Leo's younger sister Sydney most likely has Lyme. Although I've been immersed in her illness only since the beginning of September, it feels like ages. It's been very scary, a chronically ill child, not sleeping through the night, not knowing for sure what the hell is going on. But, it's been day 4 on Amoxycillin, and she seems like she's slowly getting better.
The second week of school she fell ill and stayed home all week with flu-like symptoms. My instinct told me this was something bigger than your run-of-the-mill illness. She had a fever that hovered between 101 and 102 for 5 days. It would break during the day, tricking me into thinking she was better. Her complaints were a pulsating frontal headache that would travel like a band around her head. A sore throat that felt like "sticks" inside. A sore chest, a stomach ache. Most bothersome were her arm and leg soreness, and neck pain. At this time she had no rash and no joint pain, the old school symptoms of Lyme. My instinct thought Lyme! I had heard of so many people with "atypical" symptoms that turned out to be NORMAL symptoms of Lyme that were like Sydney. My doctor said abdominal symptoms are not Lyme. I just stared at her, not starting a fight just yet. My doctor would only order a strep test that eventually came back negative, chalking it up to some other illness, probably viral.
Sydney got better after 6 days of being very sick, and I thought I was out of the woods. Ah, but what came FROM the woods.....
After a week of feeling better and no facial tics I was elated. I thought perhaps this virus pulled out whatever was the cause of her tics. But, slowly her arms and legs were sore on occasion, but then would go away. I thought maybe she had a small relapse, or maybe the virus was still making its exit. Getting worse and worse, all of her flu symptoms came back along with some of her facial tics. I felt overwhelmed and very panicky. My homeopathic remedies that once kept these symptoms at bay were no longer working.
As luck would have it I went to a Lyme seminar and got educated. Good timing, it was in my book for weeks. I was shocked to learn that within traditional western medicine there are two hotly debated camps about Lyme. One camp holds the original doctors that once thought Lyme was viral and were Rheumatoid Arthritis specialists. Their symptom checklist is very narrow, the bulls-eye rash, swollen joints, high fever. A short round of antibiotics does the trick, one-size-fits-all. This is whom the insurance companies and the CDC back because they don't want to pay for all the Lyme patients or their very long rounds of antibiotics. I thought hmm...., this must be the camp my pediatrician is in.
The other camp includes the chronic Lyme patients, the missed patients that went undiagnosed and untreated for sometimes years because they had different symptoms - migraine headaches, malaise, chronic fatigue, mental symptoms, psychiatric symptoms, and all of my daughter's symptoms. There it was on the list in black and white - abdominal pain, and even tics!
I also realized there were major arguments about testing instruments, and the CDC's survey test is what many doctors believe to be the accurate testing instrument, the Western Blot. It is actually not designed for diagnosis, but it's still used. Just crazy because it misses so many people. It also doesn't help that the spirochetes, the Lyme bacteria, are evasive and hide deep within the tissues. Antibodies are not always present, the bacteria change their coating, they make spores, really difficult creatures to catch.
I couldn't believe it. Here I was, an Autism mom that is so used to fighting traditional medicine. But now, I must figure out and fight within traditional medicine?
Realizing I was under the gun, I quickly went to the pediatrician that spoke, and she assessed my daughter and ordered a battery of testing from the "right" lab, IGeneX in Palo Alto, CA. I got on the phone and online, and after a week I read the latest book on Lyme, "Cure Unknown" by Pamela Weintraub, a science writer, a mom of 2 boys with Lyme, had Lyme herself, etc. Always the moms that figure this stuff out isn't it?? My first line of defense was to contact my Autism support group, the BEST group of moms I know, for their advice. Of course they came through and had the best info. Many kids with ASD have had Lyme, and have had these "atypical" symptoms that I found are NOT unusual at all. I don't know what I'd do without their support and caring. They email me to check on me, and I'm forever grateful.
I must admit that it was disappointing to see that I could not help my daughter with homeopathy. It's my passion, what I've been studying, and our first line of treatment for illness for years. In fact, Sydney has never been on antibiotics and rarely goes to the doctor because we've been able to treat her with remedies at home (with the consult of our homeopath). But, I must move on, and as much as I dislike the side-effects of antibiotics, they are really needed in this case. I feel guilty, but it's not logical. At least we know the damage, and I am giving her lots of probiotics and other support, including drainage remedies that are homeopathic.
Tic toc I am waiting for the results to come in. The irony is that I'm hoping for a positive test. Her CBC results were normal, so if it's not Lyme, we may have done the tests too soon or it could be something else. Scary. I hope I'm not in the position to where the meds don't work and I have to change them or fight for longer treatment. I'm working on finding an infectious disease person in my area that is willing to treat kids. Many of them have been sued or investigated by the CDC for their treatment of Lyme, so they've closed shop or moved. To think that peds give out antibiotics for so many things that aren't necessary like your garden variety ear infection, but when it comes to a major full-body infestation, you must beg and scream for antibiotics. You must find the right people, and like making a drug deal or something, figure it all out and try to get it covered by insurance.
The good news is that I know how to fight and I know how to research, the sliver lining of Autism.
Thursday, October 09, 2008
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Fish Reducing Eczema and Outdoor Pools Increase Asthma Risk
Fish in children's diet cuts eczema risk: study
Wed Sep 24, 10:01 pm ET
LONDON (Reuters) – Feeding babies as little as one portion of fish before they are nine months old may cut their risk of developing eczema, Swedish researchers said on Thursday.
Introducing fish of any type into the diet curbed the risk of contracting the skin condition by 25 percent compared with children who never ate it, Bernt Alm, a pediatrician at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden, and colleagues reported in the British Medical Journal.
"The main finding was that early introduction of fish was beneficial," Alm said in a telephone interview. "There was no link with the amount of fish or type of fish. We think it is more the timing of the introduction." Eczema is a chronic condition affecting between 10 and 15 percent of children that can cause the skin to become itchy, red, dry and cracked. It often affects those prone to allergies.The Swedish study is part of research tracking the long-term health of nearly 17,000 babies. The researchers found that genes played an important role in the development of eczema but breast-feeding and keeping a furry pet in the house had no effect.
Fish in the diet appeared to be important, but Alm said it would take further investigation to establish why. There was no extra protection from fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which provided other health benefits, Alm said. "It must have something to do with its influence on the developing immune system," he added.
(Reporting by Michael Kahn; Editing by Andrew Dobbie)
Copyright © 2008 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
Outdoor pools boost child's asthma risk: study
By Michael Kahn
Wed Sep 24, 7:07 pm ET
LONDON (Reuters) – Swimming in outdoor chlorinated pools appears to increase the odds a child will develop asthma, Belgian researchers said on Thursday. Other studies have linked chlorine and asthma but the new findings published in the European Respiratory Journal cast doubt on the idea outdoor pools are safer than indoor ones where chlorine vapors remains trapped inside an enclosed space."The more you swim, the higher the risk," said Alfred Bernard, a toxicologist at Catholic University of Louvain in Brussels, who led the study. "What is new in this study is that we looked at outdoor pools for the first time."
