Health Highlights: April 27, 2009

ByABC News
April 27, 2009, 5:13 PM

April 28 -- Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by editors of HealthDay:

Group Wants New Term for Shaken Baby Syndrome

Instead of "shaken baby syndrome," doctors should use the term "abusive head trauma," says a new American Academy of Pediatrics policy statement.

The group said the new diagnostic term is a more comprehensive diagnosis for brain, skull and spinal injuries caused by severe shaking and other forms of abuse, the Associated Press reported.

The new term should be used in medical records, and it may provide more clarity in legal cases, the academy said in the new policy statement, which is being published in the May issue of the journal Pediatrics.

Physicians should watch for signs of head trauma in infants that could be caused by abusive shaking and need to teach parents safe ways to calm upset babies and how to avoid shaking, the policy recommends, the AP reported.

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Firms Halt Nexavar Skin Cancer Study

A late-stage study of the drug Nexavar in skin cancer patients has been halted, because the drug wasn't extending patients' overall survival rate, said California-based Onyx Pharmaceuticals Inc. and partner Bayer.

An independent data monitoring committee determined the drug wouldn't meet the study's treatment goal of improved overall survival in patients, the Associated Press reported.

The companies said they'll look more closely at the results of the skin cancer study to determine if its data has any impact on other ongoing studies of Nexavar.

Nexavar is currently approved to treat liver and advanced kidney cancer, the AP reported.

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Alfalfa Sprouts Linked to Salmonella Outbreak: FDA

U.S. consumers should avoid raw alfalfa sprouts because they've been linked to a Salmonella Saintpaul outbreak in six states, says the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Other types of sprouts are considered safe.

The agency said infected alfalfa seeds, sold nationwide, are believed to be the cause of 31 cases of Salmonella Saintpaul in Michigan, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Utah and West Virginia, USA Today reported. There have been no deaths.