Brazil's Supreme Court ruled Thursday that scientists can conduct research using embryonic stem cells. Turning down a petition filed against it, the country's highest court upheld a 2005 law allowing embryonic stem cell research for finding cures of new diseases.

Embryonic stem cell research is used for curing Parkinson's disease and diabetes but many ethical groups were against its approval, saying it violates the right to life.While six of the court's 11 justices upheld the law, the remaining five judges argued that research should only be carried out "with restrictions

Canada's government is likely to declare as toxic a chemical compound found in plastics containers such as baby bottles, food and beverages and even plastic lining for canned goods.

The announcement was made by Health Canada Wednesday. Canada maybe the first country to warn the public against this new study

A recent study concluded that prematurely born children prove to have higher risks of infant deaths, and lower fertility rates as adults. These findings generally point to the conclusion that premature babies bear more complications later on in life than previously expected.

The researchers at Duke University gathered their findings from an experiment involving 1.16 million births in Norway between 1967 and 1988. Of this number, 5.2 percent, or 60,354, were deemed to be premature births, being born up to 37 of the 40 normal weeks after conception

Infants born prematurely have higher death rates in childhood and, if they survive, much less likely to have children of their own in adulthood, according to the largest study of prematurity ever undertaken.

The study, conducted using Norwegian birth data, raises questions about future risks for even tinier babies saved today by modern medicine. Previous studies have shown that premature infants faced many neurological and developmental problems, but the new findings to be reported Wednesday indicate that the problems persist throughout the child's lifetime

Low levels of the nutrient folate in the diet of healthy men has been linked to higher rates of chromosomal abnormalities in their sperm. Folate, also protective against birth defects, is found in leafy green vegetables, fruit and legumes.

The study, by the University of California, Berkeley, is featured in the journal Human Reproduction. Women of childbearing age are encouraged to maintain adequate levels of folate in their diet to have healthy eggs