5 of California's octuplets start bottle feeding; all doing well

BELLFLOWER, Calif. - Five of the octuplets born to a Southern California woman have begun bottle feeding on formula. Kaiser Permanente Bellflower Medical Center spokeswoman Socorro Serrano says bottle feeding of the other three babies is expected to begin later today....More

Risk of premature birth unchanged with gum disease treatment: study

TORONTO - There's an old saying that mothers "lose a tooth for every baby." While the tooth-loss bit may be merely folklore, it's true that pregnancy can affect a woman's oral health, including exacerbating existing gum disease....More

Report to fortify alleged link between cancer and Quebec town's toxic water

MONTREAL - A toxicologist says his new report will strengthen an alleged link between a toxin from a Canadian military base and unusually high levels of cancer in a nearby town....More

Preterm births rise; delayed child bearing, fertility treatments likely cause

TORONTO - Preterm births in Canada have jumped a staggering 25 per cent over the last 10 or 12 years, new data released Thursday by the Canadian Institute for Health Information show....More

Food makers don't report in-house test results, U.S. probe shows

ATLANTA - A U.S. probe into a deadly salmonella outbreak has exposed a dirty secret - food producers in most states are not required to alert health regulators if internal tests show possible contamination at their plants....More

Booze ban working in Natuashish, despite bootlegging, Innu leader says

NATUASHISH, N.L. - A northern Labrador reserve has made progress in its battle to overcome generations of alcohol abuse, a year after it voted to become a dry community, a native leader says....More

Tainted peanuts returned to U.S. before salmonella outbreak discovered

WASHINGTON - Weeks before the earliest signs of a national salmonella outbreak that now has been traced to peanuts from a Georgia processing plant, peanuts exported by the same company were found to be contaminated and were returned to the United States, The Associated Press has learned....More

2 units at Regina hospital closed to new patients, visitors due to norovirus virus

REGINA - An outbreak of norovirus is spreading at a Regina hospital. Two units of Regina General Hospital have been closed to new patients and visitors due to the gastrointestinal virus, which causes severe vomiting and diarrhea....More

Peanut recall grows as feds find problems at Georgia plant

WASHINGTON - The salmonella outbreak spawned one of the largest ever product recalls Wednesday by a Georgia peanut plant where federal inspectors reported finding roaches, mould, a leaking roof and other sanitary problems. Managers at the Blakely, Ga. plant owned by Peanut Corp....More

More products added to recall list stemming from U.S. salmonella outbreak

TORONTO - Federal health officials have added three more products to a list of food being recalled because of a salmonella outbreak in the U.S....More

India to probe drugs in water supplies discovered by Swedish researchers

NEW DELHI - The prime minister's office in India said Wednesday it has ordered a probe into the results of a Swedish study that found supposedly treated wastewater in a poor southern state contained a cocktail of 21 different active pharmaceutical ingredients....More

Gene therapy cures form of 'bubble boy disease,' study shows

NEW YORK - Gene therapy seems to have cured eight of 10 children who had potentially fatal "bubble boy disease," according to a study that followed their progress for about four years after treatment....More

Experts say Canada requesting companies report use of nanomaterials

EDMONTON - Canada is poised to become the first government in the world to require companies to provide information about their use of potentially harmful nanomaterials in products, experts say....More

Common drug combo used in heart patients could cause recurrent heart attacks

TORONTO - A drug combination commonly taken by people who've had a heart attack actually increases their risk of having another, because one of the drugs cancels out the blood thinning effect of the other, a new study says....More

Aussie chosen to run Alberta health care wants to create a model for all Canada

EDMONTON - Alberta has gone half way around the world to Australia to find a new senior executive to help reshape health care in the province. Dr....More

5 of California's octuplets start bottle feeding; all doing well

BELLFLOWER, Calif. - Five of the octuplets born to a Southern California woman have begun bottle feeding on formula. Kaiser Permanente Bellflower Medical Center spokeswoman Socorro Serrano says bottle feeding of the other three babies is expected to begin later today....More

Destruction of 60,000 turkeys on Fraser Valley farm to continue through Tuesday

ABBOTSFORD, B.C. - The destruction of 60,000 turkeys due to an outbreak of avian influenza on a B.C. farm will continue into Tuesday, said a spokeswoman for the Canadian Food Inspection Agency....More

Cull begins on B.C. farm of 60,000 turkeys after avian flu outbreak

ABBOTSFORD, B.C. - The destruction of 60,000 turkeys due to an outbreak of avian influenza on a B.C. farm has begun. Sandra Stephens of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency says the cull began Monday in one of two barns located on the premises....More

California nutrition bar recall includes B.C. health food distributor

VANCOUVER, B.C. - A recall of several brands of nutrition bars in the United States has spilled over into B.C. The bars may be contaminated with salmonella, an organism that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections - especially in young children and the elderly....More

Access to genetics-based testing lags rate of discovery: Cancer Care Ontario

TORONTO - Genetic discoveries that allow doctors to better diagnose and target cancer treatments are rapidly evolving, but the health-care system is not keeping pace by providing tests that fully capitalize on these advances, a report by a Cancer Care Ontario task force says....More

Octuplets born in Southern California doing 'very, very well'

BELLFLOWER, Calif. - Newborn octuplets in Southern California are a feisty bunch that appear healthy even at nine weeks premature, a doctor said Tuesday. Three babies are being given oxygen but appeared to be doing well, said Dr....More

