A chemical used in many plastic products and already under scrutiny for potential health risks is suspected of raising the risk of liver problems in premature babies, according to a new study. The small study in a German hospital suggests a chemical known as a phthalate ...

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Moms-to-be who smoke but quit early in pregnancy can sharply reduce their risk of having a premature or too-small baby, new research in the journal Obstetrics & Gynecology shows. "Our results show that first-trimester quitters have a risk of delivering a preterm or SGA newborn comparable to those who never smoked during pregnancy, and second trimester ...

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Premature babies are often exposed to additives in their medications that could put them at risk of brain and lung damage, according to a new study. "Many liquid medications contain additives," co-author Dr. Hitesh C. Pandya, of the University of Leicester, UK told Reuters Health. "Some of these are necessary to produce the medicine but many ...

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Adults with a history of low birth weight are more prone to be hospitalized for breathing disorders than are adults without such a history, according to a new study. Children born at low birth weights have been known to have abnormal lung function, according to the study's authors, but it has been unclear whether those ...