(Reuters) - Baxter International Inc said a late-stage study of its experimental drug to treat Alzheimer's disease failed to reduce the decline of cognitive functions and preserve functional abilities. The trial showed that after 18 months of treatment, patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease taking Baxter's immunoglobulin treatment did not show a statistically significant difference in the rate of cognitive decline compared to a placebo.

By Genevra Pittman NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Toddlers are less likely to have asthma and itchy rashes if their parents "cleaned" their pacifiers by sucking on them when the kids were infants, a small new study suggests. The findings don't prove that technique protects kids against asthma, eczema or other allergies. But researchers said it's possible the transfer of mouth microbes from parents to baby may help boost the bacterial diversity of the young child's digestive system and foster immunity.

By Andrew M. Seaman NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Programs that attempt to encourage or force hospital doctors to cut back on prescribing antibiotics achieve that goal and help reduce the number of dangerous drug-resistant bacteria, says a review of past research.

By Kerry Grens NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Many more breast cancer patients had breast reconstruction following a 1998 federal law mandating insurance coverage for the procedure, according to a new study. "I think it's the first large-scale study that shows that, slowly, legislation like the Women's Health and Cancer Rights Act is having an effect," said Dr. Evan Garfein, a plastic surgeon who has helped to draft a New York law aimed at improving access to breast reconstruction but who was not involved in the new research.