Computers & Back Pain, Diabetes, Small Babies, Genetic Selection, The Hazards of a Cheerful Disposition?, Ecstasy, Eating Disorders, Food Poisoning, Asthma & Hayfever, Breast Cancer, Gene Therapy & Leukaemia, Winter Vomiting Alert, Bedbug Scare, Clicky Hips in Babies, Smacking and more...

COMPUTERS TO BLAME FOR BAD BACKS

Well, according to the authors of a report in this week’s British Medical Journal. They looked at back and neck pain in 12 to 18 year olds and found a dramatic increase since the late 1990s. The survey was done in Finland and they also found that girls were more likely to suffer back pain. They postulate that computer use may have caused this as it has increased to 86% of people using the Internet on a daily basis by 2001 from virtually nil in the 1980s. They also blame game consoles – read Back, neck and shoulder pain in Finnish adolescents. With an increase in the number of computer games aimed at even younger children, we must ensure as parents that children are correctly seated with their feet supported parallel to the floor, with the table top at elbow height.

DIABETES – CONTROL UPDATE

A report published this week shows that intensive education of diabetics in intensive insulin treatment combined with dietary freedom leads to better control of blood glucose and presumably fewer long and short-term side effects. See Dose adjustment for normal eating (DAFNE).

SMALL BABIES ARE MORE LIKELY TO BE STRESSED AS ADULTS

You may think that there is not much you can do about this once you’ve had your baby. But this study found that although babies who were light at birth and during the first seven years of life were more likely to suffer from ‘psychological distress’, there could be a reversal of some of the adverse psychological effects of low birth weight by good weight gain in the first few years. Read Growth in early life.

GENETIC SELECTION

This has been in the news again this week as one deaf lesbian couple deliberately tried to create a deaf ‘designer’ baby using sperm donated by a friend with known genetic deafness. Julia Savulescu from the Oxford Centre for Applied Ethics discusses this in 'Designer disability' and the future of medicine.

BEING CHEERFUL KILLS YOU EARLIER

Well, according to this report which found that cheerful children died before their more gloomy classmates. It all seems to boil down to a more relaxed attitude to life – drinking and smoking more, taking more risks and being less likely to go for regular health checks. See Cheerful children die younger.

ECSTASY BRAIN DAMAGE WARNING

According to this report, ecstasy use produced Parkinsonian symptoms in monkeys and squirrels. The doses used were similar to those used by young people in Britain today but it was injected which makes it twice as potent compared to taking it by mouth. All teenagers should read this report – if ecstasy use continues we could be heading towards an epidemic of Parkinson’s disease. Read Ecstasy produces parkinsonian effect in monkeys and search our This Week in Health archive for more on ecstasy use.

EATING DISORDER QUESTIONNAIRE AND NET INFORMATION

The SCOFF questionnaire is being introduced into GP’s surgeries to help doctors pick up early signs of anorexia and bulimia. See The SCOFF questionnaire. The British Medical Journal has compiled a list of Internet sites giving an insight into eating disorders.

DOES FOOD POISONING PREVENT ASTHMA AND HAYFEVER?

According to this huge piece of research published on Medline, the online reporter of medical research for doctors. They found that children with antibodies to food-borne infections were less likely to have asthma or hayfever. Read Infection and allergy in the US.

BREAST CANCER – MASSIVELY INCREASED BY SMOKING AS A TEENAGER

All teenage girls should be aware of this report which reveals a staggering 70% increase in the risk of cancer in girls who smoke as teenagers. The research was done in Canada and suggests that breast tissue may be most susceptible to carcinogens in its rapid phase of early growth. No such increase was seen in women smoking after puberty. Teenage smoking may increase breast cancer risk.

GENE THERAPY LINKED TO LEUKAEMIA

Most of the papers reported this week that a boy who had successful gene therapy for severe combined immunodeficiency (the boy in the bubble) in France has developed leukaemia. This may be due to the viral vectors used to insert the new DNA into the boy’s cells. Most of the children treated with gene therapy at present have life threatening diseases and for them gene therapy is often their only hope. For this reason gene therapy research will continue in Britain. Gene therapy treatment continues despite child leukaemia scare.

WINTER VOMITING ALERT

A report in the Daily Express last week said that Britain was heading for an epidemic of gastroenteritis caused by a viral infection and passed from person to person rather than being transmitted through food like most bacterial gut infections. Read our section on diarrhoea and vomiting.

BEDBUG SCARE

Bedbugs are apparently a problem again according to a piece in last week’s Daily Mail. They are being brought in from foreign holiday destinations and can move around in furnishings bought at car boot sales.

CLICKY HIPS

In newborn babies are discussed this week in the Times Online; also see congenital dislocation of the hip.

SMACKING CHILDREN

The United Nations wants Britain to ban smacking and while we all acknowledge that child abuse is wrong and that such legislation would make it easier for social services to get abusers arrested, do we want to see parents threatened with a criminal suit and maybe time in jail for smacking? Some parents are totally against smacking and some feel that it encourages violence in children. Read Britain condemned for allowing parents to smack children. On the other hand, teachers are reporting a breakdown in discipline in the classroom and a lack of respect of adults or authority – what do you think – let us know on our message board.

ALSO OF INTEREST

Women misled about the pain and distress of giving birth

Advertising helps a child develop

Measles virus is found in boy's brain after MMR – this is discussed in our updated MMR section. Also see Most MMR studies are meaningless, investigation claims which is also discussed.

Teething troubles – further discussions of the concerns about putting fluoride in our water supply. Also see This Week in Health: 10 September 2002 and This Week in Health: 28 May 2002 and our section on teething.

At the end of Teething troubles there is an article proving that fresh fruit can help constipation. Please note we have a new section on soiling and see our message boards for more on the subject.