'Tomato in a pill' for heart disease

9 June 2014 Last updated at 22:00 By Michelle Roberts Health editor, BBC News online

Taking a tomato pill a day could help keep heart disease at bay, say UK scientists who have carried out a small but robust study.

The trial, which tested the tomato pill versus a dummy drug in 72 adults, found it improved the functioning of blood vessels.

But experts say more studies are needed to prove it really works.

The pill contains lycopene, a natural antioxidant that also gives tomatoes their colour.

Continue reading the main story

A daily 'tomato pill' is not a substitute for other treatments, but may provide added benefits when taken alongside other medication"

End Quote Dr Joseph Cheriyan Lead researcher

Experts have suspected for some time that lycopene might be good for avoiding illnesses, including certain cancers and cardiovascular disease.

There is some evidence that eating a Mediterranean-style diet, which is rich in tomatoes (as well as other fruit and vegetables and olive oil), is beneficial for health.

Following a healthy diet is still advisable but scientists have been researching whether there is a way to put at least some of this good stuff into an easy-to-take pill.

Tomato pill

A company called CamNutra has come up with its own "tomato pill".

Working independently of CamNutra, and instead funded by the Wellcome Trust, the British Heart Foundation and the National Institute of Health Research, a team at Cambridge University set out to see if this pill would have the desired effect.

They recruited 36 volunteers known to have heart disease and 36 "healthy" controls, who were all given a daily tablet to take, which was either the tomato pill or a placebo. To ensure a fairer trial, neither the volunteers nor the researchers were told what the tablets actually contained until after the two-month study had ended and the results were in.

For comparison, the researchers measured something called forearm blood flow, which is predictive of future cardiovascular risk because narrowed blood vessels can lead to heart attack and stroke.

In the heart disease patients, the tomato pill improved forearm blood flow significantly, while the placebo did not.

The supplement had no effect on blood pressure, arterial stiffness or levels of fats in the blood, however.

Lycopene

• A natural antioxidant - substances thought to protect the body's cells from damage

• Found in tomatoes, but also in apricots, watermelon and papaya as well as pink grapefruit

• Lycopene content varies according to the variety of tomato and how it is prepared eg. puree, ketchup, cooked or raw

• It is unclear whether supplements would ever be able to replace the benefits of a varied diet

Lead researcher Dr Joseph Cheriyan said the findings, published in PLoS One journal, were promising, but added: "A daily 'tomato pill' is not a substitute for other treatments, but may provide added benefits when taken alongside other medication.

"However, we cannot answer if this may reduce heart disease - this would need much larger trials to investigate outcomes more carefully."

Prof Jeremy Pearson of the British Heart Foundation said big studies were needed to see if this could become a viable option for patients.

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'World's youngest' heart baby dies

10 June 2014 Last updated at 11:15

A baby who was believed to be the youngest in the world to be fitted with an artificial heart has died.

Tiarna Middleton, from Rowlands Gill, Gateshead, was born on 22 May but her coronary arteries had failed to form.

Aged 12 days, she was given a Berlin Heart which takes over from the heart and helps to pump blood around the body.

Following the operation last week, she suffered complications and died on Monday.

Doctors at the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle had carried out a nine-hour operation to fit the device which operates outside the body.

It was hoped the artificial heart would keep her alive until a donor heart became available.

Her parents, Gary Middleton and Sharney Gray, had said they were taking things "hour by hour" following the procedure.

Writing on Facebook earlier, Ms Gray said: "My little princess became an angel last night.

"She took her wings early and went to be with her grandad."

Other children have previously been kept alive for more than 200 days on the specialist devices, which work by helping the right ventricle of the heart to pump blood to the lungs and the left ventricle to pump blood to the body.

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One in three 'on cusp' of diabetes

10 June 2014 Last updated at 15:15 By James Gallagher Health and science reporter, BBC News

More than a third of adults are on the cusp of developing type-2 diabetes, figures for England show.

A report, in the British Medical Journal, highlights an "extremely rapid" rise in pre-diabetes since 2003.

