Bring Me Up: Wellness

Oprah and Friends Share Their Favorite Cold Remedies

2009-11-17T10:19:00.002-05:00

Ancient Greek physicians prescribed garlic. Egyptian herbalists favored licorice. For Oprah, the cold-fighting concoction of choice is the juice of freshly crushed cranberries.

Cranberries are rich in health-boosting antioxidants, including vitamin C and flavonoids (which can act as anti-inflammatories). And fresh cranberry juice offers all its nutrient content with none of the high-fructose corn syrup and other additives found in many store-bought brands.

You can buy fresh cranberries at local markets from October through December. The berries freeze well, so you can thaw them for juicing throughout the year. Eight ounces of berries combined with a pound of red grapes (seeded or seedless; you can also substitute three to four apples for the grapes) make 16 ounces of all-natural, fortifying juice.

Read more on Oprah.com >>

Raise Me Up this holiday season

2009-11-04T09:11:00.004-05:00

Did you know that national statistics on youth aging out of foster care indicate that one in four becomes homeless within two years and one in four males become incarcerated? Did you know that approximately 60% of children placed into foster care are there because of neglect? Did you know that right now in Georgia there are over 9,000 children living in foster care?

On October 14th the Casey Family Programs, Georgia Department of Human Services and 12 community partners, including Families First, launched Raise Me Up - a powerful, national multimedia campaign that calls on citizens to raise their hands to offer support to children in foster care. Govenor Sonny Perdue and First Lady Mary Perdue attended the event at the State Capital Building in Atlanta and spoke about their personal experience fostering eight children.

As a lead local partner in launching this ambitious campaign, Families First will play a key role in harnessing the vast potential of people who want to serve - by fostering or adopting children, volunteering to work directly with foster youth, or raising awareness about foster care in our community.

Donate Now buttonPlease join Families First and our partner organizations by getting involved and helping Georgia's foster children. You don't have to raise foster children to raise them up - you just have to raise your hand and say you'll help. Visit www.RaiseMeUp.org today and find out how you can get involved. You can also make a tax-deductible donation to Families First so that we can continue ensuring the success of children in jeopardy.

This year, many families are struggling to make ends meet, and this holiday season will be particularly challenging. Families First assists hundreds of families who are supporting children in foster care or face significant life issues that put their children at risk. To lessen this burden, you can choose to adopt a family for Thanksgiving and the December holidays.

Toxic Chemicals Running Through Your Veins

2009-10-15T07:45:00.003-05:00

Please help strengthen America's toxic chemicals standards. Of the 82,000 chemicals available for use in the U.S., only about 200 have been required to be tested for safety.

Every American alive today, including newborn babies, has hundreds of chemicals flowing through our blood. Some of these are linked to increases in prostate and breast cancers, diabetes, heart disease, lowered sperm counts, early puberty and other diseases and disorders.

Yet the burden placed on the Environmental Protection Agency under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) is so onerous that they have only succeeded in banning one group of chemicals, PCBs, from the marketplace.

It's time to reform and strengthen TSCA.

Here is Congressional testimony from EDF toxic chemicals expert Richard Denison.

Testimony [PDF] (February 2009)

"It doesn't take a scientist to realize that the Toxic Substances Control Act is badly broken," said Dr. Richard A. Denison, a senior scientist at Environmental Defense Fund and former member of the EPA's National Pollution Prevention and Toxics Advisory Committee (NPPTAC). "The now-daily barrage of headlines about the dangers posed by yet another chemical used in common consumer products - like the toxic flame retardants used in furniture that virtually all Americans now carry in their bodies - is a direct manifestation of the utter failure of our current chemicals policy."

Denison testified before the Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade, and Consumer Protection of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Other organizations testifying in support of major TSCA reform include the Learning Disabilities Association of America, the United Steelworkers and WE ACT for Environmental Justice (West Harlem Environmental Action).

"Congress needs to act now, lest the United States risk falling further behind the rest of the developed world, which has already taken steps to ensure the safety of the chemicals and chemical products we make and use every day," noted Denison. "Without prompt action, we also risk becoming a dumping ground for unsafe products produced elsewhere in the world."

Cancer: There Is Hope

2009-09-23T06:55:00.005-05:00

Did you know that cancer will soon be the leading killer of women and men worldwide? Already, cancer kills more people annually than malaria, tuberculosis and HIV/AIDs combined.

Last year, 7.6 million people died from cancer. By 2020 that number will double, and by 2030 cancer will account for over 17 million deaths - mostly in poor and developing countries.

Remarks by Ambassador Nancy G. Brinker

I have known so many who survived cancer, and so many who did not. I think often these days of one friend in particular who is in the struggle now, and recently wrote to me. He has his grandfather's name, Winston Churchill. And in this different kind of war, to overcome cancer, he carries the same spirit of defiance and strength.

Winston wrote: "To those who, like myself, fall victim to this sinister, unseen disease that seeks to invade our bodies, I would merely say that all the resources of mind and body must be mobilized to defeat the enemy and never give in!" And Winston, we know you will never give in.

