Lifelines

Occurrence of whooping cough underestimated: National statistics "significantly underestimate" deaths from whooping cough in…

Occurrence of whooping cough underestimated: National statistics "significantly underestimate" deaths from whooping cough in England, according to a new study. The researchers compared death notifications from whooping cough between 1994 and 1999.

They used data from laboratory surveillance schemes, which rely on cultures for confirmation, hospital records, and Office of National Statistics death certificates. They identified 33 deaths, most of which were in infants under four months old, and too young to have been immunised. For almost half of these cases, pertussis (whooping cough) was not mentioned as the cause of death.

The authors calculated that, allowing for the discrepancies among the information sources, the true number of deaths from whooping cough was more likely to be 46, equivalent to nine deaths a year.

New study programme for women's health

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The Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, is now inviting applications for the Master of Science (Women's Health) programme.

This innovative programme is the first of its kind in Ireland, and its aim is to update and expand the knowledge, skills and understanding of professionals who provide healthcare for women. The part-time programme, running over two years, will start in October 2002 and be based in the RCSI Academic Centre in the Coombe Women's Hospital, Dublin.

Application forms and further details can be obtained by contacting the course director: Dr Mary Condren, tel: 01-4085360, e-mail: mcondren@rcsi.ie

Forget the daily bread

Approximately one in 200 people in Ireland suffers from coeliac disease, an intolerance to gluten which damages the intestine. Removing gluten (found in wheat, oats, barley and rye) from the diet results in a speedy improvement, according to the Coeliac Society, which has just launched its 2002 list of gluten-free manufactured products.

Many product labels do not specify the presence of gluten, and coeliacs need to avoid most breads, biscuits, cakes, breakfast cereals and pastas.

See www.coeliac.ie or tel: 01-8721471 (Mon/Wed/Fri mornings) for more details.

Lifelines is compiled by Dr Muiris Houston and Sylvia Thompson