More news in brief.
Call for HSE to reconsider day care decision
Fine Gael deputy Olwyn Enright has called on the HSE to withdraw immediately what she claimed was "its decision to axe day care services at the Birr Community Nursing Unit for two months, starting in mid-June".
This proposal, which will see 115 clients left without vital day care services, is unacceptable, according to Ms Enright.
"Many of these clients are extremely vulnerable and for others day care is the only real social interaction they have in the week," she said. "In addition, many vulnerable people who have no other family carers will be left in a particularly difficult position.
Flat fizzy drink will not rehydrate
Parents should not give their children "flat" fizzy drinks to rehydrate them after a bout of sickness and diarrhoea, experts said yesterday.
Drinking flat cola or other sodas is not an effective substitute for oral rehydration solutions, which contain the right balance of salts and sugars, they warned. It is commonly believed that flat carbonated drinks help rehydrate people who have diarrhoea and vomiting. Researchers at Watford General Hospital in Hertfordshire found little evidence around the issue.
Vitamin D linked to back pain
Older women who aren't getting enough vitamin D appear to be at risk of back pain, new research shows.
"Given that low vitamin D status is fairly prevalent in older adults and that there are significant functional consequences to untreated chronic pain, these findings argue strongly for querying adults about their pain and potentially screening older women with significant back pain for vitamin D deficiency," Dr Gregory Hicks of the University of Delaware in Newark said.