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Working gruelling hours has been a traditional rite of passage for young medical residents learning to be full-fledged doctors.

But having a hospital staffed by sleep-deprived doctors-in-training can lead to mistakes that put patients at risk. In recognition of this potential problem, medical authorities in both Canada and the United States have placed limits on the work schedules of residents in recent years.

A new study, published in Archives of Surgery, suggests those efforts are paying off. It found that fewer patients suffered complications from gallbladder operations in the U.S. after a maximum 80-hour week was introduced in 2003. Some residents had been working, or were on call, for as many as 120 hours a week.

For the study, the researchers reviewed the results from laparoscopic cholecystectomy procedures (gallbladder removals) performed at a major California teaching hospital.

Before the work restrictions took effect, about 1 per cent of patients experienced a bile duct injury - a common surgical complication in which the tubes that transport fluids from the liver to the gallbladder are accidentally damaged. After the new hours were imposed, the injury rate dropped to 0.4 per cent. What's more, other surgical complications dipped to 2 per cent from 5 per cent.

"Up until our study, there have been no studies showing that patient outcomes have improved with the new duty-hour restrictions," lead researcher Christian de Virgilio, a professor of surgery at the University of California, Los Angeles school of medicine, said in an e-mail.

In fact, some medical professionals have questioned the need for the work restrictions, arguing that neophyte doctors are being prevented from getting enough on-the-job training.

DEATH BY BIRTH DATE

It seems our destiny is often determined by the fickle finger of fate.

Consider, for instance, a recent study that found people born during a recession live an average of 15 months less than those who enter the world during better economic times.

The study, led by Gerard van den Berg of the Institute for the Study of Labour in Bonn, Germany, is based on Danish birth registry data from 1873 to 1906 - a period marked by eight economic downturns. By matching up this information with death records from following decades, the researchers were able to show that recession babies, on average, have a shorter life expectancy.

The researchers speculate that "suboptimal nutrition" during fetal development and early childhood might lay the foundation of poor health. What's more, parents who are stressed because of economic hardship may produce offspring with features that make them more susceptible to cardiovascular disease later in life.

But does a study that relies on data from long-ago recessions still have relevance today? "It's certainly true that ... the presence of unemployment insurance helps to dampen income shocks and there are more health-related facilities for mothers with babies," Dr. van den Berg said in an e-mail interview. "But that does not mean that people have become insensitive to negative economic shocks."

Indeed, just think about the turmoil caused by this week's meltdown of the financial sector.

BODY IMAGE

Children with overweight friends and family can become oblivious to the fact they might be carrying extra pounds of their own, according to a study by Quebec researchers.

"If you are surrounded by overweight people, you may be more vulnerable to distorted perceptions of your own weight," said Tracie Barnett from the University of Montreal.

The researchers, whose study was published in the International Journal of Obesity, say health-promotion programs may be needed to teach children a correct perception of appropriate body weight. They hope that if kids recognize they are overweight or obese, they might adopt healthier lifestyles.