Flashback: Suspicious? Mutated Cold Virus Kills 10

ATLANTA - A mutated version of a common cold virus has caused 10 deaths in the last 18 months, U.S. health officials said Thursday. Adenoviruses usually cause respiratory infections that aren't considered lethal. But a new variant has caused at least 140 illnesses in New York, Oregon, Washington and Texas, according to a report issued Thursday by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

©AP Photo/ San Antonio Express-News

This photo shows Paige Renee Villers, 19, an airman in basic training at Lackland Air Force Base outside San Antonio, Texas, who died in August 2007.

Epilepsy Study Incriminates Aspartame in Medications

The Pacific Epilepsy Society in affiliation with the Epileptic Foundation of Maui has completed a seven year study on Epilepsy and Seizures, finding that epilepsy is at an all time high in Hawaii and the western states and Pacific Ocean Territories. There has been a 100% increase over the two previous years. See EFM Survey, Freedom of Info Act 2000-2008 & EFM Survey 1999-03

Bullying And Being Bullied Linked To Suicide In Children

Researchers at Yale School of Medicine have found signs of an apparent connection between bullying, being bullied and suicide in children, according to a new review of studies from 13 countries.

"While there is no definitive evidence that bullying makes kids more likely to kill themselves, now that we see there's a likely association, we can act on it and try to prevent it," said review lead author Young-Shin Kim, M.D., assistant professor at Yale School of Medicine's Child Study Center.

©iStockphoto/Nick Schlax

In the review, Kim and colleague Bennett Leventhal, M.D., analyzed 37 studies that examined bullying and suicide among children and adolescents. The studies took place in the United States, Canada, several European countries (including the United Kingdom and Germany), South Korea, Japan and South Africa.

Almost all of the studies found connections between being bullied and suicidal thoughts among children. Five reported that bullying victims were two to nine times more likely to report suicidal thoughts than other children were.

Not just the victims were in danger: "The perpetrators who are the bullies also have an increased risk for suicidal behaviors," Kim said.

Scots mother rolls out her canine therapy to help autistic children

A MOTHER who helped her autistic son communicate by using their family dog has launched a scheme to help other Scottish children with the condition.

Nuala Gardner's son Dale was severely autistic as a child, but she encouraged him to break his silence by pretending her words were being spoken by the family pet, Henry.

Now she hopes her successful method will allow her to break down the communication barriers in other autistic children using specially chosen gun dogs.

Doctors Who Don't Take Insurance: What Does It Mean for Patients?

More and more doctors are fed up with private insurers. It's not just a question of how stingy they are, but how difficult it is to get reimbursed. Paperwork, phone calls, insurers who play games by deliberately making reimbursement forms difficult to interpret...

Some physicians have just said "no" to insurers.