iblog

Rushda: Pro-lifers will be dismayed to hear that Health Minister Dawn Primarolo recently defended the current regulations that abortions are permissible up till 24 weeks, saying there is no scientific evidence to lower this upper limit. The issue has once again become a hot topic, as many are angry at how women who have been pregnant for 6 months can still be allowed to abort their babies at such a late stage.

One of the key reasons for keeping the limit as it is, according to the British Medical Association, is that the number of babies capable of surviving at 24 weeks is “extremely small.” Any change in abortion laws is most likely to consider medical advances rather than moral issues, and so there is no reason, according to the Health Minister, to lower the limit at this stage. As she explains:

“The medical consensus still indicates that whilst improvements have been made in care that at the moment that concept of viability cannot constantly be pushed back.”

And when she was criticised by Conservative MP Nadine Dorries, a former nurse, for not having a fair view towards the act and being far too committed to the liberalisation of abortion, she said that the Department of Health are not supporting delayed abortions and that if they are to be done, the quicker the better. However, she maintains any bid to lower the limit, also saying:

“I am not here to discuss my personal views. I’m here as the minister to answer the questions the committee puts to me about the information the department has.”

Ms Dorries also asked the Health Minister:

“If the evidence shows that a foetus could feel pain at 20 weeks or less, would the department consider altering its guidelines or making amendments to the Act?”

However, no specific response has been given to this question except that research would still be continued. Needless to say, many people will be disappointed with what could be described as a very dogmatic stance on such a controversial issue. It certainly seems that there are very few considerations which would cause the regulations of the Act to change in the less liberal direction. In fact, recent news suggests the opposite: that MPs are planning the “most extensive liberalisation of abortion laws for 40 years” by allowing women to have abortions with one doctor’s signature rather than two and performing the second stage of the medical termination at home rather than in hospital.

Rushda: As part of a national scheme to cut obesity, the government has made new plans to send out warning letters to parents of overweight children. Obesity has been a serious concern for quite some time now, with numbers predicted to reach “dangerous levels” within the next decade. The fact that so many children barely past the age of 5 can already be considered obese is a huge issue that needs to be dealt with quickly, and by targeting parents this may be the best way.

The new plans are controversial as many people believe that overweight children will be stigmatised by the new procedure. However, health officials are convinced that the procedure is in the best interests of the children as obesity is best tackled early on in life. Currently all children are being weighed at the age of 5 under the The National Child Measurement programme, but nothing much is happening with the results and in most cases the parents are not informed.

Health Secretary Alan Johnson believes that by getting parents actively involved in restricting the diet of children and making sure they get enough exercise, childhood obesity need not become as widespread as predicted. Currently, however, he says that the statistics look grim. He says:

“More than 80% of obese 10 to 14-year-olds remain obese into adulthood.”

Furthermore, what is most worrying is that a recent report by the Commons Health Select Committee has suggested that if urgent action isn’t taken soon, thousands of children will be dying before their parents and many suffering a variety of health problems early on in life.

Rushda: A new case which has recently provoked much controversy is a government treatment plan carried out by many clinics to use drugs to reward those addicts who abstain from drugs. Many heroin and cocaine addicts who produce clean urine samples at regular tests are receiving extra doses of methadone (a heroin substitute) or anti-depressants just for being good.

It is easy to see why the practice has been criticised - never before have drugs ever been used as an incentive to get off drugs and healthy. The government scheme costs The National Treatment Agency £500m a year and they admit that such a practice, if it exists, is unethical.

Health Minister Dawn Primarolo is worried about the surprising number of clinics which offer such reward schemes, called “contingency management.” Indeed around one-third of the 200 centres surveyed use such methods. As Primarolo says:

“It is unacceptable, unethical, it should not happen that prescription drugs and doses are used, or suggested that they should be used, as either incentives or withheld as sanctions as part of a treatment programme.”

Furthermore, in many centres the patient themselves could choose the type of substitute they would like to receive, and if they so desire they can even get a cash reward instead.

It is certainly difficult to know how unethical such a practice really is. On the one hand, offering treatment which isn’t the result of “clinical need” seems wrong and potentially abusable and hence not serving the best interests of the patient. On the other hand, however, supposing this really is helping a drug addict by giving them a reason to stay off the drugs, then surely that could actually benefit the patient more.

