Death is the one certain thing for us all yet it is a great mystery to children and a taboo. A death in the family, the death of a friend, of a teacher or even a pet can have a traumatic effect on children. On average 40 children per day lose a parent through bereavement.  This programme offers help and advice on how to cope. Many children have been involved with the production, offering their experiences as a help to others. Guidance is also available for teachers and families so that they can help children through the difficult times following a death. 

The programme aims to remove some of the mysteries surrounding death, the one certain thing for us all yet often a taboo subject.  It offers help and advice on how to cope with a death in the family, the death of a friend, of a teacher or even a pet and the traumatic effect these can have on children. Many activities are included designed to help children through the grieving period. It includes the true stories of many children offering their experiences as a help to others. It provides guidance for teachers and families to help children through these difficult times.

The interactive CD-ROM has been backed by many organisations which advise on this issue.  These include, The Association of Children’s Hospices, Bereavement Care Standards UK, Acorns Children’s Hospice (Birmingham), Richard House Childrens Hospice (London), Cruse Bereavement Care (Manchester), Marie Curie Cancer Care (Scarborough), The Candle Project (Sydenham), Sunrise - Edwards Trust (Birmingham), National Children’s Bureau (London), Notre Dame Centre (Glasgow), Childhood Bereavement Network (Nottingham), Barnardos Child Bereavement Services (Belfast and Newcastle upon Tyne), Winston’s Wish (Gloucester), Seasons for Growth (Greenford), Scottish Council for Research in Education (Edinburgh}, Rainbows (Sheffield), Children’s Hospice South West, National Association of Funeral Directors, The Pet Bereavement Support Service, Compassionate Friends.

The project is the initiative of Rotary District 1030, which covers Cleveland, Co Durham , Northumberland and Tyne & Wear, and development work has been the responsibility of local Rotarian, Colin Sawyer.

World Heart Day, Sunday, 26^th September 2004
Children have increasingly unhealthy lifestyles, including poor diets, smoking and physical inactivity, which is why this year's World Heart Day, taking place on Sunday, 26th September 2004 , will focus on 'Children, Adolescents and Heart Disease.'

Globally, 22 million children under the age of five are obese and many more are overweight warns the World Heart Federation, an NGO dedicated to the global prevention of heart disease and stroke. The prevalence of obesity is rising at an alarming rate in both developed and less developed countries; if this trend in unhealthy lifestyles continues, children will be more likely to develop heart disease and stroke later in life, significantly reducing their life expectancy.

World Heart Day aims to increase public awareness of the threat of heart disease and stroke and the importance of a heart-healthy lifestyle, so that children, adolescents and adults all over the world can live better, longer. Almost 100 countries participate in the event and media coverage reaches 300 million people worldwide.  Activities on the day include health checks, walks, runs, jump rope, fitness sessions, public talks, stage shows, scientific forums, exhibitions, concerts and sports tournaments. Under the slogan "A Heart for Life", World Heart Day is run by the World Heart Federation's member organizations on all continents.

22 March, 2004
THE VODAFONE GROUP FOUNDATION SUPPORTS MOBILE DIABETES MONITORING TRIALSThe Vodafone Group Foundation recently announced that it is funding and helping develop a clinical trial of an integrated monitoring device using mobile telephone technology for people with Type One Diabetes.

The device, which combines an electronic blood glucose meter, together with a Vodafone GPRS mobile phone, has been developed by the Department of Engineering Science at the University of Oxford in collaboration with e-San Limited.

Monitoring involves specialist software, pre-installed in the mobile telephone, which enables the patient to send the blood glucose reading, along with lifestyle information which they enter, to a secure server. The server then sends a response to the patient's mobile phone, in the form of visual displays, giving the patient immediate feedback and help with self-management of their condition. During the trial a specialist nurse can access the information via a secure web page. The information on each patient is built up over the nine month trial, giving an overall picture of the patient's trends and self-management. The trial involves 100 patients, 80 of whom have already been recruited.

