Welcome to Eczema Matters the Eczema Voice Newsletter - October 2004
90s Child Shows Peanut Link
Harriet is a “Child of the 90s”, one of more than 14,000 youngsters born in the Bristol area in 1991 and 1992 whose lives are being subjected to minute medical scrutiny.For Harriet and most of her classmates, the Children of the 90s project is something they have grown up with. A couple of times a year Harriet and her parents, Joanna and John, are asked to complete a detailed questionnaire. Every year Harriet spends half a day at a clinic where she is weighed, measured, scanned and gives blood. The Children of the 90s, officially known as the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC), is the world’s largest cohort study. It was the idea of Jean Golding, an epidemiologist, whose childhood inspired her to find out what makes us the people we are. Every aspect of the participants’ lives is studied, starting with their social and genetic family history. Professor Golding, who heads 180 researchers, said: “I was in and out of hospital during my early years with different things. I wasn’t able to start school until I was 6½, and then at last seemed to get healthy and fit, only to catch polio when I was 14. Since then I have been driven to find the answer to the question ‘Why do some people get a disease and other people don’t?’.” The study has already helped answer the question for a number of illnesses. Its research revealed the direct link between childhood eczema and peanut allergy suspected by many doctors. Many of the creams used to treat skin irritation contained peanut oil which could trigger a potentially fatal allergic reaction in later life. As a result, manufacturers changed formulations. It has also discovered that eating oily fish during pregnancy improves the child’s eyesight and that women who have Caesarean births find it harder to conceive another child. The latest findings that air fresheners can harm mothers and young children are among its most controversial.
C-section babies more allergy prone
Babies born by Caesarean section are more likely to suffer from food allergies and diarrhoea in early life, research has revealed. A study of 865 babies found that those born by Caesarean section were twice as likely to be sensitised to cows' milk and other food allergens at one year old compared with infants born naturally. They were also significantly more likely to have diarrhoea up to the age of 12 months. The researchers, writing in Archives of Disease in Childhood, suggested that the sterile atmosphere of the operating theatre may deprive babies of the bacteria which helps their immune system develop. Rates of Caesarean births have increased significantly in developed countries in recent years. In the UK around 21.5% of births are currently by Caesarean, leading to a heated debate about the health risks for both mother and baby. The team from Ludwig-Maximillians University in Munich, Germany, followed babies who were not born prematurely and were exclusively breast fed until they were four months old. The researchers found that neither colic pain nor eczema were linked to the type of birth. But they did find a significant increased risk of allergies and diarrhoea among those babies born by Caesarean compared with vaginal births. The researchers said the results were in line with other studies showing that gut bacteria were important in the development of the immune response system. These studies also suggested that circumstances linked to Caesarean sections altered or delayed the "normal" bacteria colonisation of the baby's gut. The authors said that further research in this area was needed as choosing to have a Caesarean became increasingly popular in the developed world.
Mums urged to use 'baby cafes'
NEW mothers in south Leeds can get advice and support on breastfeeding from a "baby cafe." They will be joined by midwives and health visitors at the once-a-week venue in Dewsbury Road, Beeston. Research has shown that artificially-fed babies are more at risk from gastrointestinal diseases, respiratory infections, urinary tract infections and allergic diseases such as eczema and asthma. Mothers who chose not to breastfeed have been found to be at greater risk of contracting breast cancer and ovarian cancer in later life. Community midwife Fran Dargon, part of a team of six midwives working for the project, said: "We realise that it can be difficult for mums to continue breastfeeding when there are a lot of pressures, particularly to go back to work. Experienced "That's why we've helped to establish a special support group of experienced mums who know about these pressures and can help the new ones. The group is called Bosom Buddies and will be part of the café set up." The midwifery team will also try to persuade more businesses to provide facilities for working mothers to breastfeed. Fewer women in Britain breastfeed than most other developed countries. Less than three-quarters of babies are breastfed and only 21 per cent continue after six months. There are Baby Cafés in Moortown, Pudsey and Otley and another scheduled for Chapeltown. The Beeston venue will open every Wednesday from 1pm to 3pm.
NHS allergy services 'derisory'
MPs this week criticised the NHS for failing to meet the needs of allergy sufferers. The House of Commons Health Committee said in a report that 30% of adults and 40% of children are affected by allergies but there are only six full-time specialist centres. Experts found the service to be ‘derisory’ and a ‘disgrace’, said committee chairman, David Hinchliffe. The absence of a specialist service means that patients, and even family doctors, are often ignorant of the treatment options. ‘Patients are instead given drugs, often for years and years, to manage symptoms, when one or two visits to an allergist could ameliorate their conditions, often without the use of drugs,’ said Mr Hinchcliffe. The committee found that the prevalence of allergy has increased rapidly in recent years, with the biggest increases coming in areas of serious and complex allergy. For example, until 1990 allergy to peanuts had been rare but by 1996 one in 200 children was allergic, and this increased to one in 70 by 2002. Similarly, in 1979, only two cases of latex allergy had been recorded, but now 8% of healthcare staff have this condition. The committee urged the government to set up specialist allergy centres in all regions, each serving populations of 5 to 7 million
Combined Charities Christmas Fair
The Guildhall, Guildford High Street Thursday 11th November 10:00am to 2:00pm Featuring: The National Eczema Society British Heart Foundation Leukaemia Research Age Concern Alzheimers Dementia Care & Research
NEASE
The National Eczema Association for Science and Education (NEASE) works to improve the health and quality of life for all persons living with eczema by providing emotional support, information and resources to those who have the disease and to their loved ones. As part of their ongoing mission to raise awareness about and increase understanding of eczema, NEASE has developed The Eczema Survival Guide in conjuction with Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation. The Eczema Survival Guide, a comprehensive resource about the disease, its impact on patients' lives, and available treatment options, is based on published scientific research and on patient and physician insight. By providing eczema patients with this information, the Guide strives to help bridge the communication gap that exists between patients and physicians, thereby helping to improve overall disease management. There is no cure for eczema, but, in most cases, it is manageable. The information contained in this guide is intended to broaden your knowledge of eczema and its treatment, draw inspiration from the stories of fellow eczema sufferers, enhance dialogue with your physician, and ultimately help identify the appropriate treatment strategy to fit your individual needs. http://www.treat-eczema-now.com/info/about/nease-eczema-guide.jsp