The authors predict a surge in type-2 diabetes in the coming years, with consequences for life expectancy and disability.

The charity Diabetes UK said the NHS was already spending one-tenth of its budget on the condition.

People with pre-diabetes have no symptoms of ill health, but their blood sugar levels are at the very high end of the normal range - on the cusp of diabetes.

Between 5% and 10% of people with pre-diabetes go on to develop type-2 diabetes each year, the researchers said.

Their study looked at Health Survey for England data between 2003 and 2011.

In 2003, 11.6% of adults surveyed had pre-diabetes, but the figures trebled to 35.3% by 2011.

Case study - Helen Barker

Three years ago, 39-year-old Helen Barker from Snaith in East Yorkshire was told she was following her brother and her dad on the path to type-2 diabetes.

"It was through a routine check-up at the doctors, I was told my glucose tolerance was not at the right levels."

She was advised to change her lifestyle and went on to improve her diet, exercise more and initially dropped five stone.

"It worked, to be completely honest I put some weight back on, but I'm in a lot different place now, I was retested and I'm back to normal.

"I don't want to be back in that category, my dad's got so many health problems because of diabetes."

He cannot drive due to damage to his eyes and is about to start kidney dialysis.

Helen said: "There are simple steps to turn things around, if only he'd known 10 years sooner that he could have prevented some of these things."

Prof Richard Baker, one of the report's authors from the University of Leicester, told the BBC: "The level of increased diabetes risk has gone up quite steeply, it has been rising in other countries, but it has leapt up faster in England than in the US - it's a big jump really.

"A lot of people with type-2 diabetes manage their condition very well, but some are unlucky and get severe consequences quickly, it's not a nice disease to have."

Fellow researcher Dr Arch Mainous, from the University of Florida, added: "I think the huge rise was surprising, it was substantial.

"People are going to transition from these high-risk states to diabetes and there will be a lot of implications for people being sick and healthcare costs."

Complications

• Blood vessel damage increases the risk of heart attacks and stroke
• Nerve damage
• Foot ulcers, potentially leading to amputation
• Blindness
• Kidney damage
• Impaired sexual performance
• Increased risk of miscarriage

NHS: Type-2 diabetes

BBC Science: Diabetes

Check your risk of Type 2 diabetes - Diabetes UK

Prof Baker said the health service had some good things in place, such as health checks for people over the age of 40.

But he argued a broader approach "either more regulation or getting the food industry to compete more on the healthiness of their products" was needed.

Around 3.2 million people in the UK have type-2 diabetes and the charity Diabetes UK estimates that figure will rise to 5 million by 2025.

The condition is linked to risk factors which include being overweight.

Type 2 diabetes develops when the insulin-producing cells in the body are unable to produce enough insulin, or when the insulin that is produced does not work properly.

The charity's chief executive Barbara Young said: "Unless we make people aware of their risk of type-2 diabetes and support them in changing their lifestyles, we could see an even greater increase in the number of people with the condition than we are already expecting.

"A tenth of the NHS budget is already being spent on diabetes and unless we get much better at preventing type-2 diabetes this spending will soon rise to unsustainable levels."

"Up to 80% of cases of type-2 diabetes could be avoided or delayed.

"Programmes such as the NHS Health Check are already doing an important job in assessing people's risk, by measuring weight and waist, as well as looking at family history and ethnicity.

"But at the moment not everyone who is eligible for this check is getting one and we need this to change."

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Father's plea over baby feed death

6 June 2014 Last updated at 17:45

Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play.

Raaid Sakkijha has spoken about the death of his son Yousef from suspected contaminated feed

The father of a nine-day-old baby who died after contracting a bacterial infection from a suspected contaminated hospital feed has said he does not want more children to die.

Yousef Al-Kharboush died on Sunday at St Thomas' Hospital in London.

His father Raaid Hassan Sakkijha said his son had suffered but he hoped other children would be saved.

Officials revealed 21 babies, many premature, are now known to have been infected at a number of hospitals.