Comprehensive Female Sterilisation Website Launched
For all women considering contraceptive methods including sterilisation, there is now a comprehensive resource available. www.femalesterilsation.com is the first online resource for women, which provides information, advice and guidance regarding female sterilisation, contraception and health care related issues.

The website recognises that women are all individuals. Their choice of contraceptive method will be determined by a variety of factors: your age, your sexual lifestyle, your current relationship, your family status, your medical history and how important it is to you - either medically orpsychologically - to prevent pregnancy, either permanently or temporarily.

www.femalesterilisation.com provides in depth advice about the five most popular methods of contraception: surgical contraception (sterilisation); hormonal methods; intra-uterine devices (the coil); barrier methods and natural methods.

By exploring the different methods of contraception available, and carefully examining the advantages and disadvantages of each, the website can help you to make a more informed choice about what is right for you. For example, surgical contraception or female sterilisation is a permanent method of contraception suitable for women who are sure that they do not want to have any more children, whereas the other four methods are temporary.

The site also includes sections such as 'Frequently Asked Questions', 'Fact and Fiction', useful links to other healthcare websites and even the opportunity to ask the doctor a question.

7 March, 2004
A New Development From Schott Protects the Skin and Stops Bacterial GrowthSoft to the skin, yet tough on microbes, these are the surprising traits that an extremely fine glass powder from Schott Glas in Mainz, exhibits.

Because it is extremely kind to the skin, bioactive glass could play a major role in the making of cosmetics, as an active ingredient of deodorants, for example. "In addition to the other positive effects it has on body tissue, our glass powder eliminates the bacteria that cause body odor in a very mild manner," Schott researcher, Dr. Sean Lee, explains. Conceivably, glass powder could also be used to produce medical creams or powders that protect the skin.

So-called bioactive glass is produced using a predefined mixing ratio of only the four elements silicon, calcium, sodium and phosphorus of high purity. These substances are then ground down to form a very fine powder. All of these elements can already be found inside the human body. This perhaps explains why the body tolerates them so well. The resulting powder resembles powdered sugar in texture and appearance . A single grain of the powder has a diameter of only 5/1000 of a millimeter. As a point of reference, a human hair is 50 times as thick.

http://schott-multimedia.de/Public/Bioactive

PARENTS NEED TO SET EXAMPLE BY EATING MORE FRUIT AND VEG
More than a third of children under six fail to eat fruit and vegetables on a daily basis according to a new report* by Cancer Research UK.     And the amount of broccoli and bananas consumed by children is directly related to their parents' eating habits according to a study of more than 550 nursery school pupils.

The more often parents ate fruit and vegetables, the more likely it was that their children would have a correspondingly high intake.

Better educated parents had children who ate vegetables more often and the earlier a child was introduced to these foods the more frequent their intake, according to the study.

The World Health Organisation recommends adults to eat at least five servings of fruit and vegetables a day as the health benefits of such a diet include a reduced risk of obesity, cancer, heart disease, strokes and diabetes.

Children are also recommended to eat five portions of fruit and vegetables a day although the portions may be smaller for younger children.

The report, led by Lucy Cooke at Cancer Research UK's Health Behaviour Unit at University College, London, also showed that children who had been breast fed as babies ate vegetables and fruit more often than bottle-fed babies.

Questionnaires were sent to 22 nursery schools in North London and parents were asked questions including whether the children in the family ate the same food as the grown-ups, whether the family ate at the same time and in the same place. Researchers found that family mealtimes were associated with more frequent intake of vegetables though not of fruit.

Lucy Cooke says:

"Research has suggested that parents can influence their children's eating habits by controlling mealtime routines. Regular family meals are related to healthier dietary patterns and a higher intake of fruit and vegetables in older children.

Professor Robert Souhami, Director of Clinical and External Affairs, says:

"This research is particularly valuable in that it clearly shows what a key role parents play in influencing their children's eating habits. If the grown-ups opt for fast food TV dinners they can't expect the children to relish regular helpings of fruit and vegetables."

*Public Health Nutrition Issue 7; No.2

HEART UK LAUNCHES NEW INFORMATION LEAFLET FOR THE OVER-50s
HEART UK has launched a new information leaflet for the over-50s, Young at Heart, which provides valuable information and advice on reducing the risk factors for heart disease.

