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June 11th, 2009
09:52 AM ET
To know or not to know...that is the questionBy Jennifer Pifer-Bixler Attention all mommies and daddies-to-be. Apparently there is a test you can now buy at the drug store that will predict the gender of your baby. Since Sanjay reported on the test Tuesday it's been a hot topic around the newsroom. Sanjay's producer even called and asked whether I wanted to take the test. You see, I am having a baby in October. We haven't found out the gender. At least not yet. At first, I was all for finding out if little TBD (that's what I call the baby) was a girl or a boy. The Type A producer in me wants to plan, plan, plan. How should we decorate the nursery? Should we save all the princess costumes and Hannah Montana gear? (Before you get the wrong idea, I should mention we already have a 5-year-old daughter.) Finally – and most importantly – as my belly expands and I begin to feel TBD flutter around, I want to give the baby a name, an identity. It would help me bond with TBD. But now, I am having second thoughts. One of my friends is due in June and she doesn't want to find out her baby's gender before it’s born. A colleague who had her son a few months ago did the same thing. One of my editors feels so strongly about this that she begged me to reconsider. Twice. "It's one of the few surprises left in life!" she says with great passion. Maybe it is the pregnancy hormones, but now I feel conflicted. I even put the question to my Facebook friends. Should I find out or should I wait? The next ultrasound is right around the corner. What do you think? Editor's Note: Medical news is a popular but sensitive subject rooted in science. We receive many comments on this blog each day; not all are posted. Our hope is that much will be learned from the sharing of useful information and personal experiences based on the medical and health topics of the blog. We encourage you to focus your comments on those medical and health topics and we appreciate your input. Thank you for your participation.
June 8th, 2009
02:41 PM ET
Women benefit from female friendshipsBy Jennifer Pifer-Bixler My husband just got back from a long trip. And while I missed him terribly (hi honey, in case you are reading!), I have a confession: There was an upside to his absence. I went on a "girlfriend-palooza." From dinners to extended phone calls, it was nice spending quality time with friends. Now don't get me wrong, we have an active “couple” social life. But ladies, let's be honest, there is something different about just hanging with the girls. Laughing and dishing can do wonders for your mood. Reseachers at the University of Michigan say there is some science behind the high we can get from hanging out with friends. Here's how they figured it out: The researchers took saliva samples from 160 female college students. Then, the women were put in pairs. One group performed an emotionally neutral task: proofreading a botany manuscript together. Then the other pairs played a “get-to-know-you” game, where they shared intimate information with each other. Afterwards, both sets of pairs played cards together on the computer. Then they gave another saliva sample. And here's what researchers found: The women who spent time talking and getting to know each other had higher progesterone levels. Other research has found that progesterone acts kind of like anti-anxiety medication, according to lead researcher, Dr. Stephanie Brown. On top of that, the study also found higher levels of progesterone were linked to a greater willingness to sacrifice for another person, even if it could mean danger to them. Researchers say this study could help explain the connection between biology and social behavior. "These links may help us understand why people in close relationships are happier, healthier and live longer than those who are socially isolated," says lead researcher, Dr. Stephanie Brown. I want to know what you think. Do you find hanging out with your girlfriends makes you feel better? Also – this study didn't look at guys- but I would be curious to know from our male readers – does your mood improve after hanging out with your friends? Editor's Note: Medical news is a popular but sensitive subject rooted in science. We receive many comments on this blog each day; not all are posted. Our hope is that much will be learned from the sharing of useful information and personal experiences based on the medical and health topics of the blog. We encourage you to focus your comments on those medical and health topics and we appreciate your input. Thank you for your participation.
April 3rd, 2009
03:11 PM ET
The ruff world of autismBy Jennifer Pifer-Bixler Monday was a fiasco. Let me tell you what happened. I decided to check in on my buddy Justin Kinninger. Justin is in the second grade. He is a kid after my own heart: We share a love of root beer and barbecue potato chips. Justin also has autism. I've known Justin and his family for a year. We worked together on a story about the challenges of getting medical and educational services for children with autism. From time to time, I check in with Justin's mom, Shannon, to see how things are going. Since the last time we chatted, a new member joined the Kinninger family. His name is Luke. He has a great smile and loves cold hot dogs. Before I continue, I should probably tell you Luke is a black Lab. He's Justin's autism assistance dog. Luke is one of the growing number of dogs that's been trained to work with people with autism. I hit the jackpot, I thought. A boy and his dog. The perfect story. What could go wrong? I would soon find out. Our first stop was Justin's classroom. As a producer, I am always trying to get the best “moments” on camera. Luke was waiting and I assumed Justin would be so excited to see him, that he would go right over. Wrong. Justin was excited to see us. "I missed you guys!" Justin said. Instead of heading over to the dog, Justin made a beeline to our photographer, Jonathan, and gave him a big hug. Moment missed. I wasn't deterred, yet. We eventually ended up at the Kinningers’ home. I wanted to ask Justin some questions with Luke by his side. But this time, it was Luke who refused to give us our “moment.” He thought the boom mic was a toy, (it's furry) and jumped up to try and catch it. He barked. He refused to sit by Justin. His working harness off, in Luke's mind, he was off the clock. I half expected him to go into the kitchen and make a kibble martini. Luke was ready to party. As chaos ensued, I wondered what in the world I was going to do. This shoot had become a disaster. But then something unexpected happened. Justin's head started to hurt and he got sick. Who was immediately by his side? Luke. Later, as Justin lay on his bed, Luke snuggled as his best friend stroked his coat, calmed down and recovered. It was in that moment, that it was clear why this boy needed his dog. For Justin, like many people with autism, it can be hard to connect with others. Sometimes Justin gets picked on at school. It breaks Shannon's heart. She's often not sure what to do. But Luke knows. He never judges Justin. He's just present. I had my moment. Has autism touched you or the life of someone you know? We'd like to hear about it. Editor's Note: Medical news is a popular but sensitive subject rooted in science. We receive many comments on this blog each day; not all are posted. Our hope is that much will be learned from the sharing of useful information and personal experiences based on the medical and health topics of the blog. We encourage you to focus your comments on those medical and health topics and we appreciate your input. Thank you for your participation. |
  About this blog
Get a behind-the-scenes look at the latest stories from CNN Chief Medical Correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, Senior Medical Correspondent Elizabeth Cohen and the CNN Medical Unit producers. They'll share news and views on health and medical trends - info that will help you take better care of yourself and the people you love.
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