MMR, Babywalkers, Cod Liver Oil Warning, ADHD, Suncream Alert, Asthma, Sellafield and Childhood Cancer, Hay Fever, Mobile Phones, Ecstasy & Memory Loss, Promoting Food to Children

MMR – DOUBTS IN AMERICA

The Sunday Telegraph reported this weekend that a doctor in America has seen 43 children with a similar pattern of disease as that seen by Dr Wakefield. These children developed apparently normally until 12 to 18 months when they developed autism associated with severe bowel inflammation. It is not known whether these changes were linked to MMR but the American doctors are planning to test the bowel for measles virus. One doctor from Florida who has a son with regressive autism revealed that his son had particles of the measles virus in his CSF – the fluid around the brain – this could explain how measles could affect development. Measles infection has long been known to cause a degenerative brain disorder in later life – called SSPE – read about it in our section on measles.

Read US experts back MMR doctor's findings in the Sunday Telegraph.

Also read last week’s MMR update from This Week in Health.

BABYWALKERS SLOW DEVELOPMENT

Babywalkers have always had a bad press from casualty departments as they cause some childhood injuries – allowing young children extra mobility means that they can reach things previously far away and move much faster than normal leading to accidents such as burns and falls. A report in this week’s British Medical Journal shows that they also slow down development making babies crawl and walk later than they should have. Read the report Locomotor milestones and babywalkers.

COD LIVER OIL WARNING

Two types of fish oil supplements sold by Holland and Barrett and Superdrug have been found to have dangerously high levels of dioxin and PCBs. These are fat-soluble chemicals that have been released into the environment from electrical appliances such as fridges and also formed by bonfires. The cod’s liver concentrates the chemicals and stores them. This warning was issued by the Food Standards Agency. Read Chemical fear over cod liver oil and Dioxin levels down, fish oil supplement survey finds which found that generally levels of dioxins in fish oil supplements are falling, which is good news as it means that recent environmental policy on disposal of PCBs is working.

ADHD

A personal view

There is an interesting letter in this week’s British Medical Journal from a medical student with ADHD who uses the stimulant drug methylphenidate daily to control his ADHD and resents being labelled lazy, unmotivated and irresponsible. Read the second letter in this section.

SUNCREAMS – ALERT

Apparently as parents we do not apply enough sun cream to ourselves or our children to provide the SPF coverage indicated on the bottle. This letter in the British Medical Journal suggests dividing the body up into 11 different areas and applying two fingertips worth of sun cream to each area – the index and middle finger each have a two strips of sun cream squeezed on from the last finger crease to the finger tip and then all four strips are rubbed into just one of the 11 areas and this is repeated for each area. It sounds as if it would be much simpler to relabel sunscreens according to their common usage but this information should interest anyone worried about burning in the sun or skin cancer. Read simple dosage guide for suncreams.

ASTHMA CAMPAIGN

The Independent on Sunday has been running an asthma campaign aimed at highlighting the problems of air pollution, and this week the Health Secretary Alan Milburn announced plans to tackle asthma. Read The success of the IoS asthma campaign.

ALSO IN THE NEWS

Childhood Cancer

Children born to fathers who work at Sellafield Nuclear Power plant have a higher risk of contracting childhood cancer. Read Sellafield children have heightened cancer risk.

Hay Fever

Immunologists have been studying the IgA immunoglobulins that react to pollen to produce hay fever and have found that they contain a structural abnormality that may be able to be used to treat the symptoms. Read Scientists may be able to ‘switch off’ hayfever.

Mobile Phone Warning

Mobile phones not only put children at increased risk of street crime, there is also concern about the effect the radiation has on their brains. A report this week shows that radiation affects the blood-brain barrier which prevents drugs and infections from reaching the brain. The effects were only found in the laboratory but you can read about it at Mobile phone radiation alters brain cells.

Ecstasy Can Cause Memory Loss

A study reported this week compared memory tests in adults who took Ecstasy (on average around 40 tablets a year for four years) to adults with no history of taking the drug.

Read Ecstasy is bad for your memory.

Promotion of Foods to Children

Are you incensed by the way that foods heavily advertised to appeal to children are usually high in fat sugar or salt and unhealthy? The Food Standards Agency is setting up a review of the way foods are advertised for children – read about it at Research wanted - promotion of foods to children.

They also have a fun quiz aimed at making bar-b-que food safer – see Are you a silly burger? They also have an excellent and informative ask the expert section on feeding babies and children, how to cook and store their food and what to avoid and also on product labelling – see Food Standards Agency - Ask an expert.