Things in the library 3 Sept...

 Things to read... 

Our next Reading Group meeting will be on 4th Oct still online via Teams. A book that I particularly enjoyed when I read it a couple of years ago so I am interested in what other people think of it. The book is Bear Town by Fredrik Backman and don't be put off thinking it is about sport - anyone who knows me will know I have no interest in sport! 

It is a dazzling, profound novel about a small town with a big dream—and the price required to make it come true.

People say Beartown is finished. A tiny community nestled deep in the forest, it is slowly losing ground to the ever encroaching trees. But down by the lake stands an old ice rink, built generations ago by the working men who founded this town. And in that ice rink is the reason people in Beartown believe tomorrow will be better than today. Their junior ice hockey team is about to compete in the national semi-finals, and they actually have a shot at winning. All the hopes and dreams of this place now rest on the shoulders of a handful of teenage boys.

Being responsible for the hopes of an entire town is a heavy burden, and the semi-final match is the catalyst for a violent act that will leave a young girl traumatized and a town in turmoil. Accusations are made and, like ripples on a pond, they travel through all of Beartown, leaving no resident unaffected.

 

Things about pre-eclampsia... 

 A blood test which identifies pre-eclampsia in pregnant women, a condition that is potentially life- threatening if not diagnosed and closely monitored, is being supported and spread across the region by the Yorkshire & Humber Academic Health Science Network (AHSN).

The test eliminates the risk of poor prediction of pre-eclampsia and reduces the risk of unnecessary hospitalisation for women who will not go on to develop the condition. This creates the potential to free up hospital beds and provides both an improved patient experience and wellbeing and financial benefit for the NHS.

Things about CAMHS ..

CAMHS National Summit 2021: transforming mental health services for children and young adults. This online conference, organised by Social Care Conferences, takes place on 16 November 2021. Further information: Social Care Conferences

Things about sepsis... 

Clinicians at Portsmouth’s Queen Alexandra Hospital are leading medical trials of a blood test that could help to save thousands of UK lives a year by predicting sepsis days before patients show any symptoms. Sepsis is the immune system’s overreaction to an infection or injury and is associated with life-threatening organ dysfunction. Worldwide, an estimated 49 million people a year contract sepsis, while in the UK almost 2 million patients admitted to hospital each year are thought to be at risk of developing the condition.  

Presymptom Health believes the technology can predict whether a patient will develop sepsis around 3 days before symptoms appear, enabling clinicians to treat them much sooner and manage them more effectively. 

Things about baby boxes... 

The Scottish Government has published a report evaluating the Baby Box scheme which provides families with a range of essential items including information leaflets designed to inform and support positive parenting behaviours. Findings from a survey of 2,236 parents, and 870 health visitors, midwives and family nurses include: the estimated take up of baby boxes in Scotland is over 90%; 84% of parents surveyed said they had found the leaflet on safe sleeping useful; and 37% of parents felt they had learned about bonding with their baby through playing, talking and reading as a result of reading a leaflet included in the box.

Things about babies...

Delighted to announce that we have two new members of the Reading Group Lily & Evie both born in the last few weeks. Congratulations to both sets of parents and their families. 

Things about autism... 

The National Autistic Society and Mind have published a good practice guide to help mental health professionals adapt talking therapies for autistic children and adults. The guide incorporates the views of over 1,500 autistic people and almost 1,000 family members who responded to a mental health survey in October and November 2020.

Things about body image and eating disorders... 

The NSPCC has released figures on Childline counselling sessions to children about eating and body image disorders. Figures for 2020/21 show that: there were 4,986 counselling sessions on body image and eating disorder issues. This included a 13% increase in counselling sessions to 12- to15-year-olds compared with 2019/20, and a 7% increase in counselling sessions to 16- to 18-year-olds.

The Royal College of Psychiatrists has released findings following analysis of NHS England data on the number of children and young people waiting for eating disorder treatment. Figures show that at the end of the first quarter of 2021/22: 207 children and young people under the age of 19 were waiting for urgent treatment, up from 56 at the same time last year - a 270% increase; and 1,832 were waiting for routine treatment, up from 441 at the same time last year – a 315% increase. Figures also show that the number of under-19s receiving urgent and routine treatment has also increased by 160% and 93% respectively on figures for the same period last year.

