FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Health centers to help uninsured Americans gain affordable health coverage
Obama administration awards $150 million to provide enrollment assistance
Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced $150 million in grant awards to 1,159 health centers across the nation to enroll uninsured Americans in new health coverage options made available by the Affordable Care Act. Speaking at the Mountain Park Health Center in Phoenix, Ariz., later in the day the Secretary noted that, with these funds, health centers are expected to hire an additional 2,900 outreach and eligibility assistance workers to assist millions of people nationwide with enrollment into affordable health coverage.
HHS Secretary Sebelius said, “Investing in health centers means that people in neighborhoods and towns across the country have one more resource to help them understand their insurance options and enroll in affordable coverage.”
Health centers have a long history of providing eligibility assistance to patients along with delivering high-quality, primary health care services in communities across the nation. Today, health centers serve more than 21 million patients annually.
With these awards, which health centers in all 50 states have received, consumers will get help understanding their coverage options through the new Health Insurance Marketplace, Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program; determine their eligibility and what financial help they can get; and enroll in new affordable health coverage options.
These awards, issued by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), complement and align with other federal efforts, such as the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services-funded Navigator program.
Today’s announcement is part of the administration's broader effort to make applying for health coverage as easy as possible. The new, consumer-focused HealthCare.gov website and the 24-hour-a-day consumer call center help Americans prepare for open enrollment and ultimately sign up for health coverage. These new tools will help Americans understand their coverage options and select the plan that best suits their needs when open enrollment in the new Health Insurance Marketplace begins Oct. 1, 2013.
“Health centers are excited to help individuals in their communities take advantage of the benefits of new health insurance coverage options that start January 2014,” said HRSA Administrator Mary Wakefield, Ph.D, R.N. “Having trained, face-to-face assistance in enrollment from trusted resources at local health centers means that more people will get the help they need.”
Showing posts with label U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES. Show all posts
Showing posts with label U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES. Show all posts
Friday, July 12, 2013
Monday, October 8, 2012
U.S. HHS GRANTS FOR COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTERS
FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Affordable Care Act funds to enhance quality of care at community health centers
More women to be screened for cervical cancer
Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today announced new grants that will improve the quality of care at community health centers and ensure more women are screened for cervical cancer. The grants will help 810 community health centers become patient-centered medical homes (PCMHs) and increase their rates of cervical cancer screening.
"Our health centers are committed to providing high quality health care services and today’s awards help continue these efforts," said Secretary Sebelius.
The patient-centered medical home is a care delivery model designed to improve quality of care through better coordination, treating the many needs of the patient at once, increasing access, and empowering the patient to be a partner in their own care.
Today’s awards will provide assistance to 810 health centers as they make the practice changes, such as improved care coordination and management, that are necessary to become patient-centered medical homes. The awards will also support health centers’ efforts to increase the percentage of women screened for cervical cancer.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an estimated 12,000 new cases of cervical cancer and more than 4,000 deaths will occur across the United States in 2012 as a result of this preventable disease. Patients who receive their health care in a patient-centered practice have been shown to receive a higher rate of preventive services, including cervical cancer screening.
Affordable Care Act funds to enhance quality of care at community health centers
More women to be screened for cervical cancer
Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today announced new grants that will improve the quality of care at community health centers and ensure more women are screened for cervical cancer. The grants will help 810 community health centers become patient-centered medical homes (PCMHs) and increase their rates of cervical cancer screening.
"Our health centers are committed to providing high quality health care services and today’s awards help continue these efforts," said Secretary Sebelius.
The patient-centered medical home is a care delivery model designed to improve quality of care through better coordination, treating the many needs of the patient at once, increasing access, and empowering the patient to be a partner in their own care.
