Foster-care deaths:
Children in care are more likely to die before they turn 18, conclude researchers from Finland in a recent British Medical Journal. The results indicate the need for continuing attention to be paid to the transition from foster care to independence. The study analysed deaths among all children in Finland taken into care between 1991 and 1997. During the study period, 106 of them died, a higher rate than would have been expected in the general population and in the most socially disadvantaged groups in Finland. Substance misuse, accidents and suicide accounted for the higher death rate. Deaths from illness can be attributed to an increase in acute and chronic health conditions and developmental delays among children in foster care, say the authors. The child-protection system does not cause the deaths, but it fails to protect adolescents from self-endangering behaviour.
Want babies? Don't smoke:
Infertility is the latest health risk for women who smoke. Researchers have reported a link between female infertility and substances found in tobacco smoke. Animal studies have shown that toxic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, a by-product of cigarette smoke, destroy eggs in the ovaries. This process may also explain why women smokers tend to experience the menopause two or three years earlier than non-smokers. Although the research opens up the possibility of designing ways to treat or prevent some of the infertility that results from these chemicals, the authors conclude that the best way to minimise damage is to stop smoking.
Couch children:
Well before they reach their teens, girls are almost half as physically active as boys when it comes to regular vigorous exercise, according to research at the school of physiotherapy at Trinity College in Dublin. A representative sample of 37 primary schools in Dublin were studied, all of which offered at least one physical-education period a week. Around one in 10 of the children had a condition that might have made physical activity more difficult, such as asthma. Just under four out of 10 children vigorously exercised for 20 minutes three or more times a week, the minimum recommended for good health. More than 40 per cent failed to engage in even moderate levels of physical activity, such as walking and cycling. More than three-quarters spent at least two hours in front of a television or computer screen every day, whatever their social and economic backgrounds. But those from more disadvantaged backgrounds expended significantly more physical energy than children from more privileged backgrounds. The authors conclude that the results are of concern because inactivity in childhood can influence activity patterns in adulthood.
Bypass & stroke:
Patients who have coronary-artery-bypass surgery soon after experiencing unstable angina or heart attack face a higher risk of stroke than those who opt out of or delay the procedure, according to a new study. Dr Lisa Cronin and colleagues at McMaster University in Canada found that although the overall risk of stroke was low, those who had early surgery were twice as likely to have a stroke than those who had it later or not at all. The study, reported in the British Medical Journal, suggested physicians should reconsider advising early aggressive surgical revascularisation after heart attacks.
Hold on:
Fall prevention should be part of the routine care of older people in long-stay care, according to a report on one hospital scheme. The number of patients who fell declined by 7.5 per cent over two years at Baltinglass District Hospital in Co Wicklow. The scheme, reported in the Irish Medical Journal, included the implementation of recommendations made by an environmental audit. Handrails, grab rails and armrests were installed, floors were no longer polished and obstructive furniture was removed.
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