A round-up of this week's other health stories in brief
AGEING TALK:Robert Winston, professor of Science and Society at Imperial College London, one of the world's most respected medical academics and best known as the presenter of The Human Body and Superhuman TV series, will give a lecture at Trinity College Dublin next week.
Prof Winston's lecture, Too Old to Reproduce?, is the inaugural lecture in a series of public lectures on ageing at TCD. It will take place at 6.30pm next Tuesday in the Edmund Burke Theatre, Arts Building, Trinity College Dublin. For further details contact Emma Coonan on 01-8962088, or e-mail coonane@tcd.ie
JUNK FOOD MARKETING:Campaigners in Britain yesterday called for a ban on all junk food marketing aimed at children.
The British Heart Foundation (BHF) and the Children's Food Campaign want rules on packaging and online marketing to be tightened up.
Their survey of parents found two thirds were unaware that some junk food firms had online games aimed at children.
And more than half the parents did not realise that games and quizzes appeared on food and drink labels.
The BHF and the Children's Food Campaign want the existing regulations extended to cover all forms of marketing aimed at children.
They are calling for packaging, internet sites, product placement and sponsorship to be included in marketing regulations.
COMMON AILMENTS FORUM:Allergy development, asthma, obesity and diabetes will be the topics for discussion at a public forum taking place in University College Cork's Brookfield Health Sciences Complex on Tuesday next. Hosted by the Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre (APC), based at UCC, the forum, titled Common ailments - From allergies to asthma, will include experts in a number of specific health areas.
The forum takes place at 7pm in lecture theatre G01, Brookfield Health Sciences Complex, College Road, Cork. Members of the public are invited to attend and admission is free. A question and answer session will follow the presentation.
The APC is a research centre focusing on gastrointestinal health and the development of therapies for debilitating disorders, such as Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, irritable bowel syndrome and food poisoning.
CUT OUT CAFFEINE:Even small amounts of caffeine should be avoided during pregnancy, experts in the US warned yesterday.
A study published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology found 200mg of caffeine a day doubled the risk of miscarriage.
Current Food Standards Agency guidelines recommend no more than four cups of coffee a day during pregnancy.
The study - conducted by Dr De-Kun Li - involved 1,063 women.
Compared with those who did not drink caffeine, women who consumed up to 200mg a day had an increased risk of miscarriage. For women who drank more than 200mg, the risk increased from 15 per cent to 25 per cent.
Dr Li said: "The main message for pregnant women from these findings is that they probably should consider stopping caffeine consumption during pregnancy."
NEW TO IPHA BOARD:The Irish Pharmaceutical Healthcare Association (IPHA) has elected two new members to its boards.
The IPHA represents the international research-based pharmaceutical industry in Ireland. Its members include both manufacturers of prescription medicines and non-prescription or consumer healthcare medicines.
Elizabeth Reynolds has been appointed to the board of directors. She is currently vice president and general manager of GSK Consumer Healthcare Ireland. She has significant experience within the consumer healthcare industry, having worked in various positions both in Britain and Ireland.
David Gallagher has been appointed to the IPHA's strategy board. A graduate of UCD, he is currently managing director of Pfizer Healthcare Ireland, a position he was appointed to in May 2007.
He has significant international experience in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology sectors, having worked in various positions within the industry globally, according to the IPHA.