Manitoba lesbian couple says doctor refused them because of sexual orientation

WINNIPEG - A Manitoba lesbian couple rejected by a family doctor from Egypt for religious reasons says Canada must better educate foreign-trained physicians....More

FDA inspectors find many problems at peanut plant; family files lawsuit

WASHINGTON - The Georgia peanut processing plant at the centre of a national salmonella outbreak had a history of problems it failed to correct, federal health officials said Tuesday. Officials said the Peanut Corp....More

More products added to recall list stemming from U.S. salmonella outbreak

TORONTO - Federal health officials have added two more products to a list of food being recalled because of a salmonella outbreak in the U.S. Sinbad Sweets 23-piece Dessert Collection and Rain Creek Baking Company's 48-piece Baklava assortment may contain salmonella bacteria....More

Study: Mercury-based preservative in vaccines doesn't hurt children

CHICAGO - A new study from Italy adds to a mountain of evidence that a mercury-based preservative once used in many vaccines doesn't hurt children, offering more reassurance to parents....More

Inherited component? Genes may affect popularity, researchers say

WASHINGTON - Advertisers would like you to believe the right jeans can make you the life of the party, but scientists say it may be the right genes instead....More

FDA reviews benefits of blood thinner Plavix in certain patients

WASHINGTON - Federal health officials in the United States are investigating whether the blood thinner Plavix - the world's second-bestselling drug and used by millions to reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke - may be less effective in some patients....More

Destruction of 60,000 turkeys on Fraser Valley farm to continue through Tuesday

ABBOTSFORD, B.C. - The destruction of 60,000 turkeys due to an outbreak of avian influenza on a B.C. farm will continue into Tuesday, said a spokeswoman for the Canadian Food Inspection Agency....More

Cull begins on B.C. farm of 60,000 turkeys after avian flu outbreak

ABBOTSFORD, B.C. - The destruction of 60,000 turkeys due to an outbreak of avian influenza on a B.C. farm has begun. Sandra Stephens of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency says the cull began Monday in one of two barns located on the premises....More

California nutrition bar recall includes B.C. health food distributor

VANCOUVER, B.C. - A recall of several brands of nutrition bars in the United States has spilled over into B.C. The bars may be contaminated with salmonella, an organism that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections - especially in young children and the elderly....More

Access to genetics-based testing lags rate of discovery: Cancer Care Ontario

TORONTO - Genetic discoveries that allow doctors to better diagnose and target cancer treatments are rapidly evolving, but the health-care system is not keeping pace by providing tests that fully capitalize on these advances, a report by a Cancer Care Ontario task force says....More

Woman gives birth to octuplets in Southern California hospital

BELLFLOWER, Calif. - A woman gave birth Monday to eight babies, only the second time in history octuplets have survived more than a few hours, doctors said....More

MD behind mass casualty alert at N.S. hospital says wake up call needed

HALIFAX, N.S. - An emergency doctor who called a mass casualty alert at Atlantic Canada's largest hospital says he's been warning for years there was no system in place to deal with an unsafe backlog of patients. Dr....More

Filipino infected with Ebola Reston virus, the first animal-human transfer

MANILA, Philippines - A person has been infected, but is not ill, with the Ebola Reston virus after coming into contact with sick pigs in the northern Philippines. The health secretary says the risk to others is negligible....More

Early tests suggests possible H5 avian influenza outbreak on B.C. farm: CFIA

ABBOTSFORD, B.C. - The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is investigating the possibility of an H5 avian influenza outbreak on a commercial turkey farm in British Columbia's Fraser Valley, the agency confirmed Friday....More

CDC study finds that Kentucky has highest smoking death rate

ATLANTA - Kentucky and West Virginia - where people traditionally smoke the most - have the highest death rates from smoking, a new study in the United States has found....More

Calgary health officials say no meningitis outbreak after 2 children hospitalized

CALGARY - Calgary health officials say there is no need for concern about an outbreak of meningitis in the city after two children were taken to hospital with symptoms of the illness. Both children have tested positive for serious meningococcal infections, said Dr. Jim Kellner....More

Positive tests stop listeria from undermining food safety: Maple Leaf

TORONTO - Meat from a plant in Toronto is reported to have tested positive for listeria but Maple Leaf Foods says there is no food-safety risk to the public....More

CFIA issues alert for certain Black Diamond Fat-Free Mozzarella slices

OTTAWA - The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is warning the public not to consume certain Black Diamond brand Fat-free Mozzarrella processed cheese slices. The agency says the slices may contain small pieces of plastic mesh material and may pose a choking hazard....More

Study: Mercury-based preservative in vaccines doesn't hurt children

CHICAGO - A new study from Italy adds to a mountain of evidence that a mercury-based preservative once used in many vaccines doesn't hurt children, offering more reassurance to parents....More

Mask-wearing Illinois judge orders TB patient into isolation

CHAMPAIGN, Illinois - A tuberculosis patient who failed to take precautions to avoid spreading the illness will be tracked by GPS and could go to jail if he violates court orders requiring him to remain isolated....More

HRT safe and viable as short-term treatment for menopausal symptoms: SOGC

TORONTO - Hormone replacement therapy is a safe and viable option for the short-term treatment of symptoms of menopause, the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada said Thursday in guidance designed to calm what the group called "unfounded" fears about HRT....More

