at birth, the risk of brain injury is significantly decreased. Many infants who lack oxygen at the time of their birth suffer brain damage, resulting in disabilities that can last a lifetime. However, this new study has found that cooling infants reduces the amount of cerebral lesions caused by oxygen deprivation.

For the study, researchers used MRI scans to observe whether cooling caused fewer brain lesions in 131 newborns. They found that in the infants who were cooled, there were 30 to 40 percent fewer lesions in specific areas of the brain responsible for neurological development. Also, the scans of the cooled infants were three times more likely to be normal than the scans of infants who did not undergo cooling.

One previous research study found that by chilling newborns that were deprived of oxygen at birth, the rates of cerebral palsy could be reduced and motor skills could be improved later on in life.

Oxygen deprivation can cause hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, a condition where the cells in the central nervous system are damaged, possibly causing death. A lack of oxygen during birth can also cause cerebral palsy, accounting for roughly 20 percent of CP cases. If your child suffered a birth injury that may have been preventable, call or e-mail our birth injury attorneys at Silberstein, Awad & Miklos today. One of our experienced birth injury lawyers will evaluate your case for free.

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Possible Link between Anesthesia Complication and Heat-Related Deaths

According to recent research published in Anesthesia & Analgesia, there may be a link between malignant hyperthermia (MH) and exertional heat illness.

According to the Malignant Hyperthermia Association of the United States (MHAUS), malignant hyperthermia is a “biochemical chain reaction response “triggered” by commonly used general anesthetics and the paralyzing agent succinylcholine within the skeletal muscles of susceptible individuals.” The contents of the skeletal muscles are released into the blood, possibly causing organ failure and death.

However, after review of recent research, Dr. John Capacchione and Dr. Sheila Muldoon of the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences in Maryland discovered substantial similarities between exertional heat illness and MH. The team looked at cases of MH exclusive of anesthesia drugs, finding that these patients collapsed during extreme exertion. Tests found that these people possessed the genetic defect responsible for MH.

Additional research still needs to be conducted to make clear this link between exertional heat deaths and malignant hyperthermia. However, these studied cases do point to a possible link. Unexpected deaths are difficult to deal with. However, when the unexpected death of an individual is caused by the mistake of a doctor or hospital employee, it may be even harder to take. If you believe your loved one was the victim of another’s negligence, call the wrongful death attorneys at Silberstein, Awad & Miklos, P.C. today for a free consultation.

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Knowing When to Call Your Infant’s Doctor

A first-time parent is not always certain when their infant’s fussiness is normal and when the child needs to be seen by their pediatrician. Most new parents are over-cautious, calling their baby’s doctor for even the slightest change in behavior. To help identify when medical attention is really necessary, The Nemours Foundation, an organization dedicated to improving children’s health, came up with a list of signs that will alert a parent to call their infant’s doctor.

Contact your child’s pediatrician immediately if:

• Your infant aged 2 months or younger is experiencing a fever of 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit or higher.
• Your infant has rapid and strenuous breathing.
• Your infant appears dehydrated. Signs of this include crying without tears, no urination for longer than six hours, a depressed soft spot on the head or sunken eyes.
• Your infant vomits often and forcefully (past spitting up).
• There is blood in your baby’s diaper or vomit, or if your infant has recurrent diarrhea.
• It is difficult to wake your infant up, or your child is extremely inactive, severely drowsy, or not alert.
  

If an infant is experiencing a medical problem, a delay in treatment can have severe consequences. If your child has suffered an injury that may have been preventable, call or e-mail the birth injury attorneys at Silberstein, Awad & Miklos, P.C. today. One of our experienced lawyers will evaluate your case for free. Our firm has helped clients with Bronx birth injury, Brooklyn birth injury, Queens birth injury and Long Island birth injury cases.

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Ways to Reduce Skin Cancer Risk

The American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) recently released their “safe-sun” guidelines, which are made up of four ways to lower the risk of developing skin cancer by protecting the skin.

To reduce the risk of skin cancer, do your best to:

• Keep out of the sun, especially when it has the greatest potential to damage your skin (between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m.). Skin damage results in a greater risk for developing premature wrinkles, skin cancer and other problems.