So in the global fight against cancer, too, let us be ambitious, and fearless, and united.

Governments around the world must truly understand the scope and scale of the cancer threat...and the life-saving potential of screening, early detection, treatment, and research.

Take Action: Sign this petition >>

Health reform is slipping away

2009-07-27T07:47:00.002-05:00

"We know that industry lobbyists are spending $1.4 million a day to lobby Congress"

That's what we said on Thursday when a reporter asked MomsRising members and their kids were on the Hill demanding healthcare reform. Unfortunately, some groups are willing to do whatever it takes to stop Congress and the President. And with the recent announcement that the Senate will not vote on the bill until after the August recess, it looks like they may be winning.

Did You Know?

The U.S. is one of only five countries of 168 studied that doesn't mandate some form of paid maternal leave, putting us on par with Papua New Guinea, Lesotho, and Swaziland.

In terms of women, those women who are lucky enough to have health insurance are still more likely than men to have health coverage that has too many gaps, from large deductibles and co-pays to life-time limits, and the exclusion of needed services (like maternity, for example) altogether. Women are also more likely than men to face challenges paying for their medical bills - making them more likely to skip necessary medical care. And then there's gender rating - the insurance industry practice of charging women more than men for the exact same coverage.

I have to agree with the Baltimore Sun who published an article which had the title "Do health reform right instead of doing it quickly". If time is taken and money pushing is received like a bacterial invasion rather than a wanted handout then I think good can come from a strong reform across the board.

Protect the needs of cancer patients

2009-06-19T09:22:00.002-05:00

Cancer patients and survivors have some of the most challenging experiences with our health care system, at a time in their lives when they are most vulnerable.

Federal and state programs that provide support to under served people with cancer are dramatically underfunded, leading to huge gaps in access to treatment. Even cancer patients with health insurance find that because of high cost sharing, annual and lifetime maximums, and other limitations, they may be exposed to extremely high out-of-pocket costs. If a cancer patient has to cut back on hours or leave their job to undergo treatment, they often face the prospect of losing their health insurance. And, cancer survivors face some of the largest hurdles for reentering the workforce or seeking private insurance, because they have a so-called preexisting condition.

Cancer costs the U.S. $228 billion each year in medical costs and lost productivity. It claims more than 565,000 lives each year and inflicts incalculable physical pain and emotional distress on cancer patients and their families.

We must take this opportunity to address the needs of cancer patients by making a strong investment in the fight against cancer. This investment will provide a short-term stimulus the economy needs today, while building a foundation for a healthier, more productive workforce in the future.

As Congress considers health care reform legislation, our elected officials have a unique opportunity to address the long-standing concerns of people with cancer, which have all too often been overlooked by the U.S. health care system.

There's no time to waste.

Another reason I need sleep

2009-06-09T14:24:00.003-05:00

Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep is a normal stage of sleep characterized by rapid movements of the eyes.

Because REM is a mixture of encephalic (brain) states of excitement and muscular immobility, it is sometimes called paradoxical sleep. It is generally thought that REM-associated muscle paralysis is meant to keep the body from acting out the dreams that occur during this intensely cerebral stage.

We examined the role of REM on creative problem solving, with the Remote Associates Test (RAT). Using a nap paradigm, we manipulated various conditions of prior exposure to elements of a creative problem.

A study done by Dr Sara Mednick, assistant professor of psychiatry at the University of California San Diego and the VA San Diego Healthcare System, and colleagues, on the positive effects of napping was published online in the 8th June issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).

The researchers said their findings are important because they show that sleep, and REM sleep in particular, helps the brain to form "associative networks".

Mednick said:

"For creative problems that you've already been working on -- the passage of time is enough to find solutions."

"However," she added, "for new problems, only REM sleep enhances creativity."

The researchers discovered that it looks as if REM sleep stimulates associative networks helping the brain to make new and useful connections between unrelated ideas, the key to creativity.

Denise J Cai, Sarnoff A Mednick, Elizabeth M Harrison, Jennifer C Kanady, and Sara C Mednick

PNAS published online before print June 8, 2009

BPA still prevalent

2009-05-19T08:32:00.002-05:00

Despite all of the media attention about the safety of kids products over the last year; the toxic chemical bisphenol-A (BPA) is still found in products that kids use every day, like baby bottles, sports water bottles, the lining of formula cans, and sippy cups.

This is a real problem because more than 200 studies have linked BPA exposures at very low doses to breast and prostate cancer, obesity, diabetes, altered development of the brain and immune systems, lowered sperm counts, and early puberty. Growing children are especially at risk from BPA because they have smaller bodies. In fact, BPA is so toxic that even very small amounts have been shown to cross the placenta and impact prenatal development.

MomsRising members are committed to eliminating BPA from products that pregnant women and children are exposed to on a daily basis. Over the last several decades, children have faced an increasingly challenging time making it through what should be normal stages of growth and development. Incidences of reproductive defects, childhood obesity, early onset puberty, learning disabilities, and many other chronic health problems are on the rise. Many of these problems have been linked with exposure to toxic chemicals.

