Newborn hip checks ‘have failed to prevent late diagnosis’

Image copyright Getty Images The current system of checking newborns for hip problems is failing, resulting in too many late diagnoses and corrective surgery, a study suggests. All newborns in England have their hips examined but only those at risk or with problems receive a scan. Surgeons from Southampton Children’s Hospital said the rate of […]

Newborn hip checks ‘have failed to prevent late diagnosis’

Image copyright Getty Images The current system of checking newborns for hip problems is failing, resulting in too many late diagnoses and corrective surgery, a study suggests. All newborns in England have their hips examined but only those at risk or with problems receive a scan. Surgeons from Southampton Children’s Hospital said the rate of […]

Jump in antidepressant prescriptions in England

Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Antidepressant prescriptions have soared over the last decade A total of 70.9 million prescriptions for antidepressants were dispensed in England in 2018. NHS Digital figures show that the number of drugs issued – for conditions like depression and anxiety – went up from 67.5 million in 2017. The total […]

Dogs can smell epileptic seizures

Image copyright Getty Images French scientists say they have proof that dogs can pick up the smell of an epileptic seizure. The University of Rennes team hope the findings could lead to ways to predict when people will have a seizure. These could include dogs or “electronic noses” that pick up the precise odour being […]

How many cigarettes in a bottle of wine?

Image copyright Getty Images Drinking one 750ml bottle of wine a week increases the risk of developing cancer over a lifetime by the equivalent of 10 cigarettes a week for women and five for men, a study says. The UK researchers said this was a good way of communicating the health risks of moderate drinking. […]

The woman who doesn’t feel pain

Image copyright Peter Jolly/REX/Shutterstock Jo Cameron only realises her skin is burning when she smells singed flesh. She often burns her arms on the oven, but feels no pain to warn her. That’s because she is one of only two people in the world known to have a rare genetic mutation. It means she feels […]

The woman who doesn’t feel pain

Image copyright Peter Jolly/REX/Shutterstock Jo Cameron only realises her skin is burning when she smells singed flesh. She often burns her arms on the oven, but feels no pain to warn her. That’s because she is one of only two people in the world known to have a rare genetic mutation. It means she feels […]

Take over pharma to create new medicines, says top adviser

Image copyright Getty Images Part of the drugs industry should be taken over to make new antibiotics, an influential economist has argued. Lord Jim O’Neill, who advised the government on antibiotic resistance, said he was shocked by pharmaceutical companies failing to tackle drug-resistant infections. He said the solution may be to “just take it away […]

Take over pharma to create new medicines, says top adviser

Image copyright Getty Images Part of the drugs industry should be taken over to make new antibiotics, an influential economist has argued. Lord Jim O’Neill, who advised the government on antibiotic resistance, said he was shocked by pharmaceutical companies failing to tackle drug-resistant infections. He said the solution may be to “just take it away […]

Take over pharma to create new medicines, says top adviser

Image copyright Getty Images Part of the drugs industry should be taken over to make new antibiotics, an influential economist has argued. Lord Jim O’Neill, who advised the government on antibiotic resistance, said he was shocked by pharmaceutical companies failing to tackle drug-resistant infections. He said the solution may be to “just take it away […]