Saturday 19th November 2016- Al Jazeera: Syria war: Air raid hits children’s hospital in Aleppo

(This is video is a similar one from Al Jazeera (AIR RAID HITS CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL IN ALEPPO) but not the same as the video from this article. Please see the link below)

‘An air raid has hit a children’s hospital in Syria’s rebel-held east Aleppo, forcing medical staff to evacuate patients, including several newborn babies still in incubators.

The moment of the attack on Friday was captured by an Al Jazeera crew, including journalist Amro Halabi, who was reporting on survivors of previous Syrian and Russian bombing raids on rebel-held parts of the city.

Halabi was filming a man and his two children, who were suffered breathing problems from an earlier attack, when the room suddenly went dark immediately after a loud explosion.

Nurses and other medical staff were seen scrambling through the blackness, trying to rush the patients out of the badly damaged hospital as children cried out for help.

In another room, nurses grabbed babies from damaged incubators, with one staff member using a cloth to protect a visibly undernourished child before trying to console a weeping colleague, who was also carrying a newborn.

The nurses later moved the babies to another room, putting them on the floor next to each other and covering them with blankets. At least one of the infants still had medical tubes attached.

Staff told Al Jazeera that all of the babies survived the attack.’

Related Articles:

Syria war: Air raid hits children’s hospital in Aleppo

Aleppo’s children’s hospital bombed as it treats chlorine gas victims- The Guardian

Syria conflict: Children’s hospital hit in deadly Aleppo strikes- BBC News

Premature babies in Aleppo removed from incubators after air strikes hit city’s only children’s hospital- The Independent

Thursday 30th June 2016- The Guardian: Couple win legal battle against ruling on dead daughter’s eggs

‘A 60-year-old woman who wants to use her dead daughter’s frozen eggs to give birth to a grandchild has won a legal battle over what constitutes medical consent.

The court of appeal has ordered the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) to reconsider the application, opening the way for fertility treatment in the United States.

The woman, whose daughter died of bowel cancer in 2011, had asked three judges to allow her to carry out the dying wishes of her “much-loved and only child”. The family have remained anonymous; the court identified the mother as Mrs M.

Her daughter, who was 28 when she died, spent most of the last five years of her life in hospital. She wanted to have IVF treatment but became too ill. At one stage, she suggested having her ovaries transplanted into her mother. Three eggs were eventually removed and stored.

The legal problem the HFEA confronted, the judgment explained, “was that while [the daughter] consented to treatment for egg removal and storage (including storage after her death) and also to the use (other than for research purposes) of her eggs after her death, she never completed any form giving details of the precise use that is now proposed”.

Lawyers for the mother and her husband, referred to only as Mr M, said that if they did not overturn the refusal for treatment, the eggs would be allowed to perish.

Giving judgment, Sir James Munby, who is president of the family division of the high court, Lady Justice Arden and Lord Justice Burnett granted the parents’ appeal. Neither Mr or Mrs M were in court for the ruling.’

‘The judges heard that the daughter, referred to only as A, was desperate to have children and asked her mother to “carry my babies”. Her parents launched legal action against the HFEA’s refusal in September 2014 to allow them to take their daughter’s eggs to a US fertility treatment clinic to be used with donor sperm.’

‘The court’s role, however, was not to decide whether it would have permitted the mother to undergo fertility treatment using her deceased daughter’s eggs and donated sperm.

Its task was to determine whether Mr Justice Ouseley erred in concluding that the HFEA’s statutory approvals committee acted lawfully and rationally in exercising its broad discretion to refuse to authorise export of the frozen eggs.

Giving the court’s ruling, Lady Justice Arden said the challenge succeeded at three levels: “First, there was on the face of it the misstatement of certain of the evidence about [the daughter’s] consent by the [HFEA] committee.

“Second, even if what the committee meant was that there was a lack of effective consent because the appellants could not show that [the daughter] received information on certain matters, the decision was flawed because the committee pointed to the lack of certain evidence without explaining why [she] needed to receive that information and give that consent.

“The third level is that the committee did not ask the prior question of what information the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act required to be given to [the daughter] in the circumstances of her case.”

The judge said the decision must be set aside and remitted to the statutory approvals committee of the HFEA for further consideration of the export application.’

Related Articles:

Couple win legal battle against ruling on dead daughter’s eggs- The Guardian

Woman wins appeal to use dead daughter’s eggs- BBC News

 

Saturday 27th February 2016- The Guardian: Decayed teeth removed from 128,000 children in England since 2011

‘Tens of thousands of children have had decaying teeth removed in hospitals in England, according to the latest figures, which show an increase for the fourth year in a row.