Continue reading the main story

"Start Quote

My son has died and I hope he will be able to save other children"

End Quote Raaid Sakkijha

Speaking after a hearing at Southwark Coroner's Court, Mr Sakkijha revealed Yousef, born eight weeks premature, had a twin. The baby's condition is unknown.

The coroner ruled a post-mortem examination would not be performed on Yousef, from London Bridge, central London, following a request from his family.

Mr Sakkijha told the BBC the family had had excellent care from the hospital but there had been an "unlucky incident".

Asked how he felt, he said: "If you have a child, you'll know."

Speaking at a pre-inquest review at Southwark Coroner's Court, Mr Sakkijha, who has two other children, aged 10 and seven, said his child had been "suffering", adding: "My son has died and I hope he will be able to save other children. I hope the other children are getting well.

"I was hoping to hear production of this product would completely stop until this report was out."

Intensive care

Continue reading the main story

"Start Quote

We believe this is an isolated incident and the appropriate immediate action has been taken at ITH Pharma's facility"

End Quote Gerald Heddell Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency

Three further cases were revealed by Public Health England (PHE) on Friday.

PHE said it had been working with neonatal units which had received the feed and looked at other babies' case records to check for signs of infection.

This has led to earlier cases being included in the total.

The babies, who became unwell last week or over the weekend, are responding to antibiotic treatment.

Experts said that, because of the time that has passed since the product expired, there was a "very small" chance of further cases emerging.

What is Bacillus cereus?

• A type of bacterium that produces toxins that cause two types of illness
• The most common form causes nausea and vomiting
• The symptoms may start one to six hours after eating contaminated food
• It is commonly found in dust, soil and vegetation and is likely to be on most surfaces
• The poison is not passed from one person to another and symptoms do not usually last longer than a day
• Less common is an illness which causes fever and diarrhoea
• These symptoms, which may be serious, usually start six to 24 hours after eating and can last for one or two days

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said it had inspected the premises of ITH Pharma, the company that manufactured the feed.

Gerald Heddell, the MHRA's director of inspection, enforcement and standards, said: "Based on the information we currently have, we believe this is an isolated incident and the appropriate immediate action has been taken at ITH Pharma's facility to avoid a reoccurrence.

"Therefore we are allowing this critical product to be supplied to patients while our investigation proceeds."

He added: "At this stage we believe the facility is operating in accordance with Good Manufacturing Practice guidelines but further inspections will be made as part of our ongoing investigation."

On Thursday, the manufacturer of the feed, ITH Pharma, said it was "saddened" by what had happened and was cooperating fully with the investigation.

It had been suggested that one of the raw ingredients in the feed could have been the source of the contamination.

However the MHRA said on the evidence available that did not appear to be the case.

Liquid feed

The affected babies are being cared for at 10 hospitals in England.

All the infected babies were being fed a liquid mixture of nutrients directly into their bloodstream, which happens when newborns are unable to eat on their own.

Public Health England said the babies developed septicaemia or blood poisoning from the Bacillus cereus bacterium, which has been "strongly linked" to an intravenous fluid supplied by ITH Pharma.

They were being cared for in neonatal intensive care units and the surviving infants are said to be responding to antibiotic treatment.

The contaminated batches of feed have since been withdrawn, although as they expired on Monday none should have been used since then.

A total of 162 units of the feed were sent out from the contaminated batches to more than 20 hospitals. It is possible other cases will emerge as tests are carried out.

The cases have been reported at:

• Chelsea and Westminster NHS Trust (four confirmed, one possible)
• Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust (three confirmed)
• The Whittington Hospital (one confirmed)
• Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust (three confirmed)
• CUH Addenbrookes (Cambridge University Hospitals) (two confirmed, one possible)
• Luton and Dunstable University Hospital (two confirmed)
• Peterborough City Hospital (one confirmed)
• Southend University Hospital (one probable)
• Stoke Mandeville Hospital (one probable)
• Basildon University Hospital (one possible)

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Activity aids breast cancer survival

9 June 2014 Last updated at 03:57

Exercise can aid recovery after breast cancer but many women are not active enough, a study suggests.

Being active is known to be beneficial but US researchers, writing in the journal Cancer, said they had found many women did too little.

