Ovarian Transplants May Preserve Fertility in Young Cancer Survivors

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Keep Infants Out of Sun and Heat, Experts Warn

HealthDay – 23 hrs ago SATURDAY, July 7 (HealthDay News) -- Because infants are so much smaller than adults and lack the ability to sweat, heat and sun exposure pose specific risks for babies, experts say.

Fortunately, there are steps parents and caregivers can take to protect infants this summer, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the American Academy of Pediatrics. But one of the usual summertime recommendations, sunscreen, is not advised for children under 6 months old, they pointed out.

Dr. Hari Cheryl Sachs, a pediatrician with the FDA, said parents should avoid putting sunscreen on their infants. Sachs explained that young babies' skin is much thinner than that of adults and can absorb the active, chemical ingredients found in sunscreens more easily. She noted that because they have a relatively high surface-area to body-weight ratio, they are at greater risk for allergic reactions or inflammation from exposure to sunscreen.

"The best approach is to keep infants under 6 months out of the sun, and to avoid exposure to the sun in the hours between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., when ultraviolet (UV) rays are most intense," Sachs said in an FDA news release.

If necessary, shade can be created by an umbrella or stroller canopy, Sachs pointed out. When there are no other options available, a small amount of sunscreen with a sun-protection factor of at least 15 can be applied to small areas of exposed skin, such as the cheeks and back of the hands. Applying a small amount of sunscreen to the baby's inner wrist first to test for sensitivity is a good idea, she noted.

Sachs and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) offered additional tips to ensure infants are protected from sun exposure, including:

To prevent sunburns, dress infants in lightweight pants and shirts with long sleeves, as well as hats with brims that shade the ears and neck, advised the AAP. Sheer fabrics should be avoided because they could still result in a sunburn. Ensure babies are well hydrated. Offer them their usual feeding of breast milk or formula, said Sachs. Use a cooler to store the liquids if they will be out in the sun for more than a few minutes. Monitor babies for signs of sunburn or dehydration, including fussiness, redness, excessive crying and lack of urination. If sunscreen is applied to babies, steer clear of products containing the insect repellant DEET. Babies who become sunburned should be taken out of the sun immediately, and cold compresses should be applied to the affected areas.

More information

The American Academy of Pediatrics has more sun safety tips.

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Mugabe returns from medical checks in Singapore

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States fight 'tourists' trafficking painkillers

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Tips for Memorable Family Road Trips

HealthDay – 4 hrs ago SUNDAY, July 8 (HealthDay News) -- If you're planning a family road trip vacation this summer, you can take steps to make it easier and more enjoyable, according to children's book author Michael DiLorenzo.

"This is a shared experience, and one that will be talked about during family gatherings for years to come," DiLorenzo, a father of three and writer of the Adventures with Jonny book series, said in a News and Experts release. "For busy parents, this is a time to savor their children's youth. As moms and dads eventually find out, they grow up fast."

One way to reduce stress on your trip is to avoid rush hours in big cities. Careful planning can help you steer clear of peak traffic periods and possibly save you and your family hours of misery in gridlock.

Use websites and apps to find the cheapest gas prices, good food choices, and the best hotel rates and travel routes, DiLorenzo recommends. Speaking of technology, make sure you leave behind all work-related calls, texts and emails. If you want to have a smartphone on your vacation, make sure it's not a work-related device.

To help the miles pass easily, make a music mix that appeals to the entire family. Family activities such as word games are another fun way to keep everyone entertained while in the car.

Be sure to make regular stops and pull over whenever you see potentially interesting or unique attractions, DiLorenzo advises.

Be cautious about dairy drinks and smelly snacks. A spill on a seat can eventually create a terrible stink during a summer road trip. But be sure to pack plenty of healthy snacks so that you don't have to buy junk food during your trip.

More information

The Nemours Foundation offers a number of road-trip boredom busters.

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Sunburn May Help Rid Body of Radiation-Damaged Cells

HealthDay – 4 hrs ago SUNDAY, July 8 (HealthDay News) -- In examining exactly what happens when skin gets sunburned, researchers studying human skin cells and mice found that sunburn is the result of RNA damage.

The red and painful burn is an immune response triggered by this altered genetic material to remove sun-damaged cells, according to the study published in the July 8 online edition of Nature Medicine.

Researchers from the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), suggested their findings could help scientists find a way to block this inflammatory process, which could have implications for a number of medical conditions and treatments, including psoriasis.

"For example, diseases like psoriasis are treated by UV

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Knee ligament injuries may be more common in men: study

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Hand, foot and mouth may have killed Cambodian children: WHO

Reuters – 9 mins ago PHNOM PENH (Reuters) - A virus that causes hand, foot and mouth disease may have been responsible for some of the mysterious deaths of dozens of children in Cambodia since April, the Health Ministry said in a joint statement with the World Health Organization (WHO).

Fifty-nine cases had been identified involving children between the ages of three months and 11 years, with the majority younger than three years old. In all, 52 had died but samples were not available in the majority of cases.

"Based on the latest laboratory results, a significant proportion of the samples tested positive for Enterovirus 71 (EV-71), which causes hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD). The EV-71 has been known to generally cause severe complications among some patients," the statement published late on Sunday said.

It said a number of other pathogens were found including dengue and streptococcus suis, which is a pig pathogen that can be transmitted to humans.

"Further investigation is ongoing and this includes the matching of the laboratory and epidemiological information. We hope to be able to conclude our investigation in the coming days," Cambodian Health Minister Mam Bun Heng said in the statement.

