HEALTH NOTES
ROUNDS UP NEWS FROM THE MEDICAL WORLD
BUGS IN YOUR MAKE-UP BAG?
NINE out of 10 beauty products such as mascara and lip gloss harbour harmful superbugs and fungi, research shows. Make-up bags tested were harbouring dangerous bugs such as E. coli and staphylococcus which risk causing skin infections or blood poisoning. Researchers blame users dropping products and not cleaning them for the spread of superbugs. They also said some products were used long after their sell-by-date. The Aston University team tested 467 lipsticks, lip glosses, eyeliners, mascaras and beauty blenders. They found 56% of lipsticks and 55% of lip glosses were carrying staphylococcus bacteria, as well as 69% of mascaras, 72% of beauty blenders and 77% of eyeliners. Author Dr Amreen Bashir said: “Consumers’ poor hygiene practices when it comes to using make-up is very worrying.”
CHILD ILLNESS IS BIGGEST FEAR
HAVING a sick child is a parent’s biggest worry in life, polling shows. It topped work, money and their partner as a cause of anxiety in the survey of 2,000 parents with children aged under 19. Six in 10 said their child being diagnosed with a serious illness was their worst fear. Of those polled, 65% said they’d have no idea how they would cope if this actually happened. Nine in 10 felt there is not enough time to do all they want with their family. The research was commissioned by children’s charity the Rainbow Trust which has seen family referrals double in the past decade. It is appealing for donations to fund its specialist carers. Chief executive Zillah Bingley said: “There are more families than ever who have their worlds turned upside down by this news and who struggle to cope.”