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Cigna to start allowing young adults to stay on parent insurance plan:  The AP (4/27) reports that on April 26, Cigna Corp. announced that "it will allow young adults up to age 26 to remain on their parents' policies starting June 1." The company now joins WellPoint, UnitedHealth Group, Inc., Aetna, Inc., and Humana, Inc. in extending such coverage. According to Cigna, "its new rules apply to dependent adults who would be ineligible for coverage under their parents' plans because they live elsewhere or are in college."

Food allergies may be linked to Vitamin D deficiency:  Boston researchers said a lack of sunshine and vitamin D may explain why babies born in the fall or winter are more likely to develop a food allergy than those born in spring or summer. The seasonal effect was only seen in children ages 5 and under, the study found. BBC (4/21)

Food is leading choking risk to children:  An analysis of hospital records of nearly 3 million pediatric patients in the U.S. found that toddlers who experienced a choking incident had a death rate of 3%. They also found that 42% of the nearly 2,800 hospital cases of choking incidents studied involved food. Parents should take precautions such as cutting a child's food into tiny pieces, the study author said. HealthDay News (4/19)

Cleanliness leads to allergies:  Canadian researchers said allergies are becoming so prevalent because of excessive cleanliness. They said there is an inverse relationship between hygiene levels and the incidence of allergies and autoimmune diseases. "The more sterile the environment a child lives in, the higher the risk he or she will develop allergies or an immune problem in their lifetime," one expert said. The Washington Times (4/15)

Smokeless tobacco use on the rise:  The number of U.S. teenagers using smokeless tobacco has been rising, a CDC official said in testifying before a House subcommittee, adding that teenagers might view smokeless tobacco, such as chewing tobacco, as a safer alternative to cigarettes. A former baseball player called for a ban on the use of smokeless tobacco in Major League Baseball, saying players could be encouraging youths to use the cancer-causing substance. Reuters (4/14)

Spanking leads to violent behaviors:  Children spanked two or three times a month at age 3 were 50% more likely to show more aggressive behaviors at age 5, even accounting for varying baseline levels of aggression, researchers wrote in Pediatrics. The study included reports from 2,500 mothers and showed 27.9% reported spanking one or two times in the previous month and 26.5% said they had spanked their child more than twice in that time period. TIME (4/12) , HealthDay News (4/12)

Teen drinking might increase cancer risk:  Women who drank alcohol six or seven days a week during their teenage years had a five times greater risk of developing benign breast disease compared with those who never drank or who consumed alcohol less than once per week, a study in Pediatrics found. Researchers said the findings may indicate that teen drinking raises the risk for breast cancer but more study is needed. HealthDay News (4/12)

Measles Outbreak:  Measles outbreaks around the globe are becoming increasingly common due to decreased immunization rates.  NPR

More recalls:  Zyrtec Itchy Eye Drops have been added to the growing list of recent recalls.  Visit Zyrtec's website for more information by clicking here.

H1N1 influenza hitting the South again:  from a CDC briefing:

Key Points

H1N1 remains active in Southeast, CDC, states remain vigilant

CDC urges vaccination as H1N1 increases in Southeast

Overview:  We are continuing to see people with serious illness from the pandemic H1N1 virus - particularly in some Southeastern states, and vaccination is the best way to protect yourself or those you love from further illness or death. 

Flu Activity Update

       Over the course of the pandemic so far in the United States, we estimate that nearly 60 million people have become ill with influenza, 265,000 were hospitalized, and about 12,000 died due to the 2009 pandemic influenza A (H1N1) virus.

       Although disease rates are now much lower around the country than they were last fall, the H1N1 virus is still circulating, and people continue to become ill with this virus.

       H1N1 has been causing more disease recently in the Southeast, where several states report regional or local activity.

o      Three states are reporting regional activity --Alabama, Georgia, and South Carolina.  Local activity is reported in Puerto Rico and eight states, mostly in the southeast -: Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia - as well as in Hawaii and New Mexico.

o      The activity we see in CDC's influenza surveillance is consistent with regional flu activity at college campuses in the Southeast reported by the American College Health Association.

       Nearly all of the influenza viruses circulating are the H1N1 pandemic virus - we have not seen seasonal flu in substantial numbers

CDC-GA investigation

       For the past several weeks, the Georgia Department of Community Health has reported an increase in flu-related hospitalizations. On March 5, Georgia requested that a team from CDC assist them with a more in-depth investigation.

