Health Buzz: Richardson Death, Head Injuries, and Other Health News

Natasha Richardson and Head Injuries: Know the Warning Signs

Actress Natasha Richardson died yesterday, after apparently suffering a devastating brain injury in a skiing accident on Monday. Richardson's brain injury reportedly occurred on a beginner's ski slope, while she was having a private lesson with an instructor. And, according to authorities at the ski resort, she took all the proper precautions after being injured. Although she didn't even have a concussion, she was immediately examined by a physician and then taken to a hospital after she developed a severe headache, Deborah Kotz reports.

Should Richardson's death prompt would-be skiers to be concerned for their safety? "I think we need to put this a little in perspective," says Keith Black, chairman of the department of neurosurgery at Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles. "This is quite an unusual circumstance." Though not familiar with Richardson's medical history, he wonders whether she may have had a pre-existing condition that caused excessive bleeding in her brain. "Taking blood thinners like aspirin or even fish oil can cause an abnormal amount of bleeding after a head injury," he says. Or she may have had an unusual tangle of blood vessels near her brainstem, the vital area that controls breathing and heart rate; if that tangle ruptured from a blunt force, it could have caused a massive stroke, quickly and permanently shutting down her brain function. "Some of these conditions can make a minor injury catastrophic," explains Black.

If you're concerned about how to spot head injury complications, learn the signs of a concussion and why it can be a big risk to children and teenagers. Also, learn how to protect a child's head from a concussion.

Number of Babies Born in 2007 Rivals Baby Boom Era

More babies were born in 2007 than any other year in United States history, MSNBC.com reports. The total even tops that of the peak of the baby boom period that followed World War II. Some experts say the increase in births shows that the current generation is replenishing itself, while others say they worry that the new figures point to a record number of births to unmarried moms and a continuing increase in teen births, which hit a record low in 2005, according to MSNBC. There were 69.5 births per 1,000 women ages 15 to 44 in 2007; the projected average family size, assuming current figures hold steady, is 2.1 children per mother. Still, these statistics represent only a small change from prior years, so it does not compare to the impact of the baby boom era, when there were nearly four children per woman and a smaller population of women accounted for the record number of live births.

Are you having trouble getting pregnant? U.S. News delved into the mysteries of unexplained infertility and described a fix for 1one cause of male infertility. And here's another fertility tip: Try eating right with this fertility diet.

Prostate, Ovarian Cancer Screening: When to Test? Not So Clear

Cancer screening is in the news again. Researchers said last week that they had some potentially encouraging news about methods for screening for ovarian cancer, though it is far too early to endorse their use. Now, in the New England Journal of Medicine , two teams of researchers are reporting preliminary—and apparently conflicting—results from ongoing trials studying how well screening for prostate cancer works. One study found a potential benefit; the other, none. It makes for confusing headlines, and consumers might be left wondering: What am I to do? Here's a primer to help you make sense of the evidence.

Deciding whether to have a screening test for cancer can be a difficult decision. Learn what 9 types of men should do about prostate cancer screening, and explore whether we are a step closer to screening for ovarian cancer. 

—January W. Payne

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