BPA was first synthesized as an estrogen replacement therapy in the 1930s but was discarded in favor of other therapies. In the 1940s, chemists discovered they could use BPA to make plastic. Now BPA can be found in baby bottles, water bottles and food storage containers. It is also used the lining of metal food cans, including infant formula cans.

BPA is of particular concern to moms because even minuscule amounts--parts per billion or parts per trillion--have been shown to cross the placenta and disrupt normal prenatal development. Early life exposure to BPA has been linked to a host of developmental problems, such as breast cancer, prostate cancer, obesity, early onset puberty, abnormal brain development , hyperactivity, and the genetic defect that causes Down’s syndrome. The CDC found BPA in 93% of all Americans and the scientific literature points to food as being the major route of exposure.

Together we can change this! Urge your members of Congress to co-sponsor the Ban Poisonous Additives Act, which will prohibit the sale of food and beverage containers that contain BPA.

May Is Skin Cancer Detection And Prevention Month

2009-05-04T10:07:00.003-05:00

Today is Melanoma Monday, a day that stresses melanoma and other skin cancer prevention as well as early detection. It was established by the American Academy of Dermatology as part of Skin Cancer Awareness month in May.

Cancer of the skin is the most common of all cancers, accounting for more than 50% of new cancer cases. The two main types are non-melanoma and malignant melanoma skin cancers.

Melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, can appear suddenly on any part of the body or develop from a mole. Melanoma caused 8,110 of the 10,850 deaths due to skin cancer in 2007, according to the American Cancer Society.

The other types of skin cancer - basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma - rarely spread, are less worrisome, and are treated differently than melanoma.

Lawrence A. Mark, M.D., Ph.D., an assistant professor of dermatology at the Indiana University School of Medicine and a researcher with the IU Simon Cancer Center, advises people to know their bodies and talk with their physicians about any changes they notice. Also be mindful that skin cancer can develop in places you may not consider: between the toes, on the soles of the feet, on the palms of the hands, under finger and toe nails, and on oral or genital mucous membranes.

Dr. Mark and his colleagues use the ABCD's to evaluate melanoma:

- A, asymmetry: Half of a mole or birthmark does not match the other half
- B, border: Edges are irregular, ragged, notched, or blurred
- C, color: The color isn't the same all over but may have differing shades of brown or black, sometimes with patches of red, white or blue
- D, diameter: The area is larger than six millimeters (about the size of a pencil eraser) or is growing larger

Most of the more than one million cases of skin cancer diagnosed yearly in the United States are considered to be sun-related, according to the American Cancer Society.

Physicians recommend limiting outdoor sun exposure, ultraviolet radiation is often the strongest between the hours of 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Protective clothing, sunglasses, and sunscreen are also effective ways to protect against exposure to UV light. The American Cancer Society advises using a sunscreen with an SPF factor of 15 or higher.

Doubting CDC Swine Flu Confirmation Numbers

2009-04-30T16:23:00.005-05:00

So this is my concern, feel free to refute...

Four samples sent to the Center for Disease Control (CDC) from the University of Delaware have officially been confirmed as being swine flu or H1N1 as it is now being called.

However, now the CDC is telling the University of Delaware not to send any further samples and to treat all cases as if they were the swine flu. "With confirmation from CDC that swine flu is present in the community, routine testing of UD students is no longer required and all flu-like symptoms will be treated as potential swine flu." - SOURCE

My feeling is that if the CDC does not confirm further cases officially than how do we know what the real numbers are nationwide, because you can be sure they have told other states the same thing, right?

In response to an intensifying outbreak in the United States and internationally caused by a new influenza virus of swine origin, the World Health Organization raised the worldwide pandemic alert level to Phase 5 on April 29, 2009. A Phase 5 alert is a "strong signal that a pandemic is imminent and that the time to finalize the organization, communication, and implementation of the planned mitigation measures is short."

Probable swine flu at University of Delaware

2009-04-29T07:24:00.004-05:00

When the phone rang after 9 p.m. and it was a work number I didn't answer it. I thought to myself, if they leave a message I'll see what's going on. Well, they left a message and sent a text and then called again.

The recording I heard started with "This is a University of Delaware Health Alert..."

The warning continued to say that four UD students were experience mild flu-like symptoms which meet probable definitions for swine flu.

Oh great!

I work for the University of Delaware, as a web developer for their College of Agriculture & Natural Resources. This semester there are not any swine on campus, but of course we know that this swine flu is spreading from human-to-human contact and not just from animal-to-human so it doesn't matter if there are no swine on the farm.

Regardless I find myself creating a health alert graphic banner to link to the UD page which is now collecting information about swine flu in the area and on campus. We're expecting to hear more at a news conference at 11 a.m. today.

