Universal Medicine

  I don’t know about you, but i’ve always wanted a twin sibling, it would be so chaotic but also fascinating having someone that looks exactly like you. The bond between twins is a unique one on so many levels, being born together and having the same milestones is something that most of us cannot relate to. What about conjoined twins? Imagine having another human joined to you! Conjoined twins are 2 babies who are born physically connected to each other. They develop when an early embryo only partially separates to form 2 individuals. Although 2 fetuses will develop from this embryo, they will remain physically connected - most often at the chest, abdomen or pelvis. Conjoined twins may also share one or more internal organs. Just like typical conjoined twins experience an extreme type of special bond.  The specific anatomy of each pair of conjoined twins is unique, they may be joined at any of these sites: Chest (Thoracopagus) - twins are joined face to face at the ch...

Maple syrup urine disease is an inherited disease, where a newborn has built up substances in their urine and blood due to incapability to process amino acids. Classic MSUD, the most common form, is caused by the absence of a group of enzymes called “branched-chain ketoacid dehydrogenase” (BCKAD). The job of this enzyme group is to break down three different amino acids called leucine, isoleucine and valine which are called “branched-chain amino acids” (BCAAs) because of their “tree-like” structure. They are found in all foods that contain protein. Large amounts are found in meat, eggs, milk, and other dairy foods. Smaller amounts are found in flour, cereal, and in some vegetables and fruits. As breast milk is usually the staple food for a newborn, the risks are very high as a small baby is very sensitive and MSUD can be therefore life threatening. MSUD is inherited in an autosomal recessive manner. It affects both boys and girls equally. In children with MSUD, a pair of genes nee...

Trauma can be defined as a deeply distressing or disturbing experience, physical injury.There are many common causes of trauma, of which the main ones include: Psychological abuse – often being sworn at, put down, intimidated or insulted. (Linked to social neglect) Physical abuse – being pushed, slapped, and could be often causing marks or injures. Sexual abuse – being touched or forced to touch others in a sexual way, or perform a sexual act. Substance abuse – living with someone with a drinking or drug problem. Mental illness – living with someone who is mentally ill Domestic violence – witnessing a parent being hit, kicked, threatened or hurt. Criminal behaviour – having a household member in trouble with the law or in prison. Parental divorce – when the child is under 18 years old There were 16,939 child cruelty and neglect offences recorded by police in 2017-18, which is more than double in 2012-13, reported by the NSPCC. The charity’s helpline also received 19,937 calls last yea...

The effects of caffeine Caffeine is the most widely used psychoactive substance but what is it really doing to our bodies? Some believe this is a drug we all abuse. Addiction to a classic drug is usually related to an increase in cerebral functions and dopamine release in the part of the brain responsible reward, motivation and addiction. Caffeine however, does not induce release of dopamine in this area of the brain instead dopamine is released in the prefrontal cortex- which is important for reinforcement. This may be something that explains why drinking caffeine has become such trend and obsession for many people. Psychologists have said that these people have become dependent on caffeine similar to drug dependence. This is where a pattern of behaviour focussed on repetition and compulsive seeking of the psychoactive drug.  This means that once the caffeine stops an individual will experience withdrawal reporting the following: -Headaches -Fatigue -Weakness -...

We all love and adore newborn babies, of course some more so than others, but majority of people just can't stop staring at their big eyes and cuddling them. However, how many of you are aware of how hard some newborns have to fight to survive. For most women, pregnancy lasts for 40 weeks, babies born between 37 weeks and 40 weeks are considered as full-term and babies born before 37 weeks are considered as premature. Preterm birth is the leading cause of infant mortality, the 3 primary causes are respiratory failure, infection and congenital malformation. There are some factors that could potentially cause premature birth, for example, the age of the mother (under 16 or over 35) or the use of tobacco during pregnancy, also pregnancy with twins/triplets can also lead to preterm birth, however, usually preterm birth cannot be explained. Although premature birth is uncommon it can cause many complications for the newborn. A premature baby might have complications breathing due to an...