June - 2016

'Bath daily' advice for eczema children

If your child has eczema it is fine to give them a dunk in the bath every day, as long as you apply lots of moisturising emollient cream to their skin afterwards, say US researchers. Some experts have said infrequent washing might be better because too much washing can dry out the skin. To try toa settle the debate, allergy doctors in Maine looked at the available medical evidence. They say while it is best to avoid too much soap, a daily soak is fine. UK experts agree, altho

Women over 50 'putting off cervical screening test'

One in three women over 50 has delayed or not attended their cervical screening test, which should take place every five years, according to a survey from a cervical cancer charity. The average delay was more than two years, but one in 10 put off the test for more than five years. Jo's Cervical Cancer Trust surveyed 1,000 women over 50. It said not attending cervical screening was the biggest risk factor to developing cervical cancer. The survey found a lack of understanding

New blood test targets depression

UK scientists have developed a blood test to help doctors pick the best drug for patients with depression. Medics currently have to rely on trial and error, meaning around half of the time the first type of antidepressant given fails to work. The researchers from King's College London say checking a patient's blood could help identify accurate treatment. Those who test positive for inflammation need more aggressive therapy from the outset, they say. So far the researchers hav

Scientists discover an inherited gene for MS

Scientists say they have found a gene that causes a rare but inherited form of multiple sclerosis. It affects about one in every thousand MS patients and, according to the Canadian researchers, is proof that the disease is passed down generations. Experts have long suspected there's a genetic element to MS, but had thought there would be lots of genes involved, as well as environmental factors. The finding offers hope of targeted screening and therapy, Neuron reports. The Uni

Diabetes: Children 'not getting recommended checks'diab

Almost 75% of older children in England and Wales with diabetes are not getting key health checks, a study suggests. Data from 27,682 children and young people showed 25.4% of those aged 12 and older had all seven recommended annual checks, such as eye screenings. Diabetes UK said missed health checks for children were "very worrying". However, the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, which carried out the audit, said the overall picture showed care was improving. H