Nationalized system of health care

2009-04-28T07:09:00.003-05:00

At a time of hardship, there are people spending millions of dollars to prey upon your fears.

Right now in our country there are 47 million without health coverage and millions more inadequately covered. Even knowing that fact there are groups fighting against a system which could help remedy this situation.

The Conservatives for Patient Rights ad argues the U.S. is headed in the direction of Britain and Canada, citing the creation this year of a federal council to study the cost and effectiveness of medical treatments and procedures.

In the ad, a British doctor says patients in a government-run system "lost control of their own destiny in the medical system." A Canadian doctor says patients in his country are "languishing and suffering on wait lists."

US Census Bureau statistics show that 24.3% of people with incomes less than $25,000 went without insurance during some portion of 1996. 15.4% of the total US population went without insurance for all of 1995. Millions of people are unable to get medical care unless they pay out-of-pocket.

Private insurers necessarily waste health dollars on things that have nothing to do with care: overhead, underwriting, billing, sales and marketing departments as well as huge profits and exorbitant executive pay. Doctors and hospitals must maintain costly administrative staffs to deal with the bureaucracy.

Since national health insurance (NHI) would require fundamental restructuring of the health care system, it poses a threat to the stakeholders in the present system. For many reasons, when NHI is raised as a policy alternative, it therefore becomes a target of opportunity for interests vested in the status quo. Each time this occurs it obscures a national debate on the real issues, which should focus on which of the policy alternatives best serves the public interest.

Download this handout ... "Top 10 Reasons For Enacting a Single Payer Healthcare System" from the California Nurses Assocation.

Link to the Obama Administration Pages on Healthcare Reform >>

And please, I would love to hear your thoughts on this topic.

Humanitarian Crisis in Sri Lanka

2009-04-24T06:59:00.003-05:00

Sri Lanka's brutal 26-year conflict has been escalating since January this year, plunging the northeast of the country into a deep health and humanitarian crisis. Fighting between the Sri Lankan army and the Liberation Tamil Tigers of Eelam (LTTE), who want a separate state for the country's minority Tamil population in the north and east of the island, has intensified.

Civilians are forcibly being prevented from leaving by the LTTE, who are opening fire on those who try to escape. They are also being shelled by the Sri Lankan army despite residing in a government-declared no-fire zone. Many are sheltering in dirt bunkers and under plastic sheeting with little access to sanitation, food, and clean water, and are at increased risk of infectious diseases.

The UN estimates that 4,500 civilians have been killed in the conflict in the past 3 months, and 12,000 have been wounded. According to a report by Human Rights Watch (HRW), based on interviews with people in the country, the Sri Lankan Government has repeatedly shelled areas crowded with civilians, including a government-declared safe zone and several hospitals. (On 3rd February a crowded hospital was shelled three times killing 52 civilians and injuring many more according to ICRC (International Committee of the Red Cross). Both sides deny shelling the hospital. Sadly these tragedies are becoming all too frequent.) Additionally, some of the 63,000 civilians who have escaped the fighting to government welfare camps are being denied freedom of movement and access to information.

According to the Associated Press, the war has killed about 70,000 people. These numbers are devastating and heartbreaking. More importantly, understanding these numbers include innocent adults and children further makes the impact tragic.

World Concern's website has ways for you to contribute and help this cause.

Click here for a full executive report from the Tamil Information Centre regarding the conditions in Sri Lanka >>

Seattle media contact: Derek Sciba (206) 713-5564 - dereks@worldconcern.org

Sri Lanka contacts:
Mangala Fernando - 077 7686 433 - mangalafdo@wcsrilanka.org
Ian McInnes - 077 3870 387

Rise in drug addicted babies

2009-04-23T08:46:00.003-05:00

A new Australian study has found that the number of newborns suffering serious drug withdrawal symptoms is now more than 40 times higher than in 1980.

The research, published in the latest edition of the international journal Pediatrics, also found that these infants were at greater risk of neglect and of being taken into care.

The data analysis revealed that of 637195 live births in Western Australia between 1980 and 2005, 906 were diagnosed with Neonatal Withdrawal Syndrome. For every year, there was an average 16.4% increase in children born with the syndrome.

Report co-author, Professor Fiona Stanley from Perth's Telethon Institute for Child Health Research, said the study identified a range of factors that should assist with the early identification of children at risk.

"It is clear that if we are to reduce the number of these children suffering from abuse and neglect, then there is a need to start working with their mothers before these babies are born, and ideally, pre-conception," Professor Stanley said.

"Our data show that the majority of the mothers had already had contact with hospitals for mental health and substance use issues which suggests there could have been numerous opportunities to intervene to prevent unplanned pregnancy and provide intensive support with antenatal care and substance abuse treatment."

"A multidisciplinary team that includes obstetricians, social workers, drug and alcohol workers, and welfare workers is required to case manage and support the women through the complex issues that they face. However it is imperative that this support continues long term."

Professor Stanley said the increase in babies suffering NWS reflected the overall rise in substance abuse within the community and the increased recognition of NWS by health professionals. While this study was in WA, it is likely that it reflects a national trend.

