Maternity revamp on hold due to report delayPROPOSED PLANS aimed at tackling the chronic overcrowding at Dublin’s maternity hospitals remain on ice because of the lengthy delay in publication of an independent, HSE-commissioned report.

Increase in number seeking drug treatment in southeastTHE NUMBER of people seeking treatment for cocaine and heroin use in the southeast continued to increase last year, according to a newly published report from the Health Service Executive (HSE).

Health News

• Campaign against shift of services intensifiesCAMPAIGNERS OPPOSED to the transfer of breast cancer services from Sligo General Hospital (SGH) will intensify their campaign in the coming weeks in a bid to show the Government that “we are not going away”.
• Mental illness linked to genes, says expertGENETIC STUDIES are helping to piece together the puzzle of how our genes contribute to mental illness, and are paving the way for more personalised and effective drug treatments. That's according to an expert who was in Cork yesterday to address a major international conference.
• Cholesterol levels confuse consumersMANY IRISH people are confused about the causes of high cholesterol and wrongly avoid wholesome foods which are important in a balanced diet, a member of the Irish Nutrition and Dietetic Institute has said.
• Care urged on 'pergolide' useDOCTORS TREATING patients with Parkinson’s disease have been advised to exercise caution when prescribing a drug licensed to treat the progressive neurological disorder.
• Open period for Hep C scheme closing soonZURICH (Eagle Star Life), the life insurer provider to the Hepatitis C Insurance Scheme, has reminded the public that the open period for the Government established scheme will conclude on September 11th.
• Surprising local pictures of health emergeREADER RESPONSE:Re: Various stories drawing on Institute of Public Health's health and wellbeing statistics across the island of Ireland, Healthplus, August 19th
• In shortMore health news in brief.

News Focus

• The right smear campaignClaire O'Connelltalks to the head of the first national cervical screening programme, which will be rolled in the coming weeks
• Expecting diabetesMaternity hospitals are finding it difficult to cope with the rising number of patients with diabetes, writes Gretchen Friemann
• Elaborating on a rare conditionMargaret Webbresponds to Dr Paul Carson's article in Healthpluslast week, entitled A child's life of endless suffering
• Scary things that happen in hospitalsHEART BEAT:Hospitals used to be havens where the sick were diagnosed and treated, writes Maurice Neligan 

My Health Experience

• Living with a creeping paralysisSix months ago, Sabine Menassa-Matta was struck down with a rare but dramatic neurological disease. This is her story as told to Fiona Tyrrell
• Guillain-Barré syndrome: what is it?GBS or Guillain-Barré syndrome is an acute disease of the peripheral nervous system which causes damage to the myelin sheath around the nerves, causing them to stop working, resulting in loss of sensation and limb paralysis, sometimes accompanied by pain.

Parenting

• Big day for little one and parentsIt is usually the mums and dads who often become emotional about their child's first day at school, writes Sheila Wayman 
• Be confident with the teacher, principal saysUNA NÍ GHÁIRBHITH is leaving it up to her husband, John McDonald, to settle their youngest child, five-year-old Ultan, into school next Monday.
• Welcome to the world of timetablesThousands of children will be entering secondary school for the first time this week. For many it can represent a huge transition in their lives. Sylvia Thompson gives 10 suggestions on how to tackle what can be a psychologically testing time
• Feeling vulnerable at second levelHEALTH PLUS:First year in secondary school can be a high-risk time for being bullied, writes Marie Murray 
• Getting your child to sleepASK THE EXPERT:It is important to develop a regular night-time routine for your child, writes David Coleman
• Let them find their own reasons - not yoursIT'S A DAD'S LIFE:Raising children is more than simply creating a clone of yourself, writes Adam Brophy

Your Health

• The eyes have itCould losing excess weight help protect your eyesight in older age? A new study aims to find out, reports Claire O'Connell
• Made in ChinaThe FDA is set to open three offices in China, writes Clifford Coonanin Beijing
• Is weight still a big issue when it comes to cardiac disease?MEDICAL MATTERS:Being overweight may not be as bad for heart health as originally thought

Consumer Health

• Pages packed with fab absCiarán Brennanweighs up the pros and cons of some popular men's health and fitness magazines
• The role of intensity in reduction of body fatThe concept of the fat-burning zone has become highly appealing to fitness enthusiasts
• Get off the rollercoaster and go for a jogTHAT'S MEN:Exercise is the most beneficial thing people can do for their health as they get older
• A swelling that is a nuisance but causes no real physical painMEN'S HEALTH MATTERS:Fluid swellings in the scrotum are usually hydrocoeles or epididymal cysts

YourLifestyle

• No limits in sportParticipation in sport is very important for amputees as they need to be active, fit and strong
• Birth rates under controlA bill to promote family planning in the Philippines has invoked criticism from the Church - despite alarmingly high birth rates and low incomes, writes Carmel Crimmins
• Creativity as an emotional outletMIND MOVES:Any form of creative expression can become something that connects us with others
• Am I not too young to have pneumonia?CHECK-UP:More young people are succumbing to the infection due to their stressful lives
• LifelinesSylvia Thompsonrounds up the latest health advice and upcoming events

TheBackPage

• Bags more timeA NEW LIFE: A former recruitment consultant is glad she swapped her career for handbags
• A need to finally combat bureaucratic inertiaON THE COUCH:Georgina Wade is chairwoman of the Cleft Lip and Palate Association of Ireland