Category Archives: childbirth and maternity services

Health experts support calls for increase to unemployment benefits

May 8, 2012 – 12:39 pm

Dr Tessa Boyd-Caine, the Deputy CEO of the Australian Council of Social Service, suggested at Croakey yesterday that the low level of income support payments, particularly for unemployed people relying on the Newstart allowance, is an important health issue. She wrote: “It’s important that health groups and medical professionals join their voices to the call [...]

By Melissa Sweet | Also posted in aged care, Federal Budget 2012-2013, primary health care, social determinants of health | Tagged , , , , | Comments (0)

Facebook: the future of smoking prevention for new mothers?

March 7, 2012 – 6:50 pm

By Caroline Chen Social media may be a useful tool for helping new mothers to stay tobacco-free, a recent study suggests. Published in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, the article explores the social factors that influence women’s smoking in the period after childbirth, and how new approaches in relapse prevention should be [...]

By Melissa Sweet | Also posted in public health, social media and healthcare, tobacco control | Tagged , , | Comments (0)

Latest wrap of health and medical reading from The Conversation

February 7, 2012 – 9:44 am

Thanks to Fron Jackson-Webb for providing this latest wrap of reading from The Conversation (http://theconversation.edu.au/). It includes articles about universities teaching complementary medicine, the Medicare Safety Net, new research on caesarean sections, e-prescriptions and hospital errors, and urban development. You can also read an article from The Conversation’s editor, Andrew Jaspan, on mining magnate Gina [...]

By Melissa Sweet | Also posted in adverse events, complementary medicines, e-health, environmental health, health reform, Hospitals, Media-related issues, public health, road safety, The Conversation, Uncategorized | Comments (1)

A rather large wrap of recent Croakey articles: public health, health reform, media coverage of health and more

January 11, 2012 – 10:25 am

As previously mentioned, Croakey readers are welcome to sign up for (rather irregular) summaries of posts. If you’d like to join the mailing list, please send your email or leave it below. Here is the latest compilation, covering from 6 October – December 23, 2011. The latest readership figures are now also available, showing that [...]

By Melissa Sweet | Also posted in abortion, alcohol, cancer, child health, climate change, complementary medicines, conflicts of interest, consumer health information, death and dying, dental care, evidence-based issues, Food, global health, health and medical research, health financing and costs, Health inequalities, health reform, health workforce, Hospitals, Indigenous health, infectious diseases, Media Doctor Australia, Medicare Locals, mental health, MyHospitals website, obesity, pain, palliative care, pharmacy, physical activity, prevention, primary health care, public health, quality and safety of health care, rural and remote health, SensaSlim, social determinants of health, social media and healthcare, TGA, The Conversation, tobacco control, vaccination, vaccines, WHO | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments (0)

The latest wrap of health and medical reading from The Conversation

December 23, 2011 – 9:05 am

Below is the final wrap for this year of health and medical reading at The Conversation. Thanks to Froncesca Jackson-Webb and Reema Rattan for compiling these wraps for Croakey readers. Vaccinations in the news in 2011 By Dr Julie Leask, National Centre for Immunisation Research & Surveillance, a conjoint Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Medicine, University [...]

By Melissa Sweet | Also posted in child health, Food, health and medical education, Health inequalities, Indigenous health, National Preventive Health Agency, public health, TGA, The Conversation, tobacco control, vaccination | Comments (2)

Crying babies: what parents need to know Vs what they are often told

December 15, 2011 – 3:05 pm

Pamela Douglas is a GP, academic and writer, with a particular interest in a subject close to many parents’ hearts: crying babies. In the article below, she says many parents and their babies are not getting the help they need. Instead, they may be getting advice “flavoured by old ideologies popular throughout the second half [...]

By Melissa Sweet | Also posted in child health, consumer health information | Tagged | Comments (5)

The Ministerial reshuffle and health: plus analysis of Roxon’s tenure and advice to Plibersek

December 13, 2011 – 1:18 pm

Much of the post-shuffle focus in health has been on the new Minister, Tanya Plibersek (The Australian has her prioritising dental reform, while the Sydney Morning Herald has her bedding down the health reform agenda). But let’s not forget that many portfolios are important for health (some of which are mentioned at the bottom of [...]

By Melissa Sweet | Also posted in cancer, child health, dental care, disabilities, e-health, education, general practice, health reform, Indigenous health, Medicare Locals, mental health, NHMRC, pharmacy, prevention, primary health care, private health insurance, public health, social determinants of health, TGA, tobacco control | Tagged , , , , | Comments (2)

Who is supporting the push for pregnancy warnings on alcohol?

December 9, 2011 – 11:23 am

Update: the statement issued after the Council meeting has been added to the bottom of the post Members of the Australia and New Zealand Food Regulation Ministerial Council are due to meet today. Below is an open letter, dated December 7, from leading health and community professionals calling for the Ministers to support warnings about [...]

By Melissa Sweet | Also posted in alcohol, Food, public health | Tagged , , , , | Comments (5)

Home births: it’s time to broaden the focus of the debate

November 14, 2011 – 6:05 pm

In a recent post, Dr Andrew Pesce, a Sydney obstetrician and gynaecologist and former president of the Australian Medical Association, raised concerns about the safety of current home birth practices. In the article below, Hannah Dahlen, Associate Professor of Midwifery, University of Western Sydney, and national media spokesperson for the Australian College of Midwives, suggests [...]

By Melissa Sweet | Also posted in adverse events, Hospitals, Uncategorized, women's health | Tagged , , , , | Comments (27)

The latest wrap of health and medical reading at The Conversation

November 11, 2011 – 7:40 pm

Thanks to Fron Jackson-Webb from The Conversation for providing this latest wrap of  health and medical news. The stories below cover pharma industry lobbying, the pokies debate, and plenty more… *** The tricks companies use to get over-priced drugs on the PBS By Thomas Faunce, ARC Future Fellow at Australian National University: Boehringer Ingelheim, manufacturer of [...]

By Melissa Sweet | Also posted in gambling, health & medical marketing, men's health, mental health, obesity, pharmaceutical benefits scheme, pharmaceutical industry, pharmacy, public health, women's health | Comments (0)