Baby Archie showed 'no signs of heart failure'
A senior doctor has told an inquest said that a baby "had no clinical signs of heart failure" a month before he died at a Kent hospital. Archie Squire died of a rare heart condition just days after his first birthday in November 2023, following repeated visits to Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother (QEQM) Hospital in Margate.Dr Emma Price, a consultant paediatrician with the East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust (EKHUFT), told the inquest into his death that when she saw Archie in October 2023 "he didn't have any signs of heart disease" or "heart failure"."In all honesty it was a surprise" to find "Archie had a cardiac issue", she said.
Archie died in the early hours of 23 November 2023 following two cardiac arrests.His parents had made repeated visits to hospital over his short life, concerned about Archie's breathing as well as constipation and vomiting.A report by EKHUFT found that during Archie's treatment opportunities to diagnose him appropriately, which could have prevented his death, were "missed".The trust said it offered its "heartfelt condolences to Archie's family"."We will work with the coroner to give the family answers," it added.
'Period of reflection'
The inquest, held at North East Kent Coroner's Court in Maidstone, heard Archie had been admitted to the children's ward at the QEQM on 5 October 2023 suffering from breathing issues and constipation. Dr Price told the coroner, Sarah Clarke, that staff considered it a "working likelihood" that Archie's poor health "was related to his breathing".Under cross examination by the family's barrister, Emily Raynor, Dr Price said: "The thing that was really worrying me was his effort of breathing."Listening to his heart there was no indication of a murmur," she said. In later questioning Dr Price was asked if Archie's case had led to any changes in the way she practiced. "Of course it has changed the way I practice," Dr Price replied."We learn from every child. It makes us go through a significant period of reflection."
The inquest started on Monday and is set to last nine days.
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The Sun
28 minutes ago
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But demand for the drugs is already huge and NHS clinics cannot dish them out fast enough. Here is everything you need to know as the rollout begins: What is Mounjaro and what has it been used for so far? 5 FOR anyone who has missed the frenzy, Mounjaro, aka tirzepatide, is the newest weight loss injection used on the NHS. It has been around since 2022 and triggers fullness hormones in the gut to prevent hunger and over-eating. This works the same as older jabs Wegovy and Ozempic, all known as GLP-1 agonists, but a recent trial showed it is more effective. A head-to-head study in the New England Journal of Medicine found Mounjaro caused 20 per cent weight loss over 18 months, while semaglutide – the active ingredient in Wegovy and Ozempic – led to 14 per cent. All the jabs were originally invented to treat type 2 diabetes but trials found they could also cause major weight loss. Pharma firms have cashed in on the discovery and UK prescriptions have skyrocketed. NHS prescriptions of Mounjaro in England surged from just 3,300 in 2023 to 1.1million last year, and more than a million people are estimated to be buying it online. Weight Loss Jabs - Pros vs Cons Who will be eligible in the new rollout? THE new rollout starting on Monday will allow GPs to prescribe tirzepatide for weight loss, starting with those patients whose weight places them at greatest health risk. Top of the list will be those with a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or higher and four weight-related health conditions. A BMI of 40 is roughly equal to weighing 16st (102kg) for an average height 5'3' woman, or 19st 6lbs (123kg) for an average 5'9' man. Weight-related conditions include high cholesterol, high blood pressure, prediabetes, type 2 diabetes, obstructive sleep apnoea and heart disease. Patients will likely be expected to have tried diet and exercise first before being offered a jab. 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Professor Jason Halford, of the European Association for the Study of Obesity, said: 'These drugs have the potential to help millions. 'If the government and NHS are serious about prevention they need to reconsider their position on the speed of the rollout of these drugs.' Professor John Deanfield, a heart doctor at University College London, added: 'These drugs provide a real opportunity to delay many diseases of ageing all at the same time and potentially transform society. 'I hope it won't take 10 years to do something that is so needed.' What if my GP says no? MANY people are expected to miss out and some surgeries are already pouring cold water on patients' hopes. Fairhill Medical Practice in Kingston upon Thames said: 'Once we are able to prescribe weight loss injections they will be offered to those with the highest medical need only, which may mean that a lot of patients will be disappointed.' 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Can't sleep in the heat? Scientists reveal simple sock hack that's guaranteed to help you doze off