"We now have the situation where 4 babies out of every 1000 births are born suffering the effects of illicit drugs -- that is over 1000 newborns per year in Australia. This has serious implications for the child, the family and the whole community and is an issue that must be tackled well before these children suffer potential harm."

The study was made possible by a groundbreaking agreement by the Western Australian Government Departments of Health and Child Protection that allowed health and welfare records to be linked and the de-identified information given to researchers for analysis.

- SOURCE

This should make the Conference on Prenatal Drug Exposure more popularly attending on
October 8, 2009, at the Seattle Airport Hilton Hotel and Conference Center.

The conference is designed for social service providers, medical personnel, caregivers, public officials, and others who work with infants and children impacted by drugs. There is no charge for the conference, but pre-registration is required and a donation of $50.00 to support the work of PICC would be appreciated.

Kyle's Treehouse and Autism151

2009-04-20T07:42:00.004-05:00

Kyle's Treehouse was created to provide hope and unconditional support, along with some great information on treatment options, to those coping with autism. To expand on this mission, they just launched a new initiative: Autism151 - a crusade to collect 150 stories of hope, pride and achievements from within our autism community. We know there are wonderful stories of hope everywhere - all around the world - and we want to bring them together so they can be shared.

Check out the stories of hope already posted to the site. Hear about Alex, whose parents proudly declare, "Alex has autism, but autism doesn't have Alex." Watch Mickie's video which captures a great moment when he is connecting (and adorably imitating!) his grandfather.

Share your story of hope. Upload yours today. And then invite everyone you know to log on and view it.

Posted just yesterday...

Can Kids Recover from Autism?

Yes, they can! How do I know? My son, Kyle, is living proof of it. After years of intense therapy, Kyle emerged from autism.

*~*~*

Kyle's Treehouse is dedicated to empowering all people touched by autism to make effective choices.

Keeping the Treehouse up and running is a labor of love, and we depend heavily on the kindness and generosity of individual donors.

Public Health in Haiti's

2009-04-16T07:31:00.004-05:00

Port-au-Prince, a city of 3.5 million people of which half live in slums, has 21 public health facilities including four hospitals. These fee-for-service facilities hardly function due to a lack of paid medical staff, equipment and supplies.

Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF)

"It's unacceptable today that Haiti's poorest have no access to affordable and quality emergency trauma and obstetrical care services," says Brian Phillip Moller, head of mission for MSF's Trinité trauma and rehabilitation center. "While the Haitian government and donors focus on the economic development of the country they can no longer ignore the desperate needs of impoverished Haitians for quality and accessible public medical care."

Public hospital and clinics are often plagued by management problems, strikes, and shortages of staff, drug, and medical supplies.

MSF started providing emergency care when violence in Port-au-Prince limited access to health care for its population. Today, although the security situation has improved, the health needs of the vulnerable population of Port-au-Prince remain largely unaddressed.

MSF invests more than 13 million euros (US $17.5 million) per year in its emergency medical programs in Haiti. MSF's obstetric hospital currently manages 40 percent of all obstetric emergencies for vulnerable women in Port-au-Prince, while MSF's Trinité hospital treated close to 17,950 trauma cases in 2008, and has the only adequate burns unit in Haiti. Likewise, 16,950 medical emergency cases were treated at MSF's hospital in the slum Martissant in 2008, where no other public health services exist. During the April 2008 demonstrations against rapidly increasing food prices, MSF teams treated more than 44 gunshot-wounded patients in four days, an indicator of the instability of this Caribbean nation.

For all Doctors Without Borders content about Haiti, click here >>

Photo Credit: Andy Levin

Metal Impurities in Medicine - Public Workshop

2009-04-16T07:15:00.004-05:00

Metal impurities tests have been available in the United States Pharmacopeia - National Formulary for many years.

To learn more about this. there is a scheduled workshop on April 28 - 29, 2009 at USP Headquarters in Rockville, Maryland.

The purpose of the Metal Impurities Workshop is to engage in dialog to develop new approaches for metal impurities in pharmaceuticals and dietary supplements, including methodologies and toxicological limits. These new approaches are intended to replace the existing methods in General Chapter <231> Heavy Metals. This public workshop will seek constructive input from a wide range of stakeholders and seek common ground on general approaches to the standard. The workshop topics will cover: Definition and Scope of the Metal Impurities Activities, Metal Impurity Toxicology Limits, Metal Impurity Methodology and Risk Assessment and Implementation.

Child Abuse Prevention Month

2009-04-14T09:07:00.002-05:00

April is Child Abuse Prevention (CAP) Month and nearly 500,000 pinwheels have been distributed nationwide by Prevent Child Abuse America as the centerpiece of our new campaign Pinwheels for Prevention. Through out chapters in 47 states and Healthy Families America sites in over 400 communities, Prevent Child Abuse America works to provide healthy, stable, and stimulating experiences for children in communities across the country. Prevent Child Abuse America highlights the fact that we all play a role in raising children whether we are neighbors, teachers, police officers, librarians, mentors, coaches, or family members. In April, as well as year around, we want to highlight how you can become involved with child abuse prevention efforts in your community.

