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Washington, Feb 22 : Immunising pregnant women against flu virus seems to ensure the birth of healthy and normal weight babies, says a new study.

The study, a randomized controlled trial involving 340 healthy pregnant women in Bangladesh in the third trimester, looked at the effect of immunization on babies born to vaccinated mothers.

It was part of the Mother's gift project looking at the safety and efficacy of pneumococcal and influenza vaccines in pregnant Bangladesh women, the Canadian Medical Association Journal reports.

"We found that immunization against influenza during pregnancy had a substantial effect on mean birth weight and the proportion of infants who were small for gestational age," writes Mark Steinhoff, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Centre, with coauthors.

"Our data suggest that the prevention of infection with seasonal influenza in pregnant women by vaccination can influence fetal growth," state the authors, according to a Cincinnati statement.

The women were divided into two groups, one with 170 women who received flu shots and the second who received the pneumococcal vaccine as a control.

Researchers compared the weight of babies born in two periods, one in which there was circulation of an flu virus and one with limited circulation. Babies small for their gestational age are at higher risk of health and other issues over their lives.

During the period with circulating flu virus, the mean birth weight was 3178 grams in the flu vaccine group and seven percent higher than 2978 gram in the control group. The rate of premature births was lower in the influenza vaccine group as well. (IANS)

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Flu shots ensure birth of healthy babies

The entire Netherlands is on a knife's edge this week, holding its breath to see whether a near-mythical ultra ice skating race on frozen canals will become a reality for the first time in 15 years.

Called the Elfstedentocht (Eleven Cities Race), more than 16,000 skaters are expected to brave the canals of northern Friesland province as soon as its organising committee gives the green light that ice conditions are safe.

'The Elfstedentocht is an icon of Dutch skating culture,' said Dutch ice-skating historian Marnix Koolhaas, who has written several books on the subject.

'The race has become a religion,' he told AFP this week.

But the 'Race of Races' is dependent on climatic conditions and to add to its mystique, has been run only 15 times since it began in 1909.

The Society for the Frisian Elf Steden (Eleven Cities), which organises the race told eager journalists at a press conference, broadcast live on national television on Monday -- its first since 1997 -- that conditions 'looked good'.

But chairman Wiebe Wieling added : 'At this point we cannot set a date. It all depends on the weather'.

'Although we have excellent quality ice in northern Friesland, there is a problem area in the south -- the ice is simply too thin,' Wieling said in the northern city of Leeuwarden, the race's start and finishing point.

To stage it, the ice needs to be at least 15cm thick along the entire route to guarantee skaters' safety.

Since Monday an army of Frisian volunteers have been hard at work. Armed with shovels and brooms they have been clearing snow, which hinders ice formation, from the canals on the 200km route.

'This race is so popular that if you ask the Frisians to help, they'll be there,' Wieling told AFP.

'It takes about 10,000 volunteers on race day -- and there are never any problems to find them.'

Elfstedentocht-fever has gripped the country, with several professional Dutch speed skaters already saying they would give the Allround world championships in Moscow a miss if the Elfstedentocht was held on the same dates, 18 or 19 February.

Dutch extreme right Freedom Party leader Geert Wilders has called on Dutch Premier Mark Rutte to declare race day a public holiday 'so everybody could enjoy it'.

In Friesland, hotels are sold out, despite the fact the race may not even take place, Wieling said.

If it does, organisers will give 48-hours notice that it's on.

Skaters leave the start at 5.15am (1515 AEDT) on race day and must return before midnight to receive the coveted Elfstedentocht cross.

The record is held by skate legend Evert van Benthem, who won in 1985 with a time of 6 hours, 47 minutes and retained the title the following year.

Tales of hardship, frozen limbs and frostbite strengthen the race's romance.

'The hell of 1963', a movie released in 2009, tells the story of the toughest race so far, when only 69 of almost 10,000 racers finished in brutal conditions.

In the the Skating Museum in the Frisian town of Hindeloopen, an amputated toe from one of the contestants who got frostbite in 1963 still bears testimony to its extreme nature.

'The tradition began in the 16th century when metal ice skates started to develop,' said skate historian Koolhaas.

'Since this is a water-rich area, skating became an efficient way of transport in winter to quickly link Friesland's cities.

A century later, after the Reformation, which deprived Dutch Protestants of carnival, the ice quickly became 'the place were anything was permitted'.