• Use sunscreen regularly, even on cloudy days. By using sunscreen or lotion with a SPF (sun protection factor) of 15 or above, the risk of skin damage is dramatically decreased. Sunscreen should be applied to exposed areas half an hour before sun exposure and should be reapplied as directed for best results.

• Protect your skin and eyes from sun exposure by wearing hats that cover the face, neck and ears, sunglasses with UVA (ultraviolet-A) and UVB (ultraviolet-B) ray protection and wear protective clothing when out in the sun. Loose clothing can keep you cool and protected.

• Avoid tanning beds and sunlamps. Attempting to tan your skin with ‘artificial’ sun is just as damaging as the actual sun, even if the skin does not appear burnt.

In addition to these guidelines, many doctors recommend that people check their skin monthly for changes in moles or freckles and other warning signs of skin cancer. In most cases, the earlier a problem is discovered, the better the treatment will work.

If you or someone you love has been harmed by a delay in diagnosing or treating skin cancer, our cancer malpractice attorneys can help. Your initial consultation is FREE and there is NO FEE unless we recover money. Please call us or e-mail us today. We serves clients throughout New York, including the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, Nassau and Suffolk.

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Autism Research Finds Possible Genetic Links

According to a recent study published in scientific journal Nature, there may be an association between autism and a single-letter change on chromosome 5, which is close to a gene called semaphorin 5A. People have two copies of chromosome 5, one from each parent. Changes in genes on this chromosome are related to many genetic conditions, possibly including autism.

It is thought that semaphorin 5A helps the growth of neurons and their long fibers called axons, which carry outgoing messages. In people with autism, researchers found that this gene seems to have has less activity.

An international research panel examined the DNA of individuals with autism, family members of those individuals, and people with no relation. They found that these new areas of the brain may be linked to autism. They also found a potential tie linking pieces of chromosomes 6 and 20 and autism.

This new research is “an important step forward,” according to co-author Dr. Mark Daly. Future studies following this research may give scientists a better grasp of the link between genetics and autism. Although there is no single-known cause for autism, there is a possibility that medical negligence may be associated with some cases of autism. If your child has suffered an injury that may have been preventable, please call or e-mail us today. Our experienced birth injury attorneys will evaluate your case for free. We serve clients with Bronx birth injury, Brooklyn birth injury, Queens birth injury, and Long Island birth injury cases.

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Second Stroke Associated with Development of Dementia

Recent British research examining 30 previous studies suggests that it is possible to lower the chances of developing dementia in stroke survivors by preventing a second stroke. Dementia, a term which describes symptoms that affect a person’s social and intellectual capacities, according to the Mayo Clinic, includes Alzheimer’s disease, the most common form of dementia.

The previous studies included over 7,500 participants who had experienced a stroke. Researchers found an increased risk of dementia for those who had suffered several strokes. They also found that if a person suffers multiple strokes at one time, the risk of developing dementia within the first month is increased. The team, led by Dr. Sarah Pendlebury, a senior clinical fellow at the Stroke Prevention Research Unit at John Radcliffe Hospital, also found that complications that follow a stroke may also increase a person’s risk of dementia. Those complications include high blood pressure, seizures, cardiac occurrences and low oxygen saturation.

If a patient has suffered a stroke, their treatment plan should focus on preventing factors that may allow another stroke to occur. By avoiding a subsequent stroke, the risk of developing dementia will also be reduced. If you or a loved one was hurt by a misdiagnosis or failure to treat a stroke, call or e-mail us today. The stroke malpractice attorneys at Silberstein, Awad & Miklos, P.C. will evaluate your case free of charge and answer all of your legal questions. We serve clients with Bronx stroke malpractice, Brooklyn stroke malpractice, Queens stroke malpractice and Long Island stroke malpractice cases.

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Greater Risk of Heart Attack for People with the Flu

With flu season quickly approaching, more people are being encouraged to receive both a seasonal flu shot and an H1N1 flu shot. British researchers have found that the risk of a heart attack may be higher for people suffering from the flu, especially those with a history of heart disease or diabetes. Getting vaccinated reduces the risk of contracting the flu and lowers a person’s risk of heart attack or other cardiovascular occurrence.

