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The Cost Of Autism In The UK Is More Than $41 Billion Every Year
Research published this week in the journal Autism, published by SAGE, estimate the annual costs of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to be more than ÷£27 billion a year. The costs of supporting children with ASDs were estimated to be ÷£2.7 billion per year, ÷£25 billion each year for adults. The findings were presented at the Autism & Employment Workshop at Goldsmiths, University of London.
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New York Times Examines Changes In Surrogacy Process In Recent Years
The medical, legal and interpersonal processes involved with a surrogate birth have changed significantly since the controversial "Baby M" case two decades ago, the New York Times reports. In the case, the surrogate was the infant"s biological mother and unsuccessfully sought custody of the child after birth. The Times reports that the legal proceedings in the case helped reinforce the validity of surrogacy contracts, which are now standard practice.Most couples today use a gestational surrogate -- meaning that they have no genetic link to the woman carrying the fetus -- and some choose to maintain friendships with the surrogate after birth. According to the Times, people might choose gestational surrogacy if the woman lacks a uterus, has a malformed uterus, must take medication incompatible with pregnancy, or has had repeated miscarriages or failures at in vitro pregnancies. Male couples or single men might also use this option.Legal protections have strengthened since the Baby M case, although surrogacy remains illegal in some states. State laws also vary in the steps required to ensure that the parents" names, rather than the surrogate"s, are on the child"s birth certificate.Despite an increase in popularity, surrogacy remains "fraught with controversy" over criticisms that compensation to surrogates amounts to "baby selling" and exploitation of low-income women, according to the Times. However, surrogacy advocates say that most women who choose to become surrogates have altruistic motives. Surrogates typically receive between $15,000 and $20,000 as compensation for carrying the pregnancy and undergoing hormonal preparations. The Times reports that reputable agencies and lawyers who specialize in surrogacy help guard against exploitation and spurious motives for seeking a surrogate pregnancy. Prospective surrogates and parents typically undergo psychological screening and legal guidance, and most lawyers require that surrogates meet certain age and health criteria (Brody, New York Times, 7/21).
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Proposed Budget Cuts Worry Hospitals
The Wall Street Journal/Dow Jones Newswires reports on reaction to the Obama administration"s proposed cuts that may acutely affect hospitals. It notes: "President Obama last weekend called for $313 billion in savings over 10 years through adjustments in Medicare and Medicaid payments - a plan that a "deeply disappointed" American Hospital Association said would mean $220 billion in payment cuts to hospitals, on top of billions in other proposed Medicare cuts."
Cardiovascular

IgM In Urine Acts As Prognostic Indicator In Diabetes

A marker of the likely course of diabetic nephropathy (DN) has been found. An 18-year study, published in the open access journal BMC Medicine, has shown that Immunoglobulin M (IgM) is a reliable predictor of cardiovascular complications in DN patients. Omran Bakoush, MD, PhD, led a team of researchers from Lund University, Sweden, who carried out the research. He said, "To our knowledge, this study is the first to investigate the impact of increased urine IgM excretion on DN disease progression in type 1 diabetic patients. We found that those with increased urinary IgM excretion had a higher mortality from cardiovascular causes, and higher disease progression rate to end-stage renal disease. This association is largely independent of the level of albuminuria". The researchers followed 139 patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus between 1984 and 2007. Patients with increased urine IgM excretion, measured by ELISA at the beginning of the study, were approximately three times more likely to die or progress to end-stage renal disease. Commenting on these findings, Dr Bakoush said, "These findings may offer a new approach to manage this rapidly increasing patient population. While measurement of albuminuria is routinely used to evaluate and manage patients with diabetes, increased urine IgM excretion would identify more specifically patients at risk for serious cardiovascular complications (death, and renal failure). If increased urine IgM excretion does reflects advanced atherosclerotic vascular disease, clinical trials would be justified to test whether modifying atherosclerotic factors, also decrease mortality and incidence of renal failure in diabetic patients with or without IgM-uria". Notes: Increased urine IgM excretion predicts cardiovascular events in patients with type 1 diabetes nephropathy Rafid Tofik, Ole Torffvit, Bengt Rippe and Omran Bakoush BMC Medicine (in press) Article. All articles are available free of charge, according to BioMed Central"s open access policy. Graeme Baldwin BioMed Central


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