CHRISTMAS CARD SYMPTOMS:In Ireland, meningitis kills more children under five than any other infectious disease.
The Meningitis Trust has launched an innovative Christmas card this year with signs and symptoms of meningitis printed on the card. Sales from the card will go towards free counselling services for those affected by the disease. See www.meningitis-trust.org for details or call its free 24-hour helpline on 1800 523 196.
CARING CAREER:The need for more formal carers for young children, people with disabilities and older people has prompted a group of health providers to make a DVD on how caring can be a career choice. Recently more than 20 groups in Tallaght, Dublin, came together to encourage caring as a career among young people. The DVD is available for use in career guidance classes from Tallaght Equal Assists on tel: 01 4664207.
EDUCATIONAL DVDS:A new series of DVDs for children aged between six months and five years aims to encourage educational communication between young children and adults. Called Baby IQ, the series combines music performed by the London Symphony Orchestra and images that stimulate conversation. The DVDs have been endorsed by the National Literacy Trust in Britain and are sold in Mothercare stores.
CONTRACEPTION ADVICE:Women over 35 have been urged to use contraception if they do not wish to become pregnant. The call was made by the Crisis Pregnancy Agency following publication of the Irish Study of Sexual Health and Relationships which found that 15 per cent of women aged 35-44 had not used contraception at most recent intercourse even when they wished to avoid pregnancy.
The study showed that many women and their partners in their late 30s and early 40s assumed that they were menopausal and had a low risk of pregnancy, so did not use contraception. However, very few women are infertile before 45.
Other reasons why women in this age group did not use contraception were that they didn't mind if they became pregnant (20 per cent), sex was not planned (7 per cent), they didn't think to use contraception (7 per cent) or they were under the influence of alcohol or drugs (5 per cent).