Blog summary 2: Stillborn figures UK

Stillbirth rates UK one of Europe’s highest, Lancet finds

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2011/apr/14/stillbirths-babies-uk-lancet-report

The UK has one of the highest stillborn figures in developed countries. To establish the cause of these high rates a lot of research still has to be done. There are, however, some factors that appear in the UK that are known to contribute to the risks of a stillborn. There can be problems with the placenta and it can affect any woman. Risk factors such as smoking and drinking during pregnancy, obesity or having children late in life are considered a cause for stillbirths. These factors can be related to social environment and ethnic groups. Although this knowledge can be the basis to find ways for reducing the high stillborn figures, the reason for the high figures in the UK remains unclear.

Personal comment:

When reading the article I thought it would give an answer to the question why the UK has such a high stillborn rate. However, there still has to be done a lot of research on this matter. Therefore the article only gives an explanation on the causes of stillbirths and the different angles of research for the future. At first this was somewhat disappointing. But after reading the article again I figured that the intention of this article is to draw attention to the subject and focus on the research that has to be done. And both of these topics are clearly covered in the article.

Blog summary 1 Eastereggs

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/food-and-drink/news/the-eggs-roll-by-but-life-at-bournville-has-a-darker-side-2269018.html

The eggs roll by, but life at Bournville has a darker side

Workers in the Bournville factory, near Birmingham, where Cadbury produces millions of chocolate eggs every year, fear this is their last Easter working here. The new owner of the Cadbury factory, the processed-cheese conglomerate Kraft, won’t guarantee jobs. Kraft made the production line more efficient by replacing men for machinery. The workers feel pressure. Not only because they are no longer secure of a job, but also because of the change in corporate culture. While working for the old Cadbury, they were part of a family and almost all the work was done by hand. Although one might presume that with more machines and robots the work will be less stressful, the stress increases when dealing with machines playing up and no security for the future.    

Personal comment:

It is interesting to see how people react on a change in corporate culture after a take over by a multinational. Especially in this time of economic crises. The workers at the Cadbury factory have to content with unsurtanties for their future jobs and also with a different way of working. Before they were content and proud with their work and the company. Now profits are most important and although they do not agree with the way the company it managed they keep on working. I think the writer of this article paints a clear picture of the consequences of a major take-over.