Undetected High Blood Pressure in New Mothers

Pre-eclampsia is one of the commonest complications of pregnancy. In severe cases, it can be life-threatening to mother and foetus but the risks to women don’t disappear after giving birth. It was known that women who had severe pre-eclampsia were at risk of persistent high blood pressure but a new study by Dr Laura Benschop at the Erasmus Medical Center in Rotterdam reveals that many of these women are not being diagnosed by standard clinic visits.

Can the city of Amsterdam help the world tackle the global epidemic of childhood obesity? In the last three years, the number of overweight and obese children has been reduced by 12%. Strict rules at school about pupils’ diets – and cycling – are parts of the story. Anna Holligan reports.

British medical researchers have investigated the origins and spread of a multi-drug resistant strain of malaria in Southeast Asia which is now causing great concern. According to Professor Dominic Kwiatkowski, the positive news is that the genomic techniques they’ve used to reconstruct this story can be employed to closely follow the strain’s for future spread, and (if implemented) better contain it.

Family doctor Ann Robinson also talks to Claudia about the health risks of drinking fountains and drinking hot tea.

(Photo: Doctor checking blood pressure. Credit: Getty images)