Vital Signs
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Your support makes all the difference.Research on anti-ageing creams
Do anti-ageing creams really work? Until recently, most scientists would have said no, but new research published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology appears to back at least some of the claims made by the cosmetic industry. A study of 17 patients with skin damaged by photo-ageing found that substances used in some anti-ageing creams, called a-hydroxy acids (AHAs), were able significantly to reverse skin thinning.
Warning on mittens for newborns
Mittens for newborn babies should be made of fine woven material rather than knitted, according to a report in the journal Injury. It points out that babies risk losing a finger if the threads from some mittens, especially those made of nylon, become wound round them, acting as a tourniquet. At least 16 cases have been reported worldwide, and many more must have gone unreported, it says.
Vegetarian children need their iron
The diet of vegetarian children is in many ways healthier than those of meat eaters, except that they need to absorb more iron, according to new research published in the British Journal of Nutrition. A study of 100 children found that on average those who were on a vegetarian diet ate more fibre, less sugar and more polyunsaturated fats. However, although they consumed as much iron as meat eaters, the vegetarian children had lower haemoglobin levels: nearly three times as many - or 25 per cent - were anaemic. Iron from meat is far easier to absorb than iron from cereals and vegetables.
No control leads to deadly stress levels
The type of stress at work most likely to lead to death from heart disease is lack of control, say a group of Swedish researchers writing in the American Journal of Public Health. They found that men who had no authority to take decisions ran a risk of death nearly double that of men in occupations with a high level of control.
Giving birth in the supermarket?
Some babies may soon end up being born in supermarkets rather than a hospital, warns a report in Pulse. Dr Michael Crowe, a GP in Leicestershire, is critical of Sainsbury's offer of a year's supply of free nappies to pregnant women whose waters break in the store. Some women, Dr Crowe fears, will rush eagerly to the store rather than hospital at the onset of labour to collect their supplies - and may end up having the baby there.
Booklet for dementia sufferers
The first booklet aimed at sufferers of dementia has been produced by the Alzheimer's Disease Society. Called I'm Told I Have Dementia, it is aimed at people who have been diagnosed at an early stage of the disease. The booklet gives advice about where to turn for help, how to plan for the future and whether to carry on working or driving a car. The booklet is available from the society, price pounds 2.95 including postage and packing. For more details, telephone 0171-306 0813.
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