General

Chemicals found in common plastics could cause high blood pressure in children, according to a new study.

Exposure to the phalates used in food packaging and other items is thought to cause significant metabolic and hormonal abnormalities, especially during early development.

The American scientists who carried out the study claim flooring, plastic cups, beach balls and plastic packaging contain the colourless and odourless toxic additives that are causing a rise in cases of juvenile high blood pressure.

Experts from the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists have said air travel poses ‘no significant risk’ to pregnant women and their unborn babies, even up to three weeks before birth.

Their advice states that healthy expectant mothers having pregnancies without complications should be able to fly until the 37th week.

The most serious risk for women at 35,000ft is premature labour.

A study by University College London has found that eating disorders are growing twice as fast among men and boys as among women and girls.

The number of males being diagnosed with conditions such as bulimia and anorexia rose 24% between 2000 and 2009 almost twice the rise among females.

However, eating disorders are still 10 times more common among women and particularly teenage girls overall.

The figures show that up to 10% of teenage girls have an eating disorder.

More than 50,000 people have received the MMR vaccination in the past two months following the measles outbreak in Swansea, health officials have said.

Public Health Wales said that 52,502 non-routine MMR vaccinations were given to people of all ages between the beginning of March and May 13. But they warned against complacency as figures in the epidemic area and in Gwent, where there are increasing concerns about the disease, continue to rise.