Pain in childbirth 'a good thing'
The pain of childbirth may have benefits which women who opt for epidurals miss out on, a leading male midwife has said.

UK swine flu death toll hits 16
A patient in London dies after contracting swine flu, bringing the UK toll to 16.

A few drinks 'cuts dementia risk'
Older people who drink moderate amounts of alcohol may have a lower risk of dementia, a US study suggests.

Patient helps pioneer CyberKnife
A man from Jersey becomes one of the first people in the UK to undergo an advanced form of treatment for pancreatic cancer.

Slow blood flow 'hampers statins'
Slow blood flow in areas of the body's arteries may reduce the protective effect of statins, research suggests.

Obesity health risk cause 'found'
Scientists believe they may have uncovered a key reason why obese people have a raised risk of health complications.

Cough find sparks treatment hope
Scientists have discovered a protein molecule on the surface of nerve cells that makes us cough when irritated.

Proof mounts on restricted diet
Cutting calories may delay the ageing process and reduce the risk of disease, a long-term study of monkeys suggests.

Aargh @*%!!!. Scientists say swearing helps reduce pain
Cursing is an effective way to cope with pain, research suggests.

Why private gene testing companies must be controlled
Why private gene testing companies must be controlled

Scarless surgery
'My kidney was removed through my navel'

Hip problems
'If they picked it up earlier she wouldn't have needed an op'

Kidney disease
'My mum dragged me in for screening and I'm so lucky'

'Lower' Asian obesity threshold
The threshold for being overweight and obese should be lowered for British Asians, experts say.

Third of breast cancer 'harmless'
One in three breast cancers detected by screening may actually be harmless, researchers suggest.

Botched op footballer's wife dies
The wife of former Scotland footballer Colin Hendry dies in hospital in Salford after battling a serious infection.

Common cancer deaths 'falling'
The number of people dying from three of the most common cancers has fallen to its lowest level in nearly 40 years.

Concern over Ebola virus in pigs
A form of Ebola virus has been detected in pigs for the first time, raising concerns it could mutate and pose a new risk to humans.

Non-emergency number mulled
A new non-emergency 111 NHS number could be introduced across England, it has been announced.

Tests raise life extension hopes
A compound discovered in the soil of a South Pacific island may help to fight the ageing process, research suggests.

'Services fail' on Parkinson's
Some Parkinson's disease patients go for years without seeing a specialist doctor or nurse, a report suggests.

Cancer: The facts
Information and statistics on common types of cancer

Pregnancy timeline
A week by week guide to pregnancy taking in how the baby develops, changes to the mother and key scan dates.