Jennifer Niebyl, M.D.
WIS-TV (Columbia, S.C.)

Fresh coffee is a great way to start the day for many Americans, but during Stephanie Rosazza's last pregnancy, coffee was pure torture: "I couldn't even stand the smell of it." The South Carolina TV news report noted that Rosazza&emdash;a patient of Niebyl's&emdash;was suffering from morning sickness (a condition that afflicts as many as 90 percent of pregnant women). "I was so sick that I couldn't even get out of bed to brush my teeth." She says anti-nausea medicines didn't work then, so this time around Niebyl recommended something different, a combination of Vitamin B6 and an over-the-counter sleeping tablet called Unisom. "This particular combination of drugs has been thoroughly tested," said Niebyl, an obstetrician-gynecologist. "The risk of birth defects is identical in the women who take the drug and the ones who don't."

Jack Stapleton, M.D.
Multiple media outlets nationwide

University of Iowa researchers think they've figured out why a seemingly harmless viral infection helps extend the lives of people with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. The viral infection appears to prime the immune system, helping to prevent HIV from successfully attacking white-blood cells, according to the newspaper, which cited UI research. "The next thing we have to do is determine a way to mimic the effect of this virus and learn how to make it persist, so it can continue to induce these changes in the cell that help HIV," said Stapleton, the study's co-author.

Phyllis Stumbo
Tucson Citizen

A recent study from the Institute of Medicine reports that coffee, tea, milk, fruit juice and even soft drinks can be tallied into your total water intake. According to the study, about 80 percent of total water intake came from drinking water and beverages and 20 percent came from food. The study's recommendations are for healthy, sedentary people in temperate climates. Prolonged physical activity and heat exposure will increase water loss. That means people in those situations might need to up their daily fluid intake. Children also are more vulnerable to dehydration, says Stumbo, a UI research nutritionist. "It's certainly safe to say, 'Drink another glass of water. It won't hurt you.'"

Stuart Weinstein, M.D.
Newsweek

Breaking a bone is almost a childhood ritual. So is getting signatures on your cast-and keeping it dry. Because bacteria thrive on moisture, wetness can lead to a serious infection. To help keep the cast dry, use a sturdy bag and fasten it with duct tape or rubber bands. But doctors still discourage kids from getting soaked. "No child's life is going to be ruined by a short time not being in the water," says Weinstein, a pediatric orthopedic surgeon at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics.