BMJ No 6993 Volume 310 Press releases
10 June 1995
Embargo 00.01 hrs 9 June 1995
[The analgesic effect of sucrose in full term infants: a randomised controlled trial]
Ordinary white sugar is an effective pain killer for young babies, according to a paper in this week's BMJ. The authors of the paper gave sugar in the form of 2 mls of 50 per cent sucrose syrup by mouth to 30 babies just before they had a routine blood test to detect jaundice.
Thirty babies got only plain water. After the test, which involves a painful prick in the foot, the babies in the group who had the sugar cried less and their heart rate returned to normal more quickly than the controls. The authors conclude that sugar syrup is a safe, effective pain-killer for young babies. Contact:
Prof Malcolm Levene University Division of Paediatrics & Child Health D Floor Clarendon Wing Leeds General Infirmary Leeds LS2 9NS
[Effect of physical activity on femoral bone density in men]
Vigorous exercise may increase bone strength and reduce the risk of fractures in men says a paper in this week's BMJ. The findings confirm previous studies showing that more active men have higher bone densities and are less likely to have a hip fracture than sedentary men.
The researchers, from Adelaide, South Australia, surveyed 137 men to find out about their regular physical activities. They found a 12 per cent variation in bone density in the upper thigh between the most active and least active of the men - equivalent to about 18 years of normal bone loss. Up to a third of all hip fractures occur in men and the incidence is increasing. Recent papers have suggested that a major cause of the increase may be a reduction in activity associated with modern lifestyles. Contact:
Dr A G Need Division of Clinical Biochemistry Institute of Medical & Veterinary Science Adelaide South Australia 5000
[Letter]
Clarification of the precise contents of war prime minister Winston Churchill's medication appears in a letter to this week's BMJ. The biographer of Churchill's personal physician, Lord Moran, reveals that the sleeping tablets that Churchill used regularly from 1940 were the barbiturate, quinalbarbitone. After his stroke in 1953 he was prescribed amphetamine for muzzy feelings in his head, and may have addressed the Conservative party conference at Margate in 1953 under its influence. Contact:
Prof Emeritus R Lovell 1/29 Kinkora Road Hawthorn Victoria 3122 Australia
Issued by: Public Affairs Division British Medical Association BMA House Tavistock Square London WC1H 9JP Telephone:0171 383 6254 (8.30am - 6.00pm) After 6.00pm and weekends: 0189 523 9687 0181 883 2789 0171 727 2897 0158 250 2982
PLEASE STATE THE BMJ AS THE SOURCE OF ALL ARTICLES USED