Today’s awards will provide assistance to 810 health centers as they make the practice changes, such as improved care coordination and management, that are necessary to become patient-centered medical homes. The awards will also support health centers’ efforts to increase the percentage of women screened for cervical cancer.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an estimated 12,000 new cases of cervical cancer and more than 4,000 deaths will occur across the United States in 2012 as a result of this preventable disease. Patients who receive their health care in a patient-centered practice have been shown to receive a higher rate of preventive services, including cervical cancer screening.
Monday, October 1, 2012
CHILDHOOD DIARRHEA AND ROTAVIRUS
HHS HealthBeat is a production of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
I’m Nicholas Garlow.
Last revised: September 25, 2012
People have a lot in common worldwide, even when they don’t want to. At the National Institutes of Health, Dr. Roger Glass has been studying the most common cause of childhood diarrhea, rotavirus:
"It’s a huge problem. It’s a universal problem. All kids have it, rich or poor, black or white, Chinese or American or African. We all share the same common infection."
In the United States, rotavirus used to cause 50,000 to 70,000 hospitalizations, and dozens of deaths, each year – before vaccines were introduced. Dr. Glass says the hospitalization rate was cut 95 percent since then.
Studies show the vaccine is also effective in poor countries, but more global support is needed to reach every child.
Rotavirus disease is most common in infants and young children, but adults and older children can also become infected with rotavirus. Once a person has been exposed to rotavirus, it takes about 2 days for symptoms to appear.
Symptoms include
Fever
Vomiting
Diarrhea
Abdominal pain
Vomiting and watery diarrhea may last from 3 to 8 days in a child who is infected with rotavirus. Additional symptoms include loss of appetite and dehydration (loss of body fluids), which can be especially harmful for infants and young children.
Vaccinated and unvaccinated children may develop rotavirus disease more than once because there are many different types of rotavirus and because neither vaccine nor natural infection provides full immunity (protection) from future infections. Usually a person’s first infection with rotavirus causes the most severe symptoms.
I’m Nicholas Garlow.
Last revised: September 25, 2012
People have a lot in common worldwide, even when they don’t want to. At the National Institutes of Health, Dr. Roger Glass has been studying the most common cause of childhood diarrhea, rotavirus:
"It’s a huge problem. It’s a universal problem. All kids have it, rich or poor, black or white, Chinese or American or African. We all share the same common infection."
In the United States, rotavirus used to cause 50,000 to 70,000 hospitalizations, and dozens of deaths, each year – before vaccines were introduced. Dr. Glass says the hospitalization rate was cut 95 percent since then.
Studies show the vaccine is also effective in poor countries, but more global support is needed to reach every child.
Rotavirus disease is most common in infants and young children, but adults and older children can also become infected with rotavirus. Once a person has been exposed to rotavirus, it takes about 2 days for symptoms to appear.
Symptoms include
Vomiting
Diarrhea
Abdominal pain
Vomiting and watery diarrhea may last from 3 to 8 days in a child who is infected with rotavirus. Additional symptoms include loss of appetite and dehydration (loss of body fluids), which can be especially harmful for infants and young children.
Vaccinated and unvaccinated children may develop rotavirus disease more than once because there are many different types of rotavirus and because neither vaccine nor natural infection provides full immunity (protection) from future infections. Usually a person’s first infection with rotavirus causes the most severe symptoms.
Sunday, September 30, 2012
MALE DNA FOUND IN THE FEMALE BRAIN
FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Some Women's Brains Contain Male DNA: Study
Health implications are unclear, researchers say.
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 26 (HealthDay News) -- Male DNA and cells are commonly found in some women's brains and most likely come from male fetuses, according to a small new study.
The medical implications of male DNA and male cells in women's brains are unknown. Previous studies of microchimerism -- the presence of genetic material and cells that were exchanged between fetuses and mothers during pregnancy -- have linked it to autoimmune diseases and cancer in both helpful and harmful ways.
Researchers at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle analyzed brain autopsy specimens from 59 women who died between the ages of 32 and 101. Male DNA was detected in 63 percent of the women and was distributed in various brain regions. The oldest woman with male DNA was 94.
