Babies born prematurely have a higher risk of brain injury, which can lead to cerebral palsy. We know that giving the drug magnesium sulfate (MgSO4) to the mum when she is in preterm labour can protec...

Evidence for the impact of a programme to increase the use of magnesium sulfate, a £5 injection that helps prevent cerebral palsy in premature babies, has been strengthened by a new study published in...

Background Since 2015, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines have recommended antenatal magnesium sulfate (MgSO4) for mothers in preterm labour (<30 weeks’ gestation)...

Every day, all over Europe, people fall off bikes or trip on pavements and injure themselves. While these incidents do not usually end in tragedy, the short-term effects can be extremely burdensome.

The University of Bristol study looked at police data on road collisions between 2015 and 2023.

Since 2020, some areas in England have introduced electric scooter (e-scooter) rental schemes. They aim to encourage greener transport choices to help reduce carbon emissions and improve air quality. ...

Background Ecological studies hypothesise a ‘safety in numbers’ (SiN) effect whereby road safety for bicycles and other micromobility users improves as their numbers increase, due to behavioural changes of motorists. Causal interpretation of these studies is difficult due to confounding and reverse causation. The introduction of electric scooter (e-scooter) rental schemes in selected districts in England meant an increase in micromobility users in these areas, which presented an opportunity to test the SiN hypothesis using a natural experiment. Methods Time-series analysis of police data on road collisions in local authorities (LAs) in Great Britain, 2015–2023. Random-effects Poisson regression time-series models compared collision rates in LA districts with an e-scooter trial (n=41) versus matched control districts (n=41). Primary outcomes were all road collisions and bicycle collisions. Models adjusted for time; seasonality; baseline collision rate; COVID-19 period; and preintervention/postintervention period (proxied by intervention group/COVID-19 period interaction). Results The rate of bicycle collisions reduced following the introduction of the schemes, compared with control districts (incidence rate ratio (IRR) 0.78, 95% CI 0.68 to 0.89 during peak COVID-19; IRR 0.87, 95% CI 0.77 to 0.99 in the post-COVID-19 period). This effect was specific to bicycle collisions and strongest in the subgroup of serious/fatal collisions. Conclusions Findings suggest that the increase of a new and sustainable mode of transport, e-scooters, may have reduced bicycle collisions. This could have far-reaching benefits including reduced injuries, safer environments, and public health and environmental benefits if more people choose bicycles and micromobility over car transport. Findings should be verified in further work. Data are available upon reasonable request. All data used in this study is publicly accessible.

Electric scooter schemes appear to reduce the risk of bicycle collisions by around 20%, according to a University of Bristol-led study. The research, funded by the National Institute for Health and Ca...