For the study, Andrew C. Hayward, a senior lecturer at the UCL Centre for Infectious Disease Epidemiology in London, and his colleagues, reviewed 39 studies that took place between 1932 and 2008. The research team found that during flu season, there is an increase in the number of heart attacks that occur, as well as in the number of deaths from cardiovascular disease. The study, which was published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases, found that in people who had heart disease, the number of deaths was 35 to 50 percent higher than others during flu season.

Both the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology recommend annual flu shots for people with heart disease to reduce the risk of a heart attack or other cardiovascular event. If you or a loved one has been seriously hurt by a misdiagnosis or delay in treatment of a heart attack, stroke or other cardiovascular event, call or e-mail Silberstein, Awad & Miklos, P.C. today for your free consultation. One of our medical malpractice attorneys will review your case for free and answer any legal questions you may have.

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Keeping Child Passengers Safe

Each day in the U.S., about 115 people die in automobile accidents. Last year, roughly 4 of those daily fatalities were children ages 14 or younger. To help lower this number, parents should make sure their children are as safe as possible when traveling, making certain that children under age 13 are properly buckled in the back seat.

The CDC recommends that children younger than 1 year be placed in a rear-facing safety seat that is properly secured in the back seat of the vehicle. Rear-facing seats should never be placed in the front seat of vehicles that have airbags. When a child exceeds the height or weight limit of a rear-facing seat, they should be placed in a forward-facing car seat in the back seat of the vehicle, according to the CDC’s guidelines. When this seat is outgrown, usually around age 4, a booster seat should be used in the back seat of the vehicle until around age 7. Until the child reaches age 13, they should remain in the back seat and use a safety belt that crosses both the lap and chest.

Child safety restraints saved the lives of nearly400 children 4 years old and under in 2007. For infants, car seats cut the risk of fatality by 71 percent in automobile accidents, and 54 percent for children ages 1 through 4. When a booster seat is used for children ages 4 through 7, the risk of injury is 59 percent lower than if only a safety belt was used.

If you or a loved one has been injured in an automobile collision, call or e-mail us today. One of our experienced auto collision attorneys will evaluate your case free of charge and help you get the compensation you deserve. Silberstein, Awad & Miklos, P.C. serves clients with Bronx auto accident, Brooklyn auto accident, Queens auto accident and Long Island auto accident cases.

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Prediction Rules may Reduce CT Scans in Children with Head Injuries

Many children that suffer a head injury do not require computed tomography (CT) scans, which result in exposure to potentially harmful radiation. In a recent U.S. study, researchers used characteristics to predict which children had a significantly low risk of serious injury to the brain after injuring their heads. The research team, led by Dr. Nathan Kuppermann of the Davis Medical Center at the University of California in Sacramento, evaluated data from 42,000 children who had sustained a head injury. Thirty-five percent of those children received a CT scan. A mere 1 percent of those children had a clinically-important traumatic brain injury, with just 60 of those 376 children requiring brain surgery.

For children under age 2, the characteristics used to identify which children did not have a clinically-important traumatic brain injury were:

• normal mental status
• no scalp haematoma except frontal
• no loss of consciousness or loss of consciousness for less than 5 seconds
• non-severe injury mechanism
• no palpable skull fracture
• normal behavior according to the parents
  

For children ages 2 through 18, the characteristics were:

• normal mental status
• no loss of consciousness
• non-severe injury mechanism
• no signs of basilar skull fracture
• no severe headache
• no vomiting

The guidelines for children under age 2 led researchers to accurately identify all 1,176 patients who did not suffer from a clinically-important traumatic brain injury and did not require a CT scan. Of the 2 and above group, researchers were able to predict just about all of the children (3,800) who did not have a clinically-important traumatic brain injury, missing just two children who did. The findings of the study, which appear in The Lancet, a leading medical journal, may help avoid unnecessary CT scans for children not suffering from clinically-important traumatic brain injuries in the future.

