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

Canada to Ban Baby Bottles Made With Bisphenol
A

Canada has moved to ban plastic baby bottles containing bisphenol A
(BPA), a chemical widely used around the world in hundreds of household
items, food can linings, and eyeglass lenses, the Associated Press
reported Saturday.

The ban, which makes Canada the first country to classify the chemical
as toxic, takes effect six months after its health ministry labeled BPA as
dangerous. That report found BPA can leach from products into the
environment and into people, especially newborns and infants. BPA is used
in infant bottles, for example, to harden the plastic, making it more
shatterproof, according to AP.

Several U.S. states are considering restricting BPA use, and the U.S.
Food and Drug Administration is awaiting an independent risk assessment
from a scientific panel later this month, the wire service said. Both the
European Union and the FDA currently say the chemical is safe.

The Grocery Manufacturers Association, the world's largest trade group
representing makers of food, beverage and consumer products, said Canada's
action on BPA use was disproportional to the risk determined by public
health agencies, the AP reported. But advocates of a ban on BPA use
note that traces of the chemical can be found in more than 90 percent of
Americans, and that previous studies have linked it to cancer, heart
disease, obesity, reproductive and hormonal problems, and hyperactivity in
lab animals.

—–

Democratic Fundraiser Gets Unapproved Multiple
Myeloma Drug

Despite a drug maker's refusal to grant permission, a prominent
Democratic fundraiser is being treated with a drug that's unapproved to
treat multiple myeloma.

A “legal basis” was found that cleared the way for the drug Tysabri to
be given to 61-year-old Fred Baron, who has late-stage multiple myeloma,
his son Andrew Baron said in an email to the Associated Press. The
drug was obtained through the Mayo Clinic, which consulted with the U.S.
Food and Drug Administration.

Biogen Idec Inc, which makes Tysabri, didn't approve Baron's use of the
drug because the regulatory risks of giving him special access to the drug
are too great, said company spokeswoman Naomi Aoki.

Tysabri has been approved by the FDA to treat Crohn's disease or
multiple sclerosis. The drug's use to treat multiple myeloma is in the
early clinical trial stage, the AP reported.

—–

Psoriasis Drug Raptiva Gets Black Box Warning
on Infections

The psoriasis drug Raptiva must now carry a black box warning — the
most serious kind — about the risk of life-threatening infections,
including a rare brain infection called progressive multifocal
leukoencephalopathy (PML), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said
Thursday.

Earlier this week, California-based drug maker Genentech said a
70-year-old patient taking Raptiva died after developing PML. A Genentech
spokeswoman told Bloomberg news it was the only confirmed case of
PML in a patient taking Raptiva.

The black box warning also notes the risk of serious infections — such
as viral meningitis, bacterial blood infections and invasive fungal
disease — that have led to hospitalizations or deaths in patients taking
Raptiva. Previously, those warnings were listed in an unboxed section on
the drug's labeling.

Raptiva suppresses the immune system in order to reduce psoriasis
flare-ups, but this immune system suppression can increase the risk of
serious infections and malignancies in patients, the FDA said.

Genentech also added warnings of neurological conditions noted in
patients taking Raptiva, Bloomberg reported. The conditions include
Guillain-Barre syndrome, chronic inflammatory demyelinating
polyneuropathy, transverse myelitis, and facial palsy. Those warnings
won't be boxed.

—–

Recalled Cribs Pose Suffocation and Entrapment
Hazard

A suffocation and entrapment hazard that caused the death of a child
has prompted the recall of about 2,000 Playkids convertible cribs, the
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said Thursday. The sides of the
crib are made of mesh that expands, creating a gap between the mattress
and the side.

On Aug. 31, a 5-month-old child in Brooklyn, N.Y., became trapped
between the crib mattress and drop side rail and suffocated.

This recall involves made-in-China convertible
crib/playpen/bassinet/bed with model number PLK-909. “Playkids U.S.A.” can
be found on the packaging and on a label sewn into the side of the crib,
and the model number can be found on the packaging, the CPSC said. The
cribs have a drop side rail, a stationary side rail, a canopy assembly,
and a bassinet. The sides of the crib, the mattress support, the bassinet,
the canopy and the bedskirt are covered in fabric and mesh, which come in
a variety of colors and patterns.

