The measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine does not cause autism in children according to the Office of Special Masters of the U.S. Court of Federal Claims. The court earned the nickname “vaccine court” because it is responsible for deciding the fate of all compensation claims relating to vaccine associated injuries.

After seeing three cases apparently linking the MMR jab/thimerosal and autism, the court has ruled that that there was no relation between either the vaccine or the preservative thimerosal, which is no longer widely used in vaccines, and the condition.

Taking multivitamins neither increases nor decreases the risk of cancer or cardiovascular disease in women, a study published in the February 2009 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine has shown.

Over 160,000 women from the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) took part in the study, nearly half of which used multivitamins on a regular basis.

A Canadian study has shown that people who sleep for an average of 7-9 hours per night are less likely to put on weight than those who have very little or lots of sleep.

The in depth study, which was published in the April 2008 issue of Sleep magazine, took a sample of 276 adults between the ages of 21 and 64.

A report by online journal BMC Cancer has said that children who eat cured meat like bacon, ham and sausages on a regular basis may be at more risk of developing leukaemia.

Foods such as bacon, ham and hot-dogs can increase leukaemia risk, while vegetables and soy may help to reduce risks of cancer.

A study of over 500 children and teenagers (with and without leukaemia) was carried out in Taiwan, and the results showed that those who regularly ate cured meats and fish had a 74% greater chance of developing leukaemia.

Treating children with steroids who are wheezing from an infection as opposed to asthma, does not work, a report has shown.

Using steroids to combat wheezing in children under 6 years old has been revealed to be ineffective, according to studies published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Steroids are often prescribed to children who are brought to doctors with wheezing problems, even if the diagnosis is a virus or infection.

The common cold has long baffled doctor's and scientists alike. Unlike many of the other common infections, there’s still no cure for it. There are steps we can take to help prevent it though. A recent study conducted at Pittsburgh's Carnegie Mellon University has suggested that the prevention of the common cold may rest in simply getting more sleep.

A recent Danish study looked at the influence of milk intake and milk constituents on intrauterine growth. Results revealed that higher intake of milk during pregnancy is associated with greater infant weight and length at birth.

The composition of milk differs widely between different species, but overall, milk is an excellent source saturated fat, protein, lactose (a type of sugar), calcium and vitamin C. Cow milk is by far the most commonly consumed type of milk in the western world and it contains many potentially growth-promoting factors.

A number of Irish hospitals have introduced visitor restrictions due to outbreaks of the so called winter vomiting bug. This is a particularly unpleasant and highly contagious Norovirus infection resulting in acute gastroenteritis within 12 to 48 hours after infection (good hand hygiene is crucial!).

Its signature symptoms are acute onset vomiting, watery diarrhoea, abdominal cramps, and nausea, often accompanied by myalgia, malaise and headache. Certainly not something you would want to suffer through if there was any way to avoid it. So what can we do if we find ourselves or our family members developing those symptoms? Not much according to most Irish doctors as it seems they are convinced there is no treatment for it outside of bed and rehydration. Luckily that’s not entirely true.

Women with a history of gestational diabetes may be at a greater risk of developing pancreatic cancer later in life, Dr. Mary C. Perrin and colleagues write in their report. To investigate possible correlation between gestational diabetes and pancreatic cancer, the research team looked at data of more than 37,000 Israeli mothers who gave birth between 1964 and 1976.

Sinusitis is an inflammation of the lining in the paranasal cavities (sinuses). This can lead to swelling and blockage, making breathing through the nose difficult. It can also cause frequent headaches, tenderness in the face and pain behind the eyes.