Health & Safety Babies
Premature Babies Stand Better Chance at Specialized Hospitals, Study Shows
A preemie's chance of survival goes up 62 percent at Level III hospitals. Credit: Damon Dahlen, AOL
If your baby is born prematurely, the odds that he or she will survive increase dramatically if you can get to a specialized hospital. Here's hoping there's one in your area.
A report published in the Sept. 1 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association draws a link between the death rate of premature infants over the past 30 years and the level of hospital care they received.
The numbers form a clear pattern, Dr. Howard Kilbride, section chief of neonatolgy at Children's Mercy Hospitals and Clinics in Kansas City, Mo., tells ParentDish.
If mothers who go into premature labor can get to a Level III hospital (where highly specialized care is available), they dramatically increase the odds of their child's survival.
Circumcision: Is It Right for Your Baby Boy?
The decision to circumcise is up to parents. Credit: Nicole Hill, Getty Images
The debate over circumcision heated up when the Centers for Disease Control announced it may recommend circumcising all baby boys, but experts say the decision still rests with parents.
First of all, just what is circumcision? Dr. Rodolfo Sarmiento, a pediatrician on staff at Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital in Downers Grove, Ill., told ParentDish it's an elective procedure done to boys after birth, usually 24 hours after they are delivered. The prepuce, or overlying skin at the tip of the penis, is removed.
The procedure does cause the child pain, so doctors will administer a pain reliever such as Tylenol. Some physicians, Sarmiento says, prefer to give a newborn sugar or a local, topical anesthetic to help with pain control.
Not all parents choose to have their children circumcised, which is why the CDC's announcement caused such a stir. Officials are considering promoting the procedure in the U.S., according to The New York Times, because it may help reduce the spread of H.I.V., the virus that causes AIDS.
Does Stem Cell Research Ban Threaten Efforts to Help Children?
On March 9, 2009, President Barack Obama signed an order reversing the Bush administration's limits on human embryonic stem cell research. Credit: Darren Hauck, Getty Images
A research project at the University of Maryland and Johns Hopkins University fights childhood leukemia.
At least it did.
The project could be suspended now that a federal court has banned the use of federal funds for embryonic stefm cell research.
"We have the tool in our hands, and it seems to us, we fear, that this will be turned off," Dr. Curt Civin, an associate dean at the University of Maryland who has been fighting cancer in children for 35 years, tells CBS News.
Dr. Leonard Zon of the Children's Hospital in Boston shares Civin's dread. The ban -- even if temporary -- could have a major and lasting ripple effect on efforts to treat and cure diseases in children, he tells the network.
"To stop this work just seems crazy at this moment, and we're certainly hoping that this ruling can be challenged in some way," Zon, who stands to lose a $1 million project to study Down syndrome, tells CBS.
Classic Teething Toy Soothes Baby's Sore Gums
You may have used a Sophie teether when you were a baby. Credit: Amazon
Developed in France in 1961, Sophie the Giraffe has been a part of babies' lives for more than 40 years.
Made of 100 percent natural rubber from the Hevea tree, this lovable teether from Vulli has a soft feel and a pleasing smell, and is colored with food grade paint. Sophie's bumpy parts help soothe baby's sore gums, and her long legs are just right for reaching back molars.
The perfect teether, Sophie also provides visual stimulation with her contrasting giraffe spots, and keeps baby amused with a happy squeaker sound when squeezed.
Available at Amazon for $17.25.
Related: Non-Toxic Paste from Italy Is Benissimo
California Faces Worst Whooping Cough Epidemic in 50 Years
California medical officials are urging residents to get booster shots for whooping cough, as the state is in the midst of the largest outbreak in over 50 years. Credit: Justin Sullivan, Getty Images
The death toll -- now at seven -- has almost doubled and, with 2,700 cases of the disease reported, physicians' concerns have turned to alarm.
National Public Radio reports California now faces its worst whooping cough epidemic in 50 years.
Many physicians thought, like diphtheria, whooping cough was largely a thing of the past, and that it had been all but wiped out by vaccines.
But that's why the disease is particularly brutal to young children who have not yet been vaccinated or had a chance for their bodies to build up immunity to the disease.
Best Children's Hospitals: Neurology
Pediatric Stroke Program director Dr. Rebecca Ichord conducts a neurological exam with her patient. Credit: Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
When your child is ill, only the best care is good enough. So we're highlighting the hospitals that are leading the way in research, innovation, treatment and, most importantly, patient care. This is the eighth in the series on best children's hospitals in the United States.
