Reuters Health News Summary

Following is a summary of current health news briefs. Fewer C-sections when low-risk deliveries handled by midwives

Low-risk pregnant women who deliver in a hospital and receive care from midwives have fewer interventions and fewer cesarean sections than similar women who receive care from obstetricians, a U.S. study finds. After analyzing more than 23,000 deliveries in 11 northwestern hospitals by women with no known medical complications or risk factors, researchers found that for births handled by a midwife, the C-section rate was 30% lower among first-time mothers and 40% lower among those who had previously given birth, compared to when women labored under the care of an OB-GYN. Sun, sand and vape waste: A new type of litter piles up on American beaches

When Mike Castellano patrols the beaches of the New Jersey Shore, he is no longer surprised to find discarded vape pens and spent "e-juice" cartridges scattered in the white sand. A volunteer with Surfrider Foundation, a non-profit group that picks up trash as part of its mission to protect marine environments, Castellano says vaping waste is a problem that has become progressively worse over the last six months. U.S. vaping-related deaths rise to 26, illnesses to 1,299

U.S. health officials on Thursday reported 26 deaths and 1,299 confirmed and probable cases so far from a mysterious respiratory illness tied to vaping. Last week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported 1,080 cases and 18 deaths from the illness. Trump EPA proposes overhaul of lead in drinking water rule, critics call plan weak

The Trump administration on Thursday proposed retooling a 1991 rule on lead and cooper contamination in drinking water, but critics said the change slows by 20 years the timeline for removing aging lead service lines that could expose children to a toxin known to harm developing brains. Andrew Wheeler, the Environmental Protection Agency chief, said at an event in Wisconsin that the plan would "ensure all Americans have access to clean drinking water." U.S. appeals court will not disqualify judge in opioid cases or delay trial

A federal appeals court on Thursday cleared the way for a landmark trial over the nation's opioid crisis, rejecting a bid by eight drug retailers and distributors to disqualify the judge, and a request by Ohio and other U.S. states to delay an Oct. 21 trial. The 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati said U.S. District Judge Dan Polster, who oversees nationwide opioid litigation, had not created an appearance of bias against the drug industry through his rulings, public statements, and efforts to encourage settlements. Congo's Ebola outbreak slows but still entrenched in insecure areas: WHO

The Ebola epidemic in northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo has been confined to a rural area rife with militias and people on the move, making it harder to stamp out altogether, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Thursday. Only 14 confirmed infections were reported last week, the lowest in a year and down from 51 in mid-September and 126 in April at the peak of the outbreak, WHO figures show. OxyContin maker Purdue begins showdown to halt opioid lawsuits

OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma LP will ask a U.S. Bankruptcy Judge on Friday to pause litigation against the company and its owners over the objections of U.S. states that allege the company is trying to protect the controlling Sackler family. Purdue's request promises to be one of the most contentious of the company's Chapter 11 bankruptcy case, which was filed in September to try to implement a settlement proposal it values at more than $10 billion. Unpredictable income may be bad for brain health

Young adults who don't earn the same amount of money from year to year, or who weather substantial pay cuts, do worse on brain health assessments in midlife compared to those with steady income, a recent study suggests. Researchers collected income data over two decades for 3,287 adults, starting in 1990 when they were 23 to 35 years old. They assessed income volatility based on how much earnings rose or fell from one year to the next, and also tallied how many times participants' income dropped by at least 25%. New transplant research aims to salvage infected donated organs

Retired subway and bus driver Stanley De Freitas had just celebrated his 70th birthday when he started coughing, tiring easily and feeling short of breath. He was diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis, a severe scarring of the lungs, and put on the wait list for a transplant. "Life became unbearable. From the time I got up in the morning until when I went to bed at night, I struggled through every breath of air," De Freitas, now 74, told Reuters by phone from his home in Toronto. U.S. judge urges parties to wisely use Purdue opioid settlement funds

A U.S. bankruptcy judge on Thursday urged parties that will benefit from a proposed settlement with OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma LP to focus on addressing the opioid addiction crisis and avoid battling over the deal's billions of dollars. The outline of a proposed settlement that Purdue values at more than $10 billion was filed in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in White Plains, New York on Tuesday.