Health

A small US phase one trial applied placenta-derived mesenchymal stem cells to the exposed spinal cord during fetal surgery in six fetuses with myelomeningocele and reported safety and reversal of hindbrain herniation on postnatal MRI.

Professor Sir Nick White has died of cancer at 74; he was an authority on tropical diseases who played a leading role in changing malaria treatment after engaging with research on Qinghaosu.

The European Commission said member states can use existing European Social Fund allocations to help citizens travel for legal abortion services, following the My Voice, My Choice campaign. Campaigners welcomed the decision while some groups said it conflicts with national health policy.

An inquest heard that an 87-year-old couple in Greysouthen were found at their home weeks after they died, and the coroner recorded on the balance of probability that their deaths were due to natural causes.

Surrey FA and Surrey County Council have launched 'Smokefree Sidelines' to discourage parents and supporters from smoking or vaping at more than 540 grassroots clubs, with a goal to have all clubs on board by 2029.

A 30-year-old London writer stopped adding salt for a month and reported less bloating, reduced evening thirst, and restored taste after about three weeks. Nutrition experts in the piece warned that long-term excess sodium can raise blood pressure and place strain on the heart and kidneys.

Experts report that falling oestrogen and progesterone during midlife can shift hair follicles toward miniaturisation and increased shedding, and that multiple factors — hormones, nutrition, stress and micronutrients — influence thinning. A small 2025 evaluation of the Calecim Professional Advanced Haircare System showed participant‑reported improvements between six and 12 weeks, but the study was limited and used subjective measures.

The European Commission said member states may use an existing EU social fund to cover access to safe abortions for women travelling from countries with restrictive laws, in response to a citizens' initiative that gathered over one million signatures.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex visited the King Hussein Cancer Centre in Jordan and spent time comforting young cancer patients and their families, including a mother from Gaza and a 13-year-old Syrian patient who played piano before chemotherapy.

A Nature Medicine safety evaluation found ChatGPT Health under‑triaged more than half of cases needing immediate care and sometimes failed to show crisis help for suicidal intent, prompting expert concern.

Chilling cooked rice, pasta or potatoes can increase the amount of resistant starch and has been shown in some studies to lower post-meal blood sugar; evidence that this reliably reduces calorie intake or produces meaningful weight loss is limited.

A phase 3 trial reported that daily orforglipron tablets produced average weight loss of about 6–8% over one year and greater reductions in blood sugar than oral semaglutide, while discontinuations for side effects were higher with orforglipron.

Researchers developed MAPI, a score using five routine blood measures to distinguish alcohol-related liver disease from metabolic causes; it performed with AUROC ≈0.75 in both US and Swedish datasets.

A study analysed all 150 episodes of Bluey (seasons one to three) and found 73 episodes included clear resilience messages; nearly two-thirds of those moments involved a parent, most often Bluey's mother.

The article says tea is the world's most popular drink after water, with about three cups consumed globally for every one cup of coffee, and notes UK figures showing 63% of adults regularly drink coffee versus 59% who regularly drink tea.

Dame Tracey Emin was diagnosed with an aggressive bladder tumour in June 2020 and announced she was cancer-free in 2021; she has opened a Tate Modern retrospective called A Second Life that reflects on that experience.

Paul Elliott will tour the UK from 3 to 11 March to support Marie Curie’s Great Daffodil Appeal, with stops including Glasgow, Bradford and a final stop at Land’s End.

Mumsnet has launched a national advertising campaign using cigarette-style health warnings to call for a ban on social media for under-16s and asks people to email their MPs; the government says it will run a swift consultation and set out plans in the summer.

Actress Beverley Callard had surgery to remove two lymph nodes after an early breast cancer diagnosis and says she is recovering at home but worried about her appearance and intimacy with her husband; she has a follow‑up appointment to learn if further surgery is needed.

A US dentist highlighted that green tea's catechins can suppress harmful oral bacteria, and a 2021 meta-analysis of 18 randomized trials reported improvements in periodontal measures.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will visit World Central Kitchen’s regional headquarters in Jordan to learn about its meal operations supporting people in Gaza and displaced populations, and they will meet a WHO delegation and visit a national mental health rehabilitation centre.

An interim review led by Baroness Amos finds racism, staffing shortages and other systemic problems across maternity services in England; final recommendations are due in April and the Health Secretary has said he will act.

An interim report by Baroness Amos's National Maternity and Neonatal Investigation finds NHS maternity services in England are failing many women, babies and families and says repeated failures have not been addressed. The report says investigators met more than 400 family members and heard from over 8,000 people, and that final recommendations will be published in the spring.

An interim national investigation report says some NHS trusts covered up failings and falsified records, and that bereaved mothers faced cruel comments and incidents of racism; the inquiry is ongoing.

An independent inquiry led by Baroness Amos reports that some NHS trusts have hidden or altered medical records after incidents causing harm in childbirth, and families have often been denied clear answers. Baroness Amos's final report is due in the coming months and local inquiries, including the Nottingham investigation, remain underway.

A Harvard study of about 100,000 former US veterans found that GLP-1 medication use combined with six healthy lifestyle changes was associated with more than a 40% lower risk of major cardiovascular events; GLP-1 use without lifestyle changes was linked to a 16% lower risk.

Cass Thorburn said she is in her second week of chemotherapy after being diagnosed with triple‑negative occult breast cancer and thanked health staff and supporters for their care and messages.

Hundreds of special needs assistants, parents and children protested outside Leinster House seeking clarity after the Government paused a review of SNA allocations; the Government said it will not reduce SNA numbers at any school from September and will allocate additional staff where the NCSE recommends.

Adam Essid, a three-month-old from Finchley, died at Great Ormond Street Hospital after emergency responders attended his home; his parents have been charged and remanded. A plea hearing is set for 13 May and a provisional trial date is scheduled from 15 February next year.

Harry and Meghan visited a hospital in Amman to meet teenagers evacuated from Gaza under Jordan’s medical evacuation initiative, and hospital staff said evacuations and transfers to Jordan are continuing.