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Attention, chocolate lovers: You may not be able to help yourselves. Swiss and British scientists have linked the widespread love of chocolate to a chemical "signature" that may be programmed into our metabolic systems.
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Health Tip: Amniocentesis Can Identify Birth Defects

(HealthDay News) -- Amniocentesis is a diagnostic procedure in which a needle is inserted into the abdomen of a pregnant woman, entering the uterus.

The U.S. National Library of Medicine says the needle withdraws a small amount of uterine fluid, which can be tested for signs of the following birth defects:

Down syndrome and other chromosomal disorders.
Spina bifida, anencephaly (partial brain formation), and other structural birth defects.
Infection.
Rh incompatibility.
Lung immaturity.

-- Diana Kohnle

Last Updated: March 28, 2007