If you or a loved one has suffered a brain injury due to someone else’s negligence, you need the help of an experienced brain injury attorney who will guide you through this traumatic time, defend your rights and get the compensation you deserve. Call or e-mail the lawyers at Silberstein, Awad & Miklos, P.C. today for your free consultation. We serve clients with Brooklyn brain injury, Bronx brain injury, Queens brain injury, Nassau brain injury and Suffolk brain injury cases.

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New Pneumonia Vaccine May Help Prevent Infection

A study conducted published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine has found that a new vaccine for pneumonia prevents infection in patients with COPD, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, better than the vaccine currently being used. Researchers found that this newly developed vaccine is reasonably effective in people with COPD, a progressive lung disease that makes it difficult to breathe. However, more research needs to be done before the effectiveness of the vaccine can be adequately proven on these patients.

For the study, 120 adults with were vaccinated with either the typically used vaccine, PPSV23, or the new vaccine, PCV7, for their moderate to severe COPD. The researchers found that according to several indicators, the patients who received the PCV7 vaccine had a better immune response than those who took the standard vaccine.

In addition, the researchers found that the blood of the patients who received the newly developed vaccine was better able to kill bacteria that cause pneumonia when tested one month after the immunization.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggests that adults with COPD receive a pneumonia vaccination to lower their risk of infection. The leading cause of COPD is smoking, so the best way to lower your risk is to quit smoking and avoid second-hand smoke. If you or a loved was seriously injured by a delay in diagnosis or treatment in lung disease or some other medical problem, contact Silberstein, Awad & Miklos’ medical malpractice lawyers for answers. We serve clients with Bronx medical malpractice, Brooklyn medical malpractice, Queens medical malpractice and Long Island medical malpractice cases.

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Birth Control Pill Warning: Yaz and Yasmin

Back in 2003, the FDA issued a warning to Berlex, the original developers of Yasmin, for deemphasizing the risks associated with the birth control pill in their advertisements. The makers of Yasmin, a pill approved in 2001 that contains both ethinyl estradiol (estrogen) and drospirenone (progestin), were also warned that their commercials implied that the pill was superior to other birth control pills.

In 2008, Bayer HealthCare, which acquired Berlex in 2006, was warned that advertisements for the birth control pill Yaz were making misleading claims. The commercials implied that Yaz treated all grades of acne, although the drug is only approved to treat moderate acne. In addition, the ads gave the impression that the pill could treat PMS symptoms, even though it is only approved for the treatment of PMDD, a condition with more severe symptoms than PMS. Bayer HealthCare was also warned that their commercials diminished the risk of potential side effects by explaining them over distracting visuals and music.

Following these FDA warnings, the makers of Yaz agreed to launch a new campaign to make clear the risks and benefits of the birth control pill. However, there is still concern about the safety of the drug. More than 50 deaths of women taking Yaz or Yasmin have been reported to the FDA, some of which were teenagers attempting to treat their acne. The progestin in these drugs may increase blood potassium levels and increase a woman’s risk of stroke, heart attack, clots, kidney disease or damage, cardiac arrhythmias, gallbladder problems and death.

Women who already have elevated levels of blood potassium are at greater risk, so it is important to talk to your doctor before starting a medication that may cause a problem. If you or a loved one has been seriously injured by a doctor who prescribed an inappropriate drug, call the pharmaceutical error attorneys at Silberstein, Awad & Miklos, P.C. today. We will evaluate your Bronx pharmaceutical error, Brooklyn pharmaceutical error, Queens pharmaceutical error or Long Island pharmaceutical error case for free.

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Severe Injuries for Boys and Girls Playing High School Sports

A recent study published in the American Journal of Sports Medicine looking at the severity of injuries in high school sports has found that some are more dangerous than others. Boys’ football had the highest rate of severe injuries, followed by boys’ wrestling, girls’ basketball and girls’ soccer. The study also found that in sports played by both boys and girls, such as soccer, basketball and baseball/softball, girls were more likely to sustain a serious injury than boys.

For the study, researchers led by Dawn Comstock, an assistant professor at the Center for Injury Research and Policy at the Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Ohio, looked at sports injuries at 100 high schools from 2005 to 2007. Researchers looked at nine sports, including boys’ wrestling, football and baseball, girls’ softball and volleyball, and boys’ and girls’ basketball and soccer.