EU wants more cancer screenings, hoping for long-term dividends

BRUSSELS, Belgium - The European Union said Thursday that cancer screenings across the continent must double to meet minimum standards adopted by member states in 2003....More

B.C. plan requiring people to switch to cheaper drugs costs more, study says

VANCOUVER, B.C. - British Columbia's drug coverage plan has cost the province more money than it was supposed to save while worsening patients' health because of a policy that forces them to take cheaper medication for conditions such as acid reflux, says a new study. Dr....More

2 condemned to death in China tainted milk scandal; 1 gets life

SHIJIAZHUANG, China - A Chinese court sentenced two men to death and a dairy boss to life in prison Thursday for their roles in producing and selling infant formula tainted with melamine, a deadly industrial chemical added to watered-down milk in order to fool inspectors and increase profits....More

U.S. approves first stem cell study for spinal cord injury

NEW YORK - A U.S. biotech company says it plans to start this summer the world's first study of a treatment based on human embryonic stem cells - a long-awaited project aimed at spinal cord injury....More

CDC study finds that Kentucky has highest smoking death rate

ATLANTA - Kentucky and West Virginia - where people traditionally smoke the most - have the highest death rates from smoking, a new study in the United States has found....More

Calgary health officials say no meningitis outbreak after 2 children hospitalized

CALGARY - Calgary health officials say there is no need for concern about an outbreak of meningitis in the city after two children were taken to hospital with symptoms of the illness. Both children have tested positive for serious meningococcal infections, said Dr. Jim Kellner....More

Polio eradication gets big cash injection Gates, U.K., Germany and Rotary

TORONTO - Tightening global purse strings won't hinder the polio eradication effort, Microsoft founder Bill Gates predicted Wednesday as he announced a major infusion of new cash for the program....More

Listeriosis conflict of interest?

OTTAWA - The woman appointed to probe last summer's deadly listeriosis outbreak has a glaring conflict of interest and can't credibly assess how public safeguards failed, critics say....More

Hello Kitty invades Taiwan maternity ward, 'warming people's heart'

YUANLIN, Taiwan - Japan's iconic Hello Kitty brand, not content with confining its logo to hand bags, lunch boxes and jet planes, has staked out a new piece of commercial real estate: A maternity hospital in central Taiwan....More

'Non-smoker' stipulation for job is discriminatory: smokers' rights group

MONTREAL - The job requirements are on par with what would be expected for any company looking for a webmaster, with one notable exception: smokers need not apply....More

Study finds that cleaner air adds 5 months to U.S. lifespan

LOS ANGELES - Cleaner air over the past two decades has added nearly five months to average life expectancy in the United States, according to a federally funded study. Researchers said it is the first study to show that reducing air pollution translates into longer lives....More

Steroids do not help wheezing kids, Canadian and UK studies show

LOS ANGELES - Steroid drugs, a common treatment for young children prone to wheezing and colds, do not help and may even be harmful, according to two new studies....More

Fears over short-term use of hormone replacement therapy unfounded: SOGC

TORONTO - The Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Canada is changing its advice on the use of hormone replacement therapy for women in menopause. New recommendations from the society challenge the current belief that the drugs do more harm than good....More

Death penalty for two, life sentence for one in Chinese milk scandal

SHIJIAZHUANG, China - A Chinese court has given a life sentence to the former boss of the dairy at the centre of China's contaminated milk scandal....More

N.S. hospital goes on emergency alert after ER unable to find beds for 16 patients

HALIFAX, N.S. - Nova Scotia's largest hospital went on a mass casualty alert today for one hour after emergency physicians were unable to find specialized treatment and beds for 16 patients. Peter Graham, a spokesman for the Queen Elizabeth II hospital, says that at around 8 a.m....More

Killers denied doctor's licences in Sweden, health authorities say

STOCKHOLM, Sweden - Sweden's national health authority on Monday said it will refuse to issue medical licences to would-be physicians convicted of murder and other grave crimes even after they have paid their debt to society....More

Ida Goodreau appointed CEO of LifeLabs; leaving Vancouver Coastal Health

TORONTO - Ida Goodreau has been named chief executive of laboratory services firm LifeLabs, effective March 1....More

Former health exec to head limited listeriosis probe

OTTAWA - The Harper government has named an investigator to report by July 20 on last year's deadly listeriosis outbreak - a four-month delay from the original timeline....More

Cold-fighting remedy added to healthy list of Olympic 2010 sponsors

RICHMOND, B.C. - Olympic organizers say the latest 2010 sponsor is nothing to sneeze at. The Vancouver Organizing Committee and Cold-FX have joined forces as the company behind the cold-battling remedy becomes an official supplier to the Games....More

16-year-old Chinese boy dies of bird flu, say authorities

BEIJING - A 16-year-old boy reportedly infected with the H5N1 bird flu virus has died in central China, the country's third fatality from the disease this month. The official Xinhua News Agency said Tuesday that the student, who surname was Wu, died in Hunan province....More

Two Indonesians died of bird flu: Health Ministry

JAKARTA, Indonesia - Two Indonesians have died of bird flu, apparently after contact with sick chickens, raising the country's death toll to 115, the Health Ministry said Wednesday. A ministry statement said a six-year-old girl in Bekasi, West Java, died on Jan. 2....More

