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(March of Dimes Foundation) An analysis of nearly 7 million US live births found that about 8 percent of babies born preterm had a birth defect -- more than twice the rate as full-term infants. Birth defects and preterm birth are the leading causes of infant death

Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer said yesterday that his department wants to ban all "downer" cattle from the slaughterhouse to boost public confidence in the safety of the nation's food supply.

The kind of cancer that Sen. Edward M. Kennedy is fighting is a common, highly lethal form of brain tumor that is very difficult to treat, experts said yesterday.

Pizza appeals to all ages. It's a one-dish wonder that can make dinner a snap. But the very ingredients that make pizza so tasty often pack artery-clogging saturated fat, lots of salt and plenty of calories.

Parents today are more likely to let children snack on yogurt than cookies, according to NPD Market Research, which tracks national food trends. Yogurt packs calcium and "friendly" bacteria that might bolster digestive health.

Bad: One in four Americans eats fast food at least once a day.

As the country faces a critical shortage of health care workers to meet the needs of millions of aging baby boomers, researchers and clinicians at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston are rising to the challenge by training and educating those who will be on the front lines of care.

Parliament voted to keep the legal limit on abortion at 24 weeks, disappointing campaigners who had sought to lower the limit.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Premature babies born in the United States are more than twice as likely to have a major birth defect than full-term infants, with the risk even higher among very pre-term babies, researchers said on Wednesday.

Three journalists have been awarded Nieman Fellowships in Global health Reporting for the 2008-2009 academic year.