'On the ice, everybody was equal,' Koolhaas added.

In 1986, crown prince Willem-Alexander, then 18, skated the race.

Exhausted, he collapsed into the arms of his mother Queen Beatrix at the finish line.

See the article here:
Dutch on edge for word on ice race

ROME - Microsoft founder Bill Gates on Thursday called for a "digital revolution" to alleviate world hunger by increasing agricultural productivity through satellites and genetically-engineered seed varieties.

"We have to think hard about how to start taking advantage of the digital revolution that is driving innovation including in farming," the U.S. billionaire philanthropist said in a speech at the UN rural poverty agency IFAD in Rome.

"If you care about the poorest, you care about agriculture. We believe that it's possible for small farmers to double and in some cases even triple their yields in the next 20 years while preserving the land," Gates said.

He gave as one example of innovation the genetic sequencing that allows cassava farmers in Africa to predict how individual seedlings will perform, shortening the time it takes to develop a new variety from 10 years to two.

Another key development is the use of satellite technology developed by defence departments to document data about individual fields, as well as information videos of farmers discussing best practices to help others.

"If we don't do this, we'll have a digital divide in agriculture," he said.

Gates also defended the use of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in the developing world and large-scale farm land investments by foreign states in the developing world Ñ both highly controversial issues in the aid community.

"You should go out and talk to people growing rice and say do they mind that it was created in a laboratory when their child has enough to eat?" he told reporters at a small media roundtable after his speech.

"The change in the way mankind lives over the last several hundred years is based on adoption of innovative practices and we simply haven't done enough for those in the greatest need to bring these things," he said.

On the issue of land investments that are referred to by their critics as "land grabbing," he said: "It's not actually possible to grab the land. People don't put it on boats and take it back to the Middle East.

"If we could have clear guidelines there could be more land deals and overall it could be very beneficial... The truth is the person who is most at risk on a land deal is the person who is putting the money in."

Gates also unveiled $200 million (150 million euros) in new grants from his foundation to finance research on a new type of drought-resistant maize, a vaccine to help livestock farmers and a project for training farmers.

"Investments in agriculture are the best weapons against hunger and poverty," he said, adding that his charitable foundation had committed $2.0 billion for farmers and was working on seven crops and one livestock vaccine.

Gates called for a new system of "public scorecards" for developing countries and UN food agencies that would measure things like agricultural productivity, the ability to feed families and farmer education systems.

"It's something that can be pulled together over the next year," he said.

"When I meet with an African leader, I'd love to have that report card. I have a report card for health... Without the scorecards, the donors tend to fund fad-oriented, short-term things," he told reporters.

The technology pioneer also criticized the work of the UN food agencies in Rome: the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the World Food Programme (WFP) and the International Fund for Agriculture and Development (IFAD).

He said the current food and farming aid system was "outdated and somewhat inefficient" with a lot of "duplication."

For these organizations to go digital will take "a lot of time," he said.

Asked about the need for wider reforms of capitalism to help the poor, he said: "How do you get rid of its excesses, including the finance people who are paid these huge salaries, without hurting the beneficial things?"

He added: "I wish those Wall Street traders would have gone... and worked on maize and used their mathematical models to look at phenotype versus genotype.

"It's clearly imperfect but it's the best system we have."

© Copyright (c) AFP

More:
Microsoft founder Bill Gates urges digital revolution against hunger

by The Childrens Centre

Does the Isle of Man need a stop smoking service specifically for young people? That’s the question being posed as part of a new survey. The majority of clients who use the Quit4You service - the Island’s free stop smoking service, providing practical advice, support and encouragement to anyone who wants to quit - are over the age of 21. Young people are now being urged to put their views forward for this new research through focus groups, an online survey, Facebook group and a ‘Quit Kit’ Competition.

Danni Mottram, Healthier Outcomes Worker at The Children’s Centre and a Specialist Stop Smoking Advisor, said:

“Teenagers and young adults already have access to advice and support which helps them to stop smoking, but statistics show that only a small percentage of young smokers quit through the Quit4You service in the Isle of Man. To enable trained smoking cessation advisors to assist young smokers, we need to find out from the young people themselves how they would like to be supported. The research collection methods are designed to encourage them to put forward their own ideas about what would help them to deal with a range of issues related to smoking - whether that’s helping young people to stop smoking, preventing them from taking up smoking, or helping them to encourage their parents or friends who want to give up smoking.”

