The News Review:
- Mental health and children
- Youth Health and Education Are Focus of Group’s Campaign
- Personal Health: News and Notes
- Whooping cough cases up
- Health Buzz: Half Dose of Flu Shot and Other Health News
- Many Children Now Rely on Alternative Remedies
Mental health and children
Los Angeles Times CA
How did Ronnie get labeled with such a potentially debilitating illness and prescribed eight powerful medications within such a short time span? Unfortunately his case isn’t unusual. For a variety of reasons bipolar diagnoses have become extremely popular. A Columbia University analysis of a National Center for Health Statistics survey found that the number of office visits for children diagnosed with bipolar disorder rose 40-fold between 1994 and 2003. The reasons for the surge in bipolar diagnoses are complex. Despite advances in neuroscience the brain especially the developing brain is still much of a mystery. More is unknown than known when it comes to effective treatment for children and adolescents with serious mental health problems. But that doesn’t stop doctors and parents from desperately wanting to believe there are simple solutions and what could be simpler than a pill? Since the 1980s when pharmaceutical companies were granted permission to market their products directly to consumers Americans have started believing that there is a drug to solve every discomfort and every mood.
Youth Health and Education Are Focus of Group’s Campaign
Washington Post United States
Brown (D) for its "Maryland Can Do Better for Children" campaign. The starting point for the Baltimore-based nonprofit group was a contradiction. Maryland is one of the country’s wealthiest states but ranks in the middle or worse in studies of infant mortality child health education and other measures of child and youth success. "We need to restructure what we’re doing" said Matthew Joseph the group’s executive director. "We are spending a lot of money on things that are not working. "The solutions advocated by the campaign that kicked off this month "are about government effectiveness" Joseph said. They stress the idea that prevention and early intervention can go a long way.
Personal Health: News and Notes
Philadelphia Inquirer PA
A new program at the Université de Montréal day-care center intervenes early and encourages children to express their anger more constructively. The program involves a series of "observation sessions" and then developing a plan to use personalized strategies. For instance a child who is upset by surprises may have to be briefed on what will happen on any given day. Another child who can’t stand to be touched may need to be seated farther from classmates. "It’s really important to intervene early – before violent behavior is too ingrained" said Jacinthe Guèvremont the interim director of the day care. That’s because "violent behavioral problems that persist in early childhood are good indicators of school drop-outs and future delinquency. " – Sandy BauersBreast-cancer drug Zometa reported to be effective in early study Women who received the drug Zometa for initial breast-cancer treatment had greater tumor shrinkage and were less likely to need radical surgery according to a preliminary study reported last week at a cancer conference in Texas.
Whooping cough cases up
Cincinnati.com OH
22 the Clermont County district knows of 25 reported cases of whooping cough in its schools – 22 elementary students two middle school students and one substitute teacher. Whooping cough is emerging in Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky as part of periodic spikes often occurring when the pertussis vaccination wanes. “This is not unusual” said Clermont County Health Commissioner Marty Lambert. “If you look at national statistics you usually see a little blip about every four years. This is our blip year. “Clermont County has been hit especially hard. The health district has received 47 reports of whooping cough since October.
Health Buzz: Half Dose of Flu Shot and Other Health News
U.S. News & World Report DC
Roughly 8 million LTC policies have been sold nationally. Most are purchased years in advance of any claims being made on the policies and are in fact marketed as a product that is more cost-effective if purchased early. Earlier this month insurer Conseco shifted more than 140000 long-term-care policies to Senior Health Insurance of Pennsylvania a not-for-profit trust that is supervised by the state.
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Many Children Now Rely on Alternative Remedies
New York Times United States
The survey results are based on data from more than 23000 interviews with American adults and more than 9400 interviews with adults on behalf of children in their households. The survey was conducted in 2007 as part of the annual National Health Interview Survey. It included questions about 36 common alternative therapies including 10 that are provider-based like chiropractic care and 26 that do not require a provider such as meditation. The last such survey of adult use of alternative therapies was conducted in 2002. Use of complementary therapies among adults has remained fairly steady in recent years with 38 percent of adults using some form of.