For those of you interested in what is happening this month in April for Child Abuse Prevention...

1,500 Child Abuse Prevention Resource Packets were developed and distributed to local childcare centers and schools in Delaware. The recipients are encouraged to use the materials to share with the children and families they are involved with and they also have the opportunity to order as many pinwheels as needed to hand out to the children at no cost to them. Each pinwheel is accompanied by an information card for the parent/caregiver. The paper pinwheel activity, pinwheel coloring sheet and a lesson plan are all materials that are included in the packet.

Pinwheels and baseball caps will also be handed out to as many as 1,000 children at an upcoming Wilmington Blue Rocks baseball game along with other prevention information. In addition over 600 pinwheels will be distributed and will also go on display in flower pots throughout the Dover Air Force Base in recognition of the campaign.

To see what your state is doing, click here.

What is Down Syndrome?

2009-04-08T07:10:00.002-05:00

The autism spectrum disorder has always been something which fascinated me. Even as a young girl I found myself intrigued by the disorder and wanting to learn more. I had even hoped at one time to graduate with a degree in neuroscience. It didn't work out that way, but the fascination remains. It's just now I also want to learn about other disorders, diseases and syndromes.

I don't know much about Down Syndrome. I have done work with the Special Olympics and in mentoring children with Down Syndrome, but aside for the fact that I simply adored the children I really never learned much about their bodies and minds and what they were dealing with.

Down syndrome is the most commonly occurring chromosomal condition. One in every 733 babies is born with Down syndrome. Down syndrome is a chromosomal disorder caused by an error in cell division that results in an extra 21st chromosome.

What the heck does that mean?

Well, much like with what I know about autism, it means Down Syndrome effects each person in quite a unique manner. Their symptoms and impairments range from mild to moderate to severe. In short, it is all variable.

The most common form of Down syndrome is known as Trisomy 21, a condition where individuals have 47 chromosomes in each cell instead of 46. This is caused by an error in cell division called nondisjunction, which leaves a sperm or egg cell with an extra copy of chromosome 21 before or at conception.

Video About Down Syndrome - Virginia Commonwealth University

* Heart disease: Up to 50 percent of individuals with Down syndrome are born with congenital heart conditions. The majority of heart conditions in children with Down syndrome can now be surgically corrected with resulting long-term health improvements. However, scientists continue to search for the cause of these heart conditions and look for means of prevention.

* Alzheimer's disease: Estimates vary, but it is reasonable to conclude that 25 percent or more of individuals with Down syndrome over the age of 35 will develop the clinical signs and symptoms of Alzheimer's-type dementia.

* Leukemia: Approximately one in every 100 individuals with Down syndrome will develop leukemia; or, to put it another way, 99% of people with Down syndrome will not develop leukemia. The majority of cases are categorized as acute megakaryoblastic leukemia, which tends to occur in the first three years of life, and for which there is a high cure rate. A transient form of leukemia is also seen in newborns with Down syndrome, disappearing spontaneously during the first two to three months of life.

As bleak as the above might sound the people who live their lives with Down Syndrome can live fairly normal lives as long as they begin with love and support. Parents of Down Syndrome babies already report that doctors pressure them to abort. If you're doctors are not fully optimistic and proactive then get a new one.

Life expectancy for people with Down syndrome has increased dramatically in recent decades - from 25 in 1983 to 60 today.

SOURCE

New Senate Legislation to Fix Access and Reimbursement for IVIG

2009-04-03T17:39:00.002-05:00

Many members of the primary immunodeficiency community experience delays in and denial of treatment due to insufficient Medicare reimbursement. A report from the Office of the Inspector General showed Medicare reimbursement for IVIG is lower than the cost many providers pay for the product. As a result, a number of physicians and hospitals cannot afford to administer IVIG treatment to Medicare patients. This serious problem affects the entire community as an increasing number of private pay insurers are following Medicare's lead to determine reimbursement rates for IVIG.

To fix this problem, legislation was introduced March 25, 2009 into the United States Senate. Senators John Kerry (MA), Lamar Alexander (TN), Sheldon Whitehouse (RI), Ron Wyden (OR) and Sam Brownback (KS), introduced the Senate Bill S. 701, The Medicare Patient IVIG Access Act. An identical House bill is expected to be introduced by the end of April 2009. This legislation, offers a solution to the current IVIG access crisis by establishing appropriate reimbursement in all sites of care for our patients. It also changes current policy regarding Medicare coverage of home infusion to include the cost of items and services related to the administration of IVIG in the home for primary immunodeficient patients.

