Blog List

Doctors are calling for a 20% tax hike on sugary drinks in an attempt to tackle Ireland’s obesity problem. With one in four Irish schoolchildren classified as overweight or obese, the Royal College of Physicians is also asking for a review of how these drinks are promoted. Professor Donal O’Shea says: “There is widespread agreement among health professionals, now backed by a convincing body...

New research has found eating a big breakfast could help women struggling to get pregnant. The study found that eating the biggest meal of the day in the morning rather than the evening helps to regulate insulin, testosterone and other hormones that can negatively affect a woman’s fertility. Women in the study were divided into two groups; one group eating a big breakfast and the other eating a...

A new large-scale British study has concluded that pregnant women are safe to eat fish during pregnancy. The study, which examined blood samples from more than 4,000 pregnant women, concluded that limiting seafood intake is unlikely to reduce their mercury levels substantially. The researchers said they hope that ‘many more women will now consider eating fish during pregnancy’. Mercury, which...

Good news this Friday morning! Little Ellie Ward has been given a €46,000 home care package by the HSE that will allow her to leave hospital. Her parents have been forced to keep her in Temple Street Hospital since she was given the medical all-clear to go home in March because she was refused home care funding. Eight-month-old Ellie was fitted with an emergency tracheotomy to help her breath...

Caffeine could be preventing your child’s brain from developing properly. Swiss scientists say caffeine present in fizzy drinks and coffee are preventing adolescents from falling into a deep sleep – an incredibly important time for brain development. With teens’ caffeine consumption rising 70% in just 30 years, there are worries about the effects of caffeinated drinks on teens, with problems...

Irish children are less likely to smoke or drink alcohol than they were in the late 1990s. The Health Behaviour in School-aged Children study found 12% of Irish children were smoking in 2010 compare to 21% in 1998. Of this 12%, almost half had started by the age of 13 or younger, down 11% on previous years. 28% of youngsters reported being drunk, down 1% from 1998 figures, while 8% admitted using...

Cork University Hospital has opened Ireland’s first centre for perinatal research. The centre will study complications in pregnant women and newborns after receiving €13.6 million in funding from the State and industry. Screening can help doctors to intervene early to prevent injuries caused by issues such as oxygen deprivation. The first clinical trials at the centre will start next month to...

A British MP for Dagenham & Rainham has suggested that parents should lose their child benefit if they refuse to give their child the MMR vaccine. The measure, which is already in place in Australia, was suggested by Labour MP Jon Cruddas in response to figures that show uptake of the vaccine has dropped to dangerously low levels in some areas. Earlier this year, more than 1,000 people caught...

A pregnant woman has received heavy criticism after she posted pictures of herself lifting weights just two weeks before her due date. US bodybuilder Lea-Ann Ellison was determined to stay in shape during her pregnancy and continued her exercise regime. The 35-year-old said: ‘After the birth of my second child, I knew I needed to step it up big time. ‘I loved being a Mom but I wanted to be a...

Young children from disadvantaged backgrounds are more likely to be obese and have poorer diets than their advantaged counterparts. The latest report from the Growing Up in Ireland study found that a gap began to appear in the health of children from different social classes before they reached the age of three. 9% of children living with parents who never worked were obese, compared with 5% of...