Asthma, which affects more than 300 million people worldwide, is the most common pediatric chronic illness. Symptoms include wheezing, shortness of breath, coughing and chest tightness.
Bernard and colleagues showed that outdoor pools are just as or more risky than indoor ones because harmful vapors remain at the pool surface and do not drift away. And because children tend to spend more time in pools they are more likely to swallow chlorinated water or ingest vapors containing chemicals that attack the cellular barriers protecting the lung from allergens, Bernard said. "We see that the risk of the outdoor pool is equal and even higher than indoor pools because children tend to spend longer in outdoor pools and they are more chlorinated," he said.
The Belgian team tested 847 students around the age of 15 for allergies and asthma and asked their parents about exposure to asthma risks such as tobacco smoke, pets and pollution, and how much time the children had spent in chlorinated pools.
The researchers determined that the risk for the 50 percent of children predisposed to allergies and asthma was directly related to the amount of time spent in a pool. Children with the highest pool attendance -- one hour per week for 10 years -- were five times more likely to be asthmatic than young people who had never swum in a pool, the study found.
"Young children are more exposed because they take more water into their airways and their lungs are still developing," Bernard said in a telephone interview.
(Reporting by Michael Kahn; Editing by Janet Lawrence)
Copyright © 2008 Reuters Limited.
Wed Sep 24, 10:01 pm ET
LONDON (Reuters) – Feeding babies as little as one portion of fish before they are nine months old may cut their risk of developing eczema, Swedish researchers said on Thursday.
Introducing fish of any type into the diet curbed the risk of contracting the skin condition by 25 percent compared with children who never ate it, Bernt Alm, a pediatrician at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden, and colleagues reported in the British Medical Journal.
"The main finding was that early introduction of fish was beneficial," Alm said in a telephone interview. "There was no link with the amount of fish or type of fish. We think it is more the timing of the introduction." Eczema is a chronic condition affecting between 10 and 15 percent of children that can cause the skin to become itchy, red, dry and cracked. It often affects those prone to allergies.The Swedish study is part of research tracking the long-term health of nearly 17,000 babies. The researchers found that genes played an important role in the development of eczema but breast-feeding and keeping a furry pet in the house had no effect.
Fish in the diet appeared to be important, but Alm said it would take further investigation to establish why. There was no extra protection from fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which provided other health benefits, Alm said. "It must have something to do with its influence on the developing immune system," he added.
(Reporting by Michael Kahn; Editing by Andrew Dobbie)
Copyright © 2008 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
Outdoor pools boost child's asthma risk: study
By Michael Kahn
Wed Sep 24, 7:07 pm ET
LONDON (Reuters) – Swimming in outdoor chlorinated pools appears to increase the odds a child will develop asthma, Belgian researchers said on Thursday. Other studies have linked chlorine and asthma but the new findings published in the European Respiratory Journal cast doubt on the idea outdoor pools are safer than indoor ones where chlorine vapors remains trapped inside an enclosed space."The more you swim, the higher the risk," said Alfred Bernard, a toxicologist at Catholic University of Louvain in Brussels, who led the study. "What is new in this study is that we looked at outdoor pools for the first time."
Asthma, which affects more than 300 million people worldwide, is the most common pediatric chronic illness. Symptoms include wheezing, shortness of breath, coughing and chest tightness.
Bernard and colleagues showed that outdoor pools are just as or more risky than indoor ones because harmful vapors remain at the pool surface and do not drift away. And because children tend to spend more time in pools they are more likely to swallow chlorinated water or ingest vapors containing chemicals that attack the cellular barriers protecting the lung from allergens, Bernard said. "We see that the risk of the outdoor pool is equal and even higher than indoor pools because children tend to spend longer in outdoor pools and they are more chlorinated," he said.
The Belgian team tested 847 students around the age of 15 for allergies and asthma and asked their parents about exposure to asthma risks such as tobacco smoke, pets and pollution, and how much time the children had spent in chlorinated pools.
The researchers determined that the risk for the 50 percent of children predisposed to allergies and asthma was directly related to the amount of time spent in a pool. Children with the highest pool attendance -- one hour per week for 10 years -- were five times more likely to be asthmatic than young people who had never swum in a pool, the study found.
"Young children are more exposed because they take more water into their airways and their lungs are still developing," Bernard said in a telephone interview.
(Reporting by Michael Kahn; Editing by Janet Lawrence)
Copyright © 2008 Reuters Limited.
Very interesting articles. Inhaling chlorine must be bad, period, end of story. It does kill stuff, which is why we use it, so it must be very taxing on the respiratory system, perhaps killing the lung "coating" surfactant, or somehow altering normal function of those exterior cells. I would've guessed only indoor pools did this.
Monday, September 22, 2008
The S%X Talk With My 7 Year Old
NOTE: I'm not spelling S%X out, because I don't want to be googled by gross child predators.
So I had the s%x talk with my daughter. It went surprisingly well, and she seemed to be ready for far more information than I expected. Note to self: Try to pay more attention to #2, she needs to learn how to tell time and how to tie her shoes (only because she's self conscious about it). Where has all the time gone?
So let me set the stage. We are in the car ALONE (good), driving to pick up Leo at baseball practice. We are listening to the soundtrack Juno, which is one of our faves. No, she hasn't seen the movie....It's perfect since we are driving, an activity, and we aren't face-to-face. Here's what happened:
Sydney: "Mom, what's the movie Juno about anyway?"
Mom: "It's a about a young high school girl Juno that gets pregnant. Do you remember what 'pregnant' means?"
Sydney: "Yes, it means you have a baby in you."
Mom: "Right."
Silence on the set, a few minutes pass.
Sydney: "So what happens to Juno? How did she get pregnant? HOW?"
Mom: "Well, she had sex with her boyfriend. That's how she got pregnant. Do you know what S%X means?"
Sydney: To my relief, she says "No."
Mom: "Well, remember how flowers have stamens and pollen?" I can't seem to remember my flower reproduction info.
Sydney: "Yeah"
Mom: "Remember how all animals including people have eggs if you are a girl? Well boys have something called sp$rm."
Sydney: "Yeah"
Mom: "Well, married people, and sometimes people that are dating have S%X. Insert drum roll here as I am sweating profusely now....The p$nis goes into the v$gina. That is S$X. That's how the egg and the sperm get together to make a baby."
