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There is no reason why pregnant women at low risk for complications during delivery should be denied fluids and food during labour,researchers wrote in the Cochrane Library,a publication of the Cochrane Collaboration,an international organisation that evaluates medical research. It was feared that if a woman needed to undergo general anesthesia for a caesarean delivery,she might inhale regurgitated liquids or food particles that could lead to pneumonia and other lung damage. But anesthesia practices have changed and improved,with more use of regional anesthesia and safer general anesthesia. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists advised doctors that women with a normal,uncomplicated labour may drink modest amounts of clear liquids.

Zero to 20

Bifocals may slow down myopic progression among children

A prescription for bifocals may help children with rapidly worsening nearsightedness maintain better vision,a study,published in the Archives of Ophthalmology,suggests. Children with myopia have trouble seeing objects clearly at a distance,and for some,the condition progresses quickly. One potential tactic is to prescribe children bifocals lenses that are split into two sections,with the upper half for distance vision and the lower half for near vision. In the long term,more-severe myopia carries greater risks of retinal detachment,glaucoma and cataract.

20 to 50

Electro-acupuncture shows promise for knee arthritis

A modern twist on traditional acupuncture may bring some pain relief to people with knee arthritis,a study published in the journal Pain suggests. The researchers from Army Medical College,Pakistan looked at the effects of electro-acupuncture among 40 adults with knee osteoarthritis. In electro-acupuncture,the practitioner fits the needles with clips that are attached to a small device that delivers a continuous electrical impulse to stimulate the acupuncture point. They found that those who had a daily electro-acupuncture session for 10 consecutive days reported greater improvement in their pain compared with patients who received a sham version of the therapy.

50 and above

Exercise protects and improves the ageing brain

Two new studies,published in the Archives of Neurology,suggest that regular aerobic exercise not only staves off the problems with thinking and memory that often comes with age,but it can actually help turn back the clock on brain ageing. Researchers from University of Washington School of Medicine and the Veterans Affairs Medical Center found evidence that engaging in moderate physical activity such as brisk walking etc in midlife or later may cut the risk of developing mild thinking problems. The researchers from Mayo Clinic in Rochester,Minnesota found that a group of elderly individuals who already had mild problems had improvements in their mental agility after six months of high-intensity aerobic activity.