Only a third met recommended activity levels.

UK breast cancer groups said women here also needed more support to keep active after having the disease.

Continue reading the main story

Although this study was conducted in America rather than the UK, the results suggest that women who have received a breast cancer diagnosis need better support to keep active"

End Quote Caroline Dalton, Breakthrough Breast Cancer

The American study looked at the pre and post-diagnosis exercise levels of 1,735 women aged 20-74 who had breast cancer between 2008 and 2011 in North Carolina.

In the US and the UK, adults are recommended to do at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity physical activity each week.

But this study found only 35% of women who had experienced breast cancer met the physical activity guidelines.

'Helps patients cope'

In the UK, campaigners said women here also needed to exercise more.

Caroline Dalton, of Breakthrough Breast Cancer, said: "Physical activity after a breast cancer diagnosis has been shown to improve a patient's chances of survival and there is also some evidence that it may help to reduce the risk of breast cancer returning.

"Keeping active may also help patients cope, both during and after treatment, by improving general health and wellbeing."

She added: "Although this study was conducted in America rather than the UK, the results suggest that women who have received a breast cancer diagnosis need better support to keep active."

"There are no specific guidelines in place at the moment to tell us precisely how much physical activity is needed after a breast cancer diagnosis, but Breakthrough Breast Cancer suggests aiming for 3.5 hours per week, after checking with your treatment team to see what is appropriate for you."

Baroness Delyth Morgan, chief executive at Breast Cancer Campaign, said: "This study serves as a reminder of how important it is that women with breast cancer are made aware that physical activity can improve their chances of survival.

"Recent research has shown that even small increases to the amount of exercise done after a breast cancer diagnosis can give women a better chance of survival.

"This is why it is essential that women are given a clear written follow-up care plan, which should include practical advice about diet and exercise."

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Aspirin 'not best to stop strokes'

9 June 2014 Last updated at 11:48 By Michelle Roberts Health editor, BBC News online

Doctors are being told not to routinely prescribe aspirin for a common heart condition that increases stroke risk.

Guidelines from the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE) are set to recommend other drugs instead for patients with an irregular heartbeat, called atrial fibrillation.

Warfarin or similar blood-thinning medicine is best, says NICE in draft advice to be finalised this month.

The advice will affect hundreds of thousands of patients.

Continue reading the main story

Patients who are unclear on whether or not they should continue to take aspirin should speak to their doctor"

End Quote Prof Peter Weissberg British Heart Foundation

But experts say most doctors already follow the advice to prescribe blood-thinners other than aspirin and that the guidelines are "playing catch-up" - this is the first time they will have been updated since they were first issued in 2006.

Stroke prevention

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common heart rhythm problem, affecting up to 800,00 people - roughly one in 100 - in the UK.

In AF, the heart cannot work as well as it should and blood clots can form, which, in turn, increases the risk of a stroke.

Aspirin has been used for years to help protect patients from strokes, but mounting evidence suggests the drug's benefits are too small compared with other treatments.

The NICE guidelines for England and Wales look set to say that although daily aspirin might still be beneficial for some patients, most should be offered something else as well or instead.

According to its draft advice, NICE says warfarin or a newer type of oral anticoagulant is often best.

The British Heart Foundation said most doctors were already doing this.

Prof Peter Weissberg, medical director at the British Heart Foundation, said: "Strokes caused by atrial fibrillation are both common and preventable but only if the abnormal heart rhythm is identified in the first place and if effective drugs are given to prevent blood-clot development.

"The revised NICE guidance reflects accumulating evidence that warfarin and the newer anticoagulants are much more effective than aspirin at preventing strokes.

"This does not mean that aspirin is not important and effective at preventing heart attacks and strokes in other circumstances. Patients who are unclear on whether or not they should continue to take aspirin should speak to their doctor."

Prof Peter Elwood, an expert at Cardiff University, warned it could be unsafe to suddenly stop taking aspirin. "If aspirin is to be stopped, it should be stopped gradually," he said.

Do I have atrial fibrillation (AF)?

