Reuters Health News Summary

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Men who eat yogurt may have lower colon cancer risk

Men who eat at least two servings a week of yogurt may be lowering their risk for colorectal cancer, a recent study suggests. Researchers examined data on 32,606 male and 55,743 female health professionals who had a colonoscopy between 1986 and 2012. Study participants provided detailed information about their health, lifestyle, eating and exercise habits every four years.

U.S. judge blocks Ohio 'heartbeat' law to end most abortions

A federal judge on Wednesday blocked Ohio from enforcing a new law that critics said would effectively ban most abortions in the state, starting as early as six weeks into pregnancy. U.S. District Judge Michael Barrett in Cincinnati issued a preliminary injunction against enforcing the "Heartbeat Protection Act," saying it imposed an unconstitutional "undue burden" on a woman's right to obtain a pre-viability abortion.

Men may be able to help partner's menopausal transition

Overall, men know the transition through menopause can bring difficult symptoms for their wife or partner and that there may be ways to ease some of them, a small survey suggests. But if men knew more about the symptoms and therapeutic options, they might feel less negatively affected by their partner's transition and be better able to help her decide on whether to seek treatment that could help, the study authors write in the medical journal Menopause.

Bulgaria confirms two cases of African swine fever

Bulgaria has confirmed two cases of African swine fever among backyard pigs in the village of Zhernov near the town of Pleven in the northern part of the country, the national food safety agency said. All pigs in Zhernov will be culled and a 3-kilometre quarantine zone will be established around the village, the agency said in a statement.

Breastfeeding relaxation therapy for mothers helps babies eat more

Mothers who get breastfeeding support that includes relaxation therapy may feel less stressed and have babies who eat and sleep more than women who don't get this extra help, a small experiment suggests. Many women struggle to breastfeed their babies even when they go to support groups or get one-on-one help from lactation specialists. Stress is often part of the problem, said Nurul Husna Mold Shukri, lead author of the study and an infant nutrition specialist at Universiti Putra Malaysia in Selangor.

China confirms new African swine fever outbreak in Guangxi

China's agriculture ministry said on Friday it had confirmed an African swine fever outbreak in Luchuan county in the southwestern region of Guangxi that killed nine pigs on a farm. China has reported 143 outbreaks of the incurable disease since August last year, and culled almost 1.2 million pigs.

GSK's HIV drug receives EU marketing nod

GlaxoSmithKline said its specialist HIV company had received marketing authorization from the European Commission for its drug to treat advanced stage HIV infections in adults and adolescents above the age of 12 and weighing at least 40 kg. ViiV Healthcare, which is majority owned by GSK and with Pfizer Inc and Shionogi Ltd as shareholders, got the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval for the treatment Dovato in April.

Soccer headgear may not reduce sport-related concussion

In season-long tests, soccer headgear didn't reduce the overall number or severity of concussions experienced by high school players, U.S. researchers say. Some of the five headgear models used in the trial, however, may have been better at reducing impact forces that lead to concussions, particularly among female players, the study authors report in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.

Sydney's city council reviews use of Bayer's Roundup weed killer amid cancer fears

Sydney's city council said on Friday it was reviewing its weed management, which included the use of Bayer AG's Roundup, after other councils in Australia began cutting ties with the product amid concerns about possible links to cancer. The council, which covers the city's business center, was "reviewing (its) weed management methods and investigating other technologies", a spokeswoman told Reuters in an email, a day after a strike by workers at a nearby council pressured it into trialing an alternative weedkiller.