Things to eat...

A recommendation from Sarah this week... nutty plum and sloe gin crumble.

Things in the library 22 Nov...

Things about sepsis...
Research undertaken by Imperial College London, has shown that digital monitoring significantly reduces hospital stays and chance of death related to sepsis. The digital sepsis alert system at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust was introduced in 2016 and monitors a number of symptoms to help identify sepsis before it becomes a problem. Alerts are sent to clinicians via a pop-up warning on their electronic health records and/or on a dashboard, which highlights any patient with an active alert when they open a patient's record.

The study found that the chance of death in hospital due to sepsis dropped by 24%, as well as 35% higher chance of receiving timely antibiotics to fight the infection. Early diagnosis of sepsis is crucial and allows teams in hospitals to determine the best course of action for the patient. Dr Anne Kinderlerer, consultant rheumatologist at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust and co-author of the study, said:

"More patients are surviving sepsis at our hospitals and it is testament to the alert and treatment plans we have working hand in hand to help us ensure that patients are treated with antibiotics and other interventions in order to save more lives.”

Further research will be done in the future to determine whether these results are the same with a larger patient group.

Things about what you eat...
Does it matter what we eat for our mental health? Emerging findings from intervention studies suggest that diet (often combined with lifestyle) modification has potential in the prevention and treatment of mental health and may modify drug treatment effects. This is one of the findings from  an article in European Neuropsychpharmacology on Nutritional psychiatry.

Things about seafood...
The relationship between seafood eaten during pregnancy and neurocognition in offspring has been the subject of considerable scientific study for over 25 years. Evaluation of this question led two scientific advisory committees to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGAC), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations with the World Health Organization (FAO/WHO), Health Canada, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to conclude through 2014 that seafood consumed by pregnant women is likely to benefit the neurocognitive development of their children. This article "An abundance of seafood consumption studies presents new opportunities to evaluate effects on neurocognitive development" provides the history, context and rationale for reexamining these questions in light of currently available data. This article "Relationships between seafood consumption during pregnancy and childhood and neurocognitive development: Two systematic reviews." states

"Assessment of seafood as a whole food integrates inherently integrates any adverse effects from neurotoxicants, if any, and benefits to neurocognition from omega-3 fats, as well as other nutrients critical to optimal neurological development. Understanding of the effects of seafood consumption on neurocognition can have significant public health implications."

Things about an app...

An advert suggesting that children could gain likes and followers to progress through an app has been banned by the UK's advertising watchdog. The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) ruled that the phrase "get likes and followers to level up" could have a "detrimental effect on youngsters' mental health and self-esteem". The ad was "likely to cause harm" and was "irresponsible", it added. PopJam argued that its app encouraged "positive digital engagement".

The ASA said in its ruling: "We considered [the ad] explicitly encouraged children to seek likes and followers in order to progress through the app". It acknowledged that there were other ways of advancing in the app, but said that these were not explained in the ad.

"We considered that the suggestion that the acquisition of likes and followers was the only means of progression was likely to give children the impression that popularity on social media was something that should be pursued because it was desirable in its own right."

According to an Ofcom report, 78% of 12 to 15 year olds feel pressure to look popular on social media.

More things about social media...
An interesting blog about 'sharenting', in this post Professor Stacey Steinberg considers these questions and outlines three categories of risk in relation to ‘sharenting’ that she has identified in her research. She also gives some 'best practices' that can guide parents as they share information about their children online.

Things about DNA...
Plans for the National Health Service to sequence the DNA of every baby born in the UK, starting with a pilot scheme of 20,000 children, were announced by health minister Matt Hancock recently. This article in the New Scientist discusses the ethical issues around this topic.






Things about climate change...

The Lancet Countdown is an international, multidisciplinary collaboration, dedicated to monitoring the evolving health profile of climate change, and providing an independent assessment of the delivery of commitments made by governments worldwide under the Paris Agreement.






Things to eat...
These individual fish pies or Mediterranean fish gratins look like a really nice idea - or you could make one big one.