International Women’s Day: 500,000 mothers in developing countries are still dying in childbirth

Pregnant women in developing countries face the same risk of death as women in the UK did 100 years ago, according to a coalition of campaign groups. Some 450 women per 100,000 live births die during labour or from pregnancy-related problems in the developing world.

The statistics were unveiled on the 100th International Women’s Day.
‘In the UK, dying in childbirth is almost a thing of the past. It’s a complete scandal that, for most women in the world, nothing much has changed,’ said Brigid McConville of the White Ribbon Alliance.

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New paternity leave law: Parents will be able to share time of with babies

New mothers will be able to transfer the second half of their year-long maternity leave to the father, the government has confirmed. The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills said the changes would take effect from April 2011. Under the plan, if a mother returns to work, the father could take six months off with [...]

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The ‘Primark effect’ means one million tonnes of clothes are sent to landfill every year

Calls to bring forward a total ban on recyclable material being sent to landfill are increasing, as the EFRA waste report show big increases in the amount of textile waste being dumped. Throwaway fashion from shops such as Primark are being blamed for an increase in the amount of clothes being dumped in landfill sites. [...]

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Want to give to Haiti without giving money?

Do you sometimes wonder where your financial donations are going to when you give money to charity?  If you are unsure about giving money or just don’t have enough to give there is another way to contribute to the desperate cause of the Haiti disaster.  Hearts To Africa are collecting clothes (adult and children), bedding, [...]

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£400 off a new A-rated boiler or renewable heat technology with new scrappage scheme

If you are shivering at home with a decrepide heating system this could be your lucky day.  The government have launched the boiler scrappage scheme (similar to the car scrappage scheme) meaning that if you buy a new boiler you could save you money, the environment, and give a boost to the jobs market .  [...]

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New research names and shames the UK’s least ethical companies

If you care about what the brands you buy get up to while your back is turned you will be interested to read the 8th annual edition of The Good Shopping Guide.  It reveals a gulf in corporate social responsibility standards in UK brands.  The good news is there are plenty of companies, from New [...]

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Children struggling to learn to talk because of the TV

Research published by Jean Gross, the Government’s communications adviser shows that nearly 1/4 of boys – and 1/7 of girls are struggling to learn to talk because thousands of households keep their TV’s continually on, preventing them understanding the speech of adults around them.  The survey also showed more than 1/4 of families have TV [...]

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The average woman applies 515 chemicals to her face every day

A recent study from Bionsen found that the average woman applies 515 chemicals to her face a day. The study revealed that the typical woman uses about 13 different beauty products a day. Most of these products contain at least 20 ingredients and additives, many of which can have a detrimental effect on the body [...]

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Mothers take to the street to protest over attacks on midwifery services

The long celebrated Albany group of independent midwives has been put at risk after its contract with south London’s King’s College Hospital has been terminated.  Kings College Hospital claim that a disproportionate number of the babies it delivered suffered damage during the birth. The Albany group has long been praised for being a brilliant example [...]

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Single mumps vaccines no longer available

Merck, the worlds only manufacturer of the single MMR vaccines has confirmed that it has stopped production of Mumpsvax, meaning parents will no longer be able to vaccinate their children against mumps. A spokesperson for the company confirmed “Merck will not resume the production of the monovalent measles, mumps or rubella vaccines.” There are claims [...]

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