Sydney: She has an unexplainable look on her face, not fear, but wonder and amazement and a little shock. A light bulb. She says, "Oh."
More silence, then we talk about other things for a few minutes.
Sydney: "So why did she do that? Didn't she know she could get pregnant?" Bonus points for Sydney! Insightful question!
Mom: "Well, you know how moms and dads hug and kiss? And sometimes boyfriends and girlfriends do that too? Well, in addition to s%x making babies, some people want to do it because they think it's fun. They like to do it. They must have gotten carried away and weren't thinking. They must have forgotten."
Sydney: "Is that what happened in the movie?"
Mom: "I don't know, the movie starts where she is already pregnant, and because she is too little to be a mommy, she goes to her parents and tells them. The whole movie is about Juno and her parents finding a mommy and daddy for her baby so she can go back to being a kid again. You remember how your Auntie is going to adopt because she can't have a baby in her tummy? Juno looks for someone like that, people that REALLY REALLY want to be a mommy and daddy so bad.
Sydney: "What happened. Did Juno find parents for her baby? "
Mom: "She did, and she went back to high school and was a regular kid again."
Sydney: More time passes and I think it's over. Then, I hear "So Mom, is that what you and daddy did to have me and Leo?" She has a somewhat embarrassed look on her face and a little bit of a smirky smile.
Mom: "Yes Sydney, that's what ALL parents do.
I immediately told my DH and said you gotta get on it with Leo. The kids may talk about it. You have the same equipment, so you have to do the "p$nis goes into the v$gina" stat! So the next day he did.
Leo says "Gross."
Yeah, we got it over with! Well, I'm sure there will be more layers to follow another day.
Standardized Testing Results
I had a big mommy day on Saturday. First, my 7 year old daughter annouces she's finally read to get her ears pierced (I've been waiting....). Then, we come home to find Leo's standardized test results in the mail. A wave of nausea and anxiety kicked in while I sit in the car and open the envelope. Here are the results:
Overall Results
Leo scored at goal level on all 3 tests (Reading, Writing, and Math). Goal level is level 4 out of 5 levels. I am so proud of him! What the results mean I'm not sure. We have definite areas where he tested low which brought down his score significantly. Is he testing close to what he knows? Not sure. All I know is he knows how to take an inane bubble test. Here are the details:
Math
Leo: 257
School Average: 265
District Average: 276
He tested low on these subtopics:
Customary and Metric Measurements
Integrated Understandings; Math Applications
Both of these areas make total sense with visual spacial problems.
Reading
Leo: 250
School Average: 256
District Average: 257
He tested low on these subtopics:
Examining the content and structure
Read comprehension raw score: 29 out of 40 (not sure if this gap is typical or not.
Writing
Leo: 274
School Average: 268
District Average: 272
He tested low on these subtopics:
Composing/Revising
The good news is that he is testing within normal range! And to top it off, I have some low results to guide me for specific support when Leo needs it. I'm going to research these areas along with anything the Yale report says to put together stuff for when we need it. Yeah! Nothing like being prepared, if only the rest of my life were like this.
I am wondering if there is any downside to sharing the results with Leo. I don't see any, I've always been honest about his challenges. Just not sure, what if he starts to compare results to his friends at school? Not that it should matter? Or should I protect the baby as long as possible. I'll have to think about it. Anyone, anyone?
Overall Results
Leo scored at goal level on all 3 tests (Reading, Writing, and Math). Goal level is level 4 out of 5 levels. I am so proud of him! What the results mean I'm not sure. We have definite areas where he tested low which brought down his score significantly. Is he testing close to what he knows? Not sure. All I know is he knows how to take an inane bubble test. Here are the details:
Math
Leo: 257
School Average: 265
District Average: 276
He tested low on these subtopics:
Customary and Metric Measurements
Integrated Understandings; Math Applications
Both of these areas make total sense with visual spacial problems.
Reading
Leo: 250
School Average: 256
District Average: 257
He tested low on these subtopics:
Examining the content and structure
Read comprehension raw score: 29 out of 40 (not sure if this gap is typical or not.
Writing
Leo: 274
School Average: 268
District Average: 272
He tested low on these subtopics:
Composing/Revising
The good news is that he is testing within normal range! And to top it off, I have some low results to guide me for specific support when Leo needs it. I'm going to research these areas along with anything the Yale report says to put together stuff for when we need it. Yeah! Nothing like being prepared, if only the rest of my life were like this.
I am wondering if there is any downside to sharing the results with Leo. I don't see any, I've always been honest about his challenges. Just not sure, what if he starts to compare results to his friends at school? Not that it should matter? Or should I protect the baby as long as possible. I'll have to think about it. Anyone, anyone?
Monday, September 15, 2008
First week of 4th Grade, He's Catching On
D.C. shoes are IN for both kids. They look like giant puffy clown shoes to me, but I guess I'm not the one wearing them!
Leo and Sydney got on the bus the first day of school like it was a normal day from the spring. No real excitement or anticipation, just business as usual. I, on the other hand, was fine until the bus appeared over the little hill, and my eyes started to well up. Sydney, now in 2nd grade, looks at me while reaching out to touch my shoulder, and says"It'll be okay, Mom." Leo, now in 4th grade, dutifully leaned over for an A frame and off they went, leaving me confused as to where all the time went. I logically know, but man, it's still tough for me.
Sydney and Leo are in the mediocre grades at our schools, they are both considered repeat/reinforcer years. 1st, 3rd, and 5th are challenging and demanding, they throw all the new stuff at them in these grades and let the dust settle in between. I kind of like this strategy, should be a fairly easy year with not very much homework.
But back to the first week, Leo HATES school. Each day he says how absolutely boring it is, and honestly I can't blame him. Now that he's older, they go to lunch later, and they have their specials first thing in the morning, so the day isn't broken up much. He tells me that he tries not to look at the clock, and when he finally does, only 5 or 10 minutes have passed and it "just sucks, Mom." I've been there, and he's finally catching on to the rest of his life. The cheerleading cushy fun energetic times are over I think. But I do like his teacher, a sweet older man, his first male teacher. He's very old school, very ernest, a sports fan, and has a dry sense of humor. It's probably a good fit even though he's not that exciting.
Leo learned that an instrument was optional this year and they do weekly pullouts, he signed up for violin just to escape! I rented the instrument, so hopefully he'll actually enjoy but either way I'm covered. I can already hear the violin practice....
The social makeup looks very good this year. A nice group of boys in Leo's class, including his BFF. We are thrilled because this boy is a great friend in every way, they learn from each other, and we like the parents. Leo is playing AAA fall ball and is loving it per usual. Most of the same kids, some a blast from the past, really fun. He's learning to pitch now, I really like how they take turns playing ALL the positions. I still can't believe he can catch a ball let alone play organized ball sports by choice. Leo takes his football to school every day, and they play touch football games at recess. A nice group of boys that broke off from a large group that are more competitive and aggressive. A turnoff for Leo, but the good news is that he isn't alone with these sentiments. He's happy with his friends, I am estatic about this.
