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Will South Korea start influence American baby?

Jon Rabiroff's wife and son, right, pose with women in traditional Korean attire during a recent visit to Bukchon Hanok Village in Seoul. Rabiroff, a Korea Times copy editor, wonders whether the fact that his son has spent the first nine months of his life in South Korea will have any impact on his personality and habits after the family moves to the U.S. in the near future.By Jon RabiroffFor the nine months since his birth, my American baby boy has been exposed to the best and most unique things about South Korea, and in a couple of weeks we will be moving to the U.S. where, presumably, my son will live the rest of his life.So I wonder what, if any, impact his time in Seoul will have on his character, perspective and habits as he grows into a young man?Will he take with him some of the more interesting habits of the locals which, while perfectly normal in South Korea, might seen unusual to Americans?For example, will be force his way into elevators and subway cars before those inside have gotten a chance to get out?Will he start eating out of other people’s bowls at

Let the light heal

/ Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chulLutronic makes inroads into global ophthalmic laser marketBy Jung Min-ho, Kim Eil-chulSome 23 million people around the world suffer from diabetic macular edema (DME), the leading cause of vision loss among working-age adults in most developed countries.Laser coagulation and anti-VEGF injections are the two most common methods of treatment for DME, which is caused by fluid accumulation in the macula, or the central portion of the retina.But each method has a downside. Lasers can damage the macula, which in turn can cause peripheral vision loss, or rarely, total blindness. On the other hand, treatment with anti-VEGF agents is costly and could take years; besides, there is a risk that the patient may develop drug tolerance in the process.A new treatment method that is safer, cheaper and more effective will be available from next year.Over the past five years, Lutronic, a medical device company based in Seoul, has been developing a new technology that targets only the trouble spots in the retinal pigment epithelium, or RPE, which lowers the risk of d

Give up sex, live longer, says professor

Professor Alex Zhavoronkov, 36, claims that those who live longer should give up sex in his book, "The Ageless Generation." /Screen capture from TwitterPeople wanting to live longer should avoid sex, marriage, children and even possessions, an expert in aging and biomedical research says.Professor Alex Zhavoronkov, 36, asserts this in his book, “The Ageless Generation.”Zhavoronkov, the director of the Biogerontology Research Foundation, a U.K.-based think-tank, says we should not sap our energy and put off marriage until we are over 75, ideally, over 100.“Delaying marriage and reproduction is a by-product of shifting your life expectancy horizons,” he said. “When you’re planning on living 150 years, marriage is a big decision. You’re in for the long term!”Zhavoronkov occasionally has sex with fellow scientists, but reckons post-coital interactions are quite boring.He is even reluctant to drive a car, saying: “At my age, I have a higher chance of being killed in a car accident than dying of cancer.”Because Zhavoronkov is so c

(315) Do twins live the same life?

By Janet Shin Owing to some recent popular television programs, people like to watch how twins or triplets act on the show and it is even said that many who are planning to get pregnant wish to have twins and consult obstetrician accordingly. One of my clients gave birth to boy twins from a test-tube in 1998. But she has experienced many hardships as the second boy had suffered serious misfortune during delivery. She, as a mother, went through all the pains together with her son and part of the reason was that the twins were born cesarean, which was almost a life-threatening emergency. Fortunately, now the second boy became stronger but ironically the first one is showing various small symptoms. She also added that the two boys are completely different in their personalities, on top of the fact that they are fraternal twins, not identical. For this reason she is curious about why she and her boys had to endure the troubles they endured and why they are so different but experience similar health problems in turn. In addition, she wants to know what the future for the bo

Science sets sights on designer baby

/Screen capture from Twitter“Designer” babies are on the way.Under the process, women in the U.K. will be able to have a mitochondrial donation from the end of this month. And Australia also is considering the process.This in vitro fertilization operation creates a baby from the genetic material of three people, instead of two. It means a gene with mitochondrial disease is not transferred because the new mixed egg replaces the mutated one. Thus, the process allows mothers to give birth to a baby without debilitating disease.Many people have criticized the operation, saying it allows people to design babies. This is why it was banned in the U.K. and Australia.But mitochondrial disease can cause multiple organ problems and potentially death.For example, one in 200 Australians is expected to have a genetic mutation, which can turn into mitochondrial disease, according to the Australian Mitochondrial Disease Foundation. Furthermore, around 20 children born in Australia each week could have a mild form of mitochondrial disease and one child a week is at risk of a life-threaten

First-time fathers face weighty health risks

/Screen capture from TwitterHow childbirth affects a father’s well-being is not widely known, though many researchers have emphasized the danger of post-natal depression for mothers.But men commonly suffer weight gain, fatigue and mental problems after becoming first-time dads.Researchers at Northwestern University in the U.S. have tracked the weight of more than 10,000 men for up to 20 years.They found many gained weight after their first child. Those who did not live with the child also gained an average of 1.5 kilograms after becoming a first-time father.Increased weight leads to a higher risk of severe illnesses, including heart disease, diabetes and cancer.Men are also at a higher prostate cancer risk after becoming a first-time father, according to a 2008 study published in the journal Cancer.Researcher Carrie Wendel-Hummell, from the University of Kansas, advises men to take special care of their mental health because becoming a father changes one’s life drastically.

Expected food change from global warming

A doctor who transplants life

/ Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk Lee is spreading the Korean wave in the field of liver transplantation By Jung Min-ho, Kim Eil-chul James Eason, the renowned doctor who helped extend Steve Jobs’ life by over two years with a liver transplant in 2009, visited Lee Sung-gyu at Asan Medical Center in Seoul last month.The purpose of his visit was to learn from the hospital’s liver transplant team, which is building its reputation as one of the world’s best, if not the best. And apparently, the American surgeon learned much during his two-week visit there.After returning to Memphis, Tenn., he sent an email to Lee, 66, the team leader and the director-general at Asan, saying, “I had an amazing experience at Asan. You have developed one of the world’s best transplant programs and an exceptional team. I learned from every person on your team.”Eason’s visit and message are an indication of how far Korea has come in the field of liver transplantation. Only 30 years ago, patients with a serious liver illness here had to go to coun

Almost half of women suffer post-sex blues

/Screen capture frmo Twitter“Every animal is sad after coitus except the human female and the rooster,” the Ancient Greek doctor Claudius Galen wrote.But recent research contradicts his saying. The results show nearly half of all women suffer “post-sex blues” -- a condition marked by tearfulness, melancholy or depression, anxiety and agitation after sex -- at some point.According to the research published in The Journal of Sexual Medicine, researchers asked 230 sexually active women aged 18 to 55 about how often they felt negative emotions after sex.  A total of 46 percent answered at least once in their life, while 5 percent suffered the condition in the preceding month.Researchers concluded that those who had been sexually abused or were not happy with their partner were more prone to the condition.  And they said women who were more sensitive or vulnerable to negative emotions were likely to have the condition, adding post-sex blues can last about four hours after sex.Meanwhile, researchers said the cause of post-sex blues may have a genetic compo

No. of Chinese visitors to Korea