Health Bulletin

Seat belt can protect fetus in car crash

A pregnant woman who wears a seat belt greatly reduces the risk that her baby will die or be seriously hurt in a vehicle crash, according to a study that debunks the notion that seat belts are harmful to the fetus.

The University of Michigan researchers estimated that based on their findings, the lives of 200 of the roughly 370 fetuses killed yearly in U.S. vehicle crashes would be spared if all pregnant women wore seat belts.

So what's in your spit?

U.S. researchers have identified all 1,116 unique proteins found in human saliva glands, a discovery they said could usher in a wave of convenient, spit-based diagnostic tests that could be done without the need for a single drop of blood.

As many as 20 percent of the proteins that are found in saliva are also found in blood, said Fred Hagen, a researcher at the University of Rochester Medical Center in New York who worked on the study.

Smoking out genes behind lung cancer

Scientists have found important genetic differences between people that may help explain why some smokers get lung cancer and others do not.

Three teams from France, Iceland and the United States said they had pinpointed a region of the genome containing genes that can put smokers at even greater risk of contracting the killer disease.

Study: Preemies' autism risk higher

One out of four toddlers born prematurely showed early signs of autism in a study, and the risk was greatest among those children who were the smallest at birth, Canadian researchers said. Premature birth and low birth weight have been recognized in earlier studies as risk factors for a number of developmental problems, including autism and other illnesses.

Study wishy-washy on water's benefits

There is no clear-cut scientific rationale for the average healthy individual to drink a lot of water -- and it may be downright harmful -- according to two kidney experts. Drinking a lot of water is claimed to be helpful for everything from clearing toxins and keeping organs in tip-top shape to keeping weight off and improving skin tone.

At best, however, the evidence to back up these claims is weak, according to a new scientific review published in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.

Insomnia linked to depression risk

Insomniacs are at increased risk of developing major depression, results of a 20-year study demonstrate. The findings also suggest that while insomnia frequently accompanies depression, it may not be just a symptom of depression as is commonly thought, but a separate condition, Dr. Daniel J. Buysse of the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and colleagues say.