Sydney had a good start, then got a flu that had her miss an entire week of school. She was so sick, I thought for a while she may have had strep or even Lyme. I still think both my kids have some sort of suppressed Lyme based on their makeup of face tics and environmental sensitivities. Her tests came back negative, but they wouldn't test her for blood, which is what I really wanted to see about Lyme. But they wouldn't because she had abdominal symptoms which in theory are not Lyme. Such a hotly debated topic that I need to learn more about. The silver lining was this flu caused her chronic symptoms to get better. After 5 months of chronic tics that kept changing and coming back, she has been tic free for a week. In this house, we have bouts of wellness, so I can say she is now well, no chronic or acute illness!
I'm still working on Leo, he has a minor cold that's almost better, and his tics are minor, about 85% better. We are on our way, a remedy that in theory addressed his underlying root illness seems to be helping. I can put him back on his regular remedy soon and see what happens.
So far so good. I'm still waiting for two big things - the Yale writeup and the standardized testing results that should be mailed to us over the next couple of weeks. With these two instruments I should have something to go on to plan for Leo's future support.
As far as I go, I'm busy studying for my homeopathy degree and slowly updating my main website, www.hiddenrecovery.com, in hopes I can finally publish an article I've ignored for a very long time. I just need to do it. I am feeling pretty good about things these days, the kids seem happy which makes mom happy. I can't complain (well, other than about Sarah Palin or the economy crisis).
Sunday, September 14, 2008
NY Times: Strep Throat That Was Lemiere's syndrome
September 14, 2008
DIAGNOSIS
The Strep Throat That Wasn't
By LISA SANDERS, M.D.
1.Symptoms
"I — can't — breathe," the boy gasped. There was panic in his voice and face. He moved restlessly in his hospital bed, tugging at the clear plastic mask covering his nose and mouth. An alarm sounded distantly, alerting the nurses to the boy's distress in the pediatric intensive-care unit of the Cardinal Glennon Children's Medical Center in St. Louis. Before the nurses could respond, the boy's mother replaced the oxygen mask, stroking his face and murmuring reassurances as if he were 7 years old rather than 17.
Dr. Jeremy Garrett, an associate professor of pediatrics at St. Louis University School of Medicine, was worried about the boy. When Garrett first saw him, early that morning, he wondered what this robust man-child was doing in the ward reserved for the very sickest children. At that point, the patient had a fever but otherwise looked well.
Since then, the boy's symptoms had become significantly worse. The amount of oxygen in his blood was terrifyingly low despite getting 100 percent oxygen through the mask covering the lower half of his face. (The air we typically breathe contains about 20 percent oxygen.) And he was breathing rapidly, at nearly three times the normal rate. He had episodes of shuddering, body-wrenching chills — where blanket after blanket couldn't warm him — followed by fevers as high as 105 degrees.
In reviewing the chart, Garrett saw that the boy had been well until six days earlier, when he awoke with a fever and sore throat. He saw his family doctor the next day, who diagnosed a strep throat and started the boy on a five-day course of azithromycin — an antibiotic widely used in part because it is convenient, needing to be taken only once each day. No strep test was done — probably, Garrett figured, because the diagnosis seemed obvious. Despite the antibiotics, the boy continued to spike fevers up to 102 degrees, and the pain and swelling had migrated from his throat to the right side of his neck.
The boy's parents took him to the hospital because something about the way he looked scared them. He wasn't confused, but his responses were slow and strangely deliberate.
2. Investigation
When the family arrived at the emergency department, the boy had a fever and was breathing rapidly. The right side of his neck was tender and slightly red. The rest of the exam was normal. A chest X-rayrevealed a few small patches of white in both lungs — areas that would normally show up as black. Blood tests indicated that the blood cells that fight infection were quite elevated. And most of those cells were immature forms, called bands, suggesting that many of the veteran fighter cells had already been destroyed by a serious infection.
The emergency-department doctors started the boy on two antibiotics for what they thought was probably a pneumonia. Although the patient didn't have much of a cough and the findings on the X-ray didn't seem significant enough to cause a week of fever and shortness of breath, the doctors couldn't find any other abnormality. After the boy's fever went up and his oxygen level went down 12 hours after his admission, Garrett added a third antibiotic and began to wonder what else this might be.
Garrett's concern was that a hidden infection was now seeding his lungs with flecks of infected tissue. That would explain the intermittent fever and patchy image on the chest X-ray. Was this endocarditis, an infection of the valves of the heart? Endocarditis can cause persistent fervers and desseminate infected tissue throughout the body. What about Lemierre's syndrome — a rare infection caused by bacteria that usually start in the tonsils but then invade the vessels of the neck, causing the blood to clot there and peppering the lungs with infected bits? The boy had complained of pain just below the right side of his jaw. Or was this an abscess hidden in the deep recesses of his tonsils? Such a walled-off pocket of infection might not respond to even the most powerful antibiotics.
As Garrett pored over the chart, he noted that each of these possibilities had already been considered. The boy had been seen by an cardiologist, ear, nose and throat specialist and an infectious-disease expert. An echocardiogram — an ultrasound of the heart — showed no sign of infection of his valves. He had an ultrasound of his neck as well to look for an abscess or clot in the vessels there. When none were found, doctors ruled out tonsillar abscess and Lemierre's. Blood cultures still had not given the doctors any clue what the infectious agent might be.
Overnight the boy's breathing continued to worsen. By early the next morning, he could no longer supply his body with the oxygen he needed, and he was put on a ventilator. Simply keeping the boy alive became the doctor's sole focus.
After three difficult days, the team finally was given a clue — though it was nearly missed. Garrett saw the resident looking through some papers in the boy's chart. What's that? he recalls asking. The blood cultures finally grew strange bacteria, the resident responded, but it was probably just contaminant. What was the bacteria? Garrett persisted. Something called Fusobacterium necrophorum. The identification of the bacteria told Garrett all he needed to know. The boy had Lemierre's disease.
The disease was named for Dr. Andre Lemierre, who in 1936 described an infection seen almost exclusively in adolescents and young adults that begins with a sore throat and progresses to a painful and swollen neck. From there, it usually travels to the lungs and sometimes to the brain as well. Before antibiotics, the disease was usually fatal. The widespread use of penicillin to treat sore throats during the 1960s and '70s virtually, if inadvertently, wiped out the disease. But in the last 20 years, Lemierre's has staged something of a comeback. Its reappearance is an unintended consequence of a more cautious use of antibiotics generally and the development of new drugs — like azithromycin, which this boy was given — that are easier to take and can treat strep but also turn out to be far less effective than penicillin against Lemierre's.
