A New Hope for Sick Babies

Cerebral Palsy affects approximately 17 million people worldwide and thousands of babies are born with it every year. Until now, there was no treatment. But a new study has found that cooling the bodies and blood of high-risk full-term babies shortly after birth may significantly reduce disability or death.

Cerebral Palsy can be caused when the brain is starved of oxygen at birth. It often takes hours or days for dangerous chemicals to build up and kill the brain cells that control motor function. Lowering the brain's normal temperature four degrees slows the build up and prevents damage. In the study of 208 babies, only 44% who received cooling died or developed a disability, compared with 62% of those who received normal care. "This is the most promising treatment we have today", says study author Dr. Seetha Shankaran of Children's Hospital of Michigan.

Diabetes in Children

In the recent study, Diabetes is now considered as one of the most common chronic childhood diseases. It has been growing an alarming rate in children nowadays. The reason for this would be that there are now many fast food chains available. Just like here in our city, almost every corner you will find a fast food shop wherein kids are their main costumer. They also make their shops more attractive to kids. In school, I always make it a point to remind my students to eat the right kinds of food. But the bigger factor in helping them live a healthy lifestyle is through their parents.

Below are the signs of diabetes to look for in our children:

• Frequent urination
• Excessive thirst
• Increased hunger
• Weight loss
• Tiredness
• Lack of interest and concentration
• Blurred vision
• Vomiting and stomach pain (often mistaken as flu).

(Source: worlddiabetestoday.org)