Recent stories from the MSNBC Health page of interest to MCH Section members include the following:

·         Britain Bans Doctor Who Linked Autism to Vaccine:  The doctor who persuaded millions of parents worldwide that a common vaccine could cause autism was barred from practicing medicine in Britain in May. The top medical group in England found that the conduct of his research was unethical.  For more information, click here.  

·         Child Deaths Decline World-Wide:  A new study says that past estimates of child deaths around the world are too high, with far fewer children dying each year than projected previously by the United Nations.

·         Long-term Study Shows Healthy Development Among Children of Lesbian Couples:  Being raised by a same-sex couple is no hindrance to healthy psychological development. The first generation of children conceived by lesbians through donor insemination is reaching adulthood, and a study which tracked them has found that having same-sex parents may actually be an asset in healthy development.

·         Kissing Owies May Have Actual Medical Benefit:  A new study suggests that kissing a child’s boo-boos may minimize the effect of stress hormones that can lead to chronic illness.

·         Button Batteries An Increasing Risk for American Kids:  New research shows that in the last 25 years, the rate of serious poisoning from battery ingestion among children in the United States has gone up parallel to the growing usage of lithium “button” batteries in many consumer electronics.