Not assisting reproduction

To check commercial abuse of assisted reproductive technology (art), China has banned the commercial donation and supply of human eggs and tightened its control over sperm banks. New rules state that medical institutions and staff who abuse the technology to assist surrogate pregnancies will face fines up to us $3,748.

Bytes

grapes benefit: Grape seed extract can prove beneficial to people with high blood pressure, according to a study conducted at the University of California Davis in the US. The study is the first human clinical trial to assess the effect of grape seed extract on people with metabolic syndrome, a combination of risk factors that increase the risk for heart disease, including high blood pressure and high blood sugar. The average drop in systolic pressure was 12 points while the diastolic pressure fell by 8 points.

Online

www.greenmaps.org How green is your world

Health needs political commitment

From population control to reproductive health; Malthusian arithmetic by Mohan Rao Sage Publications New Delhi 2004

Indigenous hormone kits

researchers from the Delhi-based National Institute of Health and Family Welfare (nihfw) have developed hormone estimation kits to carry out investigations relating to infertility, pregnancy and certain diseases. Till date, such kits had to be imported.

On the road

Driven by Jason Taylor India International Centre, New Delhi 10-16 March 2005 For those of us who live in cities, trucks have nuisance value. Either they clog city traffic at night or are hazards to watch out for on the occasional driving trip. Few of us think about the drivers or their lives.

Infertility Kit

Scientists from the School of Environmental Studies (SES), Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi have developed a kit to diagnose male infertility.

Persistent poison

a review of worldwide research on human reproductive disorders related to organochlorines (ocs) indicates that a global ban on the harmful chemicals is a must. ocs are compounds that alter hormonal functions of humans, thereby adversely affecting reproductive organs, and the health of newborns.

Cost-a DBCP? Sterility, cancer

Fair play

The Supreme Court of India has asked all state governments about the enforcement of guidelines on sterlisation. The Supreme Court (sc) directive regarding the framing of a proper insurance scheme to protect women from post-sterilisation woes comes in response to an application filed by a petitioner demanding strict enforcement of government guidelines on standards for female and male sterilisation. The states have been given an ultimatum of four weeks within which they are to file their replies.