Blog List

Research in Scotland has found the health of pregnant women and their babies is put at risk when mothers are overweight or underweight. The analysis of 110,000 pregnancies between 2003 and 2010 showed the risk of complications increased in women with a higher BMI. These women also had an increased risk of hypertension and diabetes, which can affect the baby. While obese women were 45% more likely...

The head of Amsterdam’s health service is claiming sugar is the most dangerous drug of our times and is calling for the substance to be tightly regulated. Research has found that sugar, unlike fat, actually interferes with the body’s appetite and creates an insatiable desire to keep eating. " Whoever uses sugar wants more and more, even when they are no longer hungry. Give someone eggs and...

Private health insurers are to meet with a national infertility support group to discuss offering cover for IVF treatments. At the moment, only one health insurer offers limited cover and while a tax rebate can be claimed, the financial strain on those seeking treatments is significant. Helen Brown from the National Infertility Support and Information Group confirmed the meeting at the group’s...

A study has revealed that 1-in-10 Irish three year olds are clinically obese. Dr. Muireann Cullen, manager of the Nutrition and Health Foundation, believes there needs to be a Government-led initiative to stop the spread of obesity. Already 31.8% of seven year olds are either overweight or obese. Robin Shepper, who worked on the 'Let's Move' campaign in America, says every member of...

Milk and cookies may be a beloved combination, but a US doctor has raised concerns over kids eating late-night sugary snacks. Dr Julie Wei says the combination of sugar and dairy late at night could be causing runny noses, coughs, sore throats and fatigue. After treating a number of children with these chronic symptoms, she found that many of them frequently had sugary snacks such as cookies, as...

A new study has found pregnant women in Ireland are drinking significantly more during pregnancy than women in other countries. While the research didn't look at the effect of alcohol on the developing baby’s brain, it did find that alcohol consumption hadn't adversely affected the baby’s weight or caused premature births. The research carried out in University College Cork found eight...

The Food Safety Authority of Ireland has advised against further folic acid fortification of food An international conference at Trinity College Dublin was told that there were no additional benefits to mandatory folic acid fortification of bread in Ireland. After conducting a blood monitoring study of the Irish population, the FSAI found that folic acid intake remains high mainly due to voluntary...

Children in some parts of Ireland will have to wait up to four years for orthodontic treatment, it has been claimed. The Orthodontic Society of Ireland say there are not enough orthodontists to cope with demand and estimate that the average waiting list time for children is in the region of three years. As part of specialist orthodontist awareness week, the OSI is highlighting the pitfalls of...

In an attempt to combat the growing problem of childhood obesity in America, schools in 19 US states are weighing children and measuring their body mass index. Pupils are being sent home with report cards informing their parents whether they are “healthy” or “overweight”. While officials say the measurements are useful in tackling obesity, many parents have criticised the practice...

Proposals to give young children free GP care are likely to be included in the upcoming budget. It is unclear what age group of children will benefit at first, but access will be given regardless of the income of the parents. While GP costs will be covered, medication prescribed by the doctor will still need to be paid for by parents of children without a medical card. If proposals go ahead, it...