Pregnant women who take acid-suppressing medications called proton-pump inhibitors  are not at an increased risk of having babies with birth defects, according to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine. However, an epidemiologist from Boston University School of Medicine, in an accompanying editorial, calls the results "reassuring" but "far from definitive."

"There's no evidence that they do any harm, but we don't yet have as much safety evidence as we would like," said Boston University's Dr. Allen Mitchell. "Unlike experimental studies, a single observational study can't provide definitive results."

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Women who have epilepsy have always faced a dilemma when it came to having babies.  It's a difficult balancing act between taking antiepileptic drugs, known as AEDs, during their pregnancy and protecting their unborn children from the risks associated with the medication, like birth defects and adverse cognitive effects.  That balancing act continues for new mothers who want to breastfeed but worry about continuing to expose their infants to their medication.

Now a study in the journal Neurology takes some of that worry away.  According to the research, breastfeeding while taking antiepileptic medication is not associated with an increased risk of adverse events.  Researchers enrolled 195 pregnant women from around the country.  Each woman took one of four popular antiepileptic medications throughout her pregnancy: Carbamazepine, lamotrigine, phenytoin, or valproate.  Nearly half of those women went on to breastfeed their newborns.  Once each child reached the age of three, researchers tested their IQ.

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Every weekday, a CNNHealth expert doctor answers a viewer question. On Wednesdays, it's Dr. Otis Brawley, chief medical officer at the American Cancer Society.

Question asked by by John E. Gault, Whiting, New Jersey

If, during a cardiac catheterization procedure, the doctor determines that more than one stent is required to open one or more partially closed coronary arteries, can multiple stents be inserted in the same procedure or are multiple procedures required to insert multiple stents? Also, are coated stents more effective and do they last longer at preventing the artery from closing than bare or otherwise untreated stents? There is a lot of confusion out there on these two important points. Thank you! FULL POST

An alarming number of treatable cancers are diagnosed at late stages, despite widely available and effective screenings, says a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The report, released Tuesday, found that over half of all colorectal cancers and cervical cancers and a third of breast cancers were diagnosed in the later stages.

"This report causes concern because so many preventable cancers are not being diagnosed when treatment is most effective," said CDC's Dr. Marcus Plescia in a statement.

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