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Experts say crib bumpers do more harm than good and should not be used

Researchers in the United States are warning that the soft cushioned bumpers used around cribs and bassinets, do more harm than good.

20 Sep 2007

Brits told to get off their bums and exercise!

A new survey of Brits has found that most people are so unwilling to exercise that even the prospect of a heart attack is not enough to persuade them.

20 Sep 2007

Exercise as effective for depression as drugs

A study of adults suffering from depression has found that regular exercise is just as effective as medication for improving symptoms.

20 Sep 2007

Gates Foundation digs down deep for TB

The fight against the global tuberculosis (TB) epidemic has received a huge boost in the form of a $280 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

20 Sep 2007

Warning about Crocs shoes and escalator accidents

The increasingly popular colourful 'Crocs' have come under fire because they have apparently been the cause of a number of escalator accidents involving young children.

20 Sep 2007

Chinese authorities say bird flu under control

According to Chinese authorities the bird flu outbreak in southern China has now been brought under control following the culling of all poultry and other birds in the affected area.

20 Sep 2007

Merck to face New York State and New York City in joint lawsuit

The drug company Merck is facing joint action from New York State and New York City over the millions which were spent on health programs related to the drug Vioxx.

20 Sep 2007

Risedronate prevents bone loss after breast cancer treatment

Breast cancer survivors who took a weekly dose of risedronate, sold as Actonel, lost significantly less bone than those who did not take the drug, according to a two-year study from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine presented this week at the 29th annual meeting of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.

18 Sep 2007

Varian Medical Systems receives FDA clearance for new radiosurgery device

Varian Medical Systems, Inc. has received FDA 510(k) clearance for a new high-definition multileaf collimator (MLC), an ultra-fine beam shaping device for radiosurgery.

18 Sep 2007

Unanticipated consequences of healthcare information technology

Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) have developed a framework to help hospital managers, physicians, and nurses handle the tough challenges of implementing health information technology (HIT) by directly addressing the unintended consequences that undermine safety and quality.

18 Sep 2007

Higher education brings healthier behaviors

Both education and income can determine whether a person will remain healthy, but those who stay in school longer have the best odds, largely because education so strongly influences income, say the authors of a new study.

18 Sep 2007

Rapid testing for pre-natal detection of Down syndrome

Scientists in California are reporting an advance toward rapid testing for pre-natal detection of Down syndrome and other birth defects that involve an abnormal number of chromosomes.

18 Sep 2007

Possible hepatitis C vaccine

The British Midlands Development Corporation has announced that the University of Nottingham in the British Midlands has released a statement promoting the development of a possible Hepatitis C Vaccine.

18 Sep 2007

Grapheme-color synaesthesia

A psychological phenomenon known as "grapheme-color synaesthesia" describes individuals who experience vivid colors whenever they see, hear, or think of ordinary letters and digits.

18 Sep 2007

Teaching adolescents to use condoms when abstinence fails

Teaching adolescents to use condoms when abstinence fails is a reasonable strategy for preventing HIV, according to a new research study in PLoS Medicine.

18 Sep 2007

Test for lung cancer looks for discomforting quiet among protective genes

When it is quiet – "almost too quiet" – in movies, it is a sign that something is about to go wrong for the good guys.

18 Sep 2007

Re-engineered human T cells effectively target and kill cancerous B cells

Human white blood cells, engineered to recognize other malignant immune cells, could provide a novel therapy for patients with highly lethal B cell cancers such as acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), according to researchers at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC).

18 Sep 2007

Most children with cancer are well-adjusted expert says

Children under treatment for cancer are generally emotionally well-adjusted and no more depressed or anxious than other children their age, according to researchers at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

18 Sep 2007

Study examines implications of genetic screening for disease that can be less serious, treatable

Some couples in Israel whose fetus screened positive for Gaucher disease, which can range from being mild and treatable to being a severe disease, decided to have the pregnancy terminated, raising questions concerning the appropriateness of certain types of genetic screenings, according to a study in the September 19 issue of JAMA.

18 Sep 2007

Spinal Muscular Atrophy Foundation and BG Medicine collaborate

The Spinal Muscular Atrophy Foundation and BG Medicine have announced a collaboration to discover plasma biomarkers of drug efficacy for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), the leading genetic cause of mortality in infants and toddlers.

18 Sep 2007