“National Chocolate Day” in America - Let’s support our friends across the pond!

Today in America, it’s National Chocolate day. One of the most patriotic of holidays, Americans celebrate the many chocolates from their past that enabled them to live in the diabetic present, and whose values and ideas will see us Brit’s in to a sure-footed future of chronic obesity.

In all seriousness, it really is National Chocolate day for the Yanks and you can enjoy chocolate guilt free today.

Years ago, research claimed chocolate was full of healthy antioxidants though while it’s true that chocolate is made from pure cacao beans, which contain powerful antioxidants, once manufactured, many of these beneficial ingredients are processed out. But, “It sure does taste great” and chocolate sales seem to be the only area of growth in a recession.

So raise a bar to our American friends and toast this wonderful day of Cacao celebration.

         

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Thanks for dropping by and enjoy!

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X Factor: John and Edward were born three months premature

Irish twins John and Edward Grimes of X Factor fame were born three months premature both weighing just 2lbs and had to spend weeks in an incubator, it’s now revealed.

Their father told The Mirror: “They were so small and fragile, thankfully they pulled through. They’ve always had a bond and I think it goes right back to that. Even now they are in tune with each other.”

John and Edward, both turned 18 only a fortnight ago. Staff at Dublin’s Rotunda hospital are credited with helping them get to the milestone age. John said he hadn’t been back to the hospital, but would: “love to go back, maybe when X Factor’s over.”

Odds on the twins have been slashed by bookies from 50-1 to 16-1 to win after they had the most public votes at the weekend, despite singing Ricky Martin’s, “She Bangs” completely out of tune on Saturday night.

In another revelation, the Irish twins’ X Factor rival Rachel Adedeji, was also born three months early weighing in at 2lbs.

John Grimes said: “I suppose we have always been trying to upset the odds and we are very close because of that.”

         

Shocking C-Section delivery rate of a quarter of all babies in England

A quarter of babies delivered in England are by C-Section. This figure is double the World Health Organisation’s recommended rate and described as a, “serious cause for concern” by LibDem health spokesman Norman Lamb.

Almost 25% or around 155,000 babies last year were delivered via caesarean section despite efforts to reduce the number of surgical deliveries.

C-Section delivery accounts for over a third of Chelsea and Westminster trust babies, indicating ‘too posh to push’ is more than a laughable buzz word, it’s a reality. Just 15.8 per cent of Nottingham babies were delivered via C-Section in stark comparison.

A Chelsea and Westminster Hospital spokesman said its figures included the private maternity unit: “If these figures are excluded, the hospital’s rate of caesarean section is 26 per cent which is very comparable to other units in London,”

Although emergency caesarean births can be life-saving, planned surgery is recognised as riskier for mothers and babies. Women are more likely to develop complications and the infants are more likely to suffer breathing difficulties.

Six out of eight hospitals with a rate above 30 per cent were in and around London. The WHO says the rate should be no higher than 10 to 15 per cent.

Cathy Warwick, general secretary of the Royal College of Midwives, said: ‘There is now general acceptance among maternity services’ professionals that the caesarean section rates are too high and that some women and their babies are being subjected to unnecessary medical interventions.’

         

Not even begun labour and Coleen Rooney’s husband want’s a sibling

Coleen Rooney, 23, ready to pop and anticipating labour has told OK! Magazine that her hubbie, Manchester United star, Wayne Rooney is already pressuring her about a sibling for the child.

Coleen has confirmed she would love more children, however not on Wayne’s demanding schedule.

She told OK! Magazine: “Wayne would have another one straight away - but it’s not him having it!

“I’ve always said that I would love to have three or four children - however, I’m going to wait a while longer.”

Coleen isn’t short of helpinh hands anticipating the new arrival. She explains: “My mum and Wayne’s mum are going to be a big help,

“This is the first grandchild on either side so it’s going to have so much attention.”

She goes on to talk about her family/work balance: “I’d like to spend some quality time at home as a family and just give as much love and support as I can to both Wayne and the child. But I’d like to combine being a mum with my work.

“Most of the work I do now would fit in fine with having a baby. It’s only days here and there and I could always take the baby with me.”