3. Resolution
Fusobacterium necrophorum is the most common cause of Lemierre's. The positive culture, along with the pain that moved from the boy's throat to his neck, led Garrett to diagnose the disease, even though the ultrasound had not shown evidence of a clot.
Garrett quickly changed the antibiotics. He chose one that he thought, at this point, would be even more effective than penicillin. Now that they had a diagnosis, maybe they could help this desperately ill young man.
Sometimes, if you just work hard enough to keep a patient alive — to keep the blood circulating and the lungs oxygenating — the body will be able to survive even a vicious illness. These are the miracles brought on by our technological advances. And yet there are times, there are patients, there are diseases in which all you do is simply not enough. The boy's lungs never recovered, and he was never able to breathe without the help of a machine. He died in the I.C.U. three weeks later. His family was at his bedside when he finally slipped away.
When the boy's mother told the doctor back home that her son had died, he cried like a baby, she told me. "I have never lost a patient — like this — completely unexpectedly," the doctor said recently, his voice wavering as he recalled that day. "Never lost one because I missed the diagnosis." He had never even heard of Lemierre's disease before this boy died from it, but he is determined never to miss the diagnosis again. He has changed his practice: now everyone with suspected strep will have a throat culture to check for both strep and Lemierre's. "Maybe that's overkill, and I'll probably end up treating too many of my patients with antibiotics," he added thoughtfully. "But I don't ever want to lose a patient like this again."
Copyright 2008 The New York Times Company
DIAGNOSIS
The Strep Throat That Wasn't
By LISA SANDERS, M.D.
1.Symptoms
"I — can't — breathe," the boy gasped. There was panic in his voice and face. He moved restlessly in his hospital bed, tugging at the clear plastic mask covering his nose and mouth. An alarm sounded distantly, alerting the nurses to the boy's distress in the pediatric intensive-care unit of the Cardinal Glennon Children's Medical Center in St. Louis. Before the nurses could respond, the boy's mother replaced the oxygen mask, stroking his face and murmuring reassurances as if he were 7 years old rather than 17.
Dr. Jeremy Garrett, an associate professor of pediatrics at St. Louis University School of Medicine, was worried about the boy. When Garrett first saw him, early that morning, he wondered what this robust man-child was doing in the ward reserved for the very sickest children. At that point, the patient had a fever but otherwise looked well.
Since then, the boy's symptoms had become significantly worse. The amount of oxygen in his blood was terrifyingly low despite getting 100 percent oxygen through the mask covering the lower half of his face. (The air we typically breathe contains about 20 percent oxygen.) And he was breathing rapidly, at nearly three times the normal rate. He had episodes of shuddering, body-wrenching chills — where blanket after blanket couldn't warm him — followed by fevers as high as 105 degrees.
In reviewing the chart, Garrett saw that the boy had been well until six days earlier, when he awoke with a fever and sore throat. He saw his family doctor the next day, who diagnosed a strep throat and started the boy on a five-day course of azithromycin — an antibiotic widely used in part because it is convenient, needing to be taken only once each day. No strep test was done — probably, Garrett figured, because the diagnosis seemed obvious. Despite the antibiotics, the boy continued to spike fevers up to 102 degrees, and the pain and swelling had migrated from his throat to the right side of his neck.
The boy's parents took him to the hospital because something about the way he looked scared them. He wasn't confused, but his responses were slow and strangely deliberate.
2. Investigation
When the family arrived at the emergency department, the boy had a fever and was breathing rapidly. The right side of his neck was tender and slightly red. The rest of the exam was normal. A chest X-rayrevealed a few small patches of white in both lungs — areas that would normally show up as black. Blood tests indicated that the blood cells that fight infection were quite elevated. And most of those cells were immature forms, called bands, suggesting that many of the veteran fighter cells had already been destroyed by a serious infection.
The emergency-department doctors started the boy on two antibiotics for what they thought was probably a pneumonia. Although the patient didn't have much of a cough and the findings on the X-ray didn't seem significant enough to cause a week of fever and shortness of breath, the doctors couldn't find any other abnormality. After the boy's fever went up and his oxygen level went down 12 hours after his admission, Garrett added a third antibiotic and began to wonder what else this might be.
Garrett's concern was that a hidden infection was now seeding his lungs with flecks of infected tissue. That would explain the intermittent fever and patchy image on the chest X-ray. Was this endocarditis, an infection of the valves of the heart? Endocarditis can cause persistent fervers and desseminate infected tissue throughout the body. What about Lemierre's syndrome — a rare infection caused by bacteria that usually start in the tonsils but then invade the vessels of the neck, causing the blood to clot there and peppering the lungs with infected bits? The boy had complained of pain just below the right side of his jaw. Or was this an abscess hidden in the deep recesses of his tonsils? Such a walled-off pocket of infection might not respond to even the most powerful antibiotics.
As Garrett pored over the chart, he noted that each of these possibilities had already been considered. The boy had been seen by an cardiologist, ear, nose and throat specialist and an infectious-disease expert. An echocardiogram — an ultrasound of the heart — showed no sign of infection of his valves. He had an ultrasound of his neck as well to look for an abscess or clot in the vessels there. When none were found, doctors ruled out tonsillar abscess and Lemierre's. Blood cultures still had not given the doctors any clue what the infectious agent might be.
Overnight the boy's breathing continued to worsen. By early the next morning, he could no longer supply his body with the oxygen he needed, and he was put on a ventilator. Simply keeping the boy alive became the doctor's sole focus.
After three difficult days, the team finally was given a clue — though it was nearly missed. Garrett saw the resident looking through some papers in the boy's chart. What's that? he recalls asking. The blood cultures finally grew strange bacteria, the resident responded, but it was probably just contaminant. What was the bacteria? Garrett persisted. Something called Fusobacterium necrophorum. The identification of the bacteria told Garrett all he needed to know. The boy had Lemierre's disease.
The disease was named for Dr. Andre Lemierre, who in 1936 described an infection seen almost exclusively in adolescents and young adults that begins with a sore throat and progresses to a painful and swollen neck. From there, it usually travels to the lungs and sometimes to the brain as well. Before antibiotics, the disease was usually fatal. The widespread use of penicillin to treat sore throats during the 1960s and '70s virtually, if inadvertently, wiped out the disease. But in the last 20 years, Lemierre's has staged something of a comeback. Its reappearance is an unintended consequence of a more cautious use of antibiotics generally and the development of new drugs — like azithromycin, which this boy was given — that are easier to take and can treat strep but also turn out to be far less effective than penicillin against Lemierre's.