School-based programs to get kids active just one piece of puzzle: researcher

TORONTO - A review of studies on beefed-up physical activity programs in schools found the interventions have some health benefits but little effect on the amount of exercise the kids do outside school....More

New gadget allows testing for cataracts before vision clouds over

WASHINGTON - Space shuttle science may soon come to an eye doctor near you: Researchers are using a NASA gadget to finally tell if a cataract is brewing before someone's vision clouds over....More

MRSA rising in kids' ear, nose, throat infections, U.S. study indicates

CHICAGO - Researchers say they found an "alarming" increase in children's ear, nose and throat infections across the United States caused by dangerous drug-resistant staph germs....More

Kellogg says FDA has confirmed salmonella in peanut butter crackers

MILWAUKEE - Kellogg Co. said Monday federal authorities have confirmed that salmonella was found in a single package of its peanut butter crackers, as a Midwestern grocer and General Mills Corp. recalled some products because of the scare....More

Conjoined twins separated during surgery in Oklahoma hospital

OKLAHOMA CITY - Nearly three-month-old girls believed to be the first known American Indian conjoined twins were separated Monday during a three-hour surgery. The twins were joined at the chest, and the separation process involved their livers and other tissue....More

China reports second bird flu death this year

BEIJING - A woman in eastern China has died from the H5N1 strain of bird flu, the Health Ministry said, the second death from the virus this year as the country's biggest festive season approaches and contact with poultry increases....More

Norwalk-like virus prompts restrictions at Kitchener, Ont., hospital

KITCHENER, Ont. - St. Mary's General Hospital in Kitchener, Ont., has closed two units to new admissions because of a Norwalk-like virus. Visitor restrictions are also in place in the medicine and chest units on the hospital's fifth and sixth floors....More

Killers denied doctor's licences in Sweden, health authorities say

STOCKHOLM, Sweden - Sweden's national health authority on Monday said it will refuse to issue medical licences to would-be physicians convicted of murder and other grave crimes even after they have paid their debt to society....More

16-year-old Chinese boy dies of bird flu, say authorities

BEIJING - A 16-year-old boy reportedly infected with the H5N1 bird flu virus has died in central China, the country's third fatality from the disease this month. The official Xinhua News Agency said Tuesday that the student, who surname was Wu, died in Hunan province....More

Surgeries cancelled at hospital in Peterborough, Ont., after pipes burst

PETERBOROUGH, Ont. - About 45 surgeries had to be scrapped Wednesday at the new Peterborough Regional Health Centre. The frigid weather caused a pipe to burst in an empty operating room, causing flooding. The extent of the damage to the operating room is still being assessed....More

Study finds a heart risk in taking anti-psychotic drugs

NEW YORK - Newer anti-psychotic drugs are no safer than older ones for the risk of suddenly dying from a heart problem, says a study that finds they roughly double that hazard....More

Fisher-Price recalls RainForest Portable Play Yards, including 1,000 in Canada

TORONTO - Fisher-Price, Inc. is recalling the RainForest Portable Play Yard manufactured by Simplicity Inc. and SFCA Inc., including about 1,000 units in Canada....More

Postpartum depression: Studies show peer support, trained nurses can help

TORONTO - Postpartum depression affects about 13 per cent of women in the first year after childbirth, but two new studies - one in Canada, one in the United Kingdom - have found that early identification and intervention can help new mothers who are at risk....More

Commonly combined blood pressure drugs shouldn't be taken together

TORONTO - A commonly prescribed combination of blood pressure drugs should not be taken together, the Heart and Stroke Foundation warned Friday in updated blood pressure management guidelines....More

Alberta Health says some vaccines in Aspen Health Region not adequate

BARRHEAD, Alta. - Alberta Health Services says some vaccines given last year in the Aspen Health Region may not provide adequate protection....More

People urged to avoid peanut butter products as salmonella case widens

WASHINGTON - U.S. health authorities are urging consumers to avoid eating cookies, cakes, ice cream and other foods that contain peanut butter....More

China reports second bird flu death this year

BEIJING - A woman in eastern China has died from the H5N1 strain of bird flu, the Health Ministry said, the second death from the virus this year as the country's biggest festive season approaches and contact with poultry increases....More

Can't lose that stubborn weight? Blame your childhood diet: research

CALGARY - Children scarfing down lip-smacking goodies instead of their fruits and vegetables may be setting themselves up for a lifetime of battling the bulge or even Type 2 diabetes, new research suggests....More

6 doctors and pharmacists acquitted in French trial over hormone deaths

PARIS - A French court acquitted six doctors and pharmacists Wednesday in the deaths of at least 114 people who contracted a brain-destroying disease after being treated with tainted human growth hormones....More

Trauma of teenage years tougher for those coping with multiple sclerosis

CALGARY - It started when Levi Barron's right hand curled into a claw shortly after his 13th birthday. Always laid-back, he told his mom that he'd just learn to write with the other hand and not to worry....More

Tests show 1,000 Albertans not exposed to hepatitis, HIV from tainted syringes

HIGH PRAIRIE, Alta. - Nearly completed tests on almost 1,400 patients have yet to turn up someone who contracted hepatitis or HIV from exposure to contaminated syringes, health officials in northern Alberta said Thursday....More

Surgeries cancelled at hospital in Peterborough, Ont., after pipes burst

PETERBOROUGH, Ont. - About 45 surgeries had to be scrapped Wednesday at the new Peterborough Regional Health Centre. The frigid weather caused a pipe to burst in an empty operating room, causing flooding. The extent of the damage to the operating room is still being assessed....More

