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What Is Constipation? What Causes Constipation?
The word constipation comes from the Latin constipare meaning "to press, crowd together", and from 1400 A.D. Latin Constipationem. According to Medilexicon"s medical dictionary, constipation is "A condition in which bowel movements are infrequent or incomplete". Constipation is also known as costiveness, and irregularity.
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Sex Education Programs In Singapore's Schools Should Provide Teens With Objective, Reliable Information, Education Ministry Says
The number of teenagers contracting HIV and other sexually transmitted infections has increased over the past several years, Singapore"s Education Minister Ng Eng Hen said on Thursday, the Straits Times reports. In 2008, 787 STIs were recorded among teenagers, a more than threefold increase from the 238 cases in 2002. In addition, nine new HIV cases were reported among teenagers in 2007, compared with one in 2002. According to Ng, the figures highlight the need for sex education programs. The programs also are needed because of increases in sexual activity and unintended pregnancies among teens, the Times reports. According to a 2006 Health Promotion Board and education ministry survey of 4,000 students between ages 14 and 19, about 8% reported being sexually active. In addition, less than one-quarter of sexually active teenagers reported using contraception to protect against STIs and unintended pregnancies. Changes in attitudes toward sex -- as well as the increased exposure teens have to information about sex -- only increase the need for schools to provide students with objective and reliable information about sex, according to Ng. He added that sex education programs in schools have changed since the programs were introduced in 2000. He said, "When we started, the key message was abstinence, reflecting the conservative social tone of our Asian society, where liberal values on sex are not espoused," adding, "This is not a negative facet of our society. It is not prudish, regressive or naç¯ve." Ng said that two years ago, the focus of sex education programs changed from abstinence to include information about how to prevent unintended pregnancies and STIs. He said, "In 2007, messages were added -- beyond knowing how to say no -- students were also taught the repercussions of unwanted pregnancies and STIs and HIV and how to prevent them. This is now a key focus of sexuality education, and should continue to be moving forward" (Tan, Straits Times, 5/22).
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FDA Requires Labeling Change For Some Drugs Used To Prevent Rejection Of Kidney Transplants
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said that it will require manufacturers of some immunosuppressant drugs used in kidney (renal) transplantation to update their labeling to reflect an increased risk of infections.
Cardiovascular

Pacemakers Used To Help Children With Stomach Problems

Physicians at Nationwide Children"s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio are turning to a device typically used in adults with heart problems to help children with severe stomach conditions. In June, surgeons implanted a pacemaker in a 16-year-old patient with gastroparesis, a debilitating stomach condition that affects the way the body processes food. This is the first time the procedure has been performed in a child at Nationwide Children"s Hospital, which is now one of only a handful of institutions across the country offering this type of treatment in children. Gastroparesis is a condition where the stomach contracts less often and less powerfully, causing food and liquids to stay in the stomach for a long time. In as many as 60 percent of children with gastroparesis, the cause is not known. The condition often leaves children feeling constantly bloated and nauseated and can result in malnourishment and significant weight loss. In severe cases, symptoms may prevent children from attending school or taking part in other daily activities. The pacemaker is inserted into the abdomen, with electrical wires leading to the stomach. It sends electrical impulses to stimulate the stomach after eating. "The pacemaker is surgically implanted under the skin and is connected to two electrodes placed on the stomach wall. It tells the stomach to empty at a certain frequency. The initial settings are fairly low and, as with a pacemaker in the heart, we can change the settings as needed," explained pediatric surgeon Steven Teich, MD, surgical director of the Bariatric Surgery Program at Nationwide Children"s Hospital and clinical assistant professor of surgery at The Ohio State University College of Medicine. "It empties the stomach, alleviating bloating, vomiting and nausea." Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition at Nationwide Children"s Hospital is one of the leading programs in the country in the field of diagnosing and treating gastrointestinal motility problems in children. It is the only children"s hospital in the nation that offers the full spectrum of treatment options for motility disorders, including diagnosis, medications, endoscopic procedures, surgical options, pacemakers and follow up care. Pacemakers have been used for years in adults with delayed gastric emptying. Nationwide Children"s received IRB approval to implant the device in children as a humanitarian device exemption (HDE), and although this is a new procedure in children and adolescents, doctors at Nationwide Children"s say the early results are promising. "In patients who have received this type of treatment, nearly all symptoms were resolved within two weeks," said pediatric gastroenterologist Hayat Mousa, MD, medical director of the Motility Center at Nationwide Children"s Hospital and associate professor of Clinical Pediatrics at The Ohio State University College of Medicine. "Previous treatment options, including medications, have been much less effective." Nationwide Children"s Hospital


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