Heart disease becomes an increasing problem as people get older, accounting for three out of four deaths in people aged 65 or over. As the UK's population ages, the effective prevention of heart disease becomes an even more important concern.

Yet evidence suggests that older people do not always receive the medical attention that they should: statins are a group of drugs which lower cholesterol, and have been proven beneficial in reducing the risk of heart disease, but only a third of people aged over 75 who are eligible for these drugs are actually prescribed them.

'We hope that this booklet will encourage older people with heart disease, as well as those at risk of developing it, to talk to their GP or practice nurse about starting an action plan, which may involve diet and lifestyle changes, as well as taking a medicine', commented HEART UK Director Michael Livingston.

Young at Heart includes recommended actions on improving specific risk factors, plus advice on which foods to eat and which to avoid. Leaflet content can be downloaded from www.heartuk.org.uk

<http://www.heartuk.org.uk> , or copies can be ordered by calling HEART UK on 01628 628638.

HEART UK supports and advises anyone who wants to reduce their risk of heart disease.

Young at Heart has been produced with an educational grant from Bristol-Myers Squibb and Sankyo.

Launch of New Biotène Range Boost Patient Compliance For Sufferers Of Dry Mouth

Xerostomia (dry mouth) is commonly caused by prescription medications and over 400 commonly prescribed drugs list dry mouth as a side effect, and this can have adverse effects on patient compliance.

The Biotène range is the first of its kind in the UK to offer long lasting relief from dry mouth. It works by boosting the levels of the protective enzymes found naturally in saliva to help maintain a healthy balance in the mouth - reducing harmful bacteria and sustaining the beneficial bacteria. The products also contain no menthol, alcohol or sodium lauryl sulphate.

Whilst there are varying degrees of dry mouth, in severe cases patients may experience difficulty swallowing, eating and in some cases speaking. Milder symptoms include a dry or burning sensation in the mouth, cracked lips, bad breath, mouth sores and bleeding gums.

Available on FP10, Biotène Oralbalance Gel (priced £4.10) provides dry mouth relief for up to 8 hours. The Biotène Oralbalance Dry Mouth Care System is also available on FP10 (priced £9.93) and contains: Biotène Oralbalance Gel (50g) Toothpaste (75ml) and Mouthwash.

The complete Biotène range is also available from pharmacies (rsp £2.99 - £7.25). For further information telephone Anglian Pharma on 01438 743 070 or visit www.drymouth.org

Epilepsy and brain imaging advances

A breakthrough in brain imaging will lead to more people with epilepsy becoming candidates for neurosurgery - and may lead to advances in investigating the causes of dyslexia, stroke and dementia.

Researchers at the National Society for Epilepsy (NSE) and the Institute of Neurology have found that by using fMRI (functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging) scans doctors will be able to have a much clearer picture of the source of epileptic activity and reduce the risk the operation carries to language and memory problems.

More than 300,000 people in the UK have epilepsy making it the most common serious neurological disorder. At least 200,000 will have their seizures controlled by medicines but for the rest epilepsy can have a serious impact on their quality of life.

NSE's medical director Professor John Duncan said: "fMRI is an important breakthrough as we seek to improve the process of surgery planning. Advances in scanning technology are providing us with a more detailed picture of how the brain works. In due course we will be able to increase the number of people who might be suited to surgery."

Currently around 500 people a year in the UK have brain surgery in an attempt to control their epilepsy. By combining fMRI with EEG recordings of the brain's electrical signals or impulses doctors will have a much clearer picture of the source of epileptic activity leading to an increase in potential candidates for surgery.

fMRI will also be used to reduce the risk of post surgery language and memory problems by localising the area of the brain involved in these everyday functions. By comparing scans of patients performing tasks, such as reading, and then at rest, the brain regions can be identified and mapped. Similar fMRI tests may be used to investigate dyslexia and stroke patients with damage to speech areas.

Professor Duncan added: "Operating on the brain will never be risk free but these studies using fMRI should improve the outcome for many."