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Link between prenatal exposure to armed conflict and birth weight

A new study shows pregnant women exposed to armed conflict have a higher risk of giving birth to underweight babies, a result that could change the way aid is delivered to developing countries.

19 Jan 2012

Watson introduces new oral contraceptive, Vestura

Watson Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced that its subsidiary Watson Pharma, Inc. has launched Vestura(TM), a generic version of Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals Inc.'s Yaz(R) oral contraceptive product.

18 Jan 2012

State roundup: Single-payer plans in Calif., Vt.; Calif. may regain state prison health care control; Abortion issues in Texas, Minn.

The California universal health care bill didn't make it past the Senate Appropriations Committee last year -- but Tuesday, more than 100 advocates plan to present it to the committee again, hoping for a better outcome. Under the single-payer bill, Californians would pay the state -- instead of private insurance companies -- to negotiate health care. The bill would cover any resident, including the estimated 7 million Californians who don't have health insurance now. ... A legislative health committee estimated the cost of plan would be around $200 billion.

18 Jan 2012

HRT and breast cancer – the link questioned as study flaws are reported

There is a renewed doubt over the link between hormone replacement therapy and breast cancer after researchers cast aspersions over its justification.

18 Jan 2012

Increasing health problems from caffeinated energy drinks

A study has shown that there is a sharp rise in the number of people who report heart problems, tremors and chest pains after drinking caffeinated energy drinks. The incidences are particularly common among teenagers. Close to 300 calls were made to NSW's poisons centre regarding adverse reactions to energy drinks between January 2004 and the end of 2010, with more than a third of people attending hospital.

18 Jan 2012

Obesity in the U.S. stabilize: Report

New figures from the federal government shows that the prevalence of obesity in the U.S. largely leveled off over the last decade, even as some individual groups, such as boys from ages 6 to 19, saw increases.

18 Jan 2012

Chan faces financing challenges in second term as WHO director-general

The expected re-appointment of Margaret Chan as the WHO's director-general "comes at a perilous moment for WHO," a Lancet editorial states.

18 Jan 2012

Gates, Kristof answer questions about Bangladesh, public health in final installment of blog series

Melinda Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof continue to answer readers' questions in this third and final installment of the series on Kristof's "On the Ground" blog.

18 Jan 2012

Obstetrics & Gynecology now available in new iPad app

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists is pleased to announce that Obstetrics & Gynecology is now available in a new app for the iPad.

18 Jan 2012

Timing of alcohol consumption during pregnancy linked with FAS characteristics

Researchers at the California Teratogen Information Service (CTIS) Pregnancy Health Information Line, a state-wide non-profit organization based at the University of California, San Diego, have found new links between the timing of alcohol consumption during pregnancy and certain characteristics of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome.

18 Jan 2012

Chronology of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome revealed

It is known from studies that exposure to alcohol during gestation can cause a range of birth defects. But now scientists have drawn up a chronology of when the damage occurs.

17 Jan 2012

More people suffering serious injury or death while wearing headphones

A latest US study shows that more people are suffering serious injury or death while wearing headphones. The number has tripled in six years.

17 Jan 2012

Canada should prohibit disclosure of fetal sex until 30 weeks of pregnancy

Canada should prohibit disclosure of the sex of a fetus until after 30 weeks of pregnancy to combat female feticide which is practised by some ethnic groups in Canada and the United States, states an editorial in CMAJ.

17 Jan 2012

Study examines quantity, frequency and timing of alcohol consumption during pregnancy

Prenatal exposure to alcohol is associated with a spectrum of abnormalities, referred to as Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders. Physical features of the more serious Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) include smooth philtrum, thin vermillion border, short palpebral fissures, microcephaly, and growth deficiencies in weight and height. A new study has specified how specific quantities of alcohol exposure, patterns of drinking, and timing of exposure can have an impact on each of these features.

17 Jan 2012

Links between deodorants and breast cancer refuted but more information needed: Study

A chemical present in cosmetics, food products and pharmaceuticals has been found in tissue samples from 40 women with breast cancer. A number of studies since 1998 have raised concerns about the potential role of these chemicals called parabens in breast cancer as they possess estrogenic properties. Estrogen is known to play a central role in the development, growth and progression of breast cancer.

16 Jan 2012

Memory boosters for seniors – vitamin B12 and folic acid: Study

Australian researchers have stumbled upon findings that show that taking folic acid and vitamin B12 supplements can prevent memory loss in people over 60.

15 Jan 2012

Heavy drinking may reinforce itself by stimulating endorphin release: Study

A new study has shown that drinking alcohol causes a pleasant feeling because it releases endorphins, the brain’s natural opioids. It adds that problem drinkers differ from social drinkers in the way alcohol affects one part of the brain. The report appeared Wednesday in Science Translational Medicine.

15 Jan 2012

Implanting more embryos for IVF may do more harm than good: Study

Researchers have suggested that implanting multiple embryos for In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) may do more harm than good. This finding appeared in the current online version of the journal Lancet. The study argues against common practice of implanting multiple embryos in order to maximize a woman’s chances of conception during in vitro fertilization.

15 Jan 2012

Annual stress survey reveals 1 in 5 Americans under pressure

Each year the American Psychological Association releases its “Stress in America” survey. The last was released yesterday and it showed that too many Americans are stressed.

15 Jan 2012

Women's health, rights especially vulnerable during an election year

In this Huffington Post opinion piece, Serra Sippel, president of the Center for Health and Gender Equity, writes, "In 2012, there is a presidency at stake -- so what does that mean for women's health and rights in the coming year? How will political posturing and the race for votes affect what really matters?"

13 Jan 2012