Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by editors of HealthDay:

Anemia Drug Boosts Cancer Patient Death Risk

A study concludes that the anemia drug Aransep increased the risk of death in patients with active cancer (not in remission), the drug's maker, Amgen, said Thursday.

Aransep is currently approved in the United States to treat cancer patients with anemia caused by chemotherapy or radiation treatment, but not anemia caused by cancer itself. Even so, doctors do use it off-label for that purpose, The New York Times reported.

This study, which included 1,000 patients with active cancer who were not receiving chemotherapy or radiation treatment, was designed to determine if Aransep could reduce the need for blood transfusions, which are frequently required by people with anemia.

The drug did not reduce the need for transfusions and, by the end of 16 weeks, there was a statistically significant increase in the number of deaths among patients taking the drug, The Times reported.

In this group of patients the "risk/benefit ratio for Aransep use is at best neutral and perhaps negative," said a news release issued by Amgen. The company did not provide any numerical results from the study.

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FDA Panel Approves Combination Vaccine for Children

Pentacel, a combination vaccine for five childhood diseases that would reduce the number of shots given to infants, received the approval of a U.S. Food and Drug Administration advisory panel on Thursday.

The vaccine, which protects against diphtheria, tetanus, polio, whooping cough and invasive Hib disease, is made by Sanofi-Aventis SA.

The 13 to 2 vote in favor of the vaccine was based on studies that showed that four doses of Pentacel protected children from these diseases. Currently, U.S. health officials recommend 23 separate shots for infants. Pentacel would reduce that to 16 shots -- about two fewer at every checkup, Bloomberg News reported.

The advisory committee said that Pentacel appeared to work at least as well as individual vaccines designed to protect against the five diseases. They also said that reducing the number of shots may help improve immunization rates.

It's expected that the FDA will decide by March 9 whether to act on the advisory committees' recommendation and approve Pentacel, Bloomberg reported. While the FDA isn't required to follow its committees' advice, it usually does so.

Currently, the only five-component childhood vaccine available in the U.S. is Pediarix, made by GlaxoSmithKline. It's similar to Pentacel, but protects against hepatitis B instead Hib.

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Extreme Stress During Pregnancy May Harm Fetal Brain

Extreme stress during pregnancy -- such as serious arguments or domestic abuse -- may cause harm to the fetal brain and put babies at increased risk for mental and behavioral problems such as attention deficit hyperactivity (ADHD), say U.K. researchers.

This damage is likely caused by high levels of the stress hormone cortisol in the amniotic fluid that surrounds the fetus in the womb, said Professor Vivette Glover of Imperial College London.

She found that 18-month-old infants who were exposed to the highest levels of cortisol during development had lower IQs and were more likely to be anxious and fearful than other infants, BBC News reported.

The research was presented at a conference of the Royal College of Psychiatrists.

Pregnant women should not be "unduly concerned," by the findings, Dr. David Coghill, senior lecturer and honorary consultant in child and adolescent psychiatry at the University of Dundee, told BBC News.

He said the harmful effects noted in the study are caused by "extremely high levels of stress and distress."

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Indonesia Reports Sixth Bird Flu Death This Year

Indonesian officials announced Thursday that a young girl has died of bird flu, making her the country's sixth victim of the H5N1 virus so far this year and the 63rd since 2005, Agence France Presse reported.

The eight-year-old girl from central Java died on January 19. Laboratory tests confirmed she died of infection with the H5N1 strain.

Indonesia has been hardest hit by a recent resurgence of bird flu that's also seen outbreaks in Vietnam, Thailand, South Korea and Japan, AFP reported.

Most of the human cases of bird flu in Indonesia were the result of close contact with infected poultry. Measures being taken by the Indonesian government to fight bird flu include a plan to eventually ban backyard poultry everywhere in the country.

Experts fear that the H5N1 virus could mutate into a form that's easily transmitted between humans, resulting in a pandemic that could kill millions, AFP reported.

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Squirrel Hunters in N.J. Town Warned About Lead Threat

Squirrel hunters and others in Ringwood, N.J. should limit their consumption of the animals because they may be contaminated with lead from a toxic waste dump, say state officials.

During the 1960s and early 1970s, the Ford Motor Co. dumped toxic waste, including paint sludge, in the area. The company is currently removing tons of waste from a 500-acre former mining property there, the Associated Press reported.

Many residents of Ringwood are members of the Ramapough Mountain Indian tribe who hunt and fish in the region.

About two months ago, a lead-contaminated squirrel was found in the area. That prompted the state Department of Health and Senior Services and the Department of Environmental Protection to send out warning letters that advise adults to eat squirrel no more than twice a week. Pregnant women and children should eat even less, the AP reported.

Lead can damage the kidneys, nervous system, and red blood cell production.

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Many Dangerous Distractions for Teen Drivers: Study

More and more American teens face driving distractions that contribute to thousands of fatal crashes each year, concludes a study by the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and State Farm Insurance Co.

Distractions include cell phones, passengers, fatigue, or worries about grades or relationships, the Associated Press reported.

The study, released Thursday, did find that teens are heeding warnings about the dangers of driving while under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

Researchers surveyed more than 5,600 high school students in 2006. The teens were asked about the types of unsafe things that happen when their peers drive, the AP reported.

The study found that 90 percent of the teens said they rarely or ever drive after using alcohol or drugs. But the same percentage reported seeing peers talk on cell phones while driving and more than 50 percent said they'd seen peers use hand-held video games, listening devices, or send text messages while driving.

In addition, about 75 percent of the teens said they'd seen peers driving while tired or dealing with strong emotions, such as concerns about relationships or grades, the AP reported. More than 90 percent said they'd seen other teens speed and about 50 percent said they sometimes drive at least 10 mph over the speed limit.

U.S. teens have a traffic fatality rate four times higher than drivers aged 25 to 69, based on miles driven, according to U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data. In 2005, about 5,600 American teens were killed in traffic crashes and about 7,500 were driving cars involved in fatal crashes.

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