• An irregular pulse could be a sign that you have AF
• It will feel erratic, and beats may be variable in strength
• AF is most common in people aged over 55
• If you think you might have AF, you should get yourself checked out by a doctor
• Often, the underlying cause is not found, but AF is more common in people with high blood pressure and heart disease

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Campaigners criticise care changes

6 June 2014 Last updated at 17:20

Thousands of adults in England could lose access to home care under draft government guidelines, campaigners are warning.

The regulations, which are subject to consultation, set out the care needs someone must have to qualify for council-funded care.

Charities, including Age UK, say the criteria will lead to many people being shut out of the care system.

But Care Minister Norman Lamb says the new system will be fairer.

Continue reading the main story

"Start Quote

From now on the inability to do just one of these fundamental things will not be enough to qualify you for support"

End Quote Caroline Abrahams Alzheimer's UK

The changes, which will be introduced in April 2015, will see all local authorities in England use the same minimum guidelines for determining whether they should provide care.

Councils currently fund care at one of four levels - low, moderate, substantial or critical.

The proposed criteria are similar to the "substantial" category that most councils currently use.

A table published by the Department of Health last year found 130 of the 152 councils who provide care, did so at the substantial level.

Only three councils paid at the higher critical level, and ministers expect about 4,000 extra people living in those areas to become eligible for help, as the rules would be eased.

But in 19 council areas, which currently pay for moderate or low needs, there are fears the amount of care provided will be reduced, because the criteria will become stricter.

'Not good enough'

The Care and Support Alliance said it was concerned the proposals "hardwire in the status quo of highly rationed care rather than create a preventative system that lives up to their big ambitions and keeps people from being isolated and ending up in A&E".

Continue reading the main story

"Start Quote

Our national eligibility criteria will make the system fairer by clearly setting out what level of needs must be met by all local authorities, putting an end to this variation"

End Quote Norman Lamb Care minister

Caroline Abrahams, charity director at Age UK, welcomed a "standardised" system, but said the new regulations were "restrictive" and "not good enough".

Ms Abrahams said: "The regulations are written in such a way that we worry that people with dementia who need help to continue to live at home with dignity could be screened out, together with those who struggle with dressing, or washing, or going to the toilet or preparing food.

"From now on the inability to do just one of these fundamental things will not be enough to qualify you for support and Age UK's concern is that without it, some older people's needs will escalate, undermining their capacity to continue to live at home."

Richard Hawkes, chairman of the Care and Support Alliance - a coalition of 75 organisations representing older and disabled people and their carers, said: "The government has passed up the chance to drive through a genuinely preventative system.

"It has instead hardwired the year-on-year rationing that's seen people squeezed out of the system.

"Without that help, people's lives fall apart. This will also place unbearable pressure on family carers."

Rachael Byrne, executive director of care and support for Home Group, one of the UK's largest providers of social care services, said: "Many people who have relied on care from their local council will find themselves squeezed out. This will place an intolerable strain on an already overstretched NHS.

Care cap

Mr Lamb said: "Until now it's been hard for people who need care and their carers to know if they are eligible for care and support from their council and this has varied depending on where they live.

"Our national eligibility criteria will make the system fairer by clearly setting out what level of needs must be met by all local authorities, putting an end to this variation."

The consultation is open until 15 August and centres on the changes that will come into effect from April 2015.

Changes set to be introduced in 2016 include a cap on personal care costs of £72,000, excluding accommodation, and a new requirement on councils to provide preventative services.

A further consultation on these will take place this autumn.

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Parents arrested over obese child

6 June 2014 Last updated at 16:24

A couple have been arrested by police on suspicion of cruelty and neglect of their obese child.

A 49-year-old man and a 44-year-old woman, from King's Lynn in Norfolk, were questioned by officers over the child's care and released on bail.

Police said intervention at this level was "very rare" and only occurred where other attempts to protect the child had been unsuccessful.

Continue reading the main story

Almost one in three children in England is overweight or obese by age 11, so it is important to collect objective measurements of how children are growing.

