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More than 200 schoolchildren with diabetes are set to lobby MPs for more support in schools.

A spokesman for leading charity Diabetes UK said teachers were not always aware of the facts surrounding the condition and what measure needed to be in place.

The mother of 12-year-old Jay Saint – who is one of the pupils taking part in the campaign – said a teacher once confiscated a biscuit that her son was using to control his blood-sugar levels.

Furthermore, she claimed that Jay was rarely allowed to go on school trips.

"When the head teacher finally agreed to meet me, I was told the best thing I could do was to take him out of school," she said.

Ms Saint added that the only reason such thing were happening was due to a "lack of support and understanding".

Sharon Tillbrook, regional manager of Diabetes UK in the East of England, said families are suffering as result of inadequate diabetes support in schools.

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Today’s cancer research is paving the way for more successful drugs for patients, a leading charity has said.

According to Cancer Research UK, some 18 per cent of new drugs will become standard treatments as a result of improved knowledge, compared with just five per cent previously.

However, the organisation has urged pharmaceutical firms and academics to be more transparent about drugs which are not as effective.

It is hoped that new treatments will offer a realistic alternative to chemotherapy – which can have dangerous side-effects.

Dr Ian Walker, the licensing manager at the charity’s commercial development arm, said: "This clearly demonstrates the benefits of developing molecularly targeted treatments for cancer - understanding more about the basic biology of cancer is making a real difference to the success rate for new anti-cancer drug development."

Professor Herbie Newell, also from Cancer Research UK, said clear information about which treatments worked and which did not could only be "beneficial for clinical, scientific and commercial reasons".

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A high-fat diet during pregnancy could be a significant factor in obesity during early life, a new study has suggested.

Recent research conducted on rats by scientists at the Rockefeller University found that those born to mothers on such a diet had more appetite-stimulating proteins, reports the BBC.

The research indicates that a mother’s diet is directly linked to the developing foetal brain and can have an effect which lasts throughout the offspring’s life.

Lead researcher Dr Sarah Leibowitz said: "We believe the high levels of triglycerides that the foetuses are exposed to during pregnancy cause the growth of the neurons earlier and much more than is normal."

She added that the study is evidence high levels of fat in a mother’s bloodstream are directly linked to overeating and weight gain in early life.

Dr Ian Campbell, medical director of the charity Weight Concern, said: "The message is clear. We are not just ‘what we eat’; we are also to some extent ‘what our mothers eat."

The Insurance Helpline specialises in obtaining cover for people living with obesity

Women who have children when they are in their teens or early-20s are more prone to depression, according to new research.

A study conducted over 11 years indicated that one in four teenage mums suffered from antenatal depression, compared to 18 per cent of older women.

Furthermore, 36 per cent of young mothers in their early 20s were found to be experiencing the condition.

Cerith Waters, from Cardiff University, who presented the findings to a British Psychological Society conference, said: "Young mums can be very vulnerable and it is clear from these results that they need much more support, not just after the birth, but before as well."

She added that programs which aim to assist young mothers need to be "multi-faceted" and should be put in place during pregnancy to ensure they "address both the mother’s and the child’s needs".

A spokesman for the Department of Health said the group acknowledges the "importance" of proper support for young women with antenatal and postnatal depression.

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A new £110 million cancer treatment centre has been given the go-ahead in the heart of London.

The project - which is expected to deal with around 85,000 appointments a year - has been modelled on highly-successful US ambulatory care for cancer, reports the Financial Times.

Initially, Nick and Christian Candy paid £170 million for the old Middlesex Hospital site along with Icelandic bank Kaupthing, but pulled out in the wake of the credit crunch.

However, the high-end sale has allowed the University College Hospitals London (UCLH) to go ahead with the venture, which it claims will be based on out-patient and day care.

Sir Robert Naylor, UCLH’s chief executive, said different floors of the building will be dedicated to treating different forms of cancer.

Mark Embleton, the clinical director, said: "This will enable us to be recognised as one of the top cancer centres in Europe".

The new care centre is scheduled to be operational by 2012.