Thirty-three of the 59 women in the study had Alzheimer's disease. These women had a somewhat lower prevalence of male DNA, which was present in lower concentrations in regions of the brain most affected by Alzheimer's.
Because of the small number of women in the study and their largely unknown pregnancy history, it is not possible to establish a link between Alzheimer's disease and levels of male DNA and cells from a fetus, the researchers said in a cancer center news release.
They also added that the study does not show an association between male microchimerism in women's brains and their health or risk of disease. Further research is needed to investigate this area.
The study was published Sept. 26 in the journal PLoS One.
Some Women's Brains Contain Male DNA: Study
Health implications are unclear, researchers say.
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 26 (HealthDay News) -- Male DNA and cells are commonly found in some women's brains and most likely come from male fetuses, according to a small new study.
The medical implications of male DNA and male cells in women's brains are unknown. Previous studies of microchimerism -- the presence of genetic material and cells that were exchanged between fetuses and mothers during pregnancy -- have linked it to autoimmune diseases and cancer in both helpful and harmful ways.
Researchers at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle analyzed brain autopsy specimens from 59 women who died between the ages of 32 and 101. Male DNA was detected in 63 percent of the women and was distributed in various brain regions. The oldest woman with male DNA was 94.
Thirty-three of the 59 women in the study had Alzheimer's disease. These women had a somewhat lower prevalence of male DNA, which was present in lower concentrations in regions of the brain most affected by Alzheimer's.
Because of the small number of women in the study and their largely unknown pregnancy history, it is not possible to establish a link between Alzheimer's disease and levels of male DNA and cells from a fetus, the researchers said in a cancer center news release.
They also added that the study does not show an association between male microchimerism in women's brains and their health or risk of disease. Further research is needed to investigate this area.
The study was published Sept. 26 in the journal PLoS One.
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
HHS PUBLISHES SUMMARY OF BENEFITS AND COVERAGE AND UNIFORM GLOSSARY
FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Summary of Benefits and Coverage (SBC) and Uniform Glossary
The new forms include:
- A short, plain language Summary of Benefits and Coverage, or SBC
- A uniform glossary of terms commonly used in health insurance coverage, such as "deductible" and "copayment"
What This Means for You
It’s not easy for consumers to know what they are buying when shopping for insurance. The new rules are a joint effort among the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Labor, and the Department of the Treasury. The SBC is designed after the Nutrition Facts label required for packaged foods which helps you make healthy and informed decisions about your diet. The SBC’s standardized and easy to understand information about health plan benefits and coverage allows you to more easily make “apples to apples” comparisions among your insurance options. The measure brings more openness to the insurance marketplace for the more than 180 million Americans with private health coverage.Some Important Details
- This provision applies to all health plans, whether you get coverage through your employer or purchase it yourself, beginning September 23, 2012.
- All health plans must provide an SBC to shoppers and enrollees at important points in the enrollment process, such as upon application and at renewal.
- The coverage examples give a general sense of how a plan would cover the normal delivery of a baby, and services to help a person control type 2 diabetes.
- If you don’t speak English, you may be entitled to receive the SBC and uniform glossary in your native language upon request.
For More Information
- View a sample SBC (PDF – 530 KB).
- See the SBC template (PDF – 476 KB).
- Read the uniform glossary (PDF – 140 KB).
- Fact Sheet: Increasing Transparency, Protecting Consumers.
- Read the regulation or find detailed technical information.
Monday, August 20, 2012
HHS INFORMATION ON DIABETES
FROM: HHS HealthBeat (August 20, 2012)
Diabetes and death
More people have diabetes now than ever before. People with diabetes often have other health risk factors, like obesity and high blood pressure. But data from the National Health Interview Survey shows that death rates are declining in both men and women with diabetes.
Dr. Edward Gregg is with the Division of Diabetes Translation at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
"From the time period of 1997 to 2006, death rates for any cause and for cardiovascular disease in particular declined in people with diabetes."
