Category: Bp-Br

A gene that normally acts to restrain the growth of cells in the breast but which, when mutated, predisposes to breast cancer. The gene’s full name is breast cancer 1, early onset. The BRCA1 gene belongs to a class of genes known as tumor suppressor genes. Like other tumor suppressor genes, BRCA1 regulates the cycle of cell division by keeping…

One of several genetic mutations linked to breast cancer and ovarian cancer. There is now convincing evidence that every woman with a BRCA mutation is at high risk for breast cancer, irrespective of whether she has a family history of breast cancer or not. By age 80, a woman with a BRCA mutation has about an 80% chance of developing breast cancer. BRCA1 and BRCA2 increase…

A widely used test of the newborn baby as to their neurologic status and developmental progress. The Brazelton newborn test is formally called the Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale (NBAS). However, the NBAS which was devised by the Harvard pediatrician T. Berry Brazelton is better known as “the Brazelton.” There are a number of other behavioral assessments for…

Irregular contractions of the womb (the uterus) occurring towards the middle of pregnancy in the first pregnancy and, earlier and more intensely, in subsequent pregnancies. These contractions tend to occur during physical activity. The uterus tightens for 30 to 60 seconds beginning at the top of the uterus; and the contraction gradually spreads downward before relaxing. Although said…

This is a diet of “bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast,” which was formerly recommended by many pediatricians in the past for children with upset stomach. However, the American Academy of Pediatrics now recommends that children resume eating a normal, well-balanced diet appropriate for their age within 24 hours of getting sick. The reason is that BRAT diet foods are low in fiber, protein,…

Also called a branchial cleft cyst, this is a cavity that is a remnant from embryologic development present at birth in one side of the neck just in front of the large angulated muscle on either side (the sternocleidomastoid muscle). The cyst may not be recognized until adolescence as it enlarges its oval shape. It may develop a sinus or…

A cavity that is a remnant from embryologic development and is still present at birth in one side of the neck, just in front of the large angulated muscle on either side (the sternocleidomastoid muscle). The cyst may not be recognized until adolescence, when it enlarges its oval shape. Sometimes a branchial cleft cyst develops a sinus or drainage…

A hereditary disease that is due to deficiency of an enzyme involved in amino acid metabolism, characterized by urine that smells like maple syrup. In maple syrup urine disease, the three branched-chain amino acids (leucine, isoleucine, and valine) cannot be metabolized (processed), and they build up in the blood, causing problems with brain function and leading to mental retardation,…

A type of hearing aid that bypasses the cochlea in the middle ear and the auditory nerve and is implanted in the brainstem. This type of implant helps individuals who cannot benefit from a cochlear implant because the auditory nerves are not working.

Auditory brainstem response test. An automated test for hearing and brain (neurological) functioning that is performed by applying wires to the skin around the ear. ABR may be used in the evaluation of: Hearing integrity (and neurologic normalcy) in infants and young children. Neurologic integrity (and hearing) in patients who are comatose, unresponsive, or impaired due to…