Friday, Jan 30th
Last update07:16:51 AM GMT
Health Glance
Health officials have called off plans for a study examining a controversial type of treatment that some autism activists have touted as alternative medical therapy for children with the condition.
The National Institute of Mental Health, or NIMH, part of the U.S. National Institutes of Health, said in a statement on Wednesday that it has canceled a study aimed at assessing the effectiveness of a treatment called chelation.
Widely prescribed, newer-generation antipsychotic drugs are no more effective for the treatment of schizophrenia in children and teens than older, cheaper drugs, a government-funded study shows.
Under the direction of the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), researchers compared two of the newer drugs, known as atypical antipsychotics, to an older-generation antipsychotic. They found no major differences in treatment outcomes, but big differences in side effects among young patients taking the newer and older drugs.
Shampoo, hair gel, toothpaste, foot balm, body lotion, cleaning products, laundry detergent, washing up liquid; every chemical is a suspect. And even if you think you are using a natural organic product that is great for someone else, it doesn't mean it suits you. Some people (myself included) are so sensitive that they need to vary the skin products they use from week to week so they don't become intolerant.
According to an article in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, the average American eats about 44 kg (about 97 pounds) of beef every year. That number may be shocking to some people. However, it's not nearly as shocking as the news reported by The Daily Green concerning the latest addition to the diet of the American cow: "potato chip and chocolate waste not fit for the junk food aisle at the grocery store."
Toxic chemicals used in nonstick coatings and stain-resistant fabrics were found in the breast milk of every woman tested in a recent study conducted by researchers from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.
Researchers tested the milk from 45 different nursing mothers for two different varieties of perflourinated compounds (PFCs): perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), also known as C8. PFOA is used in nonstick coatings such as Teflon, while PFOS is an ingredient in stain-resistant fabric.
The Bush administration plans to drop Medicaid coverage for 18,000 low-income parents in Minnesota, a move that has stunned state officials who say they didn't see it coming.
The decision, buried in a 29-page document outlining federal changes affecting the state's subsidized health program, known as MinnesotaCare, has prompted written protests from all 10 members of Minnesota's congressional delegation, along with two emergency bills to head off the cuts, which could total $135 million over three years.
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