A U.S. study found that babies with sleep issues are several times more likely to still have difficulties when they are toddlers compared to babies who sleep well.
A U.S. study found that babies with sleep issues are several times more likely to still have difficulties when they are toddlers compared to babies who sleep well. Reuters/Erik de Castro

The world's 7 billionth citizen, born on Oct. 31, will be less likely to die from infectious diseases that spread from person to person and more likely to die from a non-communicable diseases like diabetes that aren't transmitted.

Our new world citizen number 7 billion is more likely to grow up in an urban setting, which increases his or her risk of getting diabetes, as well as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), cancer and heart disease, said researchers from the Copenhagen School of Global Health at the University of Copenhagen, in a report published Monday in Science Daily.

The 7 billionth citizen is less likely to contract HIV-AIDS or measles, due to developments in vaccinations against those and similar infectious disease and more likely to die of diabetes, the leading cause of death globally, Siri Tellier, a lecturer at the Copenhagen School, told Science Daily.

Flemming Konradsen, the director of the school explained that the number of child deaths has reduced drastically, from around 12 million in 1990 to less than 8 million in 2011 through prevention measures and advancements in medical technology. He added we must deal with the non-communicable diseases as seriously as infectious diseases.

Global disease patterns are changing. As many countries around the world have reduced the great killers such as malaria, we must turn the same effort and resources towards non-communicable diseases, as they must be prevented now rather than treated later, Konradsen said.

Disease patterns are changing because of lifestyles, experts said, something that can be changed.

There is also an increasing awareness of the need to help even healthy, young people gain the habits which will predispose them for health in later life, Tellier said.

Tellier also pointed out that an increasing number of studies show that healthy ageing begins in the womb, adding that the children who weigh less than they perhaps should, at birth, are more likely to develop diabetes later in life.

Officials said that the world's 7 billionth baby was born on Oct. 31 in the Philippines, India or London.

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