Medical brief: Migraines, home births and arm lifts

April 29, 2013 (CHICAGO)

Twelve million Americans are said to suffer from migraines. Relief often comes in a variety of different drugs but at what expense?

A new review of preventive treatments finds there's not much difference in the effectiveness of the commonly prescribed drugs. But there is a wide variation in side effects.

In fact many medications had side effects so bothersome that patients frequently stopped taking them.

In just a four-year period, home births have jumped by 20-percent causing the American Academy of Pediatrics to issue a new policy statement. It includes a recommendation that there be a caregiver who's present solely to take care of the newborn.

The group says women need to be supported wherever they choose to give birth and babies deserve the best care they can get.

There's news that more women are getting arm lifts. There were 300 procedures in the year 2000 and that figure jumped to about 15,000 in 2012.

Experts say the rise is being driven by sleeveless fashions and celebrities with ultra-toned arms including First Lady Michelle Obama and Jennifer Aniston.

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