(January 15, 2009 - Insidermedicine) From Boston - According to research in the New England Journal of Medicine, introducing a Surgical Patient Safety Checklist can reduce deaths and complications from surgery. In an international study of eight hospitals and about 7,700 patients, researchers found that introducing a safety checklist reduced the rate of death from 1.5% to 0.8%. Furthermore, the rate of inpatient complications was reduced from 11% to 7%.

From Calgary - According to research in the Journal of Physiology, there is a connection between childhood diet and the future risk of becoming obese. In a study of rats, researchers found that those fed a protein-heavy diet in their youth gained more weight when fed a high-sugar, high-fat diet in adulthood than rats who had been fed a high fiber diet at a young age. The researchers suggest that a high fiber diet causes an increase in the activity of a gene that controls the release of hormones that make one feel full.

And finally, back to Boston - According to a study in the New England Journal of Medicine, in vitro fertilization may reverse infertility in younger couples. In a study of over 6,000 women, researchers found that those younger than 35 who had undergone six cycles of IVF had cumulative live birth rates between 65% and 86%, which is similar to rates reported in the general population. However, IVF did not seem to reverse the age-dependent decline in fertility after age 40.

For Insidermedicine in 60, I'm Dr. Susan Sharma.