Archbishop Socrates Villegas: Killing an embryo is killing a human being (cbcpforlife.com photo) DAGUPAN CITY, PhilippinesArchbishop Socrates Villegas said the Catholic Church is not against stem cell treatment but is wary that human embryos taken from aborted fetuses have been used in the controversial therapy. In his pastoral guidance issued Thursday on queries about the morality of the treatment, Villegas said there was nothing generally objectionable about stem cell therapy. Stem cell research and therapy that use adult human stem cells and stem cells from umbilical cord blood are acceptable as long as they are proven safe and are approved by regulating bodies, Villegas said. What the Church fears are incidences when such therapy abets directly or indirectly the practice of abortion, he said. [This] is not only morally objectionable [but also] morally repugnant as the use of human embryo means killing a human being in order to save another human being. We have always believed that a human embryo or fertilized ovum is a (complete) human being although in its primitive form, he said, adding that this entity is irreplaceable. Killing an embryo in any of its stage of development is killing a human being. This makes it morally … Continue reading →

Newswise RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. Approximately 2 million people, including 400,000 children, in the United States are being treated for epilepsy, and one-third continue to have seizures despite treatment. In order to address an important caregiver need, RTI International has been developing a prototype mobile seizure alert system to help epilepsy patients and their families cope with seizures. RTI researchers received a $1.6 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to accelerate the development of this device concept and validation in clinical settings. A major concern of people with epilepsy and their family is the possibility that an unwitnessed seizure might cause serious injury, loss of consciousness, or even death, said Barbara Kroner, Ph.D., senior epidemiologist at RTI and co-principal investigator of the project. She is also the mother of a child with uncontrolled seizures. There are presently no reliable home-based monitoring devices available in the United States to assist caregivers with this task, which can result in significant alterations to the familys life routine and stress level. Parents or siblings of children with nocturnal seizures often find themselves sleeping in the same room or even in the same bed with the child in case a seizure occurs. RTIs … Continue reading →

DEERFIELD, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- UnderStanding Together was launched today for parents of children with infantile spasms (IS), a difficult form of epilepsy that usually affects children between the ages of four and eight months.1 This Lundbeck program connects parents coping with this diagnosis with others who have faced similar challenges and have experience with Lundbecks treatment for IS, SABRIL (vigabatrin). By calling 855-417-7859, families can enroll in the program to speak on the phone with another parent who has a child with infantile spasms. A diagnosis of infantile spasms can be overwhelming, making treatment decisions very difficult. Recommendations issued by the National Organization for Rare Diseases (NORD),2 the American Academy of Neurology (AAN)3 and the Tuberous Sclerosis (TS) Alliance4 all agree that infantile spasms be diagnosed as early as possible and managed with one of two approved treatments. SABRIL is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as monotherapy for pediatric patients one month to two years of age with infantile spasms for whom the potential benefits outweigh the potential risk of permanent vision loss.5,6 In evaluating whether to start SABRIL, doctors and parents work together to assess the risk of vision loss versus the benefit of the medication. There … Continue reading →