Study finds a heart risk in taking anti-psychotic drugs

NEW YORK - Newer anti-psychotic drugs are no safer than older ones for the risk of suddenly dying from a heart problem, says a study that finds they roughly double that hazard....More

Fisher-Price recalls RainForest Portable Play Yards, including 1,000 in Canada

TORONTO - Fisher-Price, Inc. is recalling the RainForest Portable Play Yard manufactured by Simplicity Inc. and SFCA Inc., including about 1,000 units in Canada....More

Postpartum depression: Studies show peer support, trained nurses can help

TORONTO - Postpartum depression affects about 13 per cent of women in the first year after childbirth, but two new studies - one in Canada, one in the United Kingdom - have found that early identification and intervention can help new mothers who are at risk....More

Largest study of U.S. child health begins in New York, North Carolina

WASHINGTON - Scientists begin recruiting mothers-to-be in North Carolina and New York this week for the largest study of U.S. children - aiming eventually to track 100,000 around the country from conception to age 21....More

Fewer clogged arteries may need stent treatment

A new study gives fresh evidence that many people with clogged heart arteries are being overtreated with stents, and that a simple blood-flow test might help prevent unnecessary care....More

FDA investigation finds no link with asthma drugs, suicide

WASHINGTON - Federal health officials in the United States say that asthma drugs, including Merck's Singulair, do not appear tied to suicide - though regulators continue to examine possible links to behavioural problems....More

Expert from Winnipeg lab heading to Congo to help with Ebola outbreak

TORONTO - Canada is sending expert assistance to the Democratic Republic of Congo to help the central African country contain its latest Ebola outbreak. Allen Grolla, a biologist from the National Microbiology Laboratory in Winnipeg, is heading for Kinshasa, Dr....More

Can't lose that stubborn weight? Blame your childhood diet: research

CALGARY - Children scarfing down lip-smacking goodies instead of their fruits and vegetables may be setting themselves up for a lifetime of battling the bulge or even Type 2 diabetes, new research suggests....More

6 doctors and pharmacists acquitted in French trial over hormone deaths

PARIS - A French court acquitted six doctors and pharmacists Wednesday in the deaths of at least 114 people who contracted a brain-destroying disease after being treated with tainted human growth hormones....More

Surgeries cancelled at hospital in Peterborough, Ont., after pipes burst

PETERBOROUGH, Ont. - About 45 surgeries had to be scrapped Wednesday at the new Peterborough Regional Health Centre. The frigid weather caused a pipe to burst in an empty operating room, causing flooding. The extent of the damage to the operating room is still being assessed....More

Study finds a heart risk in taking anti-psychotic drugs

NEW YORK - Newer anti-psychotic drugs are no safer than older ones for the risk of suddenly dying from a heart problem, says a study that finds they roughly double that hazard....More

N.S. town moves to ban smoking in popular downtown shopping district

UNDATED - A decision by a Nova Scotia municipality to ban smoking on a popular downtown street known for its shops and restaurants is part of a national trend to criminalize a legal behaviour, says a smokers' rights advocate, "Smokers are viewed as criminals at this point in...More

Judge wants Calgary Health Region to improve mental patient care after woman dies

CALGARY - A judge is calling on the Calgary Health Region to do a better job of dealing with patients with mental problems after a woman fell six storeys to her death from a hospital window. A medical examiner initially ruled that Mary Leet's death on May 12, 2006, was a suicide....More

Injected biomaterial allows new blood vessels to grow, scientists say

TORONTO - Canadian scientists have successfully grown new blood vessels in laboratory animals by injecting a collagen-based material that attracts new cells to regenerate tissue....More

Experts weigh the pros and cons of tech-assisted exercise programs

TORONTO - Calling all couch potatoes: Those television sets, iPhones and yes, even video game consoles may actually provide some of the momentum you need to begin to shed those pounds this year....More

Concern over mattress support spurs recall for B.C. crib maker

OTTAWA - Health Canada has announced a voluntary recall of cribs made by a Richmond, B.C. company....More

Carbon monoxide poisoning: prevention is key, paramedic says

TORONTO - Carbon monoxide is often referred to as the silent killer because it's odourless and colourless, and its victims can succumb without realizing what's happening....More

Botox labels changed to warn toxins can spread to distant parts of body

TORONTO - Health Canada says the labels on Botox products are being changed to warn that use may result in spread of the toxin to other parts of the body, potentially with fatal consequences....More

Alberta College of Physicians drafting rules for new doctor code of conduct

EDMONTON - Dr. Janet Wright recalls a story told to her by a nurse about the dressing-down she received when she made a suggestion on patient care to a doctor. "You're not paid to think," the doctor shot back. "I'm paid to think. Just keep your opinions to yourself....More

Flu shot mismatched on B virus; experts study adding extra strain to vaccine

TORONTO - It appears there may be a partial flu shot mismatch again this year, with early data from Canada, the United States and Britain suggesting the vaccine component meant to protect against influenza B is not a match for the flu B viruses causing the most disease....More

Hormone therapy linked to brain shrinkage in older women: study

TORONTO - Hormone therapy to treat hot flashes and other symptoms of menopause has been linked to brain shrinkage in women aged 65 and older, a pair of studies has found....More

FDA may miss researchers' financial conflicts

WASHINGTON - Missing information, loopholes and weak oversight hamper efforts to uncover financial conflicts by researchers who test experimental drugs before companies seek government approval, an internal watchdog finds....More

CDC says tainted peanut butter behind salmonella outbreak in the U.S.

