MARIA CHENG

AP Medical Writer
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French autistic kids mostly get psychotherapy

In most developed countries, children with autism are usually sent to school where they get special education classes. But in France, they are more often sent to a psychiatrist where they get talk therapy meant for people with psychological or emotional problems.

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UK doctors blast McDonalds' Olympic sponsorship

McDonald's is a sponsor for the London Olympics — and a British doctors' group says that's sending the wrong message in a country with ballooning obesity.

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Experts: Mass killer Breivik likely not insane

Norwegian mass killer Anders Behring Breivik is insisting in court that attempts to label him as insane are misplaced — and some psychiatrists agree that simply committing such monstrous crimes does not mean a person is mentally ill.

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WHO: Measles deaths have plummeted over a decade

The number of measles deaths worldwide has apparently dropped by about three-quarters over a decade, according to a new study by the World Health Organization and others.

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Fertility treatment bans in Europe draw criticism

More than three decades after Britain produced the world's first test-tube baby, Europe is a patchwork of restrictions for people who need help having a child.

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Green tea could cloud Olympic doping tests

Olympic doping officials are considering whether to tweak their tests after a recent British study showed green tea might hide testosterone from the standard test used to spot it.

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British doctors urge against metal hip joints

British experts at the world's biggest artificial joint registry said doctors should stop using metal-on-metal hip replacements, citing an analysis showing they have to be fixed or replaced more often than other implants.

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Estrogen lowers breast cancer risk in some women

Women who take estrogen after menopause appear to have a lower risk of breast cancer even years after they quit taking the hormone, according to a new analysis of a landmark study.

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For pregnant women with cancer, chemo possible

Researchers have encouraging news for women who find themselves in a very frightening situation: having cancer while pregnant. Studies suggest that these women can be treated almost the same as other cancer patients are, with minimal risk to the fetus.

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Malaria death toll possibly twice as high

Malaria may be killing around twice as many people as experts previously thought, and it could also be hitting older children and adults — long considered the least susceptible — a new study suggests.

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Briton with locked-in syndrome wants right to die

Former rugby player Tony Nicklinson had a high-flying job as a corporate manager in Dubai, where he went skydiving and bridge-climbing in his free time.

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Higher abortion rates where it's illegal

Abortion rates are higher in countries where the procedure is illegal and nearly half of all abortions worldwide are unsafe, with the vast majority in developing countries, a new study concludes.

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Study finds no better odds using 3 embryos in IVF

A new study of fertility treatment found that women who get three or more embryos have no better odds of having a baby than those who get just two embryos.

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Stephen Hawking to turn 70, defying disease

British scientist Stephen Hawking has decoded some of the most puzzling mysteries of the universe but he has left one mystery unsolved: How he has managed to survive so long with such a crippling disease.

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WHO sets new goal in fight against malaria

Health officials hope to virtually eliminate malaria deaths in the next few years — despite having failed to meet an earlier goal of cutting the disease's incidence in half by 2010.

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UK experts: Too soon to use brain science in court

Criminal behavior can't be blamed on how someone's brain is wired, at least not yet, says a report from British experts who examined how neuroscience is being used in some court cases.

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Health Squeeze: UK's free health care under threat

When David Evans needed a hernia operation, the 69-year-old farmer became so alarmed by the long wait that he used an ultrasound machine for pregnant sheep on himself, to make sure he wasn't getting worse.

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Analysis says no mental health risk with abortion

Abortion does not increase a woman's chance of developing mental health problems, according to a British health agency's review of dozens of studies worldwide over 20 years.

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England study: Low-risk births don't need hospital

A new study in England shows little difference in complications among the babies of women with low-risk pregnancies who delivered in hospitals versus those who gave birth with midwives at home or in birthing centers.

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No painkillers please, we're British

In Britain, the popular U.S. painkiller OxyContin is considered similar to morphine and used sparingly. Vicodin isn't even licensed. And at most shops, remedies like ibuprofen are sold only in 16-pill packs.

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Too posh to push? More C-sections on demand in UK

Pregnant women in Britain, where the government provides free health care, may soon be able to get a cesarean section on demand thanks to a rule change that critics describe as the health system caving into the "too posh to push" crowd.

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Cancer in high-risk patients reduced by aspirin

People with a genetic condition that puts them at increased risk of colon cancer may lower their chance of developing the disease by taking daily aspirin, a study suggests.

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UK scientists grow super broccoli

Popeye might want to consider switching to broccoli. British scientists unveiled a new breed of the vegetable that experts say packs a big nutritional punch.

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Largest study on cellphones, cancer finds no link

Danish researchers can offer some reassurance if you're concerned about your cellphone: Don't worry. Your device is probably safe.

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Study: High blood pressure ups birth defect risk

A new study suggests that high blood pressure during early pregnancy is what raises the risk of major birth defects — not the medicines used to control the condition, as previously thought.

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