The competition to design a ‘Quit Kit’ that could help young smokers kick the habit has prizes on offer for the top three entries including a bowling session, cinema tickets and a £20 gift voucher - with one of these prizes going to each of the top three entries. It is open to smokers and non-smokers aged 11 to 21. The challenge is to write or draw everything young people would like to see in a Quit Kit box with a brief explanation of the reasons for the choices. Entries can  also be made by emailing Quit Kit box ideas - together with your name, age, and contact details - to daniellemottram@thechildrenscentre.org.im; by post to The Children’s Centre, Woodbourne Road, Douglas, IM2 3AS, or by texting your entry to 418971.

The Facebook group allows people to enter the competition online as well as taking part in online discussions - it can be found by searching for ‘Butt Out!’ on Facebook or by going to this link: http://www.facebook.com/groups/131439736956627/
                     THE CHILDREN’S CENTRE
The group is only accessible by those aged 13 and over and includes a link to an online survey which can also be accessed via The Children’s Centre website. The research is being supported by The Children’s Centre and Department of Health.

Anita Imberger, Tobacco Strategy Coordinator from Public Health said:

“Only 7.5% of clients who have attended the Quit4You Service are aged 15-21. We really want to find out from young people if we should tailor the service differently to suit their needs. When we originally set up Quit4You in 2006, we ran focus groups with young people to find out their views, but the main aim was to develop an Island wide service which has probably catered more to adults. We now need to review what might help young people to think about quitting smoking or accessing support, by using lots of different methods, including social media sites. I really would encourage any young person to take part in Danni’s research, particularly those who currently smoke, as your views are really important to us.”

-ENDS-

In Other Isle of Man News

If you'd like to send any information or news releases to us then please feel free to do so and we would be more than happy to consider sharing your news with the Isle of Man!

Send your Isle of Man news to:webmaster@manx.net

© Manx Telecom Ltd 2012

Manx Telecom Ltd, Isle of Man Business Park, Cooil Road, Braddan, Isle of Man IM99 1HX
Registered in the Isle of Man Reg no.5629V Vat Reg no GB 003-2919-12

See the original post here:
Should the Island’s Quit4You Service Be Tailored for Young People?

by Isle of Man Crimestoppers

Calls to Isle of Man Crimestoppers helped police investigating six incidents during the last quarter of 2011, according to figures released by the charity. The information supplied related to a wide range of both criminal and motoring offences, enabling the police to take direct action to address concerns raised by the public in a number of cases. Between October and December information provided via Crimestoppers resulted in two arrests leading to court appearances, and one person being summonsed to court.

The positive impact that Crimestoppers is having in combating crime continued into the New Year as calls resulted in one arrest and a further detected crime in January 2012.
Stuart McCudden, Chair of Isle of Man Crimestoppers, said:

“These figures show that information provided to Isle of Man Crimestoppers has a real impact in helping police to investigate crimes and in ensuring that offenders are brought to justice.”

Isle of Man Crimestoppers provides a way for all members of the community to pass on information about crime anonymously by ringing the Crimestoppers hotline 0800 555111. All calls are handled by the UK Crimestoppers Call Centre, so Isle of Man callers can therefore be assured of their complete anonymity.

Isle of Man Crimestoppers is part of the UK Crimestoppers 'family' and is an independent Manx charity dedicated to fighting crime across the Island. The charity focuses on local issues that are important to the community - improving crime detection, enhancing quality of life, and giving residents and visitors alike 'Freedom to Flourish'.

The charity is always looking at new ways to encourage the community to play an active role in the fight against crime, and in 2011 announced its support for the ‘Fearless’ campaign 
aimed at showing young people how they can help to solve crimes by providing information anonymously.
The Fearless website - http://www.fearless.org - includes details of the Crimestoppers hotline but also includes options to pass on information online via a secure web page.

- ENDS -

In Other Isle of Man News

If you'd like to send any information or news releases to us then please feel free to do so and we would be more than happy to consider sharing your news with the Isle of Man!

Send your Isle of Man news to:webmaster@manx.net

© Manx Telecom Ltd 2012

Manx Telecom Ltd, Isle of Man Business Park, Cooil Road, Braddan, Isle of Man IM99 1HX
Registered in the Isle of Man Reg no.5629V Vat Reg no GB 003-2919-12

Read more here:
Crimestoppers’ Figures Show How Anonymous calls are Helping Police