Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by editors of HealthDay:
Woman Gives Birth After Tissue Transplant
A 32-year-old Belgian cancer survivor has given birth to a healthy daughter after having her own ovarian tissue reimplanted to correct infertility, researchers reported Friday in The Lancet medical journal.
Ouarda Touirat delivered an 8-pound, 3-ounce daughter Thursday at a Brussels hospital. In 1997, suffering from Hodgkin's lymphoma, she had ovarian tissue removed and frozen before undergoing extensive chemotherapy that was to leave her infertile. Doctors hoped that once she finished the cancer treatment and was pronounced healthy, the tissue could be reimplanted.
The strategy worked, said her doctors, as the woman became pregnant naturally 11 months after the tissue was re-inserted.
Lead surgeon Dr. Jacque Donnez issued a statement saying this new option, though still considered experimental, should become more widely available. "Our findings open new perspectives for young cancer patients facing premature ovarian failure," he said.
-----
FDA Poised to Rule on Antidepressant Warnings
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration will reveal its decision "within a few days" about issuing stronger labels on antidepressant medications warning of an increased risk of suicide among young users, an agency official told Congress on Thursday.
The FDA seems poised to follow the recent advice of its expert advisory panel, which recommended the so-called "black box" warnings on antidepressant drugs like Paxil, Zoloft, Celexa, and Prozac. Shortly after the recommendation, the full agency announced it generally agreed with the panel's findings and would move quickly to implement them.
According to the Associated Press, Dr. Robert Temple, director of the FDA's Office of Medical Policy, denied allegations that the agency was slow to move on the issue. "We take this advice very seriously," he told members of the House Energy and Commerce subcommittee.
The FDA is defending itself against allegations that it covered up a government epidemiologist's recommendation that most antidepressant use among children and teens be discouraged because of an increased risk of suicide. Andrew Mosholder told Congressional investigators that by last December, his research had confirmed that children taking eight antidepressants had increased suicidal thoughts and behavior, as compared to children who had taken nonmedicinal sugar pills, the AP reported.
-----
Not Enough High-Risk Patients Getting Flu Shots
Not enough people at high risk of flu -- including the elderly, young children, and patients with chronic illness -- are getting flu shots each year, U.S. government officials worry.
As the elderly population increases and strains of flu become more severe, the number of hospitalizations and deaths from the disease are on the rise, reported HealthDay.
"There has been a startling increase in the number of hospitalizations for flu, to approximately 200,000 last year, and Americans need to do better to protect themselves and their families," Dr. Walter Orenstein, director of the National Immunization Program, told a press conference on Thursday.
Last year only 60 percent of those 65 and older received a flu shot, and only 4 percent of children between the ages of 6 months and 2 years were properly vaccinated, officials told reporters.
One hundred million doses of the vaccine will be ready by the end of October -- 13 million more than last year, the government said.
-----
Top Florida Court Strikes Down Tube-Feeding Law
The Florida Supreme Court on Thursday ruled unanimously that a law requiring a brain-dead woman to be connected to a feeding tube was illegal.
"We recognize that the tragic circumstances underlying this case make it difficult to put emotions aside and focus solely on the legal issue presented," the court said in its ruling. "But our hearts are not the law. What is in the Constitution always must prevail over emotion."
The case surrounds a 40-year-old woman, Terry Schiavo, who sustained severe brain damage 14 years ago when her heart stopped beating, leaving her in a vegetative state. Her husband, Michael Schiavo, initially won court approval to remove her feeding tube after a battle with his in-laws, who wanted the tube to stay.
Last year, the Florida state legislature passed what's known as "Terri's Law," which gave Gov. Jeb Bush the power to intervene. He did so immediately, forcing the tube to be reinserted.
The court ruled that the law violated the separation of powers between the branches of government, and that Bush was illegally given the green light to intervene. There is no word yet on whether the governor plans to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.
-----
Urine Test May Detect Breast Cancer
A simple urine test that appears to detect early breast cancer and tracks the growth of tumors could be a major advance against the disease.
The Boston Globe reports that the test, developed by researchers at Harvard University and Children's Hospital Boston and still in its preliminary stages, would be more convenient and cheaper than other breast cancer screening methods.
Scientists say such a test would become widely used and increase the chances that tumors would be seen before they spread to other organs, according to the Globe account.
The method seeks an enzyme known as Adam-12. In tests with 71 women with known breast cancer, it found 94 percent of cases. In a control population, the false positive results were 15 percent, according to the newspaper.
-----
Oreos Recalled for Containing Cheese
Nabisco is recalling a batch of "Carry-Me-Pack" boxes of Mini Oreo cookies because the bags may actually contain Ritz Bits Cheese Sandwiches, the company announced.
Nabisco said that 195,000 small boxes of the cookies were produced, and fewer than 2,000 cartons may have the wrong product in the box.
The boxes were produced for BJ's Wholesale Club stores in the eastern United States; however, the mislabeled product was discovered only in stores in Massachusetts and New Hampshire.
No illnesses from allergies to cheese have been reported.
Consumers should look out for 1.5-oz containers that are labeled "Carry-Me-Pack" Mini Oreo Cookies, while the silver foil inside may contain Ritz Bits sandwiches.
For more information, call 800-323-4243. |