3. Resolution
Fusobacterium necrophorum is the most common cause of Lemierre's. The positive culture, along with the pain that moved from the boy's throat to his neck, led Garrett to diagnose the disease, even though the ultrasound had not shown evidence of a clot.
Garrett quickly changed the antibiotics. He chose one that he thought, at this point, would be even more effective than penicillin. Now that they had a diagnosis, maybe they could help this desperately ill young man.
Sometimes, if you just work hard enough to keep a patient alive — to keep the blood circulating and the lungs oxygenating — the body will be able to survive even a vicious illness. These are the miracles brought on by our technological advances. And yet there are times, there are patients, there are diseases in which all you do is simply not enough. The boy's lungs never recovered, and he was never able to breathe without the help of a machine. He died in the I.C.U. three weeks later. His family was at his bedside when he finally slipped away.
When the boy's mother told the doctor back home that her son had died, he cried like a baby, she told me. "I have never lost a patient — like this — completely unexpectedly," the doctor said recently, his voice wavering as he recalled that day. "Never lost one because I missed the diagnosis." He had never even heard of Lemierre's disease before this boy died from it, but he is determined never to miss the diagnosis again. He has changed his practice: now everyone with suspected strep will have a throat culture to check for both strep and Lemierre's. "Maybe that's overkill, and I'll probably end up treating too many of my patients with antibiotics," he added thoughtfully. "But I don't ever want to lose a patient like this again."
Copyright 2008 The New York Times Company
So sad. Kind of makes you think about testing in general. A difficult choice for doctors because there is a cost associated with ordering tests for everyone. Hopefully this boy's death will raise awareness about Lemierre's. It's also hard on doctors that have never seen a "comeback" disease like Lemierre's. I think of whooping cough, even mumps or measles. My daughter had a very mild case of whooping cough that no one picked up but my homeopath. Younger doctors may have never seen a real case of it unless they are from another country. My heart goes out to the family of this boy as well as the doctor.
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Flu Shot and the Elderly
Flu shot does not cut risk of death in elderly
Fri Aug 29, 12:44 pm ET
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – While influenza vaccination does provide protection against catching the flu, it does not have a major impact on death in the elderly, contrary to what some studies have suggested, a new study suggests.
In prior studies, an impressive 50 percent reduction in death from any cause had been noted in elderly people who got a flu shot, but some researchers were skeptical of this degree of benefit, suggesting that it may have been the result of the "healthy user effect." The new study supports this line of thinking.
The study included more than 700 elderly people, half of whom had gotten a flu shot and half of whom had not. After controlling for a variety of factors that were largely not considered or simply not available in previous studies, the researchers concluded that any death benefit "if present at all, was very small and statistically non-significant and may simply be a healthy-user artifact that they were unable to identify."
"The healthy-user effect," study chief Dr. Sumit Majumdar of the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada explained in a statement, "is seen in what doctors often refer to as their 'good' patients -- patients who are well-informed about their health, who exercise regularly, do not smoke or have quit, drink only in moderation, watch what they eat, come in regularly for health maintenance visits and disease screenings, take their medications exactly as prescribed -- and quite religiously get vaccinated each year so as to stay healthy. Such attributes are almost impossible to capture in large scale studies using administrative databases."
"Over the last two decades in the United Sates, even while (flu) vaccination rates among the elderly have increased from 15 to 65 percent, there has been no commensurate decrease in hospital admissions or all-cause mortality," added co-investigator Dr. Dean T. Eurich, who is also with the University of Alberta.
"Further, only about 10 percent of winter-time deaths in the United States are attributable to influenza, thus to suggest that the vaccine can reduce 50 percent of deaths from all causes is implausible in our opinion," he added.
The study involved 352 patients given the vaccine and 352 matched control subjects. Overall, 85 percent of patients were over 64 years of age. Severe pneumonia was seen in 29 percent of patients and 12 percent of the patients died.
Flu vaccination was, in fact, associated with reduced mortality of about 50 percent (8 percent vs. 15 percent mortality in the vaccinated and unvaccinated groups, respectively), and this finding did not change after accounting for age, gender, or co-existing illnesses.
However, after adjusting for other potential confounders, including functional and socioeconomic status, the mortality reduction was weakened and no longer statistically significant.
"Previous studies were likely measuring a benefit not directly attributable to the vaccine itself, but something specific to the individuals who were vaccinated -- a healthy-user benefit or frailty bias," Eurich concluded in a statement.
SOURCE: American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, September 2008.
Copyright © 2008 Reuters Limited.
Fri Aug 29, 12:44 pm ET
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – While influenza vaccination does provide protection against catching the flu, it does not have a major impact on death in the elderly, contrary to what some studies have suggested, a new study suggests.
In prior studies, an impressive 50 percent reduction in death from any cause had been noted in elderly people who got a flu shot, but some researchers were skeptical of this degree of benefit, suggesting that it may have been the result of the "healthy user effect." The new study supports this line of thinking.
The study included more than 700 elderly people, half of whom had gotten a flu shot and half of whom had not. After controlling for a variety of factors that were largely not considered or simply not available in previous studies, the researchers concluded that any death benefit "if present at all, was very small and statistically non-significant and may simply be a healthy-user artifact that they were unable to identify."
"The healthy-user effect," study chief Dr. Sumit Majumdar of the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada explained in a statement, "is seen in what doctors often refer to as their 'good' patients -- patients who are well-informed about their health, who exercise regularly, do not smoke or have quit, drink only in moderation, watch what they eat, come in regularly for health maintenance visits and disease screenings, take their medications exactly as prescribed -- and quite religiously get vaccinated each year so as to stay healthy. Such attributes are almost impossible to capture in large scale studies using administrative databases."
"Over the last two decades in the United Sates, even while (flu) vaccination rates among the elderly have increased from 15 to 65 percent, there has been no commensurate decrease in hospital admissions or all-cause mortality," added co-investigator Dr. Dean T. Eurich, who is also with the University of Alberta.
"Further, only about 10 percent of winter-time deaths in the United States are attributable to influenza, thus to suggest that the vaccine can reduce 50 percent of deaths from all causes is implausible in our opinion," he added.
The study involved 352 patients given the vaccine and 352 matched control subjects. Overall, 85 percent of patients were over 64 years of age. Severe pneumonia was seen in 29 percent of patients and 12 percent of the patients died.
Flu vaccination was, in fact, associated with reduced mortality of about 50 percent (8 percent vs. 15 percent mortality in the vaccinated and unvaccinated groups, respectively), and this finding did not change after accounting for age, gender, or co-existing illnesses.
However, after adjusting for other potential confounders, including functional and socioeconomic status, the mortality reduction was weakened and no longer statistically significant.
