Skip to main content

SMOKING TEST TO PREGNANT LADIES

Pregnant mothers in Britain should undergo test to check if they are secretly smoking, and if found positive they should be helped to quit, according to a new UK health guidance. Midwives should give carbon monoxide tests to all women they see at antenatal appointments, said Britain's National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE). Women found to have high carbon monoxide readings - a sign that they are secretly smoking - will be referred to "smoking cessation services", said the proposed guidance. Under the guidance, according to The Sunday Times, all discussions about giving up smoking would be recorded in the mother's notes. NICE, a special health authority, provides national guidance and advice to improve health and social care in the UK. An estimated 21 per cent of women smoke during pregnancy. 
This harms foetal growth and development, with smokers three times more likely to have a baby with low birth weight — a leading cause of infant death. But Royal College of Midwives (RCM) source told The Times the guidance was "ill-judged" and could damage relationships with expectant mothers. Cathy Warwick, chief executive of the RCM, said the test could help show women the potential damage to unborn babies, but said the final decision must lie with the mother. The test will not be compulsory but midwives fear many mums-to-be will feel under pressure to take it. Parenting expert Ellie Lee, of the University of Kent, said: "It's outrageous. If pregnant women think they need help with stopping smoking then that is fine, but it's not the place of midwives to start dictating to women what they do and don't do," Lee was quoted as saying by 'The Sun'. "The next thing will be blood tests on women to see how much they drink."

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

MUNSHI PREMCHAND STORIES IN COMIC FORMAT

Stories by modern Hindi and Urdu literary legend, Munshi Premchand are now available in comic format published by Amar Chitra Katha. The comic books in Hindi detailing two stories by the late literary phenomenon, is part of the publisher's contemporary classics section, which began in 2012 with stories by author Ruskin Bond. "We are launching the comics at the World Book Fair and it is our tribute to Premchand. The idea is to make his stories familiar with children," Reena Puri, Editor, Amar Chitra Katha told PTI. The stories "Buddhi Kaki" (The old Aunt) and "Do Bail" (Two Oxen) have been scripted and illustrated by Pratima Singh and Surendra Murthy. The English version of the comics translated by Nandini Nair is also set for launch within a few weeks, says Reena. The books are priced at Rs 50 each. "Buddhi Kaki" first published in 1921 is the story of an old childless widow who craves for love after she bequeaths her entir…
Post a Comment
Read more

WORLD's FIRST UNDERWORLD TENNIS COURT IN DUBAI

Dubai, which boasts of the world's highest tennis court, may also become home to the first underwater tennis centre where spectators can watch games from below or above the sea life through a massive glass dome. Krzysztof Kotala, a Polish architect who owns a studio in Warsaw, is currently seeking investment from local players to make the ambitious project a reality. Interestingly, the proposed location for the project (arguably one of the world's lowest tennis courts) is just next door to the highest tennis court atop the Burj al Arab skyscraper in Dubai. "There is not an investor but I would like to get interest (from them) as I think it is a good idea," Kotala, 30, was quoted as saying by a local magazine. When asked why he chose Dubai for his project, Kotala said the Gulf city had a rich tradition of tennis. "This will be something original. This should be somewhere where there is the tradition of tennis. Dubai is perfect for this idea," he said. The in…
Post a Comment
Read more

DEADLY HABIT...MOBILE CALL ANSWERING ON DRIVE

Nearly 60 per cent of two-wheeler users "instinctively" answer mobile phones on ride while 14 per cent of pedestrians click selfies crossing the road, finds out a survey. Sixty four per cent pedestrians regularly do this and 18 per cent immediately respond to a call from their superior at work, even while switching sides on the road. That is only one part of the story. One in every three car drivers tends to send out an important text message, stated the survey conducted by consumer goods maker Samsung across 12 cities in India. There is one road accident in every four minutes in India, it added, citing government data. "11 per cent of two-wheeler riders would always answer their phone when on the road, regardless of who was calling, 30 per cent would respond to calls from family while 18 per cent of the riders responded to work-related calls," it added. In addition, 23 per cent of two-wheeler riders admitted to reading and replying to texts or social media updates…
Post a Comment
Read more