Those with diabetes can prevent their risk of cardiovascular disease by maintaining a healthy weight, healthy cholesterol levels, and by not smoking.
The study in the journal Diabetes Care was supported by CDC and the National Institutes of Health.
Diabetes and death
More people have diabetes now than ever before. People with diabetes often have other health risk factors, like obesity and high blood pressure. But data from the National Health Interview Survey shows that death rates are declining in both men and women with diabetes.
Dr. Edward Gregg is with the Division of Diabetes Translation at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
"From the time period of 1997 to 2006, death rates for any cause and for cardiovascular disease in particular declined in people with diabetes."
Those with diabetes can prevent their risk of cardiovascular disease by maintaining a healthy weight, healthy cholesterol levels, and by not smoking.
The study in the journal Diabetes Care was supported by CDC and the National Institutes of Health.
Friday, August 3, 2012
DIABETES, HEART DISEASE AND OMEGA-3'S
FROM: HHS HealthBeat (August 3, 2012)
Omega-3's and inflammation
Inflammation is linked to heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and other chronic diseases. Research at Ohio State University showed that omega-3’s may reduce proteins that cause inflammation. Participants, either overweight or obese, were given supplements in different doses. Some got placebos. Both higher and lower omega-3 doses helped reduce inflammation.
Janice Kiecolt-Glaser led the study.
"If you can’t have fish that frequently or you’re not that fond of it, the supplements clearly have benefits for your immune response." (10 seconds)
Anyone can experience inflammation, but research at the National Institutes of Health shows it can be more a problem in the presence of excess body fat.
The study in the journal Brain, Behavior and Immunity was supported by the National Institutes of Health
Omega-3's and inflammation
Inflammation is linked to heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and other chronic diseases. Research at Ohio State University showed that omega-3’s may reduce proteins that cause inflammation. Participants, either overweight or obese, were given supplements in different doses. Some got placebos. Both higher and lower omega-3 doses helped reduce inflammation.
Janice Kiecolt-Glaser led the study.
"If you can’t have fish that frequently or you’re not that fond of it, the supplements clearly have benefits for your immune response." (10 seconds)
Anyone can experience inflammation, but research at the National Institutes of Health shows it can be more a problem in the presence of excess body fat.
The study in the journal Brain, Behavior and Immunity was supported by the National Institutes of Health
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
DOCTOR SAYS MOTHERS SHOULD WATCH WHAT THEIR BABY EATS
FROM: HHS HealthBeat (July 18, 2012)
How big is your baby
There are big kids, and too-big kids, and researchers say many moms can’t tell the difference. At the University of Maryland School of Medicine, Dr. Erin Hager had low-income moms of overweight toddlers choose silhouettes that the moms thought represented the size of their child.
"Ninety-four percent of mothers of overweight toddlers chose a silhouette that was two or more images smaller than their child’s true body size."
Dr. Hager says mothers of normal-weight toddlers also estimated wrong.
This doesn’t mean toddlers should go on diets. But Hager says mothers do need to watch what their kids eat, whether they’re active enough – and whether they’re big, or right-sized.
The study in Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine was supported by the National Institutes of Health.
How big is your baby
There are big kids, and too-big kids, and researchers say many moms can’t tell the difference. At the University of Maryland School of Medicine, Dr. Erin Hager had low-income moms of overweight toddlers choose silhouettes that the moms thought represented the size of their child.
"Ninety-four percent of mothers of overweight toddlers chose a silhouette that was two or more images smaller than their child’s true body size."
Dr. Hager says mothers of normal-weight toddlers also estimated wrong.
This doesn’t mean toddlers should go on diets. But Hager says mothers do need to watch what their kids eat, whether they’re active enough – and whether they’re big, or right-sized.
The study in Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine was supported by the National Institutes of Health.
