Here are some of the latest health and medical news
developments, compiled by the editors of HealthDay:
Massage Device Could be Deadly: FDA
Consumers are being warned about a massage device that caused
one death and one near-strangulation.
Necklaces, pieces of clothing and hair can get caught in the
rotating part of the ShoulderFlex Massager, said the U.S. Food and
Drug Administration, the
Associated Press reported.
People who own these products should "dispose of the device
components separately so that the massager cannot be reassembled
and used," the agency advised.
Since 2003, King International has distributed nearly 12,000 of
the massagers through retail stores and Web sites in the U.S.,
according to the FDA. The agency said the company plans to issue a
recall, the
AP reported.
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U.S. Minority and White Newborn Numbers Nearly Equal
Nearly half of newborns in the United States are ethnic and
racial minorities, according to an analysis of 2010 Census
data.
It found that 50.2 percent of babies where white non-Hispanics,
compared with 57.6 percent 10 years earlier,
USA Today reported.
Since 2000, the number of states were minority babies dominate
has doubled to 14, including big states such as Florida, Georgia,
New Jersey and New York.
In rural areas, the number of white children declined by more
than one million (nearly 10 percent) between 2000 and 2010,
USA Today reported.
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U.S. Bans Mexican Papaya Imports
All imports of fresh Mexican papayas have been banned due to
widespread salmonella contamination, the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration said Thursday.
The decision was made after an FDA investigation between May 12
and Aug. 18 found that more than 15 percent of fresh papayas from
Mexico were contaminated with salmonella,
MSNBC.com reported.
The contaminated papayas came from 28 different companies and
included all the major papaya-producing areas in Mexico. The FDA
investigation began after a salmonella outbreak earlier this year
sickened 100 people in 23 states,
MSNBC.com reported.
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Carcinogens Released by Scented Laundry Products: Study
Scented laundry detergent and dryer sheets may raise cancer
risk, according to a new study.
Researchers found more than 25 "volatile" air pollutants --
including the carcinogens benzene and acetaldehyde -- when they
tested the dryer vent emissions from two homes after scented
laundry products were used,
CBS News reported.
"This is an interesting source of pollution because emissions from dryer vents are essentially unregulated," lead author Anne Steinemann, professor of civil and environmental engineering and of public affairs at the University of Washington, said in a written statement, CBS News reported. "If they're coming out of a smokestack or
tail pipe, they're regulated, but if they're coming out of a dryer
vent, they're not."
The study was published in the August issue of the journal
Air Quality, Atmosphere and Health.
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