Health Headlines
| Updated: 6/24/2008 9:38 pm |
Published: 6/24/2008 5:04 pm |
Pregnancy Weight
Mothers: if you gain a lot of weight during your pregnancy it might raise your child's risk of becoming over weight. Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania found children whose mothers gained more than the recommended weight during pregnancy had a 48 percent chance of becoming obese by age seven. Doctors say the mothers high blood sugar level affects pancreatic cells in the fetus. The Institute of Medicine recommends woman should gain up 35 pounds during pregnancy.
Death from Falls
Many elderly people fear breaking a hip in a fall but a government study says seniors should be equally concerned about hitting their heads. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says brain injuries account for half of all deaths from falls. Researchers found 16,000 deaths resulted from unintentional falls in the year 2005. It says more than half of those deaths were brain injuries associated with the fall. Doctors say each year 1 in 3 Americans age 65 and older fall.
New Ankle Implants
For years people with extreme ankle pain could either live with it or have surgery -but they'd end up with stiff joints little movement and trouble walking. Now the FDA has just approved a new ankle implant - that's not only taking away the pain but changing lives.
If there is one thing Marvin French knows about all too well its ankle pain.
“I'm hurting so bad you got to do something to solve it, even if it cuts my foot off. I've got to have relief,” French told his doctor.
Luckily for Marvin he came to the right place, he now has an ankle implant.
“I think for a number of years people who've had injury to the ankle - the only option they knew about was fusion. Nobody like the idea of having a stiff ankle,” says Dr. Jesse Burks.
But now a handful of doctors in the state, including Little Rock surgeon Dr. Jesse Burks, are performing ankle replacement implants leaving patients with full range of motion. A huge step forward.
“This implant was approved by the FDA a little more than a year ago and the big thing that's encouraging to me about it is it actually mimics the anatomic make up of the ankle itself,
Says Dr. Burks.
That aspect alone has made a big difference for Sonia Melson. She had reconstructive surgery 20 years ago on her ankle but now she has the new implant.
”It feels better compared to what it was. Before it was catching and turning real easy. I could only take steps one at a time; you know walking up the steps and walking down the steps. And now I can walk normally, you know,” says Melson.
The downside to the ankle implant is that recovery time can take weeks. “You do typically have to be none weight bearing for about six weeks. Usually at about 3 weeks you can start some general range of motion but definitely no weight bearing,” said Dr. Burks.
However some say trading in a longer recuperation time, for the pain is well worth it.
As for Marvin, there's no more pain. “Man, what a relief. God answered my prayers in two ways...provided me a way out of the pain, got rid of the pain. That had been my prayer. But this guy, I feel like God raised him up and sent him here to answer my prayers.”