There has been a rise of almost 10% in child hospital admissions for severe tooth decay in England over a four-year period, with the report’s authors pointing out “a strong correlation between area deprivation and the rate of tooth extraction”.

More than 128,000 children aged 10 and under have needed at least one removed since 2011, often in cases where the decay may have been preventable.

There were 14,445 admissions of children aged five and under between April 2014 and March the following year, and a further 19,336 cases of six- to10-year-olds having teeth taken out in hospital in the same period. More boys than girls were likely to have suffered from severe tooth decay.

The rate of tooth extraction among the most deprived children is almost five times that for those from the least deprived decile, according to the statistics analysed by the Health and Social Care Information Centre.

In Yorkshire and the Humber, the tooth extraction rate was more than five times that for the east of England. London had the most children who needed to be admitted to hospital for severe tooth decay, with 8,362 having teeth removed.

Prof Nigel Hunt, the dean of the dental surgery faculty at the Royal College of Surgeons, said the 9.81% increase was unacceptable.

“Not only is tooth decay distressing to children and parents, it has serious social and financial implications,” he said. “The need for tooth extraction continues to be the number one reason why five- to nine-year-old children are admitted to hospital. This issue urgently needs to be addressed, especially since 90% of tooth decay is preventable.”

Related Articles:

Decayed teeth removed from 128,000 children in England since 2011

Tooth decay still on the rise among English children- BBC News

Friday 26th February 2016- The Independent: Asthma: Half of children diagnosed with the respiratory disease may not have it, study suggests

‘More than half of the children being treated for asthma might not actually have the condition, new research suggests.

A study, published in the British Journal of General Practice, found 53 per cent of children had no clinical signs of asthma despite being diagnosed at one of four medical centres in the Netherlands, whose healthcare system is widely regarded as one of the best in Europe.

In the UK last year, researchers found that a third of adults diagnosed with asthma did not actually have it.

Dr Ingrid Looijmans-van den Akker, one of the scientists behind the Dutch research, told The Daily Telegraph: “Over-diagnosis of asthma was found in more than half of the children, leading to unnecessary treatment, disease burden, and impact on their quality of life.

“Previous studies have indicated that asthma is over-diagnosed in children. However, the scale of the over-diagnosis has not been quantified.

“Only in a few children was the diagnosis of asthma confirmed using lung function tests, despite this being recommended in international guidelines. Over-diagnosis gives rise to over-prescription and incorrect use of medication, and to anxiety in parents and children.”

The UK’s National Institute of Clinical Excellence (Nice) has warned that doctors have too often tended to diagnose asthma based on a history of wheezing, coughs and other breathing problems, rather than clinical tests.

Professor Mark Baker, director of clinical practice at Nice, said it was developing new advice on how to properly diagnose the condition.

“As part of this work, Nice is inviting GP practices to take part in a project to check the feasibility of some diagnostic tests that Nice proposes to recommend,” he said.’

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Asthma: Half of children diagnosed with the respiratory disease may not have it, study suggests

Half a million children with asthma may not actually have condition- The Telegraph

Thursday 25th February 2016- The Guardian: Lab-created sperm breeds healthy mice, raising hopes for end to male infertility

‘A handful of healthy mice made from sperm cells created in the lab have been hailed as a milestone in research that could ultimately provide new treatments for male infertility.

Scientists in China created the mice by fertilising normal mouse eggs with early-stage sperm cells that were manufactured from embryonic stem cells plucked from the animals.

To make the sperm, the team nudged mouse stem cells through a complex series of steps known as meiosis that must be performed with extreme care to ensure the sperm develop properly.

Despite years of work, scientists have never managed to pull off the same trick with human stem cells, but the latest study could provide fresh impetus to the effort, said Jiahao Sha, director of the Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine at Nanjing Medical University in China.

The creation of sperm and eggs – known as germ cells – for use in IVF raises particular safety issues, because any faults in their genetic material could harm not only the children born from the treatment, but all their future descendants.

“If it works, human germ cells could possibly be produced. However, in the current stage, ethics should be concerned, and any possible risks ruled out,” said Sha, who led the team

The scientists believe that the cautious, stepwise production of the sperm cells was crucial for the mice to be born healthy and fertile. The mice went on to mate and have fertile offspring of their own, Sha said.’

‘Independent scientists welcomed the landmark achievement but cautioned that the creation of human sperm to treat infertile men was a distant prospect fraught with concerns over safety, ethics and legality.’

