Toddlers in countries with few hours of sunshine run the risk of not getting enough vitamin D.
Vitamin D, used for the development of strong bones and teeth, is essential for healthy toddlers, but does yours get enough? The main source of vitamin D is sunlight, but for countries more prone to grey skies, experts say sunlight isn’t enough.
New survey results from the toddler health website, growingupmilkinfo.com, highlight that the majority (91%) of UK mums don’t know the recommended daily intake of vitamin D for toddlers. The website is working with TV regular Dr Chris Steele to promote Vitamin D Day (31st March). The aim of the campaign is to address misconceptions and educate parents on the role diet plays in getting vitamin D into children. Read More →
Drastic improvements in European health in recent years.
The World Health Organization report has shown that life expectancy has increased to the age of 76 for both men and women – a vast improvement meaning that people in the European Region are living longer than ever before.
Spain is the healthiest country in the WHO European Region, with women’s life expectancy now standing at 85 years. WHO’s European Region includes Israel as well as most countries in the European Union. The report shows a staggering difference between the life expectancy of men and women, as well as the main health risks affecting the European population.
Spain is the healthiest nation in Europe.
Spain has the highest life expectancy in Europe, while economically stable Germany lags behind in 16th place. Although average life expectancy has extended to 76, the World Health Organisation (WHO) warned that in the future, life expectancy could decrease due to government cuts on health budgets.
“One possible scenario that threatens the increase in life expectancy in Europe is economic or social crisis combined with spending cuts in health,” claimed the World Health Organization’s 2012 report, which documents its research on mortality across its European region. This includes Israel as well as most countries in the European Union.
Cardiovascular disease is the biggest killer of young women.
International Women’s Day may have passed, but the messages do not. One prevalent health warning surfaced; cardiovascular diseases are on the rise amongst young women.
The European Cardiology society is alerting women that they may be at a higher risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) than they think. CVDs include heart diseases, strokes and heart attacks.
Monika shares her story about giving birth in Japan.
Monika, tell us a little about yourself.
I was born and raised in Austin, Texas (USA) and lived there until I moved to Japan at the age of 24. I intended to only stay a year, but life obviously had other plans for me as I am now 32 years old and married to my Japanese husband. We live in a small town in the northwestern part of Chiba prefecture, about an hour away from Tokyo. I just gave birth to my first child, a beautiful little girl, in early February.
How did you find the pre-natal care in Japan?
I ended up with two very different experiences during my pregnancy in Japan because I switched medical facilities. I went to a small local women’s/maternity clinic for the first 20 weeks, then switched to a larger hospital for the rest pf my pregnancy and birth.
Moving to China for longer than a year? Know what to expect from the health check.
This is the second article in our series looking at the health requirements for moving to certain countries. The first post covered Australia, a reasonably simple country regarding visa health requirements, even a pre-existing condition won’t necessarily mean an application refusal.
For China, an increasingly popular destination for expat assignments and English teachers looking for a challenge, the health requirements are a little more complicated. For anyone going to China to work a health check will be required.
Tips on travelling with autistic kids.
Often, families with autistic children avoid travelling because a child with autism can often be badly affected by changes in routine or environment. Nevertheless, you should not feel like you can’t, it may be difficult but planned in advance, it’s more than possible. Some kids learn faster and some may need more repetition but with patience, travel needn’t be a distant dream.
One of the first things you should do is to teach your child to wait if they don’t have the skill. Chantal Sicile-Kira, author of Autism Spectrum Disorders and mother of an autistic child, suggests drawing a picture representing “waiting” with the word “waiting” on the card.
Today is World Book Day, and in honour of this auspicious event we have decided to take a look at five health books which have made an impact on readers.
The books included on this list represent the wide spectrum of health literature available. Have you read any of these? Let us know which health books have changed you life in the comments section below.
The China Study – T. Colin Campbell, et al.
This book, one of America’s best-selling books about nutrition, examines the link between animal products and a variety of chronic illnesses. It is a champion of vegan and plant-based diets as a way to limit the likelihood of developing a chronic disease. Based on the largest scientific study of its kind, the China-Cornell-Oxford project, looking at correlations between counties of China which consume a high proportion of animal products and the rates of cancer, heart disease and other chronic illnesses.
Aussie expat Maddie Sinclair talks about cultural differences she sees raising her children in the UK.
When I arrived in the UK as a wide-eyed backpacker in 1999, I was only intending to stay for nine months. Like many Aussies before me, the plan was to use the UK as a base to earn some money under the Working Holiday Visa Scheme, to use any money saved to see a bit of Europe, and then return home to sunny Australia a little more worldly.
I certainly could never have imagined that, 14 years on, not only have I never returned to Oz to live, but I have well and truly embraced British life by becoming a British Citizen, marrying a Brit, and having two British children.
Five popular expat destinations and the availability of contraceptives.
There is a huge range of contraception available around the world. Some types are easy to buy in the supermarket or pharmacy, others require a prescription and still others need a medical exam.
The rules regarding availability and brands available vary throughout the world. We provide a snapshot of contraceptive availability in five popular expat destinations.