With the UK in the grips of 2025's first heatwave, many of us will be struggling to doze off amid the tropical heat. If you can't sleep in the heat, scientists may have a counterintuitive solution. Although it might seem bizarre, putting on a pair of socks before you head to bed could be the key to drifting off peacefully. Studies have shown that this simple hack can help you fall asleep faster, stay asleep longer, and get a better night of rest. Wearing socks has even been proven to be effective at bedroom temperatures up to 23°C - hotter than nighttime temperatures in many places across the country this weekend. This strange trick works because our bodies' sleep and temperature regulation systems are deeply linked. Professor Eus van Someren, head of the Department of Sleep and Cognition at the Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, told MailOnline: 'The brain not only regulates body temperature, but also reads out skin temperature. 'It may interpret warm feet as the right moment to fall asleep.' Why should you wear socks to bed? Our core body temperature has a day-night rhythm, starting to drop in the evening to reach its lowest point around four in the morning. That means the best time to sleep is when the core body temperature is on its way down. Normally, your body would cool itself close to bedtime by sending blood to the skin in a process called distal vasodilation, which makes the skin hot. Professor van Someren says this is like 'opening the radiator in the heating system in your home.' When you put on socks, this increases the temperature of your skin and creates signals that your brain mistakes for the warming caused by vasodilation. Your brain will then believe that it is time to fall asleep, and you will find it easier to drift off. But wearing socks also helps you get to sleep in a more counterintuitive way. When our skin becomes hot, the brain's temperature control system sends a signal to the body telling it to start venting heat by sending hot blood into veins near the surface. This causes an increase in vasodilation, sending blood rushing to the skin and dropping the core body temperature down to safe levels. Dr Michael Gradisar, head of sleep science and clinical psychologist and Sleep Cycle, says that wearing socks can trick the body into triggering vasodilation. This, in turn, causes the core body temperature to drop and helps you drift off to sleep. Dr Gradisar says: 'For people who need extra help warming their feet to assist their natural thermoregulation, socks can be helpful.' That might be especially useful if you suffer from Raynaud's phenomenon, poor circulation, or other conditions that interfere with blood flow to the extremities. A study published in 2018 by researchers from Seoul National University found that wearing bed socks significantly improved sleep even when the room was a toasty 23°C. Those who wore socks to bed fell asleep 7.5 minutes faster on average and woke up more than seven times less frequently during the night. How can you get the most out of this trick? To make this trick work for you, it's important that you maximise the amount your core body temperature falls before bed. Studies of skin heating techniques show that the best results were achieved when the feet were warmed about one hour before bedtime. That means you should put on socks before you get into bed to trigger the core cooling process early. Wearing the right material can also make a big difference, as you don't want anything that will trap too much heat or moisture. Dr Gradisar says that 'natural fibres like wool help' since these offer the best balance of breathability and warmth. Likewise, a study of sleepers conducted at 30°C and relative humidity of 50 per cent found that those wearing Merino wool sleepwear got a better night's rest than those wearing cotton. Additionally, if you can find a way of cooling down your body while your feet stay hot, that will ensure the best temperature gradient for sleep. Dr Gradisar recommends using a fan or other means to try and keep the bedroom as cool as possible. However, with temperatures over 30°C forecast this weekend, it is also important to avoid making your feet too hot during the night. Professor Bill Wisden, an expert on the neuroscience of sleep from Imperial College London, told MailOnline: 'Heat is like any intrusive stimulus such as pain, or noise or vibration. It wakes you up. 'Even if the socks help you go to sleep, having hot feet in summer will wake you up!' So, if you do find yourself getting too hot as you doze, simply kick the socks off before falling asleep. The increased vasodilation will linger for a while afterwards, and exposing your feet to the air could produce an even greater drop in core temperature, helping you fall asleep faster and stay asleep all night. What if you find socks uncomfortable? Many people may find the idea of wearing socks to bed an extremely unpleasant thought. Luckily, if you are one of those people who like to let their feet breathe, there is another way to get the same effects. Anything you can do to raise the temperature of your skin before getting ready for bed will trigger the same vasodilation effects as putting on a pair of socks. Professor Wisden says: 'I recommend just before bedtime, take a hot shower or warm bath, even on a warm evening. 'At the end of the day, this raises the probability that you will drift off to sleep.' You don't even need to have a full bath or shower if that seems like too much effort. Studies have shown that simply bathing the feet up to the ankle in 40°C water for about 20 minutes, one to two hours before bed, helps people fall asleep about 10 minutes faster on average. So, although it might sound odd, if you want to beat the heat this weekend, the best thing to do is to get as hot as possible before bed.