Rushda: Now that a public health threat has marked obesity out as a “potential crisis on the scale of climate change”, it is no surprise that so many of us are worried. It is, therefore, interesting to see the various “funkier” measures which have been introduced to try and tackle it. For example, one such new invention is the “intelligent shopping trolley” which will alert future shoppers as soon as anything unhealthy is dropped into it.

Experts believe that such a trolley will not only make people more aware of what they are buying but will motivate those with a lack of willpower. The trolley works by scanning the bar codes of anything that is dropped into it and triggering red warning lights when it detects something that contains high levels of fat, sugar or salt. The new concept for the trolley will be unveiled tomorrow by the Institute for Grocery Distribution which is currently considering the future of British retail. It is believed that it could actually be a reality in the near future as successful trials have already begun in the States.

Not only does the trolley alert the shopper to unhealthy foods but it has actually designed to be cleverer than that. Using a scan of the shopper’s loyalty card, the trolley can detect what kind of person the shopper is - whether they have diabetes or not for instance, and what kinds of foods they need to watch out for. It also uses a record of previous purchases to help guide the shopper to the best deals and even gives directions around the store.

Sion Roberts, director of consumer industries and retail at the technology company, EDS, believes this is something that really could change shopping remarkably in future. He says:

“Everyone wants more and more information and different information, not everyone wants to know everything about a product. But many shoppers already think that lists of ingredients on packaging are too complicated to read and understand. It will be easier to read larger print on a screen. There will also be red-light alerts if you ask the trolley to give your shopping a health check. It may not stop you putting a box of cream cakes in the trolley but you will be made to think about the decision.”

Rushda: New research suggests that those who do frequent housework using cleaning sprays and air fresheners are at an increased risk from developing asthma. Though it does not seem surprising at all, this is the first time scientists have found a direct link between developing the dangerous breathing condition and the use of these substances. In fact, the research found that even using these sprays as little as once a week increases the risk.

The study has been carried out in Spain and conducted over more than 3,500 people. It has found that the more often you use cleaning sprays, the higher your risk is to develop asthma. It also found that the types of sprays which carry the greatest risk are “air fresheners, furniture cleaners and glass cleaners”, some of the most common household substances.

The researchers believe that the link is indeed a serious one, with as many as 1 in 7 of all asthma cases being likely to be caused by cleaning sprays. Indeed, the risk of getting asthma is up to 50% higher in those who use sprays than those who don’t. Though studies are still being carried out to determine what the exact cause of the risk is, it is believed that the most likely reason is that the sprays contain “irritants specific to asthma.”

The news is indeed worrying as respiratory problems can even be fatal. However, the manufacturers of the cleaning products say that there is no obvious link between use of them and asthma, and rigorous testing does go on to make sure the products are safe. But as Victoria King of Asthma UK says:

“We know that up to 25% of people exposed to chemicals, including cleaning sprays, at work will go on to develop occupational asthma. This report also highlights significant findings regarding the link between asthma and the use of spray cleaning products in the home. Although further research is needed, we do already know that air fresheners and bleach trigger symptoms in people who already have asthma.”

As someone who has regularly suffered from asthma, I can fully appreciate how serious the condition can be, and I urge keen cleaners to be cautious!

Rushda: A new study on education has revealed the worrying result that even young children who are still at primary school experience stress and anxiety, the most popular reason being exams. The government has subsequently been criticised of overly-harsh testing which could account for some of the pressure children feel when having to take their SATs.

The research was conducted by Primary Review in Cambridge, where 750 people took part in answering surveys and having discussions. Professor Robin Alexander from the organisation is alarmed by the results:

“What people wanted to talk about was the stress of government tests, then life outside school, road safety, physical dangers, the sense young children are having to grow up too soon.”

Many of the children who researchers had discussions with were stricken with all kinds of worries including family breakdown, terrorism, violence, and even mature scientific topics like climate change. Lots of them did not feel safe, even around their own friends. Now most teachers and parents believe that children are being brought up to “grow up too soon” and are worried by how easy it is for children to feel unsafe. For example, a parent has said:

“I’m now thinking that I won’t let my child read the local newspaper because, I mean, yesterday there was something in it about someone being stabbed outside the swimming pool where he goes. I don’t want him to feel he is not safe.”

It is troubling to know that so many children now are not getting the best out of their innocent and carefree childhood - supposedly some of the best years of their lives, and it is difficult to know who is to blame. Some criticise the government for tests too mature for their age, whilst some believe that the problem lies in electronic gadgets and television. Many are simply pessimistic about the state of the world as it is today, and feel that it is unfortunate that children so young are affected by it.

