Haiti: The other disasters

The colonial buildings that attracted tourists to the seaside town of Jacmel, 80km southeast of the Haitian capital, Port-au-Prince, were among the first to collapse on 12 January. Read more >>

Earthquakes - the decade's deadliest killer

Earthquakes killed more people in the last 10 years than any other natural hazard, said new figures released by the Belgium-based Centre for Research on Epidemiology of Disasters (CRED) a few weeks after the recent quake in Haiti, in which more than 112 000 people are known to have died so far. Read more >>

Ireland's doctors notified over suspension of Reductil

Abbott Laboratories Ireland has issued an important safety information notice to doctors on the suspension of marketing authorisations for sibutramine (Reductil), due to increased cardiovascular risk observed in the SCOUT trial. Read more >>

Vitamin D supplements can counter the effects of Crohn's disease

Canadian research team publishes findings in Journal of Biological Chemistry. Read more >>

How people react to pandemics

Study identifies key demographic and psychological factors that predict protective behaviour during pandemics. Read more >>

UCF researcher develops first dual vaccine to fight malaria and cholera

Humankind may finally have a weapon to fight two of the world's deadliest diseases. Read more >>

Men! These are danger signs...

Smoking and high blood pressure increase risk of abdominal aortic aneurysm in men over 60. Read more >>

Sexual infidelity or emotional infidelity - which is more distressing?

When South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford was caught red-handed returning from a tryst with his Argentine mistress last June, he told the Associated Press that he had met his "soul mate." His choice of words seemed to suggest that having a deep emotional and spiritual connection with Maria Belen Chapur somehow made his sexual infidelity to his wife Jenny Sanford less tawdry. Read more >>

Discovery could help improve diagnosis and treatment for anxiety disorders

Draw a map of the brain when fear and anxiety are involved, and the amygdala - the brain's almond-shaped centre for panic and fight-or-flight responses - looms large. Read more >>

Rooibos good for kids - SARC

According to the South African Rooibos Council, Rooibos tea has formed part of the diet of South African children for generations due to its ability to cure and soothe, coupled with its lack of caffeine. It can help relieve a range of ailments in children such as insomnia, food allergies, stomach cramps and eczema. Read more >>

Research suggests pomegranate seed extract could stimulate uterine contractions

The team identified beta-sitosterol - a steroid that can inhibit the absorption of cholesterol in the intestine - as the main constituent of pomegranate seed extract. The research suggests that pomegranate extract could be used as a natural stimulant to encourage the uterus to contract during labour. Read more >>

New research project aims at understanding the genetic origins of childhood cancers

Largest research project to date aimed at understanding the genetic origins of paediatric cancers Read more >>

Ongoing parenting is necessary to improve children's food choices

Many parents become passive when it comes to their children's food choices. The growing epidemic of obesity in America is a strong indicator of this lapse in parenting. With the variety of resources available from the USDA My Pyramid program to local schools' curriculums, Dr. Sasson ("Dr. Sass") Moulavi, M.D., is surprised by parents' neglect when it comes to allowing poor food choices for children. Read more >>

Factors linked to duration of breastfeeding period

Ethnicity and number of previous births are factors that can predict the length of time a woman will breastfeed her child. A new study published in the open access journal BMC Paediatrics has examined the effects of maternal factors and hospital infant-feeding practices on breastfeeding. Read more >>

Ambidextrous children more likely to have ADHD symptoms

Children who are mixed-handed, or ambidextrous, are more likely to have mental health, language and scholastic problems in childhood than right- or left-handed children, according to a new study published today in the journal Pediatrics. Read more >>

Medical advertising gets the nod

Using TLC's medical holding, Netcare and Medicross clinics, Aspen was able to advertise its new scheduled sleep deprivation product in the exact place that consumers, wanting to correct their sleeping patterns, were most likely to see the ad. Read more >>

Most Britons not aware of the dangers of alcohol misuse

Campaign warns of unseen health damage caused by alcohol misuse. Read more >>

Study finds direct link between parental support and children's physical activity

According to a new study, there is no direct link between parents' own level of physical activity, and how much their child may exercise. In fact, parents' perceptions of their children's athleticism are what have a direct impact on the children's activity. Read more >>

Enter first-time TB media award

A South African TB media award Speak Up to Stop TB for excellence in print journalism when reporting on TB and related issues, has been established for the first time by the Lilly MDR-TB Partnership in South Africa, in association with the South African Red Cross and with support from the National TB Control Programme. Read more >>

Cardiologist provides heart-healthy tips for women

Heart disease is the single leading cause of death for American women. Nearly twice as many women in the United States die of heart disease, stroke and other cardiovascular diseases than from all forms of cancer, including breast cancer. Read more >>

Mauritania: Fatwa alone will not stop FGM/C

A recent fatwa banning female genital mutilation/cutting in Mauritania will help reduce the practice only if religious leaders take the message to the people, scholars and anti-FGM/C activists say. Read more >>

Trust me - I'm on the pill

Men welcome male contraceptive pill currently undergoing trials. Read more >>

Women on antidepressant drugs may experience lactation difficulties

According to a new study accepted for publication in The Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (JCEM), women taking commonly used forms of antidepressant drugs may experience delayed lactation after giving birth and may need additional support to achieve their breastfeeding goals. Read more >>