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

What's Your Reaction? The Village Church shared sad medical news involving its Pastor Matt Chandler today on Twitter and Facebook.

Rates of 2009 H1N1 influenza virus testing in the U.S. have declined more than 75 percent since their peak in late October, suggesting that the "second wave" of virus infection that sickened tens of millions of Americans since it began four months ago may be coming to an end, according to a new report by Quest Diagnostics Incorporated (NYSE: DGX), the world's leading provider of diagnostic ...

Researchers at Binghamton University, State University of New York, have identified three key regulators required for the formation and development of biofilms. The discovery could lead to new ways of treating chronic infections. Biofilms communities of bacteria in self-produced slime may be found almost anywhere that solids and liquids meet, whether in nature, in hospitals or in industrial ...

As the Institute for Health Technology Studies (InHealth) marks its five-year milestone, the research and educational nonprofit is taking stock of its contributions to objective evidence about the roles that medical technologies play in the economy, in the healthcare system, and in patients' lives. InHealth's mission to further understand the socioeconomic impact of medical devices and ...

There is no danger if your child received the H1N1 vaccine that was recalled by Sanofi Pasteur. That is the information being provided to anyone calling the NJ Poison Control Center's hotline, according to Bruce Ruck, Pharm.D., Director of Drug Information and Professional Education. The public should be reassured that this recall took place because specific lots were found to be slightly weaker ...

Autism and related development disorders are becoming more common, with a prevalence rate approaching 1 percent among American 8-year-olds, according to new data from researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) School of Public Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The study is a partnership between UAB, the CDC and 10 other U.S. research sites. It ...

The tragic death of actress Natasha Richardson this past March put a spotlight on the potential risks inherent to skiing, as well as the deadly consequences that can result from head trauma. Richardson died two days after suffering an epidural hematoma and slipping into a coma. What at first appeared to be a minor bump on the head from a fall on a beginner ski slope in Quebec proved fatal. "This ...

Elevated dental plaque acid is a risk factor that contributes to cavities in children. But eating bran flakes with raisins containing no added sugar does not promote more acid in dental plaque than bran flakes alone, according to new research at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Some dentists believe sweet, sticky foods such as raisins cause cavities because they are difficult to clear off ...

Sometimes, a simple bedside exam performed by a skilled physician is superior to a high-tech CT scan, a Loyola University Health System study has found. Researchers found that physicians' bedside exams did a better job than CT scans in predicting which patients would need to return to the operating room to treat complications such as bleeding. "The low cost, simple, but elegant neurological exam ...