A 28-year-old Israeli woman has given birth to a baby girl after a successful ovarian tissue transplant.

Sagit Hechler had ovarian tissue removed from her body and cryopreserved before undergoing chemotherapy for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

The birth, which took place at Sheba Medical Centre near Tel Aviv, will feature in the 21 July edition of the New England Journal of Medicine.

[British Medical Journal, 9 July ] The World Health Organisation has put two abortion drugs, mifepristone and misoprostol, on its list of essential medicines.

Hans Hogerzeil, director of medicines policy and standards at WHO said: "The inclusion of these drugs to the essential drug list is a real addition to the therapeutic alternatives for women who have to undergo abortion, especially in developing countries where surgical facilities are less easily available."

[British Medical Journal, 9 July ] "Perhaps WHO could explain how encouraging DIY abortions constitutes a 'therapeutic' answer to women facing crisis pregnancies?" a spokeswoman for SPUC asked. "It is a scandal that drugs that will end innocent lives and put women at risk have been added to the WHO list of 'essential' drugs whilst an antiretroviral drug to treat AIDS has not been added. "

A study conducted in Sweden has suggested that pregnant women who are obese during the first trimester of pregnancy have an increased likelihood of having a baby with a cleft lip or palate.

Drs Marie Cedergren and Bengt Kallen found a 30% increased risk of obese women having a baby with an orofacial cleft compared with those of normal weight.

[Reuters, 7 July ] The Catholic Church has produced a document for bishops around the world reminding them that pro-abortion Catholics should not receive communion.

The document states: "Some receive communion while denying the teachings of the Church or publicly supporting immoral choices in life, such as abortion, without thinking that they are committing an act of grave personal dishonesty and causing scandal." [Lifenews.com, 7 July ]