Bioethics & Health News
February 8

February 8, 2006

Abortion Foes Gain on New Front

A new front in the debate over abortion is emerging in legislatures across the nation. Abortion foes are gaining ground with proposals to require doctors to tell women seeking abortions that their fetuses might feel pain during the procedure.
(USA Today)

FDA Reports 51 Deaths of Attention Drug Patients

Deaths of 51 U.S. patients who took widely prescribed drugs to treat attention deficit disorder prompted regulators to start watching for heart attacks, high blood pressure and other problems in 2004, a report released on Wednesday said.
(Reuters)

Many Preemies Do Well in Early Adulthood

Many very premature infants appear to play catch-up by early adulthood, reaching levels of education and employment that are similar to those of normal-weight children, a study found.
(AP)

Killings Loom Over Debate on Treating Mentally Ill

Against the vivid backdrop of recent killings by mentally ill people, both sides in the national debate over whether mentally ill people who have not committed a crime can be forced into treatment are preparing for a showdown in the Legislature here.
(New York Times)

US Launches Two Studies of Genes and Disease

Why can one person smoke with no apparent ill-effects while another gets lung cancer? Why does one identical twin get Alzheimer’s when his brother does not?
(Reuters)

Feds Get Corporate Donations for Research

Government scientists are launching a major project to uncover elusive genetic variations that make people vulnerable to some of the most common diseases, and then determine what in the environment – pollution, behavior, diet – pushes those people into full-blown illness.
(AP)