The placenta is a complex and mysterious organ and a lifeline for babies. It forms and grows from the fertilised egg, and attaches to the wall of the uterus, allowing nutrients and oxygen to flow from mother to child, while … Read More
Vaccinating children under 12 against coronavirus has more cons than pros
The argument over whether to vaccinate children or not against Covid-19 is thorny, and there are not as many pros as cons in my opinion. Several countries are considering child vaccination and several vaccines have been approved for use in … Read More
People scared of catching Covid are more judgmental and disapproving, study shows
Now here’s an interesting one. Apparently people who are scared of catching Covid are also the most judgmental and disapproving – and not just about being careless with restrictions, but any wrongdoing. Yes, researchers have been looking into how we … Read More
Exercise may be trigger for motor neurone disease with several elite athletes affected
Motor neurone disease has dogged my medical career. As a student taking medical finals, one of the patients I was tested on had a particular form of MND, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and I’ve never forgotten it. Then, in middle age, … Read More
Gene related to where a person lives ‘could prevent severe reaction to Covid’
Have you ever wondered why some people who catch Covid only have a mild illness, while others become seriously ill? Well, a scientific and medical team at Newcastle University have shown that a particular gene, called HLA-DRB1*04:01, is found three times more … Read More
Anti-viral oral drugs for Covid-19 could be given to us by the autumn
We currently have some successful antiviral drugs. Acyclovir is potent against herpes, particularly genital herpes, taken orally and used locally as a cream. So why, you may ask, do we not have an antiviral drug to treat Covid? Well, we could … Read More
£1.8million jab helped tiny Arthur – and babies should be saved at any cost
Newborn babies can have some heart-breaking illnesses, for which there are no treatments. Spinal muscular atrophy used to be one of them, with babies rarely living longer than two years old. But now there’s new hope for SMA – gene therapy. Costly … Read More
We barely made it through this pandemic – how do we prepare for the next one
We’re not through this one and already there are rumblings about the next pandemic. According to experts another is on the cards. And they’re asking big questions – how can we detect it early enough to head it off? What … Read More
Antibiotics in catheters could reduce infections for those who have to use them often
Now here’s a good idea. A catheter that’s impregnated with antibiotics, thereby preventing infection in people who have to use them often. Such patients would be those having dialysis and those with a permanent catheter – such as MS sufferers … Read More
Many don’t understand what PTSD really is – it’s actually very serious
Not long ago, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) was hardly even mentioned, either in conversation or in medical discussions. The term first appeared in the 1970s when US vets returned home from the Vietnam war as changed men, having been exposed to … Read More