Our round-up of health news headlines on Wednesday 10 August.
Both the Daily Telegraph and The Independent report on the 'worrying' number of mothers dying during pregnancy and childbirth due to sub-standard care in hospitals and having babies later in life.
While the overall number of deaths has decreased since the 1950s, there has been a rise in those dying from conditions not directly caused by pregnancy. Experts are calling for an increase in the number of obstetric physicians and better training for GPs.
The Daily Mail states that older women who have breathing difficulties when asleep are more likely to develop dementia. A study conducted by the University of California found that older women who had hypoxia were at higher risk of developing degenerative brain conditions like Alzheimer's disease.
Is it nature or nurture that determines intelligence? The Times and Daily Mail conclude that is both. Genetic factors explain half the differences between individual people's intelligence, even though there is no single gene at work. A study found that thousands of genes add up to create a large genetic influence over different levels of general intelligence, but these inherited factors work with the environment.
And finally, men, beware before you introduce your girlfriend to your male friends. The Daily Mail and Daily Telegraph say that men whose girlfriends or wives become close to their male friends have an increased chance of sexual dysfunction. The phenomenon, called 'partner betweeness', occurs when a women comes between her partner and his friends, challenging the man's masculinity. According to researchers at the University of Chicago and Cornell University, middle-aged men are particularly vulnerable. You have been warned…
