A round-up of today's other stories in brief
Irish doctor to lead diabetes research
AN IRISH doctor has been appointed as head of one of the world's leading diabetes research centres. Prof John Nolan, who is based at St James's Hospital and Trinity College Dublin, will become the new chief executive of the Steno Diabetes centre in Denmark on January 1st. Prof Nolan led the diabetes clinic and research department at St James's. His team has been examining the early stages and mechanisms of diabetes, and investigating potential new treatments for the condition.
Decline in uptake of some childhood vaccinations
PARENTS HAVE been urged to ensure their children are fully protected against two potentially life-threatening illnesses after new figures showed a decline in the uptake of some childhood vaccines.
Figures from the national Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) show there has been a fall in the uptake of the recommended three doses of the vaccine which protects against meningitis C, and a low uptake of the booster dose of the Hib vaccine which protects against Haemophilus influenzae type b.
For children born since July 2008, it is recommended they get three doses of the meningitis C vaccine – at four, six and 13 months of age – and also get their Hib booster vaccine at 13 months.
Dr Suzanne Cotter, public health specialist with the HPSC, said the latest available immunisation uptake data for Ireland – which runs to June 2010 – indicated a number of children were not receiving their third dose of the meningitis C vaccine and the Hib booster jab when they were 13 months old. The reasons for this were unclear but were being investigated, she said.
She said the vaccines were free of charge from GP surgeries, where doctors and practice nurses should remind parents to vaccinate their children, while parents themselves should seek the vaccines from their family doctor.
Dr Cotter added that the vaccines were scheduled for an early age because that was when children were most at risk of these diseases. If children have missed out, they should now get the ones they haven’t already received, she advised.
Use of mobiles prompts behavioural problems
PREGNANT WOMEN who regularly use mobile phones may be more likely to have children with behavioural problems, particularly if those children start using the devices early themselves, new research suggests.
The findings are based on a study of more than 28,000 Danish seven year olds and their mothers. Those children who were exposed to mobile phones in the womb and then in early childhood were 50 per cent more likely to have behavioural problems at age seven than those who were not.
Only being exposed to mobile phones while in the womb was linked to a 40 per cent increase in risk of behavioural problems, while those children who were exposed to phones in childhood but not in the womb were 20 per cent more likely to display abnormal behaviour.
The findings, from a team including experts from the University of California Los Angeles and researchers based in Denmark, were published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health yesterday.
The mothers supplied detailed information in interviews during and after pregnancy. When their children reached the age of seven, the mums were quizzed again about their and their children’s health, including behaviour, and were scored using validated assessments.
They were also asked to provide details of their mobile phone use during pregnancy and of their children’s use of the devices. The authors say these new results back their previous research and reduce the likelihood that this could have been a chance finding.