PEER PRESSURE AND TEENS
FROM: HHS HealthBeat (July 23, 2012)
Peer pressure and parents
Teens face peer pressure to use drugs and alcohol. Have a cigarette; it’s just one. Want a beer? Influences on what teens do often come from their friends, but parents have big roles. Researchers interviewed high school freshmen and sophomores, asking them about their substance use, their friends – and their parents’ discipline behaviors and knowledge of their social lives.
Michael Cleveland at the Prevention Research Center at Penn State University grouped students based on their friends, to find:
"Substance abuse was lowest for those teens whose parents were knowledgeable and consistent, and who also had friends whose parents were knowledgeable and consistent."
Parents should be aware of their teens’ whereabouts. They also can keep track of who their teens are friends with, and get to know the parents of those other kids.
Peer pressure and parents
Teens face peer pressure to use drugs and alcohol. Have a cigarette; it’s just one. Want a beer? Influences on what teens do often come from their friends, but parents have big roles. Researchers interviewed high school freshmen and sophomores, asking them about their substance use, their friends – and their parents’ discipline behaviors and knowledge of their social lives.
Michael Cleveland at the Prevention Research Center at Penn State University grouped students based on their friends, to find:
"Substance abuse was lowest for those teens whose parents were knowledgeable and consistent, and who also had friends whose parents were knowledgeable and consistent."
Parents should be aware of their teens’ whereabouts. They also can keep track of who their teens are friends with, and get to know the parents of those other kids.
Sunday, July 29, 2012
CERVICALCANCER VACCINE NOT BEING COMPLETED BY MANY GIRLS AND WOMEN
FROM: HHS HealthBeat (July 27, 2012)
Vaccination against cancer
“Many patients have received one vaccine but not completed all three doses. We recommend that all patients take steps to complete the three-dose series.”
Experts say the three-dose series is known to work; they don’t know if one or two doses will.
The study in the journal Cancer was supported by the National Institutes of Health.
Vaccination against cancer
Just three shots can reduce the risk of cervical
cancer. But a researcher says girls and young women – including those ages 9 to
18, who would get the most benefit – are not getting all the shots within the
recommended six months. Abby Berenson of the University of Texas Medical Branch
at Galveston and her team looked at data on about 272,000 girls and women who
got the first dose.
“Many patients have received one vaccine but not completed all three doses. We recommend that all patients take steps to complete the three-dose series.”
Experts say the three-dose series is known to work; they don’t know if one or two doses will.
The study in the journal Cancer was supported by the National Institutes of Health.
Saturday, July 28, 2012
HAND WASHING AND HEALTHY LIVING
FROM: HHS HealthBeat (July 12, 2012)
Giving a Hand to Hand-Washing
Life can be a dirty business, and the dirt gets on your hands, and all that mess can lead to infections, as people pick up germs which can make them sick. So hand-washing is a good thing.
To reinforce the point, the National Institutes of Health’s Clinical Center, its research hospital, had a Hand Hygiene Awareness Day – a kind of hand-washing health fair. Research nurse Amina Oughourli did a demonstration test in which she got to see what she missed – but which showed up as a kind of gunk glow-in-the-dark.
"I did the dark light simulation with the dirt, and it was pretty gruesome, so I’m going to be washing my hands pretty vigilantly – even more so than I was before."
Giving a Hand to Hand-Washing
Life can be a dirty business, and the dirt gets on your hands, and all that mess can lead to infections, as people pick up germs which can make them sick. So hand-washing is a good thing.
To reinforce the point, the National Institutes of Health’s Clinical Center, its research hospital, had a Hand Hygiene Awareness Day – a kind of hand-washing health fair. Research nurse Amina Oughourli did a demonstration test in which she got to see what she missed – but which showed up as a kind of gunk glow-in-the-dark.
"I did the dark light simulation with the dirt, and it was pretty gruesome, so I’m going to be washing my hands pretty vigilantly – even more so than I was before."
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
PROSTRATE HEALTH AND WEIGHT
FROM: HHS HealthBeat (July 19, 2012)
Weight and the prostate
A study indicates men with early stage prostate cancer are more likely to have worse-looking tumors if they are overweight or obese.