Admirably, Million-pound offers for the first pictures of their baby were refused by Coleen. She says she will launch a pregnancy guide and toddler’s clothing range. Her choice of an NHS facility over private healthcare has also raised her fans admiration.

         

Jenna Elfman Happy To Be Out of First Trimester

The Accidentally on Purpose actress says that the first trimester of her pregnancy was rough with filming and taking care of her 2-year-old son.

Jenna Elfman who is currently pregnant with her second child and in late winter/early spring says that she is happy that she is past the stages of extreme nausea and fatigue that came with the first trimester.

She says, “I was massively tired and had nausea and I didn’t have any of that during my first pregnancy. I was filming the show with insomnia and nausea and then going home to a 2-year-old who’s very active. It was a bit daunting. But I’m past the first three months now and I feel like my head is screwed on better.”

The actress also says that her 2-year-old son Story Elias is “so sweet” and gives her tummy kisses.

Jenna is currently starring in her new sitcom Accidentally on Purpose, in which she also plays a pregnant character.

         

New Oklahoma abortion laws seek understanding

Proponents of two new abortion laws in Oklahoma say they want to understand why women seek an abortion, and they want to provide women with as much information as possible before making a decision which is irrevocable.

“Do they feel they have no other choice?  Is it financial?  What are the reasons that lead up to that very desperate choice of a woman?” said Republican state Rep. Pam Peterson.  Rep. Peterson was involved in drafting both laws.

One law would require women to complete a survey about their race, education and reason for seeking an abortion.  The survey also asks whether the woman is having relationship problems, whether she can’t afford to raise a child, or whether a baby would dramatically change her life.  Each of these questions could explain key reasons why women feel compelled to follow through with an abortion.  Issues are rarely resolved until some degree of understanding occurs.

Republican state Rep. Dan Sullivan helped draft the questionnaire bill.  He stated that lawmakers are simply looking for information that will help them find ways to reduce the number of abortions in Oklahoma.

“These are tragic situations for people, and we’re not trying to compound anyone’s emotional state,” said Sullivan.

Another section of the laws requires that doctors provide detailed information about complications that arise as a result of the procedure.  That information would eventually be compiled into a statistical report by the Oklahoma Health Department which would be posted on its web site.

This step appears to provide women considering abortion with medical information concerning possible complications of an abortion procedure.

While the legal challenges are just getting started, some believe that the debate could follow the path of the partial-birth abortion law.  That issue was argued through the Nebraska court system, struck down by the United States Supreme Court , and then finally upheld in 2007 after Congress made it a federal law.

         

Baby born on London bus

A baby boy was born on a London bus last Thursday en route to the hospital.

Emiloju Fatima Lawal, pregnant with her fourth child, thought she was going on a routine visit to the doctor. However, that plan changed when she went into labor while on the bus.

Originally, her husband Abiodun had offered her a ride, but Ms. Lawal turned it down and walked to the bus stop to catch the bus. When she got on the 394 to Homerton Hospital in Hackney, she began to feel strange.

“When I got on the bus I couldn’t feel anything in my right leg,” she said. “A man asked if I was okay. I said, ‘No, I’m in labor,’ and then the baby began to push.”

Passengers alerted the driver, Pauline Jacobs, and asked her to speed up.

“A young man came up to me and said, ‘There’s a lady having a baby,’ and he asked could I put my foot down so she didn’t have it on the bus. I told him we have a set schedule but I tried my best,” said Ms. Jacobs.

As Ms. Lawal’s labor progressed, Jacobs radioed to her controllers that she needed an ambulance. Jacobs then pulled the bus over near Mare Street as the birth was imminent.

“They said I should lie down but I couldn’t so I knelt and started pushing,” said Ms. Lawal. “Then a few minutes later he came out and I said ‘Excuse me, the baby is here.’”

With the aid of passenger Carole Allen, a switchboard operator at Homerton Hospital, Ms. Lawal gave birth to a 7-pound, 7-ounce boy, Olatidebe Dennis Agboola. The boy was given the middle name “Dennis” from the name of the bus’s manufacturer, Dennis Specialist Vehicles.

Despite the circumstances, Ms. Lawal said that the birth of her baby on the bus was the smoothest birth of her four children.

