HEALTH NOTES: Mum’s vitamin mix cuts risk of child obesity
Expectant mothers can halve the risk of their children becoming obese by taking a mixture of common vitamins.
One study found that the children of mothers who consumed a powdered drink containing probiotics, vitamins B2, B6, B12 and D were half as likely to be obese by age two than those whose mothers took a standard pregnancy supplement. swallowed.
The study’s co-author, Associate Professor Shiao Yng Chan, from the National University of Singapore, said: ‘These early events can influence how the child responds to an unhealthy lifestyle.’
A study found that the children of mothers who took a powdered drink containing probiotics, vitamins B2, B6, B12 and D were half as likely to be obese by the age of two (stock image)
Gadget that signals the decline of Parkinson’s
Gadgets that can monitor Parkinson’s symptoms in real time are now available on the NHS.
The motion sensors, usually worn on the wrist, can measure things like stiffness and involuntary tremors – both common symptoms of Parkinson’s disease.
The debilitating disease affects around 153,000 people in Britain. There is currently no cure, although it can be treated with physiotherapy and levodopa – a drug that helps with coordination.
The device sends a patient’s data back to the doctor so he or she can see if symptoms are worsening and, if necessary, suggest different treatment.
Tracking movement data over time rather than through medical assessments, which can occur as little as once a year, is expected to help doctors make better choices about patients’ care.
3D printers are being used to create life-size models of patients’ livers to help surgeons in Southampton tackle a deadly bile duct cancer that is notoriously difficult to treat.
Bile ducts are small tubes that connect the liver to the gallbladder and small intestine. Cancer in this part of the body, hilariously called cholangiocarcinoma, affects only 1-2 per 100,000 people per year in Britain, but the difficult-to-reach location makes it difficult for surgeons to remove tumors.
That’s why doctors have used the information from scans to create 3D models that allow them to see the tumor before surgery so they can decide if it is safe to operate.
Bile ducts are small tubes that connect the liver to the gallbladder and small intestine (stock image)
The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has approved a new drug, Omjjara, to treat the symptoms of anemia in people with a rare blood cancer.
Four in 10 people with myelofibrosis – a form of bone marrow cancer – have moderate to severe anemia, with a lack of iron affecting the number of red blood cells, causing fatigue and shortness of breath.
Research shows that 25 percent of patients who took Omjjara saw their symptoms reduced by half. The tablet works by blocking a protein that holds iron in the liver and prevents it from being absorbed through food.