Tag Archives: birth trauma attorney
Research on Twins Finds Correlation Between Birth Weight, Autism
A researcher from Northwestern University in Illinois found that twins born with a low birth weight were three times more likely to develop autism spectrum disorder (ASD) than their heavier counterparts. Molly Losh from the Roxelyn and Richard Pepper Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders at Northwestern studied over 3,700 same-sex twin sets from the Child and Adolescent Twin Study of Sweden (CATSS). She found that heavier twins had a lower risk of developing certain birth defects like ASD; for every 100 grams, the child’s risk of developing ASD decreased by 13 percent. This research is significant, because medical professionals have long considered autism a genetic disorder. Losh’s research, however, indicates that environmental factors may play a larger role in the development of ASD than scientists previously thought. Often, one of the twins would develop ASD and the other would not; considering that many of these twins share the same…
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New Documentary on PBS: How to Avoid Birth Injuries
The United Brachial Plexus Network (BPI) has released a documentary that warns of the potential birth risks that could lead to brachial plexus injuries. Newborn Birth Injuries: The Untold Story is now airing as a filler piece on PBS stations, with clips available on YouTube and the organization’s website. In the film, medical professionals explain how brachial plexus injuries occur and how to avoid them. The brachial plexus is a vital system of nerves located near the back of the neck and upper spine. The nerves deliver signals to upper arm and chest muscles. Damage in this region during childbirth can cause serious birth defects, including nerve damage, paralysis, lack of muscle control or sensation, or Erb’s palsy. According to the documentary, doctors and nurses cause brachial plexus injuries by pulling and twisting on the baby’s head as it exits the womb. The baby can appear “stuck,” so the doctor…
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Posted in Birth Trauma, Erbs Palsy Tagged Birth Defects, birth trauma attorney, brachial plexus, brachial plexus injury, Erbs Palsy Comments Off on New Documentary on PBS: How to Avoid Birth Injuries
New Twin Study Suggests Connection Between Autism and Environmental Factors
Recently, an autism study out of Stanford University’s medical school yielded results that challenge long-held beliefs about autism’s origins. The study, centered on 192 sets of twins with autism, and found that sets of fraternal twins had much higher levels of shared autistic similarities than expected. Previously, scientists had assumed that 90 percent of autism risk was tied to genetics, with only 10 percent tied to environmental risks. Fraternal twins only share half of their genetic material, while identical twins share all their genes, but the findings from the research did not back up the assumed percentages. The high levels of similarities in fraternal twins led doctors and researchers to conclude that environmental factors, not just genetics, may put people at risk for autism. According to the co-author of the study, doctors and scientists should focus future research on events during pregnancy to understand autism’s origins. The researchers in the…
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Posted in Autism, Birth Trauma Tagged Autism, birth trauma attorney, fraternal twins Comments Off on New Twin Study Suggests Connection Between Autism and Environmental Factors
