Researchers have revealed that the consumption of folic acid and folic acid supplements in early pregnancy significantly reduces the risk of cleft lip and cleft palate in the babies.

Earlier research has suggested that folic acid may prevent defects of the neural tube like spina bifida in newborns, but the new study indicated that women may reduce the risk of clefts by taking just 400 micrograms of folic acid a day.

The researchers looked at 1,336 infants born between 1996 and 2000 in Norway and identified 377 born with cleft lip, 196 with cleft palate only, and 763 healthy babies.

The mothers were asked to fill in a questionnaire regarding their dietary habits during the first three months of pregnancy. Folic acid supplements if consumed were also noted down.

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The risk of people getting contracted with skin cancer due to the usage of sun beds to acquire a tan has increased by more than three times in the last 10 years, a study said.

Led by Dr Harry Moseley of Ninewells Hospital, Dundee, the study said that over 83 percent of the sun beds have an output which is far more than the maximum safety guidelines imposed by the British government and the EU. The study also added that over 30 percent of new unregulated and privately operated sunbeds have been started and the UV radiation emitted by the lamps were twice as much from 10 years ago.

Speaking to The Times, Dr Moseley said, “The risk of developing skin cancer from sunbed use is now on average between two and three times that which it was a decade ago. We found that the number of privately operated sunbeds had increased by 30 per cent in that time, and despite local authorities withdrawing them from sports centres, the number increased overall by 15 per cent."

He added that 10 years ago, the amount of UV radiation emitted by the lamps were comparable to what was experienced in Britain. However latest sunbed lamps emit UV radiation equivalent to sunlight in the Mediterranean. "Although exposure to sunlight is the main cause of skin cancer, sunbeds ten years ago produced UV levels comparable to what you might get in the UK on a summer’s day. Now they are more like the Mediterranean", he said.

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British pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline Inc had distorted clinical results of its antidepressant Seroxat which causes suicidal tendencies in teenagers who were prescribed with the tablet, a BBC investigation said.

BBC's investigative program, Panorama reveals that GSK tried to pass off the drug saying that it works on teenagers even when clinical trials showed contrary results. The BBC also added that the company used "ghost writers" in order to influence independent academics during the trials.

At least 50,000 British teenagers were prescribed the drug before it was banned for patients less than 18 years in 2003. The BBC expose reveals that GSK officials had concerns about the drug even before it was released into the market. The matter came to light when a number of bereaved families in US lodged a lawsuit case against GSK.

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An independent review by the Healthcare Commission has revealed that though complaints of safety lapses during the handling of patients are common, NHS bosses are not learning from the mistakes.

The report says that over 100,000 complaints are made by patients every year, with over 8,000 of them reviewed by the Healthcare Commission. The report added that during the period of two years from 2004, roughly 3,500 of the 16,000 complaints dealt with safety lapses including a serious mistake by the authorities in the treatment of a woman with a hemorrhage following childbirth who nearly died.

Over 50 percent of the complaints dealt with the behavior of the hospital authorities in the event of death of a patient where the families were shown wrong bodies and were treated insensitively. Other complaints include the sudden removal of patients from GPs patient lists without any explanation.

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