Maryland ag secretary raises concerns about farmland losses from sprawl. Middletown, Delaware was cited as a poster child for the runaway loss of farmland in a discussion between Maryland's agricultural chief, legislators and the poultry industry. [News Source]

Diabetes quadruples birth defects risk, say researchers. The risk of birth defects increases four-fold if the pregnant mother has diabetes, researchers say. The study, published in the journal Diabetologia, analysed data from more than 400,000 pregnancies in the north-east of England. The risk of defects such as congenital heart disease and spina bifida were increased. [News Source]

Central Scholarship Names Vitamin Agency of Record BALTIMORE -- Vitamin today announced its selection byCentral Scholarship for a rebranding initiative... [News Source]

Are European kids getting enough vitamin D? Winter weather reopens the debate The cold snap has well and truly set in across much of Europe, and as temperatures fall, watching our health becomes increasingly more crucial. Keeping our vitamin D levels up during the winter months has long been lauded as an important part of this fight against unforgiving winter climes, particularly for vulnerable groups such as young children. [News Source]

Vitamin D can help turn health around The winter season is upon us, with short daylight hours, cloudy days and temperamental weather. And so we pack on the winter pounds, get the winter blues and go into relative metabolic hibernation until spring arrives. [News Source]

Dial-up to learn about Vitamin D Free seminar offers info on connections between D and cancer [News Source]

Federal Chesapeake Bay cleanup mandates irk officials in Augusta County. For more than an hour there was dire warnings and defiance about the Environmental Protection Agency's Chesapeake Bay cleanup plan - the Total Maximum Daily Load to reduce nitrogen, phosphorous and sediment flowing into rivers that empty into the bay. [News Source]

O’Malley renews bid to curb sprawl by limiting septic systems. Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley is again seeking to limit new septic systems in order to curb development sprawl, and it’s all about the Chesapeake Bay. [News Source]

Meat trade emissions equal to half of all Britain’s cars. If everyone in the UK went vegetarian or vegan it would have the same environmental benefit as talking half of all cars off the road, according to new research. [News Source]

A million get cancer every year. On the eve of World Cancer Day 2012, cancer experts insisted on changes in lifestyle – especially the intake of tobacco – to fight the disease, which is spreading fast in India. [News Source]

Japan wants in on nuclear accident compensation pact. Prompted by the accident at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant, Japan has decided to join an international convention that will set a global uniform standard for compensating victims of such nuclear disasters, sources said. [News Source]

Raw milk remains popular despite warnings, 38 ill in latest outbreak on East Coast. An outbreak of bacterial infections on the East Coast illustrates the popularity of raw, unpasteurized milk despite strong warnings from public health officials about the potential danger. [News Source]