V I T A L S I G N S

Cherrill Hicks
Monday 29 May 1995 23:02 BST
Comments

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Digital danger

People who use pacemakers should not keep mobile telephones in their breast pockets, US scientists have warned. Their studies found that digital phones give out signals that can cause a pacemaker to skip beats, stutter or shift to a new rhythm. A report in the New Scientist says the phones can cause interference if they are held within a few centimetres of a pacemaker. None caused any problems when held next to the ear.

Don't dummy

Mothers who want to breast-feed should not offer their baby a dummy in the first month after birth and would be better off not using them at all, according to Brazilian researchers writing in Pediatrics. Their study of more than 600 infants found that babies who were using a dummy when they were a month old were nearly four times as likely to stop breast- feeding by the age of six months.

Medicine survey

Have you ever been diagnosed as having high blood pressure but do not take prescribed medication? The Stroke Association is carrying out a national survey into why some patients with high blood pressure do not take the drugs prescribed them. Please call 0171-730 7667 for a confidential interview.

Cancer advice

Cancer: What Every Patient Needs to Know, describes what happens as a cancer develops and treatment progresses, as well as offering strategies for coping. It is published by Bloomsbury at pounds 6.99.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in