IDF is working in coalition with other patient organizations and physician organizations including the American Academy of Allergy Asthma and Immunology (AAAAI) and the Clinical Immunology Society (CIS). With the strong leadership of the policymakers who have signed onto support this legislation, IDF hopes to improve access to treatment and the quality of life of the countless patients who struggle with negative health outcomes, increased intervals of care, change in site of infusion, difficulty finding providers, and denial of treatment.

What you can do to help:

Contact your Senators to ask them to sign on as cosponsors to S. 701, The Medicare IVIG Patient Access Act. With your help, we can move forward to restore proper access to this life- saving treatment for patients with PIDD. Your legislators need to know why IVIG therapy is so important, so please utilize the text box below to add the story of how IVIG treatment impacts your life, focusing on any access problems.

Omega-3 Shrinks Tumors

2009-04-03T09:38:00.003-05:00

Docosahexanoic acid (DHA), an omega-3 fatty acid found in fish oils, has been shown to reduce the size of tumors and enhance the positive effects of the chemotherapy drug cisplatin, while limiting its harmful side effects. The rat experiments provide some support for the plethora of health benefits often ascribed to omega-3 acids.

Professor A. M. El-Mowafy led a team of researchers from Mansoura University, Egypt, who studied DHA's effects on solid tumors growing in mice, as well as investigating how this fatty acid interacts with cisplatin, a chemotherapy drug that is known to cause kidney damage. El-Mowafy said, "DHA elicited prominent chemopreventive effects on its own, and appreciably augmented those of cisplatin as well. Furthermore, this study is the first to reveal that DHA can obliterate lethal cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity and renal tissue injury."

DHA is an omega-3 fatty acid that is commonly found in cold-water fish oil, and some vegetable oils. It is a major component of brain gray matter and of the retina in most mammalian species and is considered essential for normal neurological and cellular developments. According to the authors, "While DHA has been tentatively linked with protection against cardiovascular, neurological and neoplastic diseases, there exists a paucity of research information, in particular regarding its interactions with existing chemotherapy drugs". The researchers found that, at the molecular level, DHA acts by reducing leukocytosis (white blood cell accumulation), systemic inflammation, and oxidative stress - all processes that have been linked with tumor growth.

Researchers report in the journal Clinical Cancer Research that increasing intake of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids -- the kind found in dark fish, like salmon, and shellfish -- was strongly associated with a decreased risk of aggressive prostate cancer.

Men who consumed the most long-chain omega-3 fatty acids had a 63 percent reduced risk of aggressive prostate cancer compared to men who consumed the least.

"If you want to think of the overall inverse association in terms of fish, where omega-3 fatty acids are commonly derived, the strongest effect was seen from eating dark fish such as salmon one or more times per week."

You can read more details online at Cell Division. Cell Division is an online forum for and from the cell-cycle community that aims to publish articles on all exciting aspects of cell-cycle research and to bridge the gap between models of cell cycle regulation, development, and cancer biology. This forum will be driven by specialized and timely research articles, reviews and commentaries focused on this fast moving field, providing an invaluable tool for cell-cycle biologists.

Tackling Digestive Diseases

2009-04-02T08:39:00.003-05:00

The National Institutes of Health today announced the release of the first long-range plan for tackling digestive diseases, which affect as many as 70 million Americans each year.

Annually, about 10 percent of hospitalizations and 15 percent of in-patient hospital procedures are attributed to the treatment of digestive diseases. An additional 105 million visits to doctors' offices related to digestive diseases occur each year. These diseases are associated with significant mortality, morbidity, and loss of quality of life, and they frequently impact patients' ability to work or engage in everyday activities. More than $44 billion in indirect costs from disability and
mortality are associated with digestive diseases each year.

Opportunities and Challenges in Digestive Diseases Research: Recommendations of the National Commission on Digestive Diseases describes the impact of diseases ranging from foodborne infections to cancer and liver failure, and maps out priorities for research over the next 10 years.

"NIH-funded research has led to tremendous discoveries in peptic ulcer disease, viral hepatitis, and colorectal cancer. To build on these advances and break new ground, we’ll be looking for investigator-initiated projects and developing new initiatives that respond to the commission's recommendations," said Griffin P. Rodgers, M.D., director of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), part of the NIH. "Of course, bringing in new investigators and utilizing NIH’s peer review system to identify projects with high scientific merit will continue to be high priorities."

These themes include: (1) a focus on major scientific disciplines that are the engine for creating new knowledge; (2) approaches to the organization of research efforts, such as multidisciplinary basic or clinical research teams and networks, that are required for effective translation of laboratory findings for the benefit of patients with digestive diseases; (3) the development of important research resources that provide infrastructure necessary for modern scientific discovery; and (4) efforts that must be undertaken to ensure the availability of a highly specialized workforce to conduct digestive diseases research of the future.

