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Progestogens may avoid early child birth in women with prior preterm births

Pregnant women who have had prior preterm births may avoid a subsequent early birth if given progestogens, which are natural or synthetic forms of progesterone, a female hormone that naturally increases during pregnancy, a Vanderbilt analysis shows.

11 Sep 2012

Chicago teachers worried over health benefit costs strike

Concerned over negotiating the cost of their health benefits with their school district, Chicago teachers walk off the job for the first time in 25 years.

10 Sep 2012

Automated system for mapping protein-DNA interactions

Since the sequencing of the human genome in 2001, all our genes - around 20,000 in total - have been identified. But much is still unknown - for instance where and when each is active. Next to each gene sits a short DNA segment, and the activity of this regulatory segment determines whether the gene will be turned on, where and how strongly.

10 Sep 2012

New molecular pathway that leads to preeclampsia identified

Preeclampsia is one of the most dangerous conditions for the expectant mother and the unborn child and is characterized by elevated blood pressure and protein in the urine in the last trimester of pregnancy.

10 Sep 2012

First Edition: September 10, 2012

Today's headlines include news from the presidential campaign trail, including reports detailing how GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney said, if elected, he would retain some parts of the 2010 health law.

10 Sep 2012

Civil registration of African children necessary for human rights, access to health, education, other services, conference hears

"Birth certificates and other forms of civil registration of children in Africa are critical for their enjoyment of human rights and access to health, education and other services, an official of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) told a conference on the issue, in Durban, South Africa," the U.N. News Centre reports.

7 Sep 2012

Blog examines importance of community involvement in health behavior interventions

Discussing how in some "parts of Africa young girls are allowed to spend days in labor to deliver a baby," increasing their risk of injury and death, Gary Darmstadt, head of the Family Health Division at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and Wendy Prosser, a research analyst with the division, ask in a post in the foundation's "Impatient Optimists" blog, "[W]hat happens when culture and accepted behaviors are actually harmful; when science and culture collide?"

7 Sep 2012

Democratic speakers rally around health law

During Wednesday's convention proceedings, speakers criticized what they described as Republican plans to "voucher-ize Medicare" and touted provisions of the 2010 health law already in effect, such as coverage for children with pre-existing medical conditions, the closing Medicare Part D "doughnut hole" and the ability to keep young people on their parents' policies until age 26.

7 Sep 2012

Report: N.Y. public employees face $250B gap in covering retiree health care costs

A new report has found a gaping $250 billion hole in what New York state and local governments have promised to public employees to help pay for their retiree health care costs -- a $45 billion increase since 2010.

7 Sep 2012

Grandparents likely to provide different types of care

Grandparents, an increasingly important source of child care in the United States, vary greatly in the kind of care they provide, depending on their age, resources, and the needs of their children, research at the University of Chicago shows.

7 Sep 2012

ACOEM awareness campaign helps employers identify and respond to chronic diseases

The American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM) today announced a yearlong awareness-building campaign intended to help employers identify and respond to chronic diseases that commonly impact worker health and productivity.

6 Sep 2012

Viewpoints: Anti-abortion Democrats praise health law; A defense of the Medicare cost-cutting board

The big question heading into the Democratic Convention is just how forcefully the party will defend the Affordable Care Act, which the president fought to pass and then declined to sell. On Tuesday, an unusually vocal endorsement of the law came from an unlikely source: Anti-abortion Democrats.

6 Sep 2012

First Edition: September 4, 2012

Today's early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including previews of the Democratic convention and a New York Times analysis of how the Obama and Romney campaigns vary on Medicaid policy.

4 Sep 2012

Scientists succeed in clarifying molecular signature of hantaviruses

Scientists at Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin and Labor Berlin GmbH have succeeded in clarifying the molecular signature of the viruses that lead to an increasing size and number of hantavirus outbreaks in Germany.

3 Sep 2012

Roundup: Flurry of health bills as Calif. legislature winds down; Kansas City health data exchange opens up

The window to save the Healthy Families program is narrowing to a small slit, with just a single day left to pass bills. ... Today -- until midnight tonight -- is the last day for legislation to be passed this year. The governor has until the end of September to veto or approve bills.

1 Sep 2012

Roundup: Calif. Gov. Brown's pension plan silent on current workers' health care; Psychologists want power to prescribe drugs

Gov. Jerry Brown announced a new plan Tuesday to rein in public pension costs that would raise the retirement age, cap benefits for the highest-paid employees and eliminate "spiking" -- but lacks key parts of the bolder system overhaul he proposed months ago and would even increase some payouts. ... The plan also does not address skyrocketing health care costs for retirees, another main element of the governor's first scenario. Hundreds of thousands of government workers have been promised medical coverage for life.

30 Aug 2012

Evidence lacking for use of misoprostol in PPH prevention

There is insufficient evidence for the effectiveness of misoprostol in preventing postpartum hemorrhage, suggest findings from a review of available research published in the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine.

29 Aug 2012

March of Dimes emergency preparedness tips for pregnant women and new parents

Pregnant women evacuating their homes in advance of Hurricane Isaac should be sure to bring their medication, including their prenatal vitamins, as well as their medical records and their health care providers' emergency contact number.

29 Aug 2012

SPR microscopy examines binding kinetics of membrane proteins

Proteins adorning the surfaces of human cells perform an array of essential functions, including cell signaling, communication and the transport of vital substances into and out of cells. They are critical targets for drug delivery and many proteins are now being identified as disease biomarkers - early warning beacons announcing the pre-symptomatic presence of cancers and other diseases.

29 Aug 2012

Aetna sponsorship provides support for children's activities at the US Open

For the second year, Aetna is sponsoring children's activities at the US Open and is determined to deliver twice the fun as part of its three-year sponsorship agreement with the United States Tennis Association (USTA).

24 Aug 2012