Researchers warn test has potential for encouraging sex-selection Pregnant women could find out whether they are carrying a boy or a girl as early as five weeks, after scientists developed a pioneering non-invasive test. A team at Cheil General Hospital in Seoul, South Korea, found that various ratios of two enzymes, which can be extracted from a pregnant mother’s blood, indicate the baby’s gender as early as five or six weeks. Read more…

DEAR ISADORA: My teenage daughter tells me that some of her friends are sexting, sending photos of each other partially undressed. She thinks it’s funny. How can I convince her that this is wrong? Answer: Rather than giving her a lecture on morality or appropriate behavior for teens, which she can ignore, perhaps you can show her that there is a real risk of such photos showing up online and not only embarrassing the people in them but ruining potential opportunities for college or jobs down the line. Dear Isadora: My boyfriend doesn’t fight fair. He calls me all sorts of terrible names...

For two-year-old Connie Lloyd, there was nothing amusing about having a bright red ‘clown’s nose’. Born with a benign tumour that grew to cover her nose, she suffered cruel taunts and name-calling and was told the rare condition could not be cured. But the shy little girl has a reason to smile at last after surgeons defied the odds and left her with a ‘nose like mum’s’. Doctors had spotted a shadow on Connie’s nose at the 26-week scan but when she was born in September 2008, she appeared perfectly healthy. Connie, from Slough, Berkshire, was just a day old when parents Zara Green...

A 29-year-old from Bridgend, South Wales, has become Britain’s youngest grandfather after his 14-year-old (now 15) daughter, Tia, recently gave birth to a baby girl. Shem Davies was also 14 when Tia was born, who celebrated her 15th birthday in hospital after giving birth to her baby girl – Gracie. Shem, who was mistaken by maternity nurses as Gracie’s father, said: “It is an absolute joy to see Gracie thriving. I’m incredibly proud of Tia. She’ll be a brilliant mum. At first I wasn’t overly pleased that she was pregnant but I soon got over that. Now it’s...

(Reuters Health) – Swedish teenagers who consumed more folic acid got better school grades, a small study published in the journal Pediatrics has found. But don’t run out and stock up on the B vitamin with the rest of your school supplies just yet, one expert warns. “There is very little deficiency of folic acid in North America,” Deborah O’Connor, a nutrition researcher who was not involved in the study, told Reuters Health. “If you’re already sufficient, there is not a lot of evidence that taking more supplements will help.” Read more…

Health officials in the Indian state of Rajasthan are launching a new campaign to try reduce the high population growth in the area. They are encouraging men and women to volunteer for sterilisation, and in return are offering a car and other prizes for those who come forward. Among the rewards on offer is the Indian-made Tata Nano – the world’s cheapest car. Many in the government are worried about the size of India’s population. It is expected to overtake that of China by 2030. Sitaram Sharma, the head doctor of Jhunjunu in western India, is hopeful that the chance to win a...

Study Shows Toddlers With Autism Have Abnormal Synchronization in Brain’s Communication Area June 22, 2011 — A brain that is out of sync may be an early clue of autism, researchers suggest. Toddlers with autism are more likely to have abnormal synchronization between certain brain areas than other kids the same age, even those with language delays, according to a new study. ”There seems to be impaired or reduced synchronization between the right and left hemispheres, specifically the areas involved in language and communication,” says researcher Ilan Dinstein, PhD, a postdoctoral...

GOTHENBURG, Sweden, June 14 (UPI) — A woman living in Nottingham, England, says she’s willing to donate her womb to her daughter in Stockholm, Sweden, because “she needs it more than me.” The recipient, Sara Ottosson, 25, was born without a uterus because of rare condition, Mayer Rokitanksy Kuster Hauser syndrome, The Daily Telegraph reported. Eva Ottosson, 56, said her daughter “needs the womb and if I’m the best donor for her … well, go on. She needs it more than me. I’ve had two daughters so it’s served me well.” Read more…

Children living in wealthy households have far superior vocabularies and problem-solving skills than their poorer peers by the age of five, according to research prepared for Scottish ministers. The ground-breaking study, which assessed the abilities of 14,000 youngsters, found a gap in academic ability between children from different socio-economic backgrounds has already opened up by the time they are three years old. At the age of five, youngsters with wealthier parents educated to degree level are on average 18 months ahead of their less well-off peers with their vocabulary. They are also...

A paedophile nursery worker who raped a toddler in his care and built up an online “community” to incite the sexual abuse of young girls was today warned to expect a life sentence. Paul Anthony Wilson, 20, was told he would “almost inevitably” receive an indeterminate jail term when he is sentenced by a High Court judge next month. After the nursery assistant pleaded guilty to two counts of rape and 45 charges relating to the grooming of more than 20 girls, police confirmed that he had used a mobile phone to record the abuse of the toddler. Officers said the two recordings...