Primary school children in Reception (age 4-5) and Year 6 (age 10-11) have their height and weight measured as part of the government's National Child Measurement Programme.

Parents in most areas will receive a letter with the results for their child, which will indicate if they are underweight, a healthy weight or overweight for their age and height.

This is judged by calculating their body mass index or BMI - their weight (in kg) divided by the square of their height (in metres).

The results are then plotted on a chart and collected by local public health teams.

A spokeswoman added police were working with health and social services.

The Sun reported the couple's 11-year-old son is 5ft 1in (1.5m) and 15 stone, with a body mass index (BMI) of 41.8.

It alleged concerned teachers and doctors prompted intervention by social services and then police.

Police and Norfolk County Council said it would not discuss the "victim" or the circumstances of the case.

'Protection from harm'

The couple were arrested in March on suspicion of child neglect and cruelty under section 1 of the Children's Act 1933.

"When dealing with sensitive issues such as obesity and neglect of children, officers from the force's Child Abuse Investigation Unit work closely with partners, significantly with both health care and social services, to ensure any response to address them are proportionate and necessary," police said.

"Any action taken by any agency will be subject to a joint strategy and will always be taken with the welfare of the child and their protection from harm as paramount."

Norfolk County Council spokeswoman said: "Our priority will always be the health, well-being and safety of Norfolk's children and we will always do all we can to support families to meet their children's needs."

In August 2012, a five-year-old girl from Newport, south Wales, was taken into care after her weight reached 10st 5lbs (66.1kg) - more than three times the weight of a healthy child her age.

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Father's plea over baby feed death

6 June 2014 Last updated at 17:45

Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play.

Raaid Sakkijha has spoken about the death of his son Yousef from suspected contaminated feed

The father of a nine-day-old baby who died after contracting a bacterial infection from a suspected contaminated hospital feed has said he does not want more children to die.

Yousef Al-Kharboush died on Sunday at St Thomas' Hospital in London.

His father Raaid Hassan Sakkijha said his son had suffered but he hoped other children would be saved.

Officials revealed 21 babies, many premature, are now known to have been infected at a number of hospitals.

Continue reading the main story

"Start Quote

My son has died and I hope he will be able to save other children"

End Quote Raaid Sakkijha

Speaking after a hearing at Southwark Coroner's Court, Mr Sakkijha revealed Yousef, born eight weeks premature, had a twin. The baby's condition is unknown.

The coroner ruled a post-mortem examination would not be performed on Yousef, from London Bridge, central London, following a request from his family.

Mr Sakkijha told the BBC the family had had excellent care from the hospital but there had been an "unlucky incident".

Asked how he felt, he said: "If you have a child, you'll know."

Speaking at a pre-inquest review at Southwark Coroner's Court, Mr Sakkijha, who has two other children, aged 10 and seven, said his child had been "suffering", adding: "My son has died and I hope he will be able to save other children. I hope the other children are getting well.

"I was hoping to hear production of this product would completely stop until this report was out."

Intensive care

Continue reading the main story

"Start Quote

We believe this is an isolated incident and the appropriate immediate action has been taken at ITH Pharma's facility"

End Quote Gerald Heddell Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency

Three further cases were revealed by Public Health England (PHE) on Friday.

PHE said it had been working with neonatal units which had received the feed and looked at other babies' case records to check for signs of infection.

This has led to earlier cases being included in the total.

The babies, who became unwell last week or over the weekend, are responding to antibiotic treatment.

Experts said that, because of the time that has passed since the product expired, there was a "very small" chance of further cases emerging.

What is Bacillus cereus?

• A type of bacterium that produces toxins that cause two types of illness
• The most common form causes nausea and vomiting
• The symptoms may start one to six hours after eating contaminated food
• It is commonly found in dust, soil and vegetation and is likely to be on most surfaces
• The poison is not passed from one person to another and symptoms do not usually last longer than a day
• Less common is an illness which causes fever and diarrhoea
• These symptoms, which may be serious, usually start six to 24 hours after eating and can last for one or two days

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said it had inspected the premises of ITH Pharma, the company that manufactured the feed.

