Checkup
Cut Coffee for Healthier Baby: Sudy
Pregnant women should keep consumption of coffee, tea and cola to a minimum, according to a study published this week that sees a link between caffeine intake and low birthweight among babies.
British researchers recruited 2,635 women at between eight and 12 weeks of pregnancy, asked them about their dietary habits and monitored them for caffeine in their saliva at checkups.
Women who took between 100 and 199 milligrams of caffeine per day faced a 20-percent increased risk of having a baby with a relatively lower birth weight compared with counterparts whose intake was less than 100 mg per day.
Malaysia Tries to Stub Out Smoking
Malaysia is to fix a minimum price of 6.00 ringgit (US$1.70) for a pack of 20 cigarettes, to discourage smoking.
Malaysia imposes high taxes on cigarettes to discourage demand and a packet costs about 9.00 ringgit but cheaper brands are available for 4.50 ringgit.
From January next year, packets of cigarettes sold in Malaysia will have to display picture warnings to discourage smoking, health minister Liow Tiong Lai said.