The cribs were sold in juvenile product stores in New York from March
2007 through September 2008 for about $100. Consumers should stop using
these cribs and contact Playkids USA of Brooklyn, N.Y., at (718) 797-0302
to receive a full refund.

—–

'Stayin' Alive' May Help Save
Lives

The classic disco tune “Stayin' Alive” has almost the perfect beat for
people doing CPR chest compressions, according to University of Illinois
medical school researchers. The song has 103 beats per minute, while the
American Heart Association recommends 100 chest compressions per minute
for CPR.

In this study, 15 students and doctors first did CPR on mannequins
while listening to “Stayin' Alive.” They were told to time chest
compressions with the song's beat, the Associated Press reported.
Five weeks later, the same participants repeated the drill without the
music, but were told to play the famous Bee Gees song in their head, while
they did chest compressions.

The average number of compressions in the first session was 109 per
minute, and 113 per minute in the second session. That's more than
recommended by the AHA, but a few extra compressions are better than too
few when trying to restart a stopped heart, said study author Dr. David
Matlock, the AP reported.

He plans to present the study this month at an American College of
Emergency Physicians meeting.

—–

Social Security Benefits to Rise 5.8% in
2009

A 5.8 percent increase in Social Security benefits next year means the
average retiree will receive an additional $63 per month, the U.S.
government announced Thursday.

The increase, based on rises in the Consumer Price Index, is the
largest since a 7.4 percent boost in 1982 and more than double the 2.3
percent increase this year, the Associated Press reported.

More than 55 million Americans will benefit from next year's cost of
living increase, including more than 50 million on Social Security, and
others who receive Supplemental Security Income payments for the poor.

The typical monthly Social Security check for one person will go from
$1,090 to $1,153 per month, while the average couple receiving Social
Security benefits will see an increase of $103 a month to $1,876, the
AP reported.

A couple receiving the standard Supplemental Security Income payment
will go from $956 to $1,011 per month, while the monthly SSI payment for
an individual will go from $637 to $674 per month. The average monthly
check for a disabled worker will go from $1,006 to $1,064 per month.

TORONTO (AP) Canada declared a chemical widely used in food packaging a
toxic substance on Saturday and will now move to ban plastic baby bottles
containing bisphenol A.
The toxic classification, issued in the Canada Gazette, makes Canada the
first country to classify the chemical commonly used in the lining of food
cans, eyeglass lenses and hundreds of household items, as risky.
“Many Canadians…have expressed their concern to me about the risks of
bisphenol A in baby bottles,” Environment Minister John Baird said in a
statement. “Today's confirmation of our ban on BPA in baby bottles proves
that our government did the right thing in taking action to protect the
health and environment for all Canadians.”
Canada's announcement came six months after its health ministry labeled
BPA as dangerous. Health Minister Tony Clement said a report on bisphenol
A has found the chemical endangers people, particularly newborns and
infants, and the environment, citing concerns that the chemical in
polycarbonate products and epoxy linings can migrate into food and
beverages.
Baby bottles frequently contain BPA, used to harden plastic and make it
shatterproof.
Several U.S. states are considering restricting BPA use, some
manufacturers have begun promoting BPA-free baby bottles, and some stores
are phasing out baby products containing the chemical. Wal-Mart Canada and
other major retailers in Canada in recent months have begun removing
BPA-based food-related products such as baby bottles and sipping cups from
store shelves.
The scientific debate over BPA could drag on for years. The European Union
and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration say the chemical is safe.
However, the FDA is awaiting word from a scientific panel expected to
deliver an independent risk assessment later this month.
The chemicals industry maintains that polycarbonate bottles contain little
BPA and leach traces considered too low to harm humans.
Robert Brackett, chief science officer for the Grocery Manufacturers
Association, said Friday that Canada's precautionary action regarding the
use of BPA is disproportional to the risk determined by public health
agencies.
The biggest concern with this widely used chemical, traces of which can be
found in more than 90 percent of Americans, has been over BPA's possible
effects on reproductive development and hormone-related problems.