This research plan of the National Commission on Digestive Diseases describes numerous, far-ranging, long-term goals and specific objectives to improve the health of the Nation through basic, translational, and clinical research that will lead to the discovery of improved ways to prevent, treat, or cure a diverse group of conditions that affect the GI tract, liver, biliary system, and exocrine pancreas. The goals, objectives, and challenges identified in this research plan represent a formidable challenge to all parties in the research process. It is hoped that these partners will use this research plan as a scientific guidepost to identify promising future research opportunities to address the burden of digestive disease. The NIH should continue to solicit broad stakeholder input as it oversees implementation of this long-range research plan for digestive diseases through the activities of coordinating bodies, such as the Digestive Diseases Interagency Coordinating Committee and other entities.

SOURCE

Hope for rare heart disorder

2009-04-02T08:17:00.000-05:00

Associate Professor Derek Laver from the University of Newcastle and international colleagues have found that Flecainide - a drug used to treat heart arrhythmias - could also be used to treat Catecholaminergic Polymorphic Ventricular Tachycardia (CPVT).

CVPT is a heart arrhythmia induced by emotional stress or exercise. It is estimated to cause 15 per cent of all unexplained sudden cardiac deaths in people under the age of 30.

Associate Professor Laver said CPVT was caused by too much calcium being released from calcium stores within the heart cells.

"Correct calcium flow within the heart cells is essential for the heart to function properly," he explained. "Calcium is released from the stores into the heart cells through specific channels and we have found that Flecainide reduces the ability of these channels to release calcium, thereby directly counteracting the cause of CPVT."

Currently, beta-blockers are used to treat CPVT but 37 per cent of patients are unresponsive and 24 per cent suffer sudden cardiac death within 10 years of beginning treatment.

Implantable defibrillators are used to prevent sudden death but these cause painful electric shocks that can trigger further stress-induced arrhythmias.

"Current treatments are largely ineffective and we need new and more effective anti-arrhythmic drugs," Associate Professor Laver said.

"We have now discovered something close to an ideal drug for this rare arrhythmia disorder."

Pinwheels for Prevention

2009-03-31T07:22:00.002-05:00

Prevent Child Abuse America has proudly unveiled its new campaign, Pinwheels for Prevention, introducing the pinwheel as a symbol for child abuse and neglect prevention nationwide.

The pinwheel represents PCA America's efforts to change the way our nation thinks about prevention, focusing on community activities and public policies that prioritize prevention right from the start to make sure child abuse and neglect never occur. It represents our efforts to ensure the healthy development of children nationwide, while recognizing that child development is a building block for community development and economic development.

The campaign is taking root as more than 400,000 blue and silver pinwheels were displayed in communities across the U.S. in 2008. Shining in the sun, the pinwheel is reflective of the bright future all children deserve and our belief that getting it right early is less costly than trying to fix it later.

The pinwheel represents PCA America's efforts to change the way our nation thinks about prevention, focusing on community activities and public policies that prioritize prevention right from the start to make sure child abuse and neglect never occur.

A few ways in which you can show your support are:

- Wear a blue ribbon or blue wristband and tell people that it stands for the prevention of child abuse and neglect.

- Call or write your elected officials and ask them to support funding for parent support and child abuse prevention programs. Enclose copies of articles on child abuse and neglect from your local newspaper. Our web site has information on how to reach your elected representatives.

- Contact your school district, library or faith group about support programs for parents and how you can help. If none exist, encourage them to sponsor classes and develop resources for parents.

Here is a link to some Pinwheels for Prevention Activities >>

Cancer ALERT Act

2009-03-27T08:24:00.003-05:00

In 1971, the United States declared war on cancer. Despite momentous strides and life-saving advances since then, the fundamental goal of the war - to diminish death and suffering from cancer - has not been realized. Forty percent of Americans will be diagnosed with cancer at some point in their lives; 1.4 million new cases will be diagnosed this year alone. Cancer will claim more than 565,000 American lives this year - about 1,500 people a day. And the disease inflicts incalculable physical pain and emotional distress on cancer patients and their families. The U.S. must reinvigorate the war on cancer - we must energize science and remove the barriers to discovering and delivering the cures for cancer.

The 21st Century Cancer ALERT (Access to Life-saving Early Detection, Research and Treatment) Act - sponsored by Senators Edward Kennedy and Kay Bailey Hutchison - promises to reignite America's war on cancer by strengthening cancer research, emphasizing early detection, and improving cancer care for underserved populations.

ALERT stands for Access to Life-saving Early Detection, Research and Treatment:

Early Detection - The ALERT Act will place an emphasis on early detection and promote the discovery and development of biomarkers to detect cancers at the earliest possible stage when cancer is most treatable. The bill also has a particular focus on childhood, rare, and high-mortality cancers.

Research - The ALERT Act will strengthen the cancer research process by promoting public-private partnerships and collaboration between government agencies. The bill also has a focus on translational research so new discoveries and breakthroughs in the laboratory make their way to patients' bedsides as quickly as possible.

Treatment - The ALERT Act will improve access to cancer care for underserved populations by expanding access to clinical trials, patient navigation services, and screening and treatment for colorectal cancer.

Let your Senators know you support the ALERT Act. Urge them to co-sponsor the bill, if they haven't already, and to move it quickly to a vote!