MINNEAPOLIS - Minnesota health officials say the salmonella bacteria that has sickened more than 400 people in 43 states has been conclusively linked to peanut butter. Federal officials say the outbreak may have contributed to three deaths....More

Carbon monoxide poisoning: prevention is key, paramedic says

TORONTO - Carbon monoxide is often referred to as the silent killer because it's odourless and colourless, and its victims can succumb without realizing what's happening....More

VapoRub may vex airways of little children, new study suggests

TORONTO - Vicks VapoRub may actually inhibit breathing when used in or under the nostrils of very young children, a new study suggests....More

Union leaders push gov't to increase hospital funding, say 5,000 jobs at risk

TORONTO - Hospital funding should be increased to avoid losing thousands of jobs in Ontario and creating even more delays in a system already overburdened by an aging population, union leaders said Monday....More

Researchers find novel method to mimic symptoms of anaphylaxis in mice

TORONTO - Researchers in Chicago who work on mice have come up with a new way to mimic the symptoms of a person having a reaction to peanuts....More

Salmonella has now been reported in 42 states; Minnesota eyes peanut butter

ATLANTA - Federal officials have not yet identified the cause of a salmonella outbreak striking almost 400 people in 42 states. However, state officials in Minnesota say they believe peanut butter may be involved....More

Obesity and airline seats are not medical questions, doctors say

OTTAWA - The Canadian Medical Association says the issue of whether an overweight airline passenger can fit comfortably in a single seat is not a medical question....More

Experts have warned Ottawa to regulate nanotechnology, Ottawa has yet to respond

EDMONTON - The breakneck pace at which products with altered molecules are making their way to store shelves has scientists worried that governments around the world aren't doing enough to ensure that the new technology is safe for people and the environment....More

Consumer group says FDA melamine guidelines unsafe

The decision by the Food and Drug Administration to allow U.S.-manufactured infant formula contaminated with melamine or its byproducts onto store shelves is "seriously flawed" and medically risky, scientists at the non-profit group Consumers Union said Friday....More

Report says mental health services for youth in B.C. need improvement

VICTORIA, B.C. - Demand for mental health services for children and youth outstrips supply and there are still complaints of long wait lists and a lack of services in some areas, a report released Friday concludes....More

Food Inspection Agency warns of ciguatera toxin in some frozen fish

OTTAWA - The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is warning the public not to consume a brand of frozen Leatherjacket fish because it may be contaminated with ciguatera toxin....More

Flu shot mismatched on B virus; experts study adding extra strain to vaccine

TORONTO - It appears there may be a partial flu shot mismatch again this year, with early data from Canada, the United States and Britain suggesting the vaccine component meant to protect against influenza B is not a match for the flu B viruses causing the most disease....More

FDA may miss researchers' financial conflicts

WASHINGTON - Missing information, loopholes and weak oversight hamper efforts to uncover financial conflicts by researchers who test experimental drugs before companies seek government approval, an internal watchdog finds....More

'It's no kidney stone,' doc tells N.L. woman moments before she gives birth

PORT DE GRAVE, N.L. - When Juanita Stead complained of shooting pains in her lower back on New Year's Eve, she thought she was passing a kidney stone. Instead, she was giving birth to a baby boy....More

Older women who keep physically fit have better brain function, study finds

TORONTO - Regular physical activity is known to improve cognitive ability and help stave off dementia, and now Canadian researchers think they know why....More

Nanotech full of environmental questions: Canada to create new research centre

EDMONTON - The tiny critters had seemed so content, swimming around under the microscope. Scientist Shirley Tang was studying how living organisms might be affected by nanomaterials....More

Mississippi has highest teen birth rate in the United States, CDC says

ATLANTA - Mississippi now has the highest teen birth rate in the United States, displacing Texas and New Mexico for that lamentable title, a new federal report says....More

Listeriosis probe delayed by hunt for investigator: source

OTTAWA - Several people approached to lead a promised probe into the deadly listeriosis outbreak were unavailable or unwilling to take on the grim task, says a senior government source....More

C-sections best for baby when performed close to due date: study

NEW YORK - Babies do better after a scheduled caesarean section if they're born no sooner than seven days before their due date, a large study of U.S. births suggests....More

Alzheimer's drugs double death risk in elderly, researchers say

LONDON - Anti-psychotic drugs commonly used to treat Alzheimer's disease may double a patient's chance of dying within a few years, suggests a new study that adds to concerns already known about such medications....More

42 U.S. states are reporting cases in a widening salmonella outbreak

ATLANTA - A nationwide salmonella outbreak that has struck 42 states has put about one in five of its victims in the hospital. The U.S. Centres for Disease Control and Prevention says nearly 400 people have become ill in the outbreak that might have killed one person....More

New research finds brain pacemaker helps Parkinson's, but there are risks

CHICAGO - Parkinson's sufferers who had electrodes implanted in their brains improved substantially more than those who took only medicine, according to the biggest test yet of deep brain stimulation....More