Related Articles:

Lab-created sperm breeds healthy mice, raising hopes for end to male infertility

Toward Making Sperm in the Lab- The Scientist

Lab-grown sperm makes healthy offspring- BBC News

Sperm grown in lab could allow infertile men to have children- The Telegraph

Thursday 4th February 2016- The Guardian: Spain reports first known European case of Zika-infected pregnant woman

‘The health ministry in Spain said a pregnant woman who had returned from Colombia had been diagnosed with the Zika virus, Europe’s first known case of the mosquito-born virus this week declared a global health emergency by the World Health Organisation.

“One of the patients diagnosed in [the northeastern region of] Catalonia is a pregnant woman, who showed symptoms after having travelled to Colombia,” the health ministry announced on Thursday, adding she is one of seven cases in Spain and all are in good condition.

News of the virus, thought to cause birth defects, first emerged in Brazil last year, and health authorities have warned the disease could infect up to 4 million people in the Americas and spread worldwide.

The fever starts with a mosquito bite and normally causes little more than a fever and rash. But since October, Brazil has reported 404 confirmed cases of microcephaly, where the baby’s head is abnormally small – up from 147 in 2014 – plus 3,670 suspected cases.

The timing has fuelled strong suspicions that Zika is causing the birth defect. The virus has also been linked to a potentially paralysing nerve disorder called Guillain-Barre syndrome in some patients.’

Related Articles:

Spain reports first known European case of Zika-infected pregnant woman

Zika virus pregnancy case confirmed in Spain – first in Europe- BBC News

Zika: Spanish officials confirm pregnant woman in Catalonia infected with virus- The Independent

Monday 1st February 2016- The Guardian: World Health Organisation declares Zika virus public health emergency

‘The World Health Organisation has declared that the clusters of brain-damaged babies born in Brazil – linked to but not proven to be caused by the Zika virus – constitute a public health emergency of international concern.

The declaration, made by the WHO director Margaret Chan, will trigger funding for research to try to establish whether the Zika virus, spread by mosquitoes, is responsible for the large numbers of babies born with abnormally small heads in Brazil. It will also put resources behind a massive effort to prevent pregnant women becoming infected and, through mosquito control, stop the virus spreading.

Chan called the birth of thousands of babies with microcephaly “an extraordinary event and a public health threat to other parts of the world”. She was speaking following a meeting of the WHO’s international health regulations emergency committee, summoned to advise the director general on whether to make the declaration, which calls in international resources and expertise.’

‘“Members of the committee agreed that the situation meets the conditions for a public health emergency of international concern. I have accepted this advice,” she said.

Chan, who was criticised for being slow to make a similar declaration while Ebola spread across west Africa, sidestepped the question when asked if she felt that was a factor in the response to the Zika crisis in Brazil.

“It is important to realise that when the evidence first becomes available of such a serious condition like microcephaly and other congenital abnormalities, we need to take action, including precautionary measures,” she said.’

‘Tropical disease experts involved in the Ebola epidemic applauded the declaration. “The WHO faced heavy criticism for waiting too long to declare the Ebola outbreak a public health emergency and they should be congratulated for being far more proactive this time,” said Dr Jeremy Farrar, director of the Wellcome Trust. “Today’s declaration will give the WHO the authority and resources it needs to lead the international response to Zika.”

Chan called for countries to refrain from imposing any sort of travel restrictions on those Latin American countries where the Zika virus is spreading.’

Related Articles:

World Health Organisation declares Zika virus public health emergency

WHO chief declares Zika virus as public health emergency – video- The Guardian

WHO Director-General summarizes the outcome of the Emergency Committee regarding clusters of microcephaly and Guillain-Barré syndrome- The World Health Organisation

 

 

Monday 1st February 2016- The World Health Organisation: Films showing smoking scenes should be rated to protect children from tobacco addiction

‘WHO is calling on governments to rate movies that portray tobacco use in a bid to prevent children and adolescents from starting to smoke cigarettes and use other forms of tobacco.

Movies showing use of tobacco products have enticed millions of young people worldwide to start smoking, according to the new WHO “Smoke-free movies: from evidence to action”, the third edition since its launch in 2009.’

‘“With ever tighter restrictions on tobacco advertising, film remains one of the last channels exposing millions of adolescents to smoking imagery without restrictions,” says Dr Douglas Bettcher, WHO’s Director for the Department of Prevention of Noncommunicable Diseases.

Taking concrete steps, including rating films with tobacco scenes and displaying tobacco warnings before films with tobacco, can stop children around the world from being introduced to tobacco products and subsequent tobacco-related addiction, disability and death.

“Smoking in films can be a strong form of promotion for tobacco products,” adds Dr Bettcher. “The 180 Parties to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) are obliged by international law to ban tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship.”’

