Health Tip: Practice Window Safety

(HealthDay News) -- Curious toddlers are especially prone to crawling through and falling from windows, so it's best to practice these safety suggestions, courtesy of the Cleveland Clinic:

Health Tip: Add Some Panache to Packed Lunches

(HealthDay News) -- If your kids are easily bored with the lunches you pack for school, try adding a little pizzazz (and nutrition) to the boring brown bag.

Can Walking Speed, Hand Grip in Middle Age Predict Dementia Risk?

WEDNESDAY, Feb. 15 (HealthDay News) -- How fast you walk or how strong your grip is in middle age might help predict your odds for dementia or stroke later in life, a new study suggests.

Many U.S. Teens Hit the Road Without Driver's Ed: Survey

WEDNESDAY, Feb. 15 (HealthDay News) -- A U.S. survey reveals that in states that don't require driver's education before getting a license, about one-third of students skip driver's ed classes and more than half fail to undergo any formal behind-the-wheel training.

Circulatory Disorder Not Studied Enough in Women, Experts Say

WEDNESDAY, Feb. 15 (HealthDay News) -- Even though it increases the risk of heart attack or stroke, peripheral artery disease is often unrecognized and untreated in women, according to an American Heart Association scientific statement released Wednesday.

'Needlestick' Law Linked to Drop in Health Worker Injuries

WEDNESDAY, Feb. 15 (HealthDay News) -- The number of needlestick/sharps-related skin puncture wounds suffered by health care workers in the United States has fallen since a federal safety law took effect in 2001, researchers report.

Weekend Delivery Doesn't Hurt Babies With Birth Defects: Study

WEDNESDAY, Feb. 15 (HealthDay News) -- Infants with birth defects who are born on weekends or at night do just as well as those delivered on a weekday, a new study says.

Cold Baths May Help Ease Muscle Soreness After Workouts

TUESDAY, Feb. 14 (HealthDay News) -- Taking a cold-water or ice bath may reduce exercise-related muscle soreness but it's not clear whether it can cause harmful side effects, a new evidence review indicates.

Babies May Be Smarter Than You Think

WEDNESDAY, Feb. 15 (HealthDay News) -- Babies can understand many words sooner than they can actually say them, a new study indicates.

Millions of Americans Have Untreated Hearing Loss: Study

WEDNESDAY, Feb. 15 (HealthDay News) -- About 27 million Americans aged 50 and older have lost some of their hearing and could benefit from a hearing aid, a new study finds.

Dietary Help Can Boost Cancer Patients' Nutrition, But Not Survival

WEDNESDAY, Feb. 15 (HealthDay News) -- Good dietary advice and supplements can boost nutrition while improving quality of life in malnourished cancer patients, a new study finds.

'Autoinjector' Offers Safe, Speedy Care for Life-Threatening Seizures: Study

WEDNESDAY, Feb. 15 (HealthDay News) -- Using an autoinjector device to deliver anti-seizure drugs into muscle is a fast, safe and effective way to treat status epilepticus, a prolonged type of seizure that lasts longer than five minutes, researchers report.

Psychotherapy May Ease Hot Flashes After Breast Cancer

TUESDAY, Feb. 14 (HealthDay News) -- After breast cancer treatment, many women suffer from hot flashes and night sweats, but a type of "talk therapy" might relieve these symptoms for some women, British researchers suggest.

Respiratory Virus Killed 8 Military Recruits After Vaccination Program Halted

WEDNESDAY, Feb. 15 (HealthDay News) -- Adenovirus infections caused eight deaths in the U.S. military since an immunization program was canceled, according to a new study.

E. Coli in Chicken Linked to Urinary Tract Infections

WEDNESDAY, Feb. 15 (HealthDay News) -- Scientists have long believed that urinary tract infections are typically caused by a person's own E. coli bacteria, but a new Canadian study suggests the bacteria may more often than not come from chickens.

Gene Linked to Start of Puberty

WEDNESDAY, Feb. 15 (HealthDay News) -- Researchers report that they've discovered the importance of a particular gene in kicking off puberty in humans, a finding that offers insight into how the mysterious process begins and could help children who suffer from a rare disease that prevents the start of puberty.

Health Highlights: Feb. 15, 2012

Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by the editors of HealthDay:

Study Finds Gene Behind Inherited Cases of Enlarged Heart

WEDNESDAY, Feb. 15 (HealthDay News) -- Researchers have discovered a defective gene that's responsible for more than one-quarter of cases of inherited dilated cardiomyopathy, a serious heart muscle disease that often leads to heart failure by middle age.

Stop-Smoking Drug May Also Curb Problem Drinking

WEDNESDAY, Feb. 15 (HealthDay News) -- The quit-smoking drug Chantix may also help problem drinkers cut their alcohol consumption, a small new study suggests.

New Blood Thinner May Prevent Blood Clots During Cancer Treatment

WEDNESDAY, Feb. 15 (HealthDay News) -- A new blood-thinning medication called semuloparin reduces the risk of blood clots in people undergoing certain cancer treatments, new research shows.