Iron supplements during pregnancy; fighting Parkinson disease; how well did he see her standing there? - Morning Medical Update

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Iron during pregnancy

There are numerous things needed to keep mother and baby healthy during pregnancy. Are iron supplements on that list? The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force considered the balance of benefits and harms of screening for iron deficiency and iron deficiency anemia. As of now, there is insufficient evidence to evaluate the screening or using routine iron supplementation. The final evidence review was published this week.

Brain pacemaker

Parkinson disease is a brain disorder that causes unintended movements, such as shaking, stiffness, and difficulty with balance, according to the National Institute on Aging of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Researchers have created a self-adjusting brain pacemaker that can reduce symptoms. NIH funded a trial that “shows the promise of personalized medicine.” Read more here.

Living is easy with eyes closed …

Some fans of legendary songwriter and musician John Lennon think back to the early Beatles, when he was seldom seen wearing eyeglasses. Other fans think back and recall the round spectacles that became an integral part of his image. It turns out that in the 1960s, Lennon experimented with contact lenses to correct astigmatism – and his marijuana use may have helped the lenses stay on his eyeballs. Here’s a report on an Australian study about Lennon’s eyesight.