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COVID-19 vaccine does not damage placenta in pregnancy
A new Northwestern Medicine study of placentas from patients who received the COVID-19 vaccine during pregnancy found no evidence of injury, adding to the growing literature that COVID-19 vaccines are safe in pregnancy.
The placenta is like the black box in an airplane.”
Dr. Jeffery Goldstein
Northwestern Medicine pathologist”The placenta is like the black box in an airplane. If something goes wrong with a pregnancy, we usually see changes in the placenta that can help us figure out what happened,” said corresponding author Dr. Jeffery Goldstein, assistant professor of pathology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and a Northwestern Medicine pathologist. “From what we can tell, the COVID vaccine does not damage the placenta.”
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Credit: Northwestern University
Northwestern University researchers are building social bonds with beams of light.
For the first time ever, Northwestern engineers and neurobiologists have wirelessly programmed and then deprogrammed mice to socially interact with one another in real time. The advancement is thanks to a first-of-its-kind ultraminiature, wireless, battery-free and fully implantable device that uses light to activate neurons.
This study is the first optogenetics (a method for controlling neurons with light) paper exploring social interactions within groups of animals, which was previously impossible with current technologies.
The research will be published May 10 in the journal
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Untethering mothers
Laboring mothers have been wearing the same cumbersome, polyester fetal-monitoring belt for decades. Not only can these belts slip out of place, requiring constant adjustment, they – along with the array of other wires taped to the mother for monitoring – tether the mother to the bed, limiting her ability to walk around or move freely in ways that are more comfortable.
Now an interdisciplinary team of researchers led by Northwestern University and The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is replacing all the belts and wires with three small, thin, soft, flexible and comfortable wireless sensors.
By Amy Norton
HealthDay Reporter
MONDAY, May 3, 2021 (HealthDay News) Many people take fish oil to protect their heart, but a new study suggests that prescription versions may raise the risk of a common heart rhythm disorder.
At issue are prescription-strength omega-3 fatty acids, which are naturally found in fish oil. The medications are often prescribed to people with very high triglycerides, a type of blood fat linked to increased risk of heart attack and stroke.
According to the American Heart Association, prescription omega-3s can lower triglycerides by 20% to 30% in most people.
But the medications are also controversial, because their ultimate benefits for the heart are unclear.
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