In children, diseases of the nervous system are complicated and include myriad complex diagnoses, from brain tumors to epilepsy and seizures. For this reason, receiving care at specialized children's neurology and neurosurgery hospitals is paramount.
Below are the leading pediatric children's hospitals that treat children with disorders of the nervous system:
In children, diseases of the nervous system are complicated and include myriad complex diagnoses, from brain tumors to epilepsy and seizures. For this reason, receiving care at specialized children's neurology and neurosurgery hospitals is paramount.
Below are the leading pediatric children's hospitals that treat children with disorders of the nervous system:
Children's Hospital Boston, Boston, Mass.
Children's Hospital was ranked the No. 1 children's hospital for neurological disorders by U.S. News and many of the leading researchers and medical experts at Children's Boston also are on the faculty of Harvard Medical School. In an effort to provide the earliest possible intervention and the earliest possible identification of brain injury, Boston Children's is a leader in pioneering research in pediatric epilepsy and neuromuscular conditions. The medical experts are renowned for creating the latest research and treatments in fetal-neonatal neurology for infants who have suffered neurological damage during fetal development or during newborn periods of development. The hospital boasts a team of experts in learning disabilities, sleep disorders, brain tumors, cerebral palsy, pediatric neuroimmunology, pediatric multiple sclerosis and related disorders. And for the second consecutive year, the hospital was named a top hospital by The Leapfrog Group's Hospital Survey, which measures the national standards of safety, quality and efficiency that are relevant to consumers and purchasers of care.
Best Children's Hospitals: Orthopedics
Does your child have a sports injury? Check out the top hospitals for orthopedics. Credit: Elise Amendola, AP
When your child is ill, only the best care is good enough. So we're highlighting the hospitals that are leading the way in research, innovation, treatment and, most importantly, patient care. This is the seventh in the series on best children's hospitals in the United States.
With more children getting involved in competitive sports each year, the number of children's sports injuries is on the rise.
As a result, parents are increasingly turning to specialized orthopedic hospitals to treat their children. At the same time, these hospitals are sources of refuge for parents of children with cerebral palsy, scoliosis, spina bifida and other musculoskeletal disorders, who require long-term care, says James V. Luck Jr., M.D., CEO and medical director for Los Angeles Orthopaedic Hospital.
With four active athletes of his own, Dr. Luck knows firsthand what it feels like to be a parent whose child is raced to the hospital after a fall or sports injury, or is treated by an orthopedic specialist for musculoskeletal trauma, degenerative diseases, infections, tumors or congenital conditions. "In addition to treating children, our focus also is to make playgrounds safer and prevent sports injuries," says Dr. Luck.
With more children getting involved in competitive sports each year, the number of children's sports injuries is on the rise.
As a result, parents are increasingly turning to specialized orthopedic hospitals to treat their children. At the same time, these hospitals are sources of refuge for parents of children with cerebral palsy, scoliosis, spina bifida and other musculoskeletal disorders, who require long-term care, says James V. Luck Jr., M.D., CEO and medical director for Los Angeles Orthopaedic Hospital.
With four active athletes of his own, Dr. Luck knows firsthand what it feels like to be a parent whose child is raced to the hospital after a fall or sports injury, or is treated by an orthopedic specialist for musculoskeletal trauma, degenerative diseases, infections, tumors or congenital conditions. "In addition to treating children, our focus also is to make playgrounds safer and prevent sports injuries," says Dr. Luck.
Fido's Food Could Be Making Kids Sick, Report Says
FDA says Fido's food may be making kids sick. Credit: Getty Images
CHICAGO (AP) - Fido's food may be making kids sick, a government report warns, detailing the first known salmonella outbreak in humans, mostly young children, linked to pet food.
The outbreak sickened 79 people in 21 mostly eastern states, between 2006 and 2008. Almost half of the victims were children aged 2 and younger.
Dry pet foods are an under-recognized source of salmonella infections in humans, and it's likely other illnesses since then were unknowingly caused by tainted pet food, said Casey Barton Behravesh, the report's lead author and a researcher at the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
At least six unrelated pet food recalls have been issued this year by manufacturers because of possible salmonella contamination, Food and Drug Administration data show. FDA spokesman Ira Allen said there have been no reported salmonella illnesses linked to pet food since the 2006-08 outbreak.
Best Children's Hospitals: Rehab
The Cleveland Clinic offers inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation services. Credit: Cleveland Clinic Children's Hospital
Where do you go if your child has an ongoing condition such as traumatic brain injury (TBI) or spinal cord injury? In addition to getting the best treatment immediately, patient care after discharge is a big part of the decision making.
According to the American Hospital Association, there are only about 40 freestanding children's rehabilitation, specialty and convalescent hospitals, including 16 short-term care facilities and 24 long-term care facilities.