They found that almost 15 percent of these sports injuries were severe enough to keep the student from playing for at least three weeks. Researchers also determine that 30 percent of severe high school sports injuries involved the knee, while 12.3 percent occurred to the ankle and 10.9 percent involved the shoulder. The study found that about 5 percent of severe injuries in high school sports were caused by illegal actions of another player, such as tripping.

According to the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine (AOSSM), a national organization of orthopaedic surgeons devoted to sports medicine, kids in the U.S. experience about 2 million injuries related to sports. These sports injuries could result in damage to the brain or other parts of the body, so it is important to be seen by a doctor immediately if an injury is incurred. If you or a loved one has been seriously injured, call or e-mail the attorneys at Silberstein, Awad & Miklos, P.C. today for your free case evaluation. We serve clients with Bronx personal injury, Brooklyn personal injury, Queens personal injury and Long Island personal injury cases.

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Smoking During Pregnancy Changes Baby’s DNA

It is well known that women who are pregnant should not smoke cigarettes and should not expose themselves to second hand smoke. Organizations like the March of Dimes and the American Lung Association urge women to quit smoking before becoming pregnant to reduce the risk of health problems for themselves and their baby. However, according to the March of Dimes website, at least 10 percent of pregnant women in the U.S. continue to smoke during their pregnancy.

The U.S. Public Health Service estimates that if women stopped smoking while pregnant, the number of stillbirths would be reduced by 11 percent and the number of newborn deaths would be reduced by 5 percent. If a woman continues to smoke while pregnant, she increases the risk that her child will develop asthma, cardiovascular disease, lower pulmonary function and other long-term health problems.

A recent study conducted by researchers at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California has found that this increased risk of health problems for children exposed to maternal smoking before birth is actually due to a change in DNA patterns.

For the study, researchers led by Carrie Brenton, assistant professor in the Department of Occupational and Environmental Health at the Keck School, looked at data from a survey on maternal smoking, as well as the USC Children’s Health Study. The study observed respiratory health among children in communities of southern California.

Smoking while pregnant does increase a child’s risk of health conditions, however, some conditions may be caused by a mistake by a doctor or hospital. If your child has suffered a birth injury that may have been preventable, call or e-mail us the attorneys at Silberstein, Awad & Miklos, P.C. today. We will evaluate your Bronx birth injury, Brooklyn birth injury, Queens birth injury, Nassau birth injury or Suffolk birth injury case free of charge.

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More Risks than Benefits for Health People Taking Daily Aspirin

A recent study has found that for people without a history of vascular problems, daily aspirin may be causing more harm than good. For the Aspirin for Asymptomatic Atherosclerosis (AAA) study, led by Professor Gerry Fowkes at the Wolfson Unit for Prevention of Peripheral Vascular Diseases in Scotland, researchers followed 3,350 men and women ages 50 to 75 years of age who had no history of heart attack or symptoms of heart disease, but may have had issues with the arteries in their legs.

Each of the participants were given either a 100 mg dose of aspirin each day or a placebo, which is a fake pill that has no pharmacological effect. Researchers monitored the men and women for eight years and found that there was no significant difference in the number of heart attacks, strokes, or other heart-related problems between the two groups. However, 2 percent of the group taking daily aspirin experienced major bleeding, while only 1.2 percent of the placebo group had major bleeding.

The findings of the study, which was presented at the European Society of Cardiology Congress last Sunday, support previous suggestions that a daily aspirin regimen for patients with no symptoms or history of heart or artery disease may be more risky and less beneficial. Still, for patients with a history of vascular problems, such as heart attack, stroke or angina, a daily dose of aspirin may help reduce the risk of clots and prevent future problems.

If you or a loved one has experienced a delay in diagnosis of a heart attack, stroke, or some other condition, call or e-mail the attorneys at Silberstein, Awad & Miklos, P.C. today. Our medical malpractice lawyers will review your case for FREE and answer any questions you may have. We serve clients with Bronx medical malpractice, Brooklyn medical malpractice, Queens medical malpractice and Long Island medical malpractice cases.

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