The WHO said on July 3 it was helping Cambodia investigate the deaths of at least 60 children under seven years of age, most of whom had died within 24 hours of being admitted to hospital in Phnom Penh or the northern town of Siem Reap.

They had high fevers and signs of encephalitic or respiratory symptoms, or both, it said.

Hand, foot and mouth disease usually affects infants and children and is spread through direct contact with the mucus, saliva, or feces of an infected person. It typically occurs in small epidemics in nursery schools or kindergartens.

(Reporting by Prak Chan Thul; Writing by Alan Raybould; Editing by Michael Perry)

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Retailers sue Pfizer, charge generic Lipitor delay

Five large drug and grocery chains are suing Pfizer Inc. and a second drugmaker, alleging they conspired to delay sales of cheap generic versions of the blockbuster cholesterol drug Lipitor.

Lipitor, the world's top-selling drug ever, had peak sales of nearly $13 billion a year several years ago. Sales dropped sharply after it got U.S. generic competition on Nov. 30.

The lawsuit, filed Thursday by Walgreen Co., the Kroger Co. and three other retailers in U.S. District Court in Trenton, N.J., claims generics should have been available nearly two years earlier, when Lipitor's original patent expired.

The suit accuses Pfizer of patent fraud as well as "illegal, anti-competitive conduct" with generic drugmaker Ranbaxy Laboratories of India to block other generic drugmakers from selling versions of Lipitor, called atorvastatin calcium, until recently.

The suit also accuses New York-based Pfizer of making deals with companies that manage prescription benefits, giving them big discounts on brand-name Lipitor in exchange for those companies limiting sales of generic versions. Generic pills generally bring pharmacies higher profit margins than brand-name medicines do.

Pfizer denies the lawsuit claims and said Friday that it "will defend itself vigorously." A spokesman for Ranbaxy said the company had not been served with the lawsuit and has a policy against commenting on pending litigation.

The plaintiffs, which include Safeway Inc., Supervalu Inc. and HEB Grocery Co. LP, claim the original patent for the active ingredient in Lipitor expired in March 2010 and that Pfizer fraudulently got the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to grant a follow-on patent that extended Pfizer's monopoly on Lipitor sales.

According to Pfizer, Lipitor has additional patents that run until 2017, in addition to the patent in question in the lawsuit.

The plaintiffs also accuse Pfizer and Ranbaxy of striking a deal to delay competition from other generic versions of Lipitor. Ranbaxy got a six-month window through the end of May when it sold generic Lipitor and the only other generic version on the market was an authorized one

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Medicaid official rules against Ind. abortion law

Indiana's decision to deny Planned Parenthood Medicaid funds because it performs abortions denies women the freedom to choose their health care providers, a federal hearing officer said.

The state had asked the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services in Chicago to reconsider its June 2011 ruling that found changes in Indiana's Medicaid plan unacceptable. But a hearing officer recommended in documents released Friday that a CMS administrator uphold the agency's initial decision.

The changes to Indiana's plan resulted from a 2011 law that would have made the state the first to deny the organization Medicaid funds for general health services, including cancer screenings. The law has been on hold while the dispute works its way through the courts.

The Indiana attorney general's office, which already is appealing a federal judge's order blocking the law, said it may also contest the panel's recommendation. The state had argued that the dispute should be decided administratively by the CMS, not in court.

"Because this is a recommendation, the Attorney General's Office has a chance to file an exception to it before the CMS administrator makes a final decision," the agency said in a statement.

Planned Parenthood of Indiana said it was gratified by the decision.

"Through its appeal, the State was continuing its attack on women's rights and attempting to restrict access to basic, lifesaving services such as Pap tests, breast exams, STD testing and treatment, and birth control," Betty Cockrum, chief executive officer of Planned Parenthood of Indiana, said in a statement.

While Planned Parenthood officials had feared they might have to close some of the organization's 28 clinics in Indiana or suspend some services because of a loss of Medicaid funds, that has not happened so far. Cockrum has said about 9,300 women rely on Planned Parenthood for their health care.

Indiana had argued that Medicaid funds intended to help groups like Planned Parenthood provide general health care would indirectly subsidize abortions. The Hyde Amendment, a 1976 provision named after the late Rep. Henry Hyde, R-Ill., bans all federal funds for abortion except in cases of rape, incest or when the life of the mother is at risk.

The state also said Planned Parenthood could continue to receive Medicaid funding if it established separate fiscal entities for abortion and other health care. But CMS said such an option was premature.

Hearing officer Benjamin Cohen wrote that the Indiana law violated the federal requirement that individuals must have the freedom to obtain care from any qualified provider. Restricting that choice just because a care provider also offers non-covered care isn't allowed, he wrote.

Indiana asked the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago last August to lift U.S. District Judge Tanya Walton Pratt's June 24, 2011, preliminary injunction blocking parts of the abortion law. The court has not yet ruled.

Another federal appeals court ruled in May that Texas cannot ban Planned Parenthood from receiving state funds, at least until a lower court has a chance to hear formal arguments. A three-judge panel of the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals agreed with a lower court that there's sufficient evidence the state's law preventing Planned Parenthood from participating in the Women's Health Program is unconstitutional.

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Discrimination fuels rise of HIV in Philippines

"A vendor sits next to a world AIDS day poster displayed in front of the World Health Organization (WHO) regional office in Manila in 2011. Discrimination against homosexuals and people infected with HIV is contributing to the rapid rise of the incurable disease in the Philippines, officials and health activists said Friday" title

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India moves closer to rolling out 'drugs for all' plan

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