For some, though, it comes earlier, much earlier. Babies born with this condition normally have to spend their lives in germ-free tents while waiting for bone marrow transplants. Bone marrow contains white blood cells that surround and kill intruding germs and prevent infections. Without it, even the simplest cold germ could develop into a life-threatening illness. Initial investigations at birth showed that the baby had plenty of white blood cells and, three months later, it is still healthy.
Stress reduction is a big business.
And now scientists think they know one of the reasons that people react differently. It appears it's all a question of genes. The various forms of 5-HTTP dictate how much serotonin reaches the brain. The more our brain receives, the more relaxed, confident and cheerful we are likely to be. In the study, conducted jointly by the U.S. National Institute of Mental Health and Germany's Wurzburg University, researchers tested the blood of 505 males to determine their type of 5-HTTP and then subjected them to personality tests that established their level of anxiety.