‘Studies in the United States of America have shown that on-screen smoking accounts for 37% of all new adolescent smokers. In 2014, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated that in the United States alone, exposure to on-screen smoking would recruit more than 6 million new, young smokers from among American children in 2014, of which 2 million would ultimately die from tobacco-induced diseases.

In 2014, smoking was found in 44% of all Hollywood films, and 36% of films rated for young people. Almost two thirds (59%) of top-grossing films featured tobacco imagery between 2002 and 2014. That same year, the US Surgeon General reported that adult ratings of future films with smoking would reduce smoking rates among young people in the USA by nearly one-fifth and avert 1 million tobacco-related deaths among today’s children and adolescents.’

Related Articles:

Films showing smoking scenes should be rated to protect children from tobacco addiction

Smoking in the Movies- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

WHO calls for adult ratings on films that feature smoking- The Telegraph

Films portraying smoking should get adult rating, says WHO- The Guardian

Friday 29th January 2016- World Health Organisation: Increasing breastfeeding could save 800 000 children and US$ 300 billion every year

‘A major new Series on breastfeeding, published in “The Lancet”, finds that despite strong health and economic benefits from breastfeeding, few children are exclusively breastfed until 6 months, as recommended by WHO. Globally, an estimated 1 in 3 infants under 6 months are exclusively breastfed – a rate that has not improved in 2 decades.’

‘Breastfeeding has substantial benefits for women and children in rich and poor countries alike, and now the evidence is stronger than ever.

New WHO estimates published in “The Lancet” reveal that increasing breastfeeding to near-universal levels could save more than 800 000 lives every year, the majority being children under 6 months. In addition, nearly half of all diarrhoeal diseases and one-third of all respiratory infections in children in low- and middle-income countries could be prevented with increased rates of breastfeeding.

Children who are breastfeed perform better in intelligence tests, are less likely to be overweight or obese, and less prone to diabetes later in life. Mothers who breastfeed also reduce their risk of developing breast and ovarian cancers. At current breastfeeding rates, an estimated 20 000 deaths from breast cancer are prevented and an additional 20 000 could be saved if rates improved.’

‘Beyond health, the new Series presents a strong economic case for investing in promoting and protecting breastfeeding worldwide. The findings from WHO and partners estimate that global economic losses from lower cognition associated with not breastfeeding reached more than US$ 300 billion in 2012, equivalent to 0.49% of the world’s gross national income.

Boosting breastfeeding rates for infants below 6 months of age to 90% in Brazil, China, and the United States of America, and to 45% in the United Kingdom would cut treatment costs of common childhood illnesses, such as pneumonia, diarrhoea and asthma, and save healthcare systems at least US$ 2.45 billion in the United States, US$ 29.5 million in the United Kingdom, US$ 223.6 million in China, and US$ 6.0 million in Brazil.

Yet, worldwide low levels of optimal breastfeeding affect both high- and low-income countries. Fewer than 1 in 5 infants are breastfed for 12 months in high-income countries and only 2 out of 3 children between 6 months and 2 years receive any breast milk in low- and middle-income countries.’

Related Articles:

Increasing breastfeeding could save 800 000 children and US$ 300 billion every year

Breastfeeding could prevent 800,000 child deaths, Lancet says- The Guardian

Breastfeeding: achieving the new normal- The Lancet

Breastfeeding could save 800,000 babies’ lives each year – study- The Telegraph

Breastfeeding could prevent 800,000 child deaths worldwide, new study finds- The Independent

Thursday 28th January 2016- The World Health Organisation: WHO to convene an International Health Regulations Emergency Committee on Zika virus and observed increase in neurological disorders and neonatal malformations

‘WHO Director-General, Margaret Chan, will convene an International Health Regulations Emergency Committee on Zika virus and observed increase in neurological disorders and neonatal malformations.

The Committee will meet on Monday 1 February in Geneva to ascertain whether the outbreak constitutes a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.

Decisions concerning the Committee’s membership and advice will be made public on WHO’s website.

Outbreak in the Americas

In May 2015, Brazil reported its first case of Zika virus disease. Since then, the disease has spread within Brazil and to 22 other countries and territories in the region.

Arrival of the virus in some countries of the Americas, notably Brazil, has been associated with a steep increase in the birth of babies with abnormally small heads and in cases of Guillain-Barré syndrome, a poorly understood condition in which the immune system attacks the nervous system, sometimes resulting in paralysis.

A causal relationship between Zika virus infection and birth defects and neurological syndromes has not been established, but is strongly suspected.’

See:

WHO to convene an International Health Regulations Emergency Committee on Zika virus and observed increase in neurological disorders and neonatal malformations