HEALTH NOTES: Bottle ‘as good as breast’ for baby bonding

Breast-feeding makes no difference to the strength of the bond between mother and baby, researchers have found.

Some post-natal health experts have long argued for using breast ahead of bottle to improve the parent and child’s relationship.

But new research at the University of Lincoln has shown that mothers who bottle-fed reported just as strong a bond as mothers who breast-fed.

Breast-feeding makes no difference to the strength of the bond between mother and baby, researchers have found (stock photo)

Questionnaires were completed by 3,000 mothers, asking about signs of anxiety and indicators of a positive child-parent relationship. It found no indication of stronger bonding among breast-feeders.

Researcher Abigail Davis said: ‘Current literature is based on the idea that breast-feeding facilitates bonding.

‘Our study aligns with the few empirical studies which do not show this association.’

Blood pressure tests at Boots

Boots stores are offering free blood pressure checks for people over 40.

The vital tests are now available in 650 stores nationwide, with follow-up 24-hour blood-pressure monitoring also offered if patients need it.

Free blood pressure tests have been available in some pharmacies since the end of last year, but the service has not been available everywhere. Boots says its move will make the tests more accessible to everyone.

Roughly 4.3 million Britons have undiagnosed high blood pressure, according to the UK Health Security Agency. The problem is thought to contribute to some 75,000 deaths a year.

Boots says its new service will help reach the Government’s target of preventing 150,000 heart attacks and strokes over the next ten years.

Just one in 20 Britons would go to the doctor if they had signs of bowel cancer.

In a poll, half of the 2,000 respondents said they had red-flag symptoms of the disease, such as constipation, stomach cramps, excess gas and bloating.

Of these, 15 per cent said they had noticed blood in the toilet, which is considered so serious GPs refer patients to an urgent examination with a specialist.

Yet more than three-quarters said they were too embarrassed to speak about their bowel movements.

A quarter of those polled for supplement Fybrogel said they had ‘no idea’ of the signs of poor digestive health.

Julie Harrington, CEO of charity Guts UK, said: ‘Toilet habits are an indication of your health. It’s important to see your doctor about anything unusual.’

People in Norwich get more sleep than those in the rest of the country, it is claimed.

Residents of the Norfolk city get seven-and-a-half hours per night – an hour above the UK-wide average.

A survey found that those who get the least shut-eye live in Belfast, with an average of five hours. Also ranking low was Kingston upon Hull, Bristol and Coventry, all of which averaged less than six hours.

The NHS recommends that adults get six to eight hours’ sleep per night. This allows the body to perform vital repairs, and avoids tiredness in the daytime.