Seeking a cause for SIDS In more than half the cases of sudden infant death in the Republic, the overall quality of post-mortems is below the minimum accepted standard. A study from Temple Street Children's University Hospital has emphasised the need to adhere to published guidelines if a cause for SIDS is to be established in individual cases.
Wrap up well for winter
Spain and Ireland have tied for second place behind Portugal as the European countries most at risk from an excess of winter deaths. Researchers examined seasonal death trends in 14 European countries for the years 1988 to 1997.
Spain and Ireland were in joint-second place with an excess winter mortality rate of 21 per cent. At the bottom of the league were Finland, Germany, and the Netherlands.
Support for nursing mothers
Eighty per cent of mothers who attend at least two meetings of the breastfeeding support group, La Leche League, continue breastfeeding their babies for at least six months.
This finding - compared to the national average of 10 per cent of mothers breastfeeding at four months - shows how support helps mothers overcome difficulties which may otherwise result in them discontinuing breastfeeding.
Contact your local health centre about talks being given during National Breastfeeding Week, which continues until Thursday.
Let some light on the subject
Light therapy during the winter months can benefit older people with dementia and concomitant sleep disturbances. A research team at Manchester Royal Infirmary Hospital found that patients who sat in front of a bright light box for two hours each morning for two weeks slept longer and more deeply than people who sat in front of dim light for the same period.