2004-11-8
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VOICE ONE:
Welcome to Science in the News in VOA Special English. I'm Bob
Doughty.
VOICE TWO:
And I'm Sarah Long. This week: a plan for limiting climate change
moves one step closer to enactment as an international treaty and
American officials agree to increase warnings on antidepressant
drugs.
VOICE ONE:
But first, how deep sadness in a
pregnant woman or new mothers could affect her baby.
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VOICE ONE:
A new study examines how depression in pregnant women can
influence the health of their babies. Earlier studies showed that
ten to fifteen percent of pregnant women and new mothers in Western
nations suffer from depression. Other studies have shown that almost
two times as many women in developing countries have this problem.
Atif Rahman of the University of Manchester in England led the
new study. His team linked depression in Pakistani women to lower
weight in their babies during the first year of life. It also linked
depressed mothers with the emotional health and development in their
babies.
VOICE TWO:
Doctor Rahman's team studied six hundred thirty-two women from
areas with small populations near the city of Rawalpindi, Pakistan.
The women were in good physical health and in the last three months
of pregnancy.
One hundred sixty of the women were identified as depressed. They
had lost interest and pleasure in normal life. They always felt sad
or tired. They had problems eating or sleeping. They felt guilty and
thought about killing themselves.
VOICE ONE:
The depressed women were compared with one hundred sixty women
with normal emotional health. Health workers then weighed and
measured the babies of both groups of mothers. They did this when
the babies were born. They also examined the babies at ages two, six
and twelve months.
At these times, the health workers studied the emotional health
of the mothers. Babies whose mothers remained depressed grew
considerably less than the babies of the other women. In addition,
the babies of the depressed mothers were more likely to suffer from
the intestinal problem, diarrhea.
Doctor Rahman says the environment in poor countries may make it
difficult to care for a baby. For example, water must be boiled.
Supplies must be cleaned before use. A depressed mother may find it
harder to do these things.
VOICE TWO:
Doctor Rahman plans an effort to help depressed mothers in
Pakistan next year. For ten years, that country has employed health
workers called "lady health workers." They visit new mothers and
babies for up to a year. The workers offer advice about health and
cleanliness.
Doctor Rahman plans to add to this program. He wants the lady
health worker to provide special help to the mother. The worker will
listen sympathetically to her problems. The worker also will give
the mother a few easy things to do. Then, on the next visit, she may
be able to tell the mother that she has helped her baby's growth.
The program will be tested over several years to learn if it is a
success.
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VOICE ONE:
The United States Food and Drug Administration has ordered drug
makers to place strong warnings on all antidepressant drugs. The
announcement comes a month after an advisory committee agreed that
recent studies showed a need for the strengthened warnings.
F.D.A. officials say the studies found that some children and
young adults who use the drugs have an increased risk of
suicidality. The officials describe suicidality as thoughts or
actions involving taking one's life.
The increased risk of suicidality was identified in short-term
testing of nine antidepressant drugs. More than four thousand
four-hundred young people took part in a total of twenty-four
studies. They suffered from major depressive disorder,
obsessive-compulsive disorder or other mental health problems.
VOICE TWO:
The results showed an increased risk of suicidality during the
first few months of treatment. Those taking antidepressant drugs had
a four percent risk of suicidality. That is two times greater than
those taking a harmless substance, or placebo. No suicides were
reported during the studies.
The new warnings will appear on containers for all antidepressant
drugs. They will be written in heavy black letters, surrounded with
a black line.
These "black box" warnings will inform patients that
antidepressants increase the risk of suicidal thoughts and actions
in children and young adults. It will advise health care providers
that patients should be watched closely for any unusual changes,
such as worsening of depression, excitability or suicidality.
Family members and caregivers are advised to watch for these
changes every day. These changes should be reported to the patient's
doctor.
VOICE ONE:
The Food and Drug Administration also says it plans to develop a
medication guide for patients. F.D.A. officials say patients will
receive this MedGuide every time they receive antidepressant drugs
or when there is a change in the amount they should take. The
MedGuide will inform the patient of drug risks. Also, it will state
if the drug is approved for young people.
The black box warnings and patient medication guide are the
strongest warnings that the federal government can order without
banning the drugs. Officials say computer users can read the
warnings on F.D.A.'s Web site, www.fda.gov.
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VOICE TWO:
The President of Russia has signed a bill confirming his
country's approval of the Kyoto Protocol. The signing clears the way
for the agreement to come into force early next year.
The Russian government announced that President Vladimir Putin
signed the bill last Thursday. Both houses of the Russian parliament
approved the Kyoto Protocol last month.
The Kyoto Protocol aims to reduce the amount of pollution
released into the environment. Some scientists say carbon dioxide
and other industrial gases are to blame for climate changes around
the world. The scientists say such gases build up in the atmosphere
and trap heat below. They say this results in increasing
temperatures and rising sea levels.
VOICE ONE:
The Kyoto Protocol was negotiated in nineteen-ninety-seven at an
international conference in Kyoto, Japan. It requires industrial
nations to reduce the amount of industrial gases released, or
emissions, to below the levels of nineteen-ninety.
Nations responsible for fifty-five percent of the world's
industrial emissions must approve the agreement before it can go
into effect. By last month, more than one hundred twenty nations had
approved the agreement. These nations represent forty-four percent
of all industrial emissions.
The European Union and many industrial nations have already
approved the Kyoto Protocol. They will receive credit for their own
emissions if they invest in cleaner technologies in developing
nations. Developing nations will not have to meet the emissions
requirements of the agreement.
VOICE TWO:
Russia's approval became necessary after the United States
rejected the Kyoto Protocol. The United States produced thirty-six
percent of the world's carbon dioxide emissions in nineteen-ninety.
In that year, Russia produced about seventeen percent of all
carbon dioxide emissions. For years, Russia had delayed approval of
the Kyoto Protocol because of economic concerns. Recently, however,
the European Union pressured Russia to accept the treaty. In
exchange, the E-U agreed to support Russian membership in the World
Trade Organization.
Russia will now report its approval of the Kyoto Protocol to the
United Nations. Ninety days later, the terms of the agreement will
take effect.
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VOICE TWO:
This program was written by Lawan Davis, Jill Moss and Jerilyn
Watson. Cynthia Kirk was our producer. And, our engineer was Dwayne
Collins. I'm Sarah Long.
VOICE ONE:
And I'm Bob Doughty. We would like to hear from you. Write to us
at Special English, Voice of America, Washington, D.C.,
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