The Malaysian Insider :: Features
The Malaysian Insider :: Features |
| ADHD medication could cut crime rates, study says Posted: 22 Nov 2012 07:43 PM PST STOCKHOLM, Nov 23 — Medication can reduce the number of crimes committed by people suffering from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) by one third, according to a Swedish study released yesterday.  Researchers found that medical treatment reduced the risk of committing crimes by 32 per cent. — AFP/Relaxnews Individuals with ADHD have previously been shown to be at greater risk of entering a life of crime. "It's said that roughly 30 to 40 per cent of long-serving criminals have ADHD," said Paul Lichtenstein, co-author of the study at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm. "If their chances of recidivism can be reduced by 30 per cent, it would clearly affect total crime numbers in many societies." The study, which tracked more than 25,000 people over four years, found that medication had the same effect on those who had committed relatively minor infringements, as on those involved in more serious and violent crimes. All of the participants were adults, and there was no difference in the outcome for men and women. Five percent of school children and around half has many of all adults have ADHD, according to the Karolinska Institute. Symptoms of the disorder, which include poor concentration, hyperactivity and impulsive behaviour, can be treated with central stimulants. However, concern has been raised over a steep rise in medical prescriptions for ADHD in recent years, and some medical professionals have claimed alternative treatments such as psychotherapy and less potent drugs may be better suited for some patients."We need to point out that most medical treatments can have adverse side effects, so risks must be weighed up against benefits and the individual patient's entire life situation taken into consideration before medications are prescribed," said Henrik Larsson, another co-author of the Stockholm study. — AFP/Relaxnews |
| Infant sleep positioners cause death, US health officials say Posted: 22 Nov 2012 05:08 PM PST CHICAGO, Nov 23 — Bolsters used to keep sleeping babies on their backs pose a suffocation hazard, health officials warned Wednesday after a recent death raised the 'sleep positioners' toll to at least 13 US infants.  The ABC's of safe sleep: Alone on the Back in a bare Crib. — AFP/Relaxnews But the 'sleep positioners' — which typically feature bolsters attached to each side of a thin mat and sometimes a wedge to elevate the baby's head — remain on the market. Most of the babies — all four months of age or younger — suffocated after rolling from their side to their stomach. Some were found trapped between the bolster and the side of the crib. In addition to the 13 reported deaths since 1997, the Consumer Product Safety Commission has received dozens of reports of babies found in "hazardous positions within or next to the product" after they were placed on their back or side in the positioners. "We urge parents and caregivers to take our warning seriously and stop using these sleep positioners so children can be assured of a safe sleep," Inez Tenenbaum, chairman of the Consumer Product Safety Commission, said in a statement. Parents should also keep the crib free of pillows, comforters, quilts and toys, said Susan Cummins, a pediatric expert at the Food and Drug Administration. "The safest crib is a bare crib," she said. "Always put your baby on his or her back to sleep. An easy way to remember this is to follow the ABC's of safe sleep — Alone on the Back in a bare Crib." — AFP/Relaxnews |
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