FDA Consumer Magazine -- July/August 1989
Table of Contents

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In Day-Care Centers, Cleanliness Is a Must
Dirty diapers in day-care centers can be more than just a nuisance if center staff don't follow commonsense rules for good hygiene and sanitation. As Commissioner Young explains, carelessness can lead not just to diarrhea in the center, but to serious health problems in the whole community.

The Cyanide Scare: A Tale of Two Grapes
A threatening phone call in Santiago, Chile, set in motion the biggest food safety investigation in FDA's history. In less than three weeks' time, nearly 8 million cases of Chilean fruit were examined for cyanide tampering. No one was injured, and in the end, the system worked.

Mumps Makes a Comeback
With the institution of mumps vaccination programs in the late 1970s, cases of the disease declined steadily for several years. but this so-called "childhood disease" is coming back, only to a different age group -- primarily young adults.

The Puzzling Picture of Multiple Sclerosis
When nerves in the brain and spinal column lose their protective coating, the effects may show up as numbness, double vision, paralysis, or pain. The condition is called multiple sclerosis, and scientists are piecing together new clues about what causes this debilitating, still incurable disease.

Top 10 Laboratory Tests: Blood Will Tell
What does that blood sample say about the state of your health? To a trained expert -- or a sophisticated machine -- it may signal anything from a minor infection to a heart attack, or a myriad of problems in between. No wonder blood "chemistries" top the list of the most frequently performed lab tests.

What Can Be Done When the Pain Won't Go Away?
Pain isn't always bad -- it can alert us that something is wrong with our bodies. From the sharp stab of a cut finger to the dull ache of weary muscles, pain sends a message. But when persistent pain serves only to torment us, we need help. Here's a look at what's available and what's on the horizon.

(Hypertext updated by clb March 16, 1998)