Major American lab discloses a problem with vitamin D testing

WASHINGTON - The largest U.S. medical lab company says it recently discovered and fixed a problem that led to inaccuracies in a small number of tests for vitamin D deficiency....More

Health Canada works on new safety information for quit-smoking drug Champix

OTTAWA - Health Canada says it is in the process of strengthening safety information on the labels of the smoking-cessation product Champix....More

China says no other cases of bird flu have been detected in Beijing

BEIJING - China says no other cases of bird flu have been detected in Beijing and neighbouring provinces after a woman died from the avian influenza in the capital....More

Anti-clotting drug from genetically engineered goats a first

WASHINGTON - You've heard of making cheese from goats' milk, but prescription drugs? In what would be a scientific first, an anti-clotting drug made from the milk of genetically engineered goats moved closer to U.S....More

'It's no kidney stone,' doc tells N.L. woman moments before she gives birth

PORT DE GRAVE, N.L. - When Juanita Stead complained of shooting pains in her lower back on New Year's Eve, she thought she was passing a kidney stone. Instead, she was giving birth to a baby boy....More

Mississippi has highest teen birth rate in the United States, CDC says

ATLANTA - Mississippi now has the highest teen birth rate in the United States, displacing Texas and New Mexico for that lamentable title, a new federal report says....More

C-sections best for baby when performed close to due date: study

NEW YORK - Babies do better after a scheduled caesarean section if they're born no sooner than seven days before their due date, a large study of U.S. births suggests....More

Infant's corpse thrown out with the trash at a New Jersey hospital

JERSEY CITY, N.J. - Police are searching garbage dumps in New Jersey and Pennsylvania for the body of a baby that was apparently thrown out with the trash at a Jersey City hospital. Christ Hospital spokeswoman Barbara Davy says the baby was stillborn on Dec....More

Health Canada works on new safety information for quit-smoking drug Champix

Health Canada says it is in the process of strengthening safety information on the labels of the smoking-cessation product Champix....More

Drugmaker Merck seeks Gardasil approval for boys

TRENTON, N.J. - Drugmaker Merck & Co. has asked federal regulators to approve use in males for its vaccine against the human papillomavirus, which causes cervical and other sexually transmitted cancers....More

CNN: Sanjay Gupta approached about surgeon general post

WASHINGTON - President-elect Barack Obama has approached CNN's chief medical correspondent, Sanjay Gupta, to be the country's next surgeon general, the cable news network said Tuesday....More

China says 19-year-old woman dies from bird flu

BEIJING - A Chinese woman has died from bird flu in a Beijing hospital after contracting the disease last month, the government said Tuesday. The Ministry of Health said Huang Yanqing, 19, died Monday....More

SimplySmart makeup remover towelettes recalled due to bacteria

EASTON, Md. - Some lots of a makeup remover that's packaged as a single towelette have tested positive for a bacteria that could cause eye infections, prompting a recall of the product in Canada and the United States. Celeste Industries Corp. of Easton, Md....More

New research finds brain pacemaker helps Parkinson's, but there are risks

CHICAGO - Parkinson's sufferers who had electrodes implanted in their brains improved substantially more than those who took only medicine, according to the biggest test yet of deep brain stimulation....More

Health Canada works on new safety information for quit-smoking drug Champix

OTTAWA - Health Canada says it is in the process of strengthening safety information on the labels of the smoking-cessation product Champix....More

Promised listeriosis probe still lacks investigator

OTTAWA - The Harper government has not yet named the leader of a promised probe into the listeriosis outbreak that killed 20 people - a lag critics say discredits an already suspect process....More

Danny's heart: U.S. College swimmer faces mortality, has open-heart surgery

CHICAGO - This time, when the lanky young man stepped into the pool, his chest was tight. His muscles ached. He pushed off to take his first strokes, and grimaced at the pain....More

Promised listeriosis probe still lacks investigator

OTTAWA - The Harper government has not yet named the leader of a promised probe into the listeriosis outbreak that killed 20 people - a lag critics say discredits an already suspect process....More

Program offers lifeline to young women stricken with breast cancer

TORONTO - Some are young mothers in their 30s, others 20-somethings starting their first jobs, and on rare occasions they are even teenage girls just finishing high school....More

Flu-like symptoms shut down New Brunswick hospital to most visitors

CAMPBELLTON, N.B. - An illness making the rounds in a northern New Brunswick hospital has prompted officials to close the facility to most visitors. Some staff members and patients at Campbellton Regional Hospital have developed flu-like symptoms....More

CUPE to push Ontario government to honour funding commitments

KINGSTON, Ont. - Union officials representing 8,000 hospital staff meet in Kingston today to call on the Ontario government to honour health care funding pledges....More

Almost 15 per cent of people with dementia under 65, Alzheimer Society finds

TORONTO - Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia are typically seen as afflicting the elderly, but new data suggest an increasing number of baby boomers are also being struck by the brain-destroying diseases....More

China says 19-year-old woman dies from bird flu

BEIJING - A Chinese woman has died from bird flu in a Beijing hospital after contracting the disease last month, the government said Tuesday. The Ministry of Health said Huang Yanqing, 19, died Monday....More

Researchers still don't know what to make of avian influenza strain H5N1

TORONTO - Five years after the avian influenza strain H5N1 started killing poultry and people in Southeast Asia, researchers still don't know what to make of the dangerous and unpredictable virus....More