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Several corner shops in the north-east are to offer an expanded range of fruit and vegetables as part of government-backed anti-obesity scheme.

The twelve convenience stores have been given a grant to cover the cost of refitting their shops to ensure such items are displayed more prominently, reports the Northern Echo.

All the shops will carry the Department of Health’s Change4Life logo, to show they are behind the drive to promote healthy eating and reduce obesity.

The north-east was one of the first areas of the UK to be recruited for the scheme as it has some of the highest levels of obesity in England.

Public health minister, Dawn Primarola, said: "We all need to aim to eat five portions of fruit and veg a day. But we know that can be a tall order - particularly if you live in an area where shops don’t sell fresh fruit and veg."

The launch of the scheme coincided with the first Change4Life regional summit, which took place at Dance City in Newcastle.

The Insurance Helpline specialises in obtaining cover for people living with obesity

Poor care in primary schools is compromising the health of children with type I diabetes, campaigners have claimed.

Thousands of children in England suffer from type I diabetes, which is brought about by a lack of insulin-producing cells in the pancreas.

However, Diabetes UK is concerned that some 6,500 children in the UK are not covered by medical policies to ensure they have access to insulin injections when necessary.

Douglas Smallwood, chief executive of the charity said it was "unacceptable" for medication programs to be changed so they fit around school hours, stressing that children must be "properly supported" in managing their diabetes.

"Where parents have to step in to give insulin injections during school hours, we hear all too often that they are unable to work because they have to go into school every day - this can put heartbreaking strain on families both financially and emotionally," he said.

Diabetes UK is the largest charity in the UK devoted to the condition.

The Insurance Helpline specialises in obtaining cover for people living with diabetes.

A new breast cancer screening system which uses radio waves as opposed to X-rays has been given its first trials.

The level of risk associated to the new machine - which is currently being tested at Frenchay Hospital near Bristol - has been compared to talking into a mobile phone handset "at arm’s length".

Furthermore, the scans produce an image which is just as clear as a conventional X-ray, while being significantly quicker.

Dr Craddock, from the university’s electrical and electronic engineering department, said: "This new imaging technique works by transmitting radio waves of a very low energy and detecting reflected signals, it then uses these signals to make a 3D image of the breast."

He added that the new scanning technique works in largely the same way as any conventional radar system.

Mike Shere, associate specialist breast clinician at North Bristol NHS Trust, said the women who have tried the new scan found the experience "much more comfortable".

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Obesity is responsible for 450 deaths a year in Northern Ireland, a health chief has claimed.

Health Promotion Agency (HPA) chief executive, Dr Brian Gaffney, said the condition is costing the economy around £500 million, as it significantly increases the risk of heart conditions, diabetes and some cancers.

Dr Gaffney stated that the crisis is having a "major impact on education, employment and mental and emotional health".

Experts are due to congregate at Belfast’s Europa Hotel this week for ‘Obesity: weighing up the evidence’ – a conference which has been organised by the HPA in Northern Ireland and the Health Service Executive in the Republic of Ireland.


Some 59 per cent of adults and 26 per cent of children are overweight or obese in Northern Ireland, as well as 23 per cent of boys and 28 per cent of girls.

According to the World Health Organisation, obesity is now one of the biggest public health issues facing the global population.

The Insurance Helpline specialises in obtaining cover for people living with obesity

Many asthma sufferers are having their condition poorly controlled, it has been claimed.

According to a study presented at the annual meeting of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology in Seattle, a high proportion of patients visiting their doctor for other reasons are not receiving adequate attention for their asthma.

Dr. Richard H Stanford from GlaxoSmithKline and his colleagues found that 48 per cent of patients seeing their doctor for other reasons had asthma that was not well controlled.

Speaking to Reuters Health, Dr Stanford said primary care doctors should assess their practices with asthma patients to ensure that they receive the best possible treatment.

Dr Gailen D Marshall of the University of Mississippi, Jackson, called the findings "very important".

"This study reemphasizes that in primary care practices there are a lot of not well-controlled asthma patients…and patients don’t even realize they have not well controlled asthma," he said.

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