Ancestral childhood environmental exposures occurring to the grandparents and great-grandparents of the ALSPAC study children.

Background: Cohort studies tend to be designed to look forward from the time of enrolment of the participants, but there is considerable evidence that the previous generations have a particular relevance not only in the genes that they have passed on, their cultural beliefs and attitudes, but also in the ways in which previous environmental exposures may have had non-genetic impacts, particularly for exposures during fetal life or in childhood. Methods: To investigate such non-genetic inheritance, we have collected information on the childhoods of the ancestors of the cohort of births comprising the original Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC). The data collected on the study child's grandparents and great grandparents comprise: (a) countries of birth; (b) years of birth; (c) age at onset of smoking; (d) whether the ancestral mothers smoked during pregnancy; (e) social class of the household; (f) information on 19 potentially traumatic situations in their childhoods such as death of a parent, being taken into care, not having enough to eat, or being in a war situation; (g) causes of death for those ancestors who had died. The ages at which the individual experienced the traumatic situations distinguished between ages <6; 6-11, and 12-16 years. The numbers of ancestors on which data were obtained varied from 1128 paternal great-grandfathers to 4122 maternal great grandmothers. These ancestral data will be available for analysis to bona fide researchers on application to the ALSPAC Executive Committee.

Grand-maternal smoking in pregnancy and grandchild's autistic traits and diagnosed autism.

Although there is considerable research into the genetic background of autism spectrum disorders, environmental factors are likely to contribute to the variation in prevalence over time. Rodent experiments indicate that environmental exposures can have effects on subsequent generations, and human studies indicate that parental prenatal exposures may play a part in developmental variation. Here we use the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) to test the hypothesis that if the mother or father (F1) had been exposed to their own mother's (F0) smoking during pregnancy, the offspring (F2) would be at increased risk of autism. We find an association between maternal grandmother smoking in pregnancy and grand daughters having adverse scores in Social Communication and Repetitive Behaviour measures that are independently predictive of diagnosed autism. In line with this, we show an association with actual diagnosis of autism in her grandchildren. Paternal grandmothers smoking in pregnancy showed no associations.

In Japan, more older people are becoming carers, while in America, a pioneer in geriatric care is starting a new education class. And New Zealand is struggling to care for its older population appropriately.

Petition over staffing levels and care complaints The New Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO) is calling on the government to mandate minimum staffing levels in older people's residential care facilities. Together with the Service and Food Workers Union: Nga Ringa Tota, the NZNO has gathered a 10,000-signature petition from the public supporting their request. NZNO chief executive officer Geoff Annals said: 'Our experience shows that actual staffing levels routinely fall well below [2005guidelines] and there is no way that we can enforce them. Short staffing leads to nurses and caregivers becoming overworked, stressed and unable to deliver the kind of care they know their residents deserve.'

Age no indicator of cancer survival.

Age is not a key factor in cancer survival, according to a team of researchers in Spain. And although 60 per cent of cancers occur in patients over 65, most clinical trials still exclude older people. This makes it difficult to predict how older people will respond to new cancer treatments.

Older people take twice as many drugs.

Polypharmacy is on the rise in older people in England. Over 60s are prescribed twice as many drugs as they were ten years ago, according to a new NHS report.