In addition to these specialty centers, some hospitals offer children ongoing therapy for muscle tone development, motor development, strength, endurance, range of motion, sensory motor skills, communication, language and feeding. But three leaders for children's rehabilitation services are:
Cleveland Clinic Children's Hospital for Rehabilitation, Cleveland, Ohio
It's ranked as one of the leading hospitals by U.S. News & World Report, which has published its annual ranking of America's best hospitals for 15 years. Cleveland Clinic Children's Shaker Medical Campus offers an inpatient program and outpatient rehabilitation and therapy services for children who have chronic conditions, and for those recovering from a trauma, surgery or an acute hospital stay. The center is also home to the renowned Cleveland Clinic Center for Autism and offers an innovative motor-control therapy program and treatment for feeding disorders. Support after discharge is a key focus of Cleveland's children's care. Overall, Cleveland Clinic Children's Hospital earned national rankings in eight of 10 pediatric specialties.
It's ranked as one of the leading hospitals by U.S. News & World Report, which has published its annual ranking of America's best hospitals for 15 years. Cleveland Clinic Children's Shaker Medical Campus offers an inpatient program and outpatient rehabilitation and therapy services for children who have chronic conditions, and for those recovering from a trauma, surgery or an acute hospital stay. The center is also home to the renowned Cleveland Clinic Center for Autism and offers an innovative motor-control therapy program and treatment for feeding disorders. Support after discharge is a key focus of Cleveland's children's care. Overall, Cleveland Clinic Children's Hospital earned national rankings in eight of 10 pediatric specialties.
Best Children's Hospitals: Diabetes
Johns Hopkins is a leader in juvenile diabetes research. Credit: John's Hopkins Children's Center
When your child is ill, only the best care is good enough. So we're highlighting the hospitals that are leading the way in research, innovation, treatment and, most importantly, patient care. This is the fourth in the series on best children's hospitals in the United States.
Some 151,000 people under the age of 20 have been diagnosed with diabetes. Faced with the rise of both type 1 and type 2 diabetes in children and the emerging epidemic of childhood obesity, America's top children's hospitals are ramping up their research and treatment options for diabetes and endocrine disorders.
Some 151,000 people under the age of 20 have been diagnosed with diabetes. Faced with the rise of both type 1 and type 2 diabetes in children and the emerging epidemic of childhood obesity, America's top children's hospitals are ramping up their research and treatment options for diabetes and endocrine disorders.
Here are three leaders:
Johns Hopkins Children's Center, Baltimore, Md.
Johns Hopkins is blazing a trail on the forefront of diabetes and obesity research. The hospital was named No. 3 in the U.S. News & World Report study of leading children's diabetes hospitals. Working as part of the team of researchers for the Baltimore Diabetes Research and Training Center (DRTC), the Johns Hopkins team recently zeroed in on what could be a promising new drug therapy for the disease. The $7.4 million training center is funded by the National Institutes of Health, and unites Johns Hopkins researchers with a team of 140 researchers from the University of Maryland School of Medicine and the Bloomberg School of Public Health to conduct community-level research on diabetes and obesity in children and adults.
Johns Hopkins is blazing a trail on the forefront of diabetes and obesity research. The hospital was named No. 3 in the U.S. News & World Report study of leading children's diabetes hospitals. Working as part of the team of researchers for the Baltimore Diabetes Research and Training Center (DRTC), the Johns Hopkins team recently zeroed in on what could be a promising new drug therapy for the disease. The $7.4 million training center is funded by the National Institutes of Health, and unites Johns Hopkins researchers with a team of 140 researchers from the University of Maryland School of Medicine and the Bloomberg School of Public Health to conduct community-level research on diabetes and obesity in children and adults.
Best Children's Hospitals: Cancer
At St. Jude's, no child is denied care because their family can't pay for treatment. Credit: Seth Dixon, St Jude Children's Research Hospital
Leah Heilman-Pollack was 11 when she was diagnosed with Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia (ALL). For nearly five years, the Portland, Ore., youngster virtually moved into the Doernbecher Children's Hospital's pediatric cancer ward, as she valiantly battled the disease. Two and a half years into treatment, she was diagnosed with myelodysplasia, the precursor to an even more serious form of leukemia. Leah would need a bone marrow stem cell transplant.
"During her cancer years, the treatment Leah received was amazing," says her mother, Laurie Heilman. "With both cancers, there are nationally established protocols that dictate the best-known and most thoroughly tested treatment regimens, so it's not as if she wouldn't have received the same medicines elsewhere."