       Since March 12, our staff have been working with Georgia public health officials to analyze flu cases, hospitalizations and deaths reported during the winter months and compare them to previous influenza activity reported during the summer/fall wave of 2009 H1N1 to determine what might be contributing to the recent increase in flu activity in Georgia.  

       We don't have any evidence at this time that the virus has changed.  Most of those hospitalizations that have been reviewed occurred in adults with underlying conditions that put them at higher risk of severe influenza.  The findings so far suggest the value of vaccination, particularly among adults with chronic illnesses or advanced age who are more likely to become severely ill if they encounter the H1N1 virus.

H1N1 Vaccine Update - plenty of vaccine available

       Vaccine is widely available across the United States at doctor's offices, health departments, and pharmacies

       Even if you put off being vaccinated until now, vaccination with the H1N1 influenza vaccine is still beneficial - especially in SE states where H1N1 appears to be more active at the moment

o      CDC strongly urges people with underlying health conditions and those over age 65 to get vaccinated. Vaccine supplies are plentiful and the circulating virus still closely matches the one in the pandemic vaccine.  We have excellent safety data on the H1N1 vaccine.

Predictions - the future is hard to predict

       There is a great deal we do not know about why the virus remains more active in some parts of the country and not others.

       We do know that the virus is still around and vaccine is very safe and the best way to protect yourself or your loved ones from flu. 

Tylenol and Zyrtec recalls:  Certain lots of Children's Tylenol and Zyrtec were recalled due to the product bottles have an area thinner than required by standard specifications.  In another recall certain lots of Infants Tylenol, Infants Motrin, and Children's Zyrtec are being recalled because the expiration date and product lot number can become illegible as a result of handling.  For more information, visit the Tylenol website or Zyrtec website.

FDA recommends recall of Rotarix:  The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has temporarily suspended use of the Rotarix vaccine for rotavirus immunization in the United States. An independent research team has found DNA from a porcine circovirus 1 (PCV1) in the vaccine, which is manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline. PCV1 has not been found to cause illness in humans or animals, and there is no evidence at this time that this finding poses a safety risk. We do not use this brand of rotavirus vaccine in our office, so none of our patients are affected.  If your child has received this vaccine in another office, there is no concern for safety and nothing needs to be done at this time.

Measles outbreak Started by an Unvaccinated Child:  Information has confirmed that a large measles outbreak was caused by a child whose parents chose to not vaccinate.  HealthDay 3/22/10

More kids extremely obese:  NBC Nightly News (3/18, story 8, 2:40, Curry) reported, "Startling new numbers tonight on childhood obesity in this country: A Kaiser Permanente study of children ages two through 19 shows a large number are now considered extremely obese and may face a shorter life span than their parents."  The Los Angeles Times (3/18, Roan) "Booster Shots" blog reported that the study of Southern California children published online Mar. 18 in the Journal of Pediatrics found that "extreme obesity is not a rare occurrence." Researchers found in their survey of some "710,000 children" that "7.3% of boys and 5.5% of girls were extremely obese," that is, "having a body mass index of more than 35."

Babysling manufacturers offer response to concerns about safety:  This article discusses recent concerns of baby sling safety and offers several websites that discuss safely using these carriers. (3/17/10)  KidsToday

K2, a substance made of potpouri and a chemical similar to marijuana is a concern:  Teens and adults seeking a legal high are using a substance called K2.  This can cause serious side effects and is very dangerous.  Parents can learn more here.

Medical information on line:  A survey of about 16,000 people over seven years found many begin searching for health care information on the Internet but then take it to their physician for discussion. The survey found trust in physicians has increased while trust in Internet information has declined slightly. HealthDay News (3/3)

More secondhand smoke problems:  Damage to arteries from secondhand smoke may be measurable in children as young as 13, according to a study by Finnish researchers. Data showed children with the highest blood levels of cotinine, a byproduct of nicotine, had artery walls 7% thicker than those with the lowest levels. Reuters (3/2)

Protect hearing:  Audiology experts said hearing loss in children from exposure to loud noise is cumulative and irreversible, so it is important to protect a child's ears during noisy events. "This message needs to be conveyed to parents over and over again," one expert said. The New York Times (3/1)

Stop the Snacks!  Children in 2006 consumed more snack calories per day than in 1977, with snacks accounting for 27.3% of average daily caloric intake. The study says children consume about 2,099 calories a day, 100 more than in 1977, but mealtime calorie intake is declining. Los Angeles Times (3/2)

Mumps in the news: 

The New York Times (2/26, Kaminer) reported on the mumps outbreak among Hasidic Jews in New York, now traced to "a Jewish summer camp in the Catskills," that, after spreading to "the Hasidic enclaves in Borough Park, Crown Heights and Williamsburg," led to "more than 900 cases." The "outbreak has written a new chapter in epidemiological history," as "most of the patients in Brooklyn had gotten," a standard vaccine in childhood "and it didn't help them." Dr. Edward Chapnick, director of infectious diseases at Maimonides Medical Center, said, "Two vaccines, which we always thought had a very high effectiveness at preventing this, turns out to have a 75 to 80 percent effectiveness." So "many doctors in the area...now favor three vaccinations."

