Health roundup: IVF treatments linked to birth defects

Your Monday morning health roundup:

IVF and birth defects: While the great majority of babies born after in vitro fertilization are healthy, they are somewhat more likely than naturally conceived babies to have birth defects, a new study finds. The study, which was presented at a meeting of the American Academy of Pediatrics, is in line with other studies that have suggested a modest increase in risk. Experts are not sure if the risk is related to the procedures or to the health conditions that lead prospective parents to seek treatment. (HealthDay)

Kids and flu deaths: When children die from flu, they often die quickly, says a new analysis, also presented at the pediatrics meeting. The 829 U.S. children who died of flu between 2004 and spring of 2012 typically died less than a week after symptoms began. Kids who were previously healthy tended to die even more quickly than children with underlying medical conditions, said a researcher from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (MedPage Today)

Medical devices and hackers: It's bad enough that we have to worry about criminals hacking into our computers. Now a government report suggests that there's a danger that bad guys could fiddle with defibrillators, insulin pumps and other implanted medical devices that use wireless communication. But security measures might make the devices inaccessible to medical personnel in an emergency, the report says. (NBC News)

Today's talker: Are some fertility clinics raffling off babies? Not exactly. But, in what has become a common promotional stunt, many are holding contests among prospective parents and awarding winners a free round of treatment. Medical ethicists "worry that the contests exploit vulnerable people and trivialize human conception," the New York Times reports. Clinics get publicity and a chance to build lists of potential clients. Patients get a chance at saving up to $15,000 -- and many say they are glad to play along.