|
Wine fans see double as twins launch Cheshire Mersey Wine School
FINDINGS from a pilot in Liverpool Women's Hospital in Merseyside have
suggested that a new programme by the NSPCC is helping to keep babies safe.
The Preventing Non Accidental Head Injury (NAHI) programme is a service from the
NSPCC which focuses on educating parents about the risks of shaking babies and
gives practical coping strategies for the pressures of parenthood. It involves
midwives and health professionals simply showing new parents a short film before
they are discharged from hospital. The film helps mums and dads understand the
dangers of shaking a baby, how to respond to their baby crying, and how to cope
with feeling stressed and tired. The midwives talk to the parents about the film
and answer questions.
Since the programme was introduced in Liverpool Women's Hospital, around 3,000
local parents have been shown the powerful film to help them care for a crying
baby, and reduce the risk of them becoming stressed and harming their baby.
Looking after a crying baby can be challenging. Parents can sometimes struggle
to soothe their baby, and may find this upsetting or frustrating. In the worst
cases, this can lead to parents getting angry and harming their baby. An
American study found that 70% of mums with babies who cried excessively
had experienced aggressive thoughts. NSPCC estimates that around 200 babies a
year in the UK suffer from serious head injuries as the result of being shaken,
hit or thrown. Tracy Buckley, NSPCC Service Centre Manager in Liverpool said:-
"Our evaluation results suggest that the film is helping to keep babies safe.
99% of parents from across the UK who took part in our evaluation remembered the
film at least 6 months after watching it. 82% said they used advice from the
film when caring for their baby, and the rate of reported injuries amongst
babies with feeding, sleeping or crying difficulties was lower if their parents
had seen the film. This is a ground breaking new programme based on the best
international evidence. It is a relatively simple and low cost intervention, and
our evaluation shows that it is helping parents to manage the pressures of new
parenthood and soothe their baby. It is critically important that we support
families to reduce stress during the significant life changes that accompany the
birth of a new baby."
Cathy Atherton, Head of Midwifery at Liverpool Women's Hospital said:-
"Teaching parents how to handle their baby and cope with stress may
be the best way to protect infants from non-accidental injury so we
are pleased to have reached so many parents by delivering this
service with the NSPCC. Its vitally important that we make new
parents aware of the dangers of shaking a newborn baby and raise
this awareness early to ensure parents best understand how to keep
their babies safe."
A crying baby can be exhausting and stressful, but this difficult time won't
last forever. If you feel you can't cope and need a break don't be afraid to ask
for help from someone you trust such as a family member, midwife, health visitor
or children's centre worker. Alternatively, call the NSPCC Helpline on:- 0808
800 5000 and talk to one of our counsellors. |
 |
Coeliac UK announces fourfold increase in the rate of diagnosed cases of coeliac
disease
COELIAC UK, the national charity for coeliac disease announced on 12 May
2014 that new research from the University of Nottingham that has found a
fourfold increase in the rate of diagnosed cases of coeliac disease in the
United Kingdom over the past 2 decades, but, still ¾
of people with coeliac disease remain undiagnosed.
The National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE) previously estimated
that only 10% to 15% of those with coeliac disease had been diagnosed, however,
this latest research by Dr Joe West from University of Nottingham, funded by
Coeliac UK and CORE has shown that the level of diagnosis has increased to 24%.
Coeliac disease is an autoimmune disease caused by intolerance to gluten. Left
untreated it may lead to infertility, osteoporosis and small bowel cancer. 1 in
100 people in the UK have coeliac disease, with the prevalence rising to 1 in 10
for close family members.
The only treatment for coeliac disease is a strict, lifelong gluten free diet.
Gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley and rye and, once diagnosed, people
with coeliac disease need to eliminate all gluten containing foods and make sure
they only eat gluten-free varieties.
Researchers identified the number of people diagnosed during the study period
using the diagnostic codes for coeliac disease recorded in the Clinical Practice
Research Datalink (1990 to 2011)
This research, published by The American Journal of Gastroenterology comes out
as the charity celebrates its annual Awareness campaign which this year is
entitled the 'Gluten free Guarantee' and aims to improve availability of gluten
free foods in stores across the UK.
Sarah Sleet, Chief Executive of Coeliac UK said:- "This latest research
shows that nearly a quarter of people with coeliac disease have now been
diagnosed and gives an up to date picture of the diagnosis levels across the UK.
Of course, increasing numbers with a diagnosis is good news and will inevitably
mean that there will be an increased demand for gluten-free products in
supermarkets. But the ¾ undiagnosed is around 500,000
people; a shocking statistic that needs urgent action."
From 12 May to 18 May 2014 the charity is asking people across the UK to support
the 'Gluten-free Guarantee' which asks supermarkets to commit to
have in stock 8 core items of gluten free food, making it easier for people
with the condition to manage their gluten free diet, which is their only
treatment.
"Can you imagine going into your local supermarket and there is no
bread you can eat, not one loaf not one slice? And when you check
out the pasta, cereal or flour again there is nothing available on
the shelf which means you have to trawl around 2 or 3 stores in
order to be able to find your staple foods. This is not about your
preferred brand, but about the major supermarkets ensuring that they
have sufficient stock in all their stores whatever their size for
this growing market of people who depend on gluten free food for
their health."
The symptoms of coeliac disease range from mild to severe and can vary between
individuals. Not everyone with coeliac disease experiences gut related symptoms;
any area of the body can be affected. Symptoms can include ongoing gut problems
such as bloating, abdominal pain, nausea, constipation, diarrhoea, and wind, and
other common symptoms include extreme tiredness, anaemia, headaches and mouth
ulcers, weight loss
(but not in all cases), skin problems, depression, and joint
or bone pain.
|