Economic burden of insomnia estimated at $6.5B in Quebec in one year: study

TORONTO - A new study aims to put a price tag on the burden of insomnia in society, and estimates the total cost in the province of Quebec at $6.5 billion a year....More

Tests helps tease out 'good' stem cells from cancer-causing ones: study

TORONTO - One of the big worries about one day using stem cells to grow new organs and other tissues for curing disease is that these little regenerative powerhouses could give rise to tumours and end up doing more harm than good....More

Promised listeriosis probe still lacks investigator

OTTAWA - The Harper government has not yet named the leader of a promised probe into the listeriosis outbreak that killed 20 people - a lag critics say discredits an already suspect process....More

Danny's heart: U.S. College swimmer faces mortality, has open-heart surgery

CHICAGO - This time, when the lanky young man stepped into the pool, his chest was tight. His muscles ached. He pushed off to take his first strokes, and grimaced at the pain....More

Flu-like symptoms shut down New Brunswick hospital to most visitors

CAMPBELLTON, N.B. - An illness making the rounds in a northern New Brunswick hospital has prompted officials to close the facility to most visitors. Some staff members and patients at Campbellton Regional Hospital have developed flu-like symptoms....More

CUPE to push Ontario government to honour funding commitments

KINGSTON, Ont. - Union officials representing 8,000 hospital staff meet in Kingston today to call on the Ontario government to honour health care funding pledges....More

Almost 15 per cent of people with dementia under 65, Alzheimer Society finds

TORONTO - Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia are typically seen as afflicting the elderly, but new data suggest an increasing number of baby boomers are also being struck by the brain-destroying diseases....More

Biovail recalls some lots of Ultram ER: no safety issue; pain set at $7.4M

TORONTO - Biovail Corp. is recalling an unspecified amount of its Ultram extended-release pain medication, citing a "minor" variance in the rate at which the pills dissolve, and saying there is no safety problem....More

Smoking ban leads to major drop in heart attacks in Colorado city: study

ATLANTA - A smoking ban in one Colorado city led to a dramatic drop in heart attack hospitalizations, according to a new study that is considered the best and longest-term research to show such a link....More

Psoriasis drug Raptiva to carry new safety information about infections

TORONTO - The manufacturer of a drug for the treatment of psoriasis has issued new safety information for doctors and patients....More

Labopharm's Ryzolt pain reliever approved by Food and Drug Administration

MONTREAL - Labopharm Inc. has won U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval of Ryzolt, the Montreal-area company's once-daily formulation of painkiller tramadol....More

China dairy boss delayed reporting quality issues

BEIJING - A former dairy boss in China's scandal over tainted milk blamed for the deaths of at least six babies and illnesses of nearly 300,000 others has pleaded guilty to charges that could lead to the death penalty, Chinese news media reported....More

Scientists hope to prevent malaria by cutting lifespan of mosquitoes

WASHINGTON - Old mosquitoes usually spread disease, so Australian researchers figured out a way to make the pests die younger - naturally, not poisoned....More

Researchers still don't know what to make of avian influenza strain H5N1

TORONTO - Five years after the avian influenza strain H5N1 started killing poultry and people in Southeast Asia, researchers still don't know what to make of the dangerous and unpredictable virus....More

Economic burden of insomnia estimated at $6.5B in Quebec in one year: study

TORONTO - A new study aims to put a price tag on the burden of insomnia in society, and estimates the total cost in the province of Quebec at $6.5 billion a year....More

Experts test exercise, other steps, to prevent lymphedema after breast cancer

WASHINGTON - Hospitals in about a dozen states are testing whether some simple steps, such as arm-strengthening exercises, could reduce the risk of one of breast cancer's troubling legacies - the painful and sometimes severe arm swelling called lymphedema....More

China dairy manager on trial for milk scandal

BEIJING - The former chairwoman of the dairy company at the heart of China's tainted milk scandal went on trial Wednesday on charges of selling fake or substandard products, Xinhua News Agency reported. Tian Wenhua, former board chairwoman and general manager of Sanlu Group Co....More

Biovail recalls some lots of Ultram ER: no safety issue; pain set at $7.4M

TORONTO - Biovail Corp. is recalling an unspecified amount of its Ultram extended-release pain medication, citing a "minor" variance in the rate at which the pills dissolve, and saying there is no safety problem....More

Smoking ban leads to major drop in heart attacks in Colorado city: study

ATLANTA - A smoking ban in one Colorado city led to a dramatic drop in heart attack hospitalizations, according to a new study that is considered the best and longest-term research to show such a link....More

Psoriasis drug Raptiva to carry new safety information about infections

TORONTO - The manufacturer of a drug for the treatment of psoriasis has issued new safety information for doctors and patients....More

Labopharm's Ryzolt pain reliever approved by Food and Drug Administration

MONTREAL - Labopharm Inc. has won U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval of Ryzolt, the Montreal-area company's once-daily formulation of painkiller tramadol....More

China dairy boss delayed reporting quality issues

BEIJING - A former dairy boss in China's scandal over tainted milk blamed for the deaths of at least six babies and illnesses of nearly 300,000 others has pleaded guilty to charges that could lead to the death penalty, Chinese news media reported....More

Economic burden of insomnia estimated at $6.5B in Quebec in one year: study

TORONTO - A new study aims to put a price tag on the burden of insomnia in society, and estimates the total cost in the province of Quebec at $6.5 billion a year....More