"Previous studies were likely measuring a benefit not directly attributable to the vaccine itself, but something specific to the individuals who were vaccinated -- a healthy-user benefit or frailty bias," Eurich concluded in a statement.
SOURCE: American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, September 2008.
Copyright © 2008 Reuters Limited.
Very interesting. I wonder why how why now a study like this is funded and highlighted in a traditional medical journal. Maybe because of the ineffectiveness of the flu vaccine last year. As continue to see, it always comes down to economics. Who funded the study, maybe insurance companies since they foot the bill? When did they begin and end the study? Was it data already in existence? Non the less, it's very telling.
The Vaccine Debate
It's no secret that I am one of the many people that believe our vaccine protocol is one of the triggers to the Autism epidemic. Not just Thimerosal, but the entire childhood protocol. People don't read every blog entry I've posted, why would they? That being said, many people will make incorrect correlations or inferences about what my stance is about many topics I post, especially vaccines.
In a nutshell, I feel that ASD, ADHD/ADD, and many other disorders and delays have multiple causative factors and triggers. This list includes genes, our food supply, our environmental pollution, electromagnetic exposure, and other byproducts of modern living. Being human will always be complicated, and I think any one person thinking they have all the answers, especially a one-size-fits all answer, can only be incorrect. I don't believe all vaccines are bad. I have never been anti-vaccine. It's just what we have here today I view as disturbing and very wrong.
I've had the opportunity to know many children on the spectrum, all walking around with their own unique blend of Autism, their unique blend of causative factors, and their unique lifestyle scenario. Regressive form, congenital, what have you.
One day this issue will be behind us. That I know for sure, we just haven't hit rock bottom. At what cost, at what irreversible cost, no one can be certain.
My friend over at RecoveredFromAutism.com shared a great resource with me, called "Key realities about autism, vaccines, vaccine-injury compensation, Thimerosal, and autism-related research" by Paul G. Kinga, PhD and Gary S. Goldmanb, PhD. I couldn't figure out how to convert a PDF into html or something I could link to, so I apologize I don't have a direct way for you to see this research. If you are interested, I'd recommend using whatever research tool you like to find it, like a PubMed.
Anyway, that's "my story and I'm sticking to it", on my blog that is. Ashley
In a nutshell, I feel that ASD, ADHD/ADD, and many other disorders and delays have multiple causative factors and triggers. This list includes genes, our food supply, our environmental pollution, electromagnetic exposure, and other byproducts of modern living. Being human will always be complicated, and I think any one person thinking they have all the answers, especially a one-size-fits all answer, can only be incorrect. I don't believe all vaccines are bad. I have never been anti-vaccine. It's just what we have here today I view as disturbing and very wrong.
I've had the opportunity to know many children on the spectrum, all walking around with their own unique blend of Autism, their unique blend of causative factors, and their unique lifestyle scenario. Regressive form, congenital, what have you.
One day this issue will be behind us. That I know for sure, we just haven't hit rock bottom. At what cost, at what irreversible cost, no one can be certain.
My friend over at RecoveredFromAutism.com shared a great resource with me, called "Key realities about autism, vaccines, vaccine-injury compensation, Thimerosal, and autism-related research" by Paul G. Kinga, PhD and Gary S. Goldmanb, PhD. I couldn't figure out how to convert a PDF into html or something I could link to, so I apologize I don't have a direct way for you to see this research. If you are interested, I'd recommend using whatever research tool you like to find it, like a PubMed.
Anyway, that's "my story and I'm sticking to it", on my blog that is. Ashley
Friday, August 22, 2008
Strep Infection Doesn't Worsen Childhood Tics or OCD Symptoms
Oops, I forgot to post this when it came out....
Strep infection doesn't worsen childhood tics or OCD symptoms
by Will Boggs, MD
2008-06-16 13:29:56 -0400 (Reuters Health)
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Streptococcal infection does not cause exacerbations of childhood tics or obsessive-compulsive symptoms, according to a report in the June issue of Pediatrics.
"This study provides further evidence against the use of chronic antibiotic or immune-suppressing therapy to treat these patients, as has been suggested," Dr. Roger Kurlan from University of Rochester School of Medicine, New York told Reuters Health.
"Patients meeting criteria for PANDAS (pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders associated with streptococcal infections) seem to do fine with standard treatments for their symptoms of tics or obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)."
Dr. Kurlan and colleagues sought to determine whether there is a bona fide relationship between antecedent group A beta-hemolytic streptococcal (GABHS) infection and exacerbation of symptoms in 40 children who met the published diagnostic criteria for PANDAS, which included a temporal relationship between the course of illness and GABHS infection. These children were matched with 40 controls, who had OCD or a chronic tic.
Sixty-five clinical exacerbations occurred during the study; of these, 40 episodes occurred in 21 PANDAS children and 25 episodes were seen in 14 control children, the authors report, resulting in exacerbation rates of 0.56 per person-year for PANDAS children and 0.28 per person-year for control subjects.
PANDAS children, however, had more than three-times the GABHS infection rate than control children (0.43 versus 0.13 per person-year), the report indicates, and the higher risk of clinical exacerbation of tics or OCD for PANDAS children did not reach statistical significance.
Only 5 of the 64 total clinical exacerbations of tics and/or OCD occurred within 4 weeks of GABHS infection, and all 5 occurred in PANDAS subjects.
Based on a variety of time intervals and infection classifications, 75% to 92.5% of exacerbations in PANDAS children occurred with no observed evidence of a temporal relationship to GABHS infection, the investigators say.
"Our study results must be interpreted with caution," the researchers note, "because the number of clinical exacerbations and the number of GABHS infections observed were smaller than originally anticipated, particularly in control subjects."
"The most surprising result was that for children meeting criteria for PANDAS, so few of their exacerbations were linked to strep infection," Dr. Kurlan said.
"It remains unclear if the PANDAS hypothesis is true as presented," Dr. Kurlan concluded. In another trial the investigators "found no evidence of immune factors in association with clinical exacerbations in PANDAS cases, casting doubt on the autoimmune hypothesis."
Pediatrics 2008;121:1188-1197.
Copyright Reuters 2008.
Strep infection doesn't worsen childhood tics or OCD symptoms
by Will Boggs, MD
2008-06-16 13:29:56 -0400 (Reuters Health)
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Streptococcal infection does not cause exacerbations of childhood tics or obsessive-compulsive symptoms, according to a report in the June issue of Pediatrics.
"This study provides further evidence against the use of chronic antibiotic or immune-suppressing therapy to treat these patients, as has been suggested," Dr. Roger Kurlan from University of Rochester School of Medicine, New York told Reuters Health.
"Patients meeting criteria for PANDAS (pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders associated with streptococcal infections) seem to do fine with standard treatments for their symptoms of tics or obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)."