Jeanne: Just when you thought medical marvels couldn’t get any stranger, here’s another report to startle and amuse you. Doctors in Australia recently saved the life of an Italian tourist by feeding him vodka through an intravenous drip. This followed a failed attempt by the 24 year-old to commit suicide by poisoning himself. The treatment was carried out whilst the patient was in a coma. Having run out of medical alcohol – an effective antidote to the poison, the doctors had to resort to using concentrated vodka in an attempt to save the patient.

According to Dr. Todd Frasier of hospital in the Queensland hospital:

The patient was drip-fed about three standard drinks an hour for three days in the intensive care unit. Fortunately for him he was in a medically induced coma for a good portion of that. By the time he woke up I think his hangover would have well and truly gone.

The patient was hospitalized for 20 days following the incident and is currently receiving counseling. Whilst the actions of the doctors have been praised, however, some critics have pointed out that the hospital shouldn’t have run out of medical alcohol in the first place. Nevertheless, it goes without saying that the doctors involved deserve to be praised for their willingness to innovate and adapt to difficult situations.

Rushda: A new study has suggested that the stress of a rough relationship or marriage can actually lead to serious heart conditions. Even though it has always been maintained that those who are attached suffer less heart problems than those who aren’t, being in a turbulent relationship is actually worse than being on your own.

The research was conducted on 9,000 British civil servants, all of whom completed questionnaires about their relationships several decades ago. It has now been found that those in negative relationships are 34% more likely to suffer heart problems, according to statistics from the Archives of Internal Medicine. Though not many of the sample had heart disease at the start, almost 600 reported a heart condition subsequently. And the ones who said that conflict, arguments, and criticism were frequent in their relationships were found to be more likely to be in the group of new heart sufferers.

The heads of research believe that the results substantially show that emotional problems really do have an effect on the “wear and tear” of organs, due to problems ranging from hormonal changes to blood clotting. These finds support the views of the British Heart Foundation which has maintained for some time how terrible emotional distress really can be on the heart. As Cathy Ross, a cardiac nurse at the organisation says:

“[the study] reinforces a well-known fact that lack of emotional and psychological support may increase the risk of heart disease. Identifying groups of individuals who are at risk and ensuring psychological support can make a big difference. It allows people to deal with their negative emotions.”

It is all very tragic that the age-old metaphor of a broken heart may hold true. Problems in a relationship not only take an emotional toll but they may end up damaging the very thing from which many have professed to love in the first place.

Rushda: A new case in Britain has provoked much controversy - a disabled 15-year-old girl may be getting her womb removed because it is believed that she will never marry or have children and so she should not have to suffer from monthly menstruation. This operation would be the first of its kind in this country, as, strictly speaking, the operation is not medically required but only designed to make the girl’s life easier.

Surgeons are currently seeking legal approval so that they can go ahead with the hysterectomy at St John’s hospital in Chelmsford. The mother of the girl asked for it because her daughter Katie suffers from cerebral palsy and she does not think it is right that Katie should have to experience periods every month - something that doesn’t even make sense to her, let alone be of any use. As the child is not herself in the position to give consent, this must be given on her behalf by lawyers.

Phil Robarts, a consultant gynaecologist at the hospital, believes that the mother is justified in asking for an operation for her daughter. He says:

“I think the girl’s mother makes a very cogent argument for proceeding with that course of action, albeit it is rather drastic.”

Yes, the operation is serious indeed. But one does wonder why the poor girl, who cannot walk or talk, should have to cope with all the troubles of having a womb. Perhaps one should put aside one’s prejudices and realise how much an operation could help the girl - and maybe this will even open a pathway for all those other disabled people who would like to make their lives easier.

Jake: Hollywood actor, Ben Stiller, has turned to Pilates to help improve his flexibility after he felt sore after a sex scene. Stiller, now 41 years old, recently finished filming his latest movie The Heartbreak Kid and discovered that he is not in his best shape.

“I am not as flexible as I would like to be. Since the movie, I’ve been doing Pilates, which has helped open me up. But after those sex scenes, I was sore later.”

It’s true that the exercise method, Pilates, will strengthen your core and improve control over your body. And greater strength and control can only lead to one thing… Well, no self-respecting guy would want to let Michelle Monaghan down would they?