Gerald Heddell, the MHRA's director of inspection, enforcement and standards, said: "Based on the information we currently have, we believe this is an isolated incident and the appropriate immediate action has been taken at ITH Pharma's facility to avoid a reoccurrence.

"Therefore we are allowing this critical product to be supplied to patients while our investigation proceeds."

He added: "At this stage we believe the facility is operating in accordance with Good Manufacturing Practice guidelines but further inspections will be made as part of our ongoing investigation."

On Thursday, the manufacturer of the feed, ITH Pharma, said it was "saddened" by what had happened and was cooperating fully with the investigation.

It had been suggested that one of the raw ingredients in the feed could have been the source of the contamination.

However the MHRA said on the evidence available that did not appear to be the case.

Liquid feed

The affected babies are being cared for at 10 hospitals in England.

All the infected babies were being fed a liquid mixture of nutrients directly into their bloodstream, which happens when newborns are unable to eat on their own.

Public Health England said the babies developed septicaemia or blood poisoning from the Bacillus cereus bacterium, which has been "strongly linked" to an intravenous fluid supplied by ITH Pharma.

They were being cared for in neonatal intensive care units and the surviving infants are said to be responding to antibiotic treatment.

The contaminated batches of feed have since been withdrawn, although as they expired on Monday none should have been used since then.

A total of 162 units of the feed were sent out from the contaminated batches to more than 20 hospitals. It is possible other cases will emerge as tests are carried out.

The cases have been reported at:

• Chelsea and Westminster NHS Trust (four confirmed, one possible)
• Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust (three confirmed)
• The Whittington Hospital (one confirmed)
• Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust (three confirmed)
• CUH Addenbrookes (Cambridge University Hospitals) (two confirmed, one possible)
• Luton and Dunstable University Hospital (two confirmed)
• Peterborough City Hospital (one confirmed)
• Southend University Hospital (one probable)
• Stoke Mandeville Hospital (one probable)
• Basildon University Hospital (one possible)

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Parents arrested over obese child

6 June 2014 Last updated at 16:24

A couple have been arrested by police on suspicion of cruelty and neglect of their obese child.

A 49-year-old man and a 44-year-old woman, from King's Lynn in Norfolk, were questioned by officers over the child's care and released on bail.

Police said intervention at this level was "very rare" and only occurred where other attempts to protect the child had been unsuccessful.

Continue reading the main story

Almost one in three children in England is overweight or obese by age 11, so it is important to collect objective measurements of how children are growing.

Primary school children in Reception (age 4-5) and Year 6 (age 10-11) have their height and weight measured as part of the government's National Child Measurement Programme.

Parents in most areas will receive a letter with the results for their child, which will indicate if they are underweight, a healthy weight or overweight for their age and height.

This is judged by calculating their body mass index or BMI - their weight (in kg) divided by the square of their height (in metres).

The results are then plotted on a chart and collected by local public health teams.

A spokeswoman added police were working with health and social services.

The Sun reported the couple's 11-year-old son is 5ft 1in (1.5m) and 15 stone, with a body mass index (BMI) of 41.8.

It alleged concerned teachers and doctors prompted intervention by social services and then police.

Police and Norfolk County Council said it would not discuss the "victim" or the circumstances of the case.

'Protection from harm'

The couple were arrested in March on suspicion of child neglect and cruelty under section 1 of the Children's Act 1933.

"When dealing with sensitive issues such as obesity and neglect of children, officers from the force's Child Abuse Investigation Unit work closely with partners, significantly with both health care and social services, to ensure any response to address them are proportionate and necessary," police said.

"Any action taken by any agency will be subject to a joint strategy and will always be taken with the welfare of the child and their protection from harm as paramount."

Norfolk County Council spokeswoman said: "Our priority will always be the health, well-being and safety of Norfolk's children and we will always do all we can to support families to meet their children's needs."

In August 2012, a five-year-old girl from Newport, south Wales, was taken into care after her weight reached 10st 5lbs (66.1kg) - more than three times the weight of a healthy child her age.

21.24 | 0 komentar | Read More