At the University of Illinois at Chicago, researcher Vincent Freeman saw the association in data on 119 men.
"The risk of having larger and more aggressive-appearing tumors that are more likely to recur after surgery, did increase with increasing body mass index, which is a measure of body weight relative to frame."
Freeman says the risk was three times higher for overweight men and six times higher for obese men, compared with healthy-weight men. So he suggests achieving and staying at a healthy weight.
The study presented at a meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research was supported by the National Institutes of Health.
Weight and the prostate
A study indicates men with early stage prostate cancer are more likely to have worse-looking tumors if they are overweight or obese.
At the University of Illinois at Chicago, researcher Vincent Freeman saw the association in data on 119 men.
"The risk of having larger and more aggressive-appearing tumors that are more likely to recur after surgery, did increase with increasing body mass index, which is a measure of body weight relative to frame."
Freeman says the risk was three times higher for overweight men and six times higher for obese men, compared with healthy-weight men. So he suggests achieving and staying at a healthy weight.
The study presented at a meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research was supported by the National Institutes of Health.
Monday, July 23, 2012
LOWER WEIGHT CAN LEAD TO LOWER CANCER RISK
FROM: HHS HealthBeat (July 20, 2012)
Lower weight, lower estrogen
Higher levels of the female hormone estrogen can raise the risk of breast cancer, because estrogen can spur the growth of some forms of tumors. But a study also indicates an estrogen-lowering benefit from weight control.
At Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, Anne McTiernan looked at data on 439 healthy overweight or obese postmenopausal women. Some did moderate exercise; others dieted moderately, exercised and dieted, or did nothing. McTiernan looked at their estrogen levels:
"We found the greatest effect in the group that had both diet and exercise, and we think that’s because they lost the most weight."
The study in the Journal of Clinical Oncology was supported by the National Institutes of Health.
Lower weight, lower estrogen
Higher levels of the female hormone estrogen can raise the risk of breast cancer, because estrogen can spur the growth of some forms of tumors. But a study also indicates an estrogen-lowering benefit from weight control.
At Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, Anne McTiernan looked at data on 439 healthy overweight or obese postmenopausal women. Some did moderate exercise; others dieted moderately, exercised and dieted, or did nothing. McTiernan looked at their estrogen levels:
"We found the greatest effect in the group that had both diet and exercise, and we think that’s because they lost the most weight."
The study in the Journal of Clinical Oncology was supported by the National Institutes of Health.
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
DIABETES DISABILITY
FROM: HHS HealthBeat (July 10, 2012)
Heading Off Diabetes' Disability
A study indicates that overweight people with diabetes can improve their ability simply to get around if they can control their weight and be more physically active. Researcher Jack Rejeski of Wake Forest University in North Carolina saw that in data on more than 5,000 people over four years. He compared people in an intensive weight loss and exercise program with people who did not take part.
“If somebody can lose 7 percent of their body weight, they can experience substantial reductions in disability over a period of a year.’’
Rejeski says people can retain the benefits if they remain active and control their weight.
The study in the New England Journal of Medicine was supported by the National Institutes of Health.
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
NORMAL VISION PROBLEMS OCCURRING WITH AGING VS SERIOUS EYE DISEASES
FROM: HHS HealthBeat (July 9, 2012)
Older Eyes
Vision, like a lot of things, is less sharp when you’re older than when you’re younger. But there’s a difference between normal aging and things that go wrong. At the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr. Xinzhi Zhang:
''Some vision problems are a normal part of aging, like having trouble reading small print in a newspaper. And those can be corrected with glasses. However, many serious vision problems are caused by age-related eye diseases.''
These include cataracts, glaucoma, macular degeneration, and diabetic retinopathy. That last one – related, as it is, to diabetes – could be prevented, along with diabetes, through weight control with proper diet and physical activity.
And a preventive visit to an eye specialist can head off trouble.
