In several South Asian countries, midwifery is not an established profession. As a result, complications in both mothers and newborns are extremely common. Malin Bogren has been commissioned by the UN to work in Nepal, Afghanistan and Bangladesh. In her thesis, she presents a strategy on how the midwifery profession can be established in low-income countries -- and in this way, … [Read more...]
Veterans returning from Middle East face higher skin cancer risk
Soldiers who served in the glaring desert sunlight of Iraq and Afghanistan returned home with an increased risk of skin cancer, due not only to the desert climate, but also a lack of sun protection, Vanderbilt dermatologist Jennifer Powers, M.D., reports in a study published recently in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology. "The past decade of United States combat … [Read more...]
International law fails to protect pregnant women in war zones
Deaths from violent conflict and lack of available care are major causes of mortality among pregnant women in war zones, warn doctors in an editorial published in The BMJ. More needs to be done to protect women from violence in conflicts, and to provide appropriate medical care required, they argue. "In times of war, the focus is usually on the male soldiers," they … [Read more...]
Combat exposure may jeopardize the behavioral health of women in the military
In a recent study, combat exposure among Army enlisted women was associated with an increased likelihood of developing behavioral health problems post-deployment, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and at-risk drinking. In the study, which was funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, 42,397 Army enlisted women who returned from … [Read more...]