Health Highlights: Oct. 26, 2008

A Carter company manager in Atlanta, would not comment to theAPon whether any of the rashes were serious enough to cause hospitalization.

Carter's has established a consumer phone number to answer questions: 888-282-4674

-----

New Test Checks Embryos for 15,000 Inherited Diseases

British researchers say they've developed a gene mapping test that,within a matter of weeks, can determine whether an embryo is affected by any one of 15,000 inherited diseases. Current tests focus on a specific genemutation or can take much longer to provide results.

For the new test, a single cell is taken from an 8-day-old embryo.DNA samples are then collected from the parents and their parents. In many cases, a DNA sample is taken from another member of the family, such as achild affected by an inherited disease,BBC Newsreported.

All the family members' DNA is analyzed for 300,000 specific DNA markers, creating a map of the family's genetics, said Prof. Alan Handyside and colleagues at London's Bridge Center, who are currently conducting trials of the gene-mapping test.

"The effectiveness and efficiency of the procedure is quite exciting, andthe fact that it's quicker means it could be helpful to couples at risk ofinherited diseases -- and that in itself is significant," Dr. Mark Hamilton, chairman of the British Fertility Society, toldBBC News.

-----

Sales of Anti-Obesity Drug Acomplia Suspended in Europe

Hours after European health authorities warned doctors to stop prescribing the anti-obesity drug Acomplia (rimonabant), the drug's maker announced Thursday that it was suspending European sales, theAssociated Pressreported.

Earlier, the European Medicines Agency (EMEA) warned that patients who took the drug had approximately twice the risk of serious psychiatric problems.

Maker Sanofi-Aventis said Acomplia has been sold in 18 European Union countries since 2006. The company said it would immediately begin talks with nations outside the EU to suspend sales in those countries as well, theAPreported.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration last year refused to approve the drug, citing company studies that associated it with depression, anxiety and stress disorders.

In its warning Thursday, the EMEA said people taking the drug didn't need to immediately stop using it, but should consult their doctor. It also urged physicians to review the cases of anyone taking the drug.

There have been ongoing concerns about the risks of depression andsuicide among patients taking Acomplia. Last year, the EMEA said the drug may be unsafe for patients also taking antidepressants,BBC Newsreported.

At that time, doctors were also advised not to give the drug topeople with a history of major depression, and to watch for new symptoms of depression in people already taking the drug.

Between June and August 2008,BBC Newsreported, there were five suicides among clinical trial participants taking the drug, compared to one suicide among participants taking a placebo.