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Parents who just prayed as child was dying charged with murder

The parents of a diabetic girl in the U.S. who died as her parents prayed for her recovery rather than seek medical help, have been charged with second-degree reckless homicide.

30 Apr 2008

Another bird flu death in Indonesia pushes death toll up to 108

Indonesia's health ministry has announced that a three-year-old boy from Java has died from bird flu pushing the country's death toll up to 108.

30 Apr 2008

Binge eating and crash diets could shorten your life

According to scientists in Britain binge eating and crash dieting may significantly reduce life expectancy.

30 Apr 2008

Pregnant women have the oddest food cravings!

According to an internet poll pregnancy cravings are much more common among modern women than previous generations.

30 Apr 2008

Arsenic in baby rice puts children at risk

In what will be of great concern to many parents, scientists who have carried out a survey of arsenic levels in three common brands of rice-based baby foods say they have found that arsenic levels in the foods are too high.

30 Apr 2008

Breast cancer risk cut by breast feeding

A World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) survey has revealed that three out of four women are unaware that breast feeding can protect a woman from breast cancer.

29 Apr 2008

Deadly bird flu kills swans in Japan

Japanese authorities have confirmed that four swans found last week were infected with the H5N1 strain of bird flu.

29 Apr 2008

Drug group warns about over-reacting to methamphetamine abuse

A group which represents illegal drug users in Australia is warning authorities about the danger of adopting an alarmist approach in dealing with methamphetamine abuse.

29 Apr 2008

New findings challenge conventional ideas on evolution of human diet, natural selection

New findings suggest that the ancient human "cousin" known as the "Nutcracker Man" wasn't regularly eating anything like nuts after all.

29 Apr 2008

New concept sends medical images via cellular phones

A process to transmit medical images via cellular phones that has been developed by a Hebrew University of Jerusalem researcher has the potential to provide sophisticated radiological diagnoses and treatment to the majority of the world's population lacking access to such technology.

29 Apr 2008

Medical schools should implement bans on pharmaceutical, medical device industry gifts, editorial states

A report released on Sunday by a task force of the Association of American Medical Colleges that recommends new restrictions on what physicians, staff members and students at U.S. medical schools can accept from drug companies and medical device makers is "encouraging," but it "flinched" on some important issues, a New York Times editorial states (New York Times, 4/29).

29 Apr 2008

Newt Gingrich discusses need for more physicians to adopt electronic health record systems

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) on Monday at a health care symposium sponsored by Siemens said that the Bush administration and Congress should do more to implement electronic health records nationwide, the Baltimore Sun reports.

29 Apr 2008

House members discuss SCHIP, Medicare, Medicaid during debate in Cincinnati

A bipartisan group of eight House members on Monday discussed several health care issues -- such as SCHIP, Medicare and Medicaid -- during a debate at Cincinnati Children's Hospital, The Hill reports.

29 Apr 2008

Health care costs rank among top economic problems for U.S. residents

Health care costs are among the top economic problems experienced by U.S. residents, according to a poll released on Tuesday by the Kaiser Family Foundation, the Los Angeles Times reports. For the poll, a nationally representative sample of 2,003 adults was interviewed by telephone between April 3 and 13. The poll has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus three percentage points.

29 Apr 2008

McCain promotes health care proposal at Miami Children's Hospital

Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) on Monday at the Miami Children's Hospital promoted his health care proposal, which he said would "put families in charge," USA Today reports (Jackson, USA Today, 4/29).

29 Apr 2008

Most California voters concerned about health care, would have supported Governor's overhaul plan

More than half of California voters are worried about the state's health care system and nearly three-quarters said they would have approved a health system overhaul proposed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) last year, according to a Field Poll survey released on Monday, the San Francisco Chronicle reports (Yi, San Francisco Chronicle, 4/28).

29 Apr 2008

Number of uninsured U.S. residents projected to rise by 1.1 million for each percentage point increase in unemployment rate

For every one point rise in the U.S. unemployment rate, the number of uninsured is projected to increase by 1.1 million people, according to a Kaiser Family Foundation Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured analysis released Tuesday, the New York Times reports (Sack, New York Times, 4/29).

29 Apr 2008

Humana reports Q1 revenue increase driven by Medicare Advantage plan performance

Humana on Monday announced that first-quarter revenue increased by 12% to $6.96 billion from $6.20 billion in the period last year, driven by higher-than-average enrollment in the company's Medicare Advantage plans, the Wall Street Journal reports.

29 Apr 2008

Clinton Foundation, UNITAID announce new antiretroviral discounts

The Clinton Foundation HIV/AIDS Initiative and UNITAID on Monday announced that they have negotiated agreements with generic drug companies that will reduce the cost of some antiretroviral drugs and provide new pediatric formulations, the Wall Street Journal reports.

29 Apr 2008

Washington Post examines Peace Corps' policy regarding HIV-positive volunteers

Washington Post columnist Stephen Barr on Monday examined the Peace Corps' policy regarding HIV-positive volunteers. According to Barr, Jeremiah Johnson, a former volunteer in Ukraine, recently was discharged by the agency after he was diagnosed as HIV-positive.

29 Apr 2008