�鶹Ů��

Last week, the Food and Drug Administration effectively banned the antibacterial chemical triclosan from soaps. But you can you still find it in your toothpaste. That’s because the best-selling toothpaste brand, Colgate Total, convinced the F.D.A. that the benefit of triclosan in toothpaste outweighs any risks. (Saint Louis, 9/7)

Your very first moments of life can influence your risk of obesity for years, a new study shows. Babies delivered via caesarean section were 15% more likely to be obese as kids, teens and young adults than were babies who made the trip through the birth canal, according to the report Wednesday in JAMA Pediatrics. The risk associated with a C-section was even greater for babies whose mothers had no apparent medical need for the procedure. Compared with babies born vaginally, these babies were 30% more likely to be obese between the ages of 9 and 28, the study found. (Kaplan, 9/6)

One of the most spectacular feats of such creatures as bats, bees and snakes is hibernation. For months at a time, these animals essentially go into power-save mode. Their temperature drops, metabolism slows down and oxygen consumption is limited to minimal levels. This basic adaptation helps them survive the harshest of environmental conditions. A new study raises the extraordinary possibility that humans may be able to put themselves into a kind of hibernation state as well — but in a way that hurts us rather than helps us. (Cha, 9/6)

Saline nose spray is becoming increasingly popular as a treatment for allergies and sinus problems. And a study suggests the cheap, simple solution helps with severe nosebleeds, too. Two studies published Tuesday in JAMA, the journal of the American Medical Association, used saline nose spray as a control when testing medications to treat severe nosebleeds caused by a rare genetic condition. (Shute, 9/6)