Saturday, July 7, 2012
BREAST MILK AND BACTERIA
FROM: HHS HealthBeat (July 6, 2012)
Breast milk and good bacteria
Babies can’t digest part of what’s in breast milk – but it’s still good. At the University of Illinois, Sharon Donovan examined molecules called HMOs, which are not food for babies but do feed beneficial bacteria in the gut. Donovan says these bacteria can protect against infection and strengthen the immune system.
Human milk abounds in HMOs. Formula doesn’t have them, so other sugars called prebiotics are added. Donovan compared HMOs with the formula version, and found bacteria did better on HMOs.
“We’re just looking at one small aspect, but we know that breastfeeding and breast milk does a lot of other things for the infant.”
The study in the Journal of Nutrition was supported by the National Institutes of Health.
Thursday, July 5, 2012
FAMILY OF FIGHTERS
FROM: HHS HealthBeat (July 3, 2012)
Following the fighting home
Parents who fight at home may be rubbing off that habit on their kids. Researchers at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center held 12 focus groups of middle and high school students. The results show that pro-fighting attitudes among family members can be a risk factor for a kid’s fighting behavior.
Rashmi Shetgiri led the study at the UT Southwestern Medical Center and Children’s Medical Center in Dallas.
“It’s important for parents to be aware of their own attitudes about fighting, and of how they interact with their children and with others in their lives.”
Kids may fight to defend themselves. Being involved in fighting as a teen can increase the risk of violence and criminal behavior as an adult.
The study presented at the Pediatric Academic Societies annual meeting in Boston was supported by the National Institutes of Health.
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
PUZZLES EQUAL PROBLEM SOLVER
FROM: HHS HealthBeat (July 2, 2012)
Solving puzzles early on
Kids who play with puzzles with their parents have a better ability to understand problems involving physical shapes and spaces. Researchers observed kids, ages 2 to 4, who played with puzzles, both simple shape problems and more complex jigsaw puzzles.
Dr. Susan Levine is a professor in the department of psychology at the University of Chicago.
“Through gesture, they can indicate that they need a straight edge piece and use those words and those kinds of interactions will lead to increasing children’s spatial thinking.”
Other research has found that the ability to solve puzzles at a young age relates to later success in math.
The study in the journal Developmental Science was supported by the National Institutes of Health.
Monday, July 2, 2012
"IT'S UNHEALTHY TO TREAT THE POOL LIKE A TOILET" SAYS CDC OFFICIAL
FROM: HHS HealthBeat (June 27, 2012)
What's in the pool
Chlorine can kill germs in the pool, but it can’t work miracles. At the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Michele Hlavsa says the idea that swimming pool disinfectants kill germs instantly is a myth. She says that’s why it’s unhealthy to treat the pool like a toilet, and healthy to shower off any germs before getting in.
Mostly, people just have fun. But Hlavsa notes they can get a variety of diseases.
“They can get gastrointestinal infections, viral meningitis, ear infections – also known as swimmer’s ear – but the most common infection is diarrhea.”
So, she advises, don’t swallow the water, or swim with open sores.
An article on healthy swimming information is in CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
Saturday, June 30, 2012
BURNING FOR A DRINK
FROM: HHS HealthBeat (June 29, 2012)
Bing drinking and burns
Binge drink, and you can expect big trouble – a study says getting burned can be one of those troubles. Researchers at Loyola University Stritch School of Medicine in Chicago looked at hospital admissions for burns. Nearly 50 percent of adult burn patients they observed had been binge drinking before being injured.
Elizabeth Kovacs is director of the Alcohol Research Program at Loyola University.
The lesson here is, don’t binge drink.
“Burn injury is just an additional one of those factors that could occur after binge drinking.”
Burn patients who drank beforehand stayed in the hospital longer, and also had more infections later on.
The study, presented at the 44th annual meeting of the American Burn Association in Seattle was supported by the National Institutes of Health.
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