         

Rise in number of Down’s syndrome cases as women wait longer to start families

Down’s syndrome cases have become more common over the last two decades but have been offset by better early detection and an increase in terminations.

The British Medical Journal published a paper today indicating that diagnoses of Down’s syndrome has increased by 71 percent since 1989, yet the rate of babies actually born with Down’s has remained nearly steady over the same time period.

Researchers from Barts and the London School of Medicine found that diagnoses in women over the age of 37 rose significantly, likely due to the combination of more accurate tests and wider adoption of early screening.

“Increases in maternal age would have caused a 48 per cent increase in births with Down’s syndrome in the absence of terminations between 1989/91 and 2005/7,” said the researchers.

‘”However, terminations of Down’s pregnancies due to an increase and improvements in antenatal screening have caused the number of live births with Down’s remain constant.”

With the number of women opting to wait until their 40s nearly doubling in the last ten years, there is a corresponding increased risk for Down’s syndrome—a nearly 16 times greater chance for a woman of 40 than a woman of 25.

“I don’t think the message is getting through about the high risk of having a baby with Down’s in your 40s,” said Dr. Maggie Blott, spokesperson for the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

“There are enormous challenges for women whether they decide to have the baby, who will have long-term health needs, or have a termination of an often much-wanted child at a stage in life when it will be ever harder to become pregnant.’

The researchers were also surprised to find that only 70 percent of women who gave birth to a Down’s syndrome baby were actually screened, suggesting to them that “a considerable proportion of women may still decide not to be screened.”

They suggested that with less invasive procedures that don’t risk miscarriage, more women may opt for screenings.

         

Peter Andre Had Panic Attack After Seeing His Children With Katie’s New Boyfriend

Peter Andre reveals that he had a panic attack and passed out when he saw his  ex-wife’s new boyfriend Alex Reid playing with his kids in photographs.

The pop star says he was completely heartbroken at the pictures that featured his children Junior and Princess playing with Katie Price’s new boyfriend. He says that he woke up in the middle of the night in a state of panic and woke up the next morning surrounded with blood after hitting his head.

Peter wrote in his new magazine column, “I honestly haven’t had anything happen like this for years, but it occurred on the same day that I saw the first pictures of Alex Reid with my children and it really set me back.”

He continued,

“I found it unbelievably hard to see another man with Junior and Princess, and that was probably the lowest I’ve felt throughout the whole split. It’s any father’s nightmare to see pictures like that and I went to bed feeling not only heartbroken but also massively anxious, which obviously brought on the attack. I’ve always said that the only things that got to me are anything to do with the children and it’s the truth.”

He added that this happened more than 3 months ago now and seems like a complete blur now. He calls the incident “horrible” and a “scary experience.”

Peter’s divorce to Katie Price went through last week. The singer says, “I’m sad at the way things have turned out with Kate, but Junior and Princess are two amazing things that came out of my marriage.”

         

Final Jury Selection Begins in Baby Grace Trial

The final jury selection process begin this morning in the Baby Grace capital murder trial of Royce Clyde Zeigler II, the 2-year-old’s stepfather.

He is accused of beating the child to death and then tossing her body off the Galveston Island railroad bridge.

Little Riley Ann Sawyer was nicknamed Baby Grace until her body was identified.  Zeigler’s wife, Kimberly Dawn Trenor, received life imprisonment after she was convicted of capital murder in this case in February.

It is expected that testimony in the case will begin tomorrow after 12 jurors have been chosen from the 125-member jury pool which was selected two weeks ago.

At least 15 of the potential jurors changed their minds from a few weeks ago, stating that they did not believe they could be fair and impartial in this case.  Intense media coverage of the case has drawn extra caution in the jury selection process from attorneys and Galveston County District Judge David Garner.

Although Trenor’s trial only lasted five days, District Attorney Kurt Sistrunk believes this trial could take up to two weeks.  The prosecution is not seeking the death penalty.  It’s difficult to understand why such a heinous crime as this would not carry the death penalty. Capital murder carries a sentence of life without parole.  Manslaughter carries a sentence that ranges from probation to 20 years in prison.

Defense attorneys Neal Davis III and Dee McWilliams of Houston have questioned Trenor’s version of Riley’s death.

We’ve maintained from the very beginning that Royce had nothing to do with her death,” David said.

         

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