Researchers reported this week that refusing shots multiplies the risk of whooping cough and that a heat treatment can keep spots in the throat from turning into cancer. U.S. drug regulators proposed ways to reduce the risk of liver damage from a common pain reliever. Pregnant women got new advice on how much weight to gain. And a boy who had fled Minnesota with his mother returned to face cancer treatment.
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Shot Refusal Boosts Risk of Whooping Cough
Children who don't get vaccinated are 23 times as likely as others to get whooping cough, researchers said this week. They looked at medical records for 156 children who got whooping cough and 595 who did not. About 1 in 20 kids whose parents refused the vaccine got whooping cough. About 1 in 500 kids who had their shots got the disease. The study appeared in the journal Pediatrics. Whooping cough also is called pertussis. Some parents have safety concerns about the vaccine. But doctors say the current vaccine, developed in the 1990s, is very safe. Refusing the vaccine increases the number of whooping cough cases. This can endanger babies too young to get their shots, experts told the New York Times News Service.

Heat Treatment Reduces Esophageal Cancer Risk
Destroying abnormal cells with heat may help to prevent precancerous spots in the esophagus from becoming cancers. Some people who have long-term backup of stomach acid into the esophagus (acid reflux) develop Barrett's esophagus. This is a growth of abnormal cells in the esophagus that is detected during an endoscopy. Biopsy samples are examined in the laboratory to determine the cancer risk from Barrett's esophagus. Researchers studied 127 people with high-risk spots from Barrett's esophagus. They divided people into two groups. One group received treatments that burned off the abnormal cells using radio waves. The other got fake treatments that used no heat. About 1% of those who got the real treatment developed cancer in the next year. This compares with more than 9% for those who got the fake treatment. The Associated Press reported on the study. It appeared in the New England Journal of Medicine.

FDA Addresses Liver Risk From Painkiller
U.S. drug regulators may take steps to help prevent liver damage from a popular painkiller. People can buy acetaminophen with or without a prescription. Tylenol is the best known brand, but generics also are sold. Large doses can cause liver damage. But a report by the U.S. Food and Drug administration says people may not be aware of the risk. The report was released this week. It recommends a stronger warning label and a lower maximum dose, the Associated Press said. The current adult maximum is 4,000 milligrams a day. The report advises reducing it to 3,250. Outside experts who advise the agency will discuss the report at a meeting in June.

Guidelines Say Many Pregnant Women Gain Too Much
Women who weigh too much should gain less than smaller women during pregnancy, new guidelines say. The Institute of Medicine, which advises the U.S. government, released the advice this week. It said many pregnant women gain too much now. Women of normal weight should gain 25 to 35 pounds, the guidelines say. An overweight woman should gain 15 to 25 pounds. An obese woman should gain only 11 to 20. Underweight women should gain 28 to 40 pounds. It's best to reach a normal weight before getting pregnant, the guidelines say. They do not recommend trying to lose weight during pregnancy, the Associated Press said.

Boy Returns to Minn. for Cancer Treatment
A 13-year-old cancer patient returned home to Minnesota this week to get chemotherapy, McClatchy Tribune Information Services reported. The boy, Daniel Hauser, and his mother had fled to escape a court order requiring the treatment. He received one dose, but stopped because of side effects. Daniel's parents had said they preferred alternative treatments. But this week they told a judge they will let Daniel get chemotherapy. The judge allowed them to keep custody of the boy. Daniel has Hodgkin's lymphoma. Doctors say the treatment is necessary to save his life.

Used with the permission of the copyright owner. All rights reserved. The above summaries are not intended to provide advice on personal medical matters, nor are they intended to be a substitute for consultation with a physician.