        Some diseases may return amid declining rates of MMR vaccination. The Chicago Tribune (3/1) editorializes that the 1998 Lancet "article claiming that there may be a link between the MMR vaccine...and the development of autism in children" resulted in declining rates of vaccination from "92 percent shortly before The Lancet article was published to 79 percent in 2003." Since then, measles "has been making an alarming comeback." The Tribune says that "it's understandable that some parents have focused on vaccines as the cause of their child's autism. It is a mysterious disorder. Scientists don't know what causes it. But, if more parents refuse to vaccinate their kids, it is more likely that some nearly forgotten diseases will enjoy a renaissance."

        Many US parents still believe some vaccines may cause autism. The AP (3/1, Johnson) reports that "one in four US parents believes some vaccines cause autism in healthy children, but even many of those worried about vaccine risks think their children should be vaccinated." In fact, "most parents continue to follow the advice of their children's doctors, according to a study" published online Feb. 28 and scheduled to appear in print in the April issue of the journal Pediatrics.

        The Los Angeles Times (2/28, Roan) "Booster Shots" blog reported that in the "survey of 1,552 parents taken in 2009," 90% "of the parents agreed that vaccines were a good way to protect children from disease." However, "54% said they were concerned about adverse side effects from vaccines, and 12% said they had refused at least one vaccine that the doctor had recommended for their child."

It's Smart to be Fit:  U.S. researchers said physically fit students tend to get better test scores than those who are less fit. The data found scores dropped more than one point for each extra minute middle and high school students took to complete a 1 mile run/walk fitness test. Reuters (2/25)

New Vaccine Approved:  The FDA approved Pfizer's Prevnar 13 pneumococcal vaccine for children ages 6 weeks to 5 years. The product targets 13 strains of Streptococcus pneumoniae, including the 19A strain that was not in the original Prevnar. The Wall Street Journal/Dow Jones Newswires (2/24) , Bloomberg BusinessWeek/HealthDay News (2/24)

Johnson County fairs well in overall health: U.S. researchers have ranked health care for almost every county in the U.S. for the first time in a report released by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin. Healthier counties tend to be urban and suburban, while 84% of the 50 least-healthy counties are rural, the data showed. USA TODAY (2/17) 

Third-hand smoke might cause cancer:  Third-hand smoke, the tobacco residue left on indoor surfaces, could combine with airborne compounds to form potentially cancer-causing substances, study data suggested. Researchers said nonsmokers and infants could be at a heightened risk from inhaling smoke-related residue on surfaces and in dust. HealthDay News (2/8)

Simple steps to prevent childhood obesity:  Children who eat dinner regularly with their family, limit TV time and get enough sleep can reduce their risk of obesity by 40% compared with their peers who don't follow these routines, researchers said. The study, in Pediatrics, charted the routines of children from birth to age 4. TIME (2/7)

A book to help obese girls lose weight appropriately:  Pediatric researchers said obese girls ages 9 to 13 were inspired to lose weight by reading a novel from the Beacon Street Girls series by Annie Bryant. The book told the story of an overweight girl who learns to make healthy choices and finds physical activity can be fun. The study was published in Pediatrics. USA TODAY (2/7)

Food allergy alert bracelets:  A group of Tennessee parents created the Food Allergy-Band to help make people aware that their children have dangerous food allergies. The wristbands use cartoon characters to show which specific allergy or allergies a child has, and they can be found online. The Tennessean (Nashville) (2/2)

Lancet retracts study linking autism and MMR vaccine:  A 1998 research paper that suggested a link between the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine and autism and bowel disease was formally retracted by The Lancet on Tuesday after the physician author was discredited. A British disciplinary panel said Dr. Andrew Wakefield was "irresponsible and dishonest" in the way he presented the research. Yahoo!/The Associated Press (2/2), Reuters (2/2)