Sunak Lands in Israel as UK Joins Effort to Contain Conflict
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak arrived in Tel Aviv for a two-day visit to the wider region, as the
2023-10-19 16:58
Call The Midwife ‘should come with a health warning’
Popular TV show Call the Midwife needs a health warning, academics have said. Experts from King’s College London and the University of Liverpool said television programmes showing “inaccurate birthing practices” should require safety recommendations for viewers to avoid misinterpretations by the public. Researchers analysed 87 births shown in 48 episodes of BBC’s Call The Midwife, This Is Going To Hurt and Channel 4’s One Born Every Minute. They compared how the depiction of these births compared to modern guidelines from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice). The births largely compared favourably to modern care guidance, the authors found. We saw too early cord clamping in most televised births but no programme informed viewers about the safety aspects Prof Susan Bewley But a third of the time depictions of midwives and doctors clamping the umbilical cord were shown inaccurately or dramatised, according to the paper which has been published in the journal JRSM Open. Researchers said that without a safety warning to inform viewers otherwise, the general public and healthcare professionals could think the clamping practices they see are correct. Nice guidance states that women should not have the umbilical the cord clamped earlier than one minute after the birth unless there is concern about cord integrity or the baby’s heartbeat. But the academics found that in 21 instances clamping appeared to happen immediately or too early. Susan Bewley, professor emeritus of obstetrics and women’s health at King’s College London, said: “Millions of viewers watch programmes like Call The Midwife every week to be entertained but the line between fact and fiction is blurred. “We are impressed that UK television shows have accurately depicted some changes in childbirth over the last century, but on the other hand they have also provided the public with a picture of poor-quality care when it comes to clamping during childbirth. “These inaccurate depictions could influence how people see real-world care. “We saw too early cord clamping in most televised births but no programme informed viewers about the safety aspects. “When showing outdated practices, broadcasters have a public health duty to inform viewers that this immediate medical intervention is no longer recommended. No broadcaster would show the sleeping positions associated with cot-death without comment.” Andrew Weeks, professor of international maternal health at the University of Liverpool, added: “Health professionals know that midwives and doctors should not interrupt the flow of blood to the newborn baby nor separate the mother and baby without a pressing reason, and yet this is what is being shown on popular television programmes as common practice. “Incorrect depictions like this, however routine, can lead to misinterpretations of correct practice by the public. “This illustrates the need for safety recommendations when TV dramas show birthing practices and procedures that are outdated and inaccurate.” A spokesperson for Call The Midwife said: “Call The Midwife is a drama, not a documentary, and is set half a century ago. “It is highly accurate to the period it depicts, and shows how childbirth has changed radically over the years.” The study was published as the charity Lullaby Trust, which raises awareness of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), highlighted infection prevention among newborns. It said that parents should avoid letting other people kiss their baby and should always ask people to wash their hands before touching a newborn. “Even infections that cause mild symptoms such as a common cold in adults and older children can be life-threatening for babies,” said charity chief executive Jenny Ward. Read More Halloween: 10 wicked ways to kit out your haunted house Black magic: Go back to black this season with the catwalk-inspired trend How to prep your home for when the clocks go back Menopause campaigner Mariella Frostrup: ‘I look forward to a future where women gradually stop feeling so ashamed’ More girls miss school and college due to their periods than colds, survey finds More girls miss school and college due to their periods than colds, survey finds
2023-10-19 16:53
Sri Lanka Bondholders’ Proposal Sees Government Pushback
Sri Lanka is taking an unfavorable view toward a proposal by foreign dollar bondholders for restructuring its debt,
2023-10-19 16:51
Science recreate mysterious ice found on Neptune that only melts at extreme temperatures
Five years ago, scientists managed to recreate what is known as superionic ice, in lab experiments for the first time. Superionic ice is believed to form within Uranus and Neptune as familiar materials are subjected to extreme pressures and heat, with iron atoms forming hot, black, heavy ice. But just last year researchers at several universities in the United States discovered a new phase of superionic ice. The discovery helps broaden our understanding of why Uranus and Neptune have off-kilter magnetic fields with multiple poles. Different to forms of water on Earth, the oxygen atoms in superionic ice are locked in a solid cubic lattice, while the ionised hydrogen atoms are loose, flowing through the lattice. This gives superionic ice conductive properties as well as raising its melting point, meaning the frozen water remains solid at temperatures up to 4704 Degree Celsius (8500 Fahrenheit). In this latest study, Stanford University's Arianna Gleason and colleagues blasted thin slivers of water, sandwiched between two diamond layers, with some extremely powerful lasers. "Recent discoveries of water-rich Neptune-like exoplanets require a more detailed understanding of the phase diagram of [water] at pressure–temperature conditions relevant to their planetary interiors," Gleason and colleagues explain in their paper, from January 2022 X-Ray diffraction revealed the hot, dense ice's crystal structure, and confirmed the ice crystals were in fact a new phase, distinct from the superionic ice that was observed in 2019. This newly discovered superionic ice, Ice XIX, has increased conductivity compared to its 2019 predecessor. The conductivity is important because it helps us understand why certain off-kilter magnetic fields are generated on planets such as Neptune and Uranus. You can read the paper, published in Scientific Reports here. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.
2023-10-19 16:51
Australian Shareholders' Association to vote against Qantas CEO's nomination as director
The Australian Shareholders' Association will vote against the nomination of Qantas Chief Executive Officer Vanessa Hudson as a
2023-10-19 16:27
China's Xi seeks swift end to Israel-Hamas conflict, calls for two-state solution
A two-state solution to establish an independent Palestine is the "fundamental way out" of the Israel-Hamas conflict, Xi Jinping said Thursday in the Chinese leader's first public comments on the war since it broke out nearly two weeks ago.
2023-10-19 16:16
Russia Foreign Minister Lavrov Vows Support for North Korea
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov expressed support for North Korea’s policies in a speech commemorating the 75th anniversary
2023-10-19 15:52
Beijing weighs delaying approval of $69 billion Broadcom-VMware deal- FT
Beijing is weighing holding up US chipmaker Broadcom Inc's $69 billion purchase of cloud computing company VMware Inc,
2023-10-19 15:48
Egypt agrees to allow first aid trucks into Gaza as Palestinians reel from hospital blast
Egypt has agreed to allow aid trucks into Gaza as anger rises globally over Israel's siege of the isolated enclave in response to the brutal, coordinated Hamas attacks nearly two weeks ago.
2023-10-19 15:47
From Russia to the Middle East: Why China can't afford another big conflict
Beijing is once again trying to have it both ways.
2023-10-19 15:26
Madonna ‘in advanced talks to headline next year’s Glastonbury!’
With her new world tour due to wrap up next April, sources say Madonna is already in serious negotiations to headline 2024’s Glastonbury festival.
2023-10-19 15:25
Mark Hoppus 'learned to play bass again' after tough cancer battle
Blink-182 bassist Mark Hoppus had to learn "how to play" again and "rebuild his throat" after his cancer battle.
2023-10-19 15:24
