Year: 2013

More U.S. women are breastfeeding than a decade ago, but the numbers are still relatively low,according to a report released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Thursday. The overall increase in breastfeeding held true across almost all racial and ethnic groups.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Top Democrats in the House of Representatives unveiled a broad proposal on Thursday to curb gun violence that mirrors the one offered last month by President Barack Obama, including a ban on semi-automatic assault weapons. But it remained unclear if the proposals will be put to a vote. The House Republican leadership has said it doesn't intend to bring legislation to the floor until the Senate has acted, and there are doubts the Senate will pass gun control legislation. …

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – The number of birth defects among twins and triplets increased nearly two-fold in 14 European countries between 1984 and 2007, according to a new study. Researchers, who had information on more than 5.4 million births occurring over the 24-year period, found that congenital defects rose from about 6 in every 10,000 multiple births to about 11 in every 10,000 multiples. “The importance of knowing this is twofold. First, to make sure we have appropriate services available for mothers and babies. …

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – Frequent blood sugar testing was strongly associated with better diabetes control in a large new study that concludes public and private insurers should not be limiting test strip supplies. Particularly for people with type 1 diabetes, who must test their own blood sugar throughout each day and inject insulin to regulate sugar levels, a cap on the number of test strips they're allowed to use may seriously affect their health, researchers say. "On the surface it seems crazy to limit tests for people who need them," Dr. …

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – Screening women over 65 each year for breast cancer doesn't catch any more early tumors – but it does lead to more false positives – than screening every other year, according to a new study. The findings are based on more than 140,000 older women included in five mammography registries across the United States. "This study clearly tells us that screening every two years may be more appropriate than screening women every year," said Dr. Otis Brawley, chief medical officer of the American Cancer Society (ACS). …

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – Not all kids need a CT scan after a blunt trauma to the abdomen, according to a new study that identifies seven key signs to help doctors decide when a scan is unnecessary. CT scans are becoming commonplace in emergency rooms, but they aren’t harmless. Each scan delivers a dose of radiation that slightly increases a person’s long-term risk of cancer – a risk that’s especially heightened for children. …