Weighing up the risks

Brazilian daycares: weighing the risks and benefits.

The number of day care centers in Brazil has doubled over the last few years; with this increase has come a rise in the numbers of cases of communicable disease, particularly pneumonia (the main cause of child mortality in Brazil). A study by Dr. Walter V.C. da Fonseca states that a day care child is 5 times more likely to contact pneumonia. However, since the income earned by women in Brazil...

Psychotropics in pregnancy: weighing the risks.

With increase in the use of newer psychotropics, there is a growing concern in relation to the teratogenicity. Unfortunately, it is not possible to carry out prospective studies in pregnant women and as a result physicians caring for such patients have to rely on case reports, case series, and retrospective studies. Available evidence shows that the safety of psychotropics in pregnancy is still...

Weighing the risks and benefits of tamoxifen.

Methylmercury and fish consumption: weighing the risks.

In this issue (page 1439) Dr. Charles Dumont and colleagues report a substantial fall in mercury levels (as measured by the concentration of methylmercury in hair samples) from 1988 to 1993 among Crees living in the James Bay area of Quebec. Fish in hydroelectric reservoirs had been found to be contaminated with mercury and, in 1988, 14.2% of the population of the area had levels of 15.0 mg/kg ...

Nanosilver: Weighing the Risks and Benefits

Silver nanoparticles are added to a variety of textiles and home goods as an antimicrobial. Although silver has been used safely for centuries, some question whether the rapid expansion of new exposure sources to nanosilver could have adverse consequences.