Dr. Kurlan and colleagues sought to determine whether there is a bona fide relationship between antecedent group A beta-hemolytic streptococcal (GABHS) infection and exacerbation of symptoms in 40 children who met the published diagnostic criteria for PANDAS, which included a temporal relationship between the course of illness and GABHS infection. These children were matched with 40 controls, who had OCD or a chronic tic.
Sixty-five clinical exacerbations occurred during the study; of these, 40 episodes occurred in 21 PANDAS children and 25 episodes were seen in 14 control children, the authors report, resulting in exacerbation rates of 0.56 per person-year for PANDAS children and 0.28 per person-year for control subjects.
PANDAS children, however, had more than three-times the GABHS infection rate than control children (0.43 versus 0.13 per person-year), the report indicates, and the higher risk of clinical exacerbation of tics or OCD for PANDAS children did not reach statistical significance.
Only 5 of the 64 total clinical exacerbations of tics and/or OCD occurred within 4 weeks of GABHS infection, and all 5 occurred in PANDAS subjects.
Based on a variety of time intervals and infection classifications, 75% to 92.5% of exacerbations in PANDAS children occurred with no observed evidence of a temporal relationship to GABHS infection, the investigators say.
"Our study results must be interpreted with caution," the researchers note, "because the number of clinical exacerbations and the number of GABHS infections observed were smaller than originally anticipated, particularly in control subjects."
"The most surprising result was that for children meeting criteria for PANDAS, so few of their exacerbations were linked to strep infection," Dr. Kurlan said.
"It remains unclear if the PANDAS hypothesis is true as presented," Dr. Kurlan concluded. In another trial the investigators "found no evidence of immune factors in association with clinical exacerbations in PANDAS cases, casting doubt on the autoimmune hypothesis."
Pediatrics 2008;121:1188-1197.
Copyright Reuters 2008.
This research is very interesting but doesn't convince me of no link. Obviously there IS a link in my own home and with the myriad of children I read about and see with my own eyes day after day in elementary classrooms. My children also do not meet the exact description of PANDAS as outlined by the Am. Academy of Pediatrics. Funny though, I thought the AAP didn't agree to a diagnostic criteria for PANDAS, referring to it only as a theory. Now in this publishing they refer to a criteria. Makes you wonder what is going on here. Bottom line is there are atypical responses to strep too numerous to ignore. Autoimmune reactions to strep, 5ths disease, Lyme, and many other illnesses is very disturbing and warrant immediate funding and attention. This is the future and it's obviously not going away.
I've written more posts on this topic. Also go to my Labels on the right and click on P.A.N.D.A.S. or strep.
Other Things I'm Pissed About
So the FDA went ahead and green lighted farmers to irradiate spinach and lettuce. Nice. Let's put a bandaide on the symptom rather than address the problem of industrialized farming. I am fuming!!!! I guess I'll be making more room in my garden for these veggies because I'm certainly not going to eat grocery store spinach no matter how many times they wash it.
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Vaccine Refusals Fuel Measles Outbreak
REUTERS
Vaccine refusals fuel measles outbreak
Parents refusing to have their children vaccinated against measles have helped drive cases of the illness to their worst levels in a dozen years in the United States, health officials reported on Thursday.
In 2008 alone, 131 cases of measles have been reported, with 15 serious enough to be hospitalized, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported.
Most of those infected were not vaccinated and there is no reason for any cases to occur when vaccines can prevent them, the CDC said in a weekly report on death and diseases.
"Measles can be a severe, life-threatening illness" the CDC's Dr. Anne Schuchat said in a statement. "These cases resulted primarily from failure to vaccinate, many because of philosophical or religious belief."
Only 13 percent of the cases were imported, the CDC said, naming Italy, Switzerland, Belgium, India, Israel, China, Germany, Pakistan, the Philippines, and Russia. "This is the lowest percentage of imported measles cases since 1996," the CDC report reads.
At least 15 patients, including four children younger than 15, were hospitalized, although no one has died, the CDC said.
"In the decade before the measles vaccination program began, an estimated 3 to 4 million persons in the United States were infected each year. Of these, 400 to 500 died, 48,000 were hospitalized, and another 1,000 developed chronic disability from measles encephalitis."
Encephalitis is a life-threatening inflammation of the brain that can be caused by viral infections such as measles.
More than 90 percent of the patients were not vaccinated, the CDC said, had no evidence of having been vaccinated, or were babies too young to have been vaccinated.
"Of the 95 patients eligible for vaccination, 63 were unvaccinated because of their or their parents' philosophical or religious beliefs," the CDC said.
Some religious groups refuse vaccination but many parents have fears that vaccines are unsafe or may cause conditions such as autism -- fears the CDC says are unfounded.
"Increases in the proportion of the population declining vaccination for themselves or their children might lead to large-scale outbreaks in the United States," the CDC said.
Outbreaks of measles are being reported now in Israel, Switzerland, Austria, Italy and Britain among people who are declining the vaccine.
British health officials said in June that measles had again become endemic for the first time since the mid-1990s due to parents declining to get their children vaccinated.
The last serious U.S. outbreak was in 1989-1991, when 55,000 people got measles and 123 died. The CDC said 55 cases of measles were reported in 2006.
Measles kills about 250,000 people a year globally, mostly children in poor nations. The disease causes fever, coughing, irritation of the eyes and a rash. Serious complications include encephalitis and pneumonia that can be fatal.
"Measles knows no borders, but can be prevented for less than one dollar per child in a developing country. We must be steadfast in our efforts to reduce measles cases globally," the Measles Initiative, which includes the American Red Cross, CDC and United Nations agencies, said in a statement.
(Reporting by Maggie Fox; Editing by Michael Kahn)
Copyright © 2008 Reuters Limited.
Vaccine refusals fuel measles outbreak
Parents refusing to have their children vaccinated against measles have helped drive cases of the illness to their worst levels in a dozen years in the United States, health officials reported on Thursday.
In 2008 alone, 131 cases of measles have been reported, with 15 serious enough to be hospitalized, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported.
Most of those infected were not vaccinated and there is no reason for any cases to occur when vaccines can prevent them, the CDC said in a weekly report on death and diseases.
"Measles can be a severe, life-threatening illness" the CDC's Dr. Anne Schuchat said in a statement. "These cases resulted primarily from failure to vaccinate, many because of philosophical or religious belief."
Only 13 percent of the cases were imported, the CDC said, naming Italy, Switzerland, Belgium, India, Israel, China, Germany, Pakistan, the Philippines, and Russia. "This is the lowest percentage of imported measles cases since 1996," the CDC report reads.
At least 15 patients, including four children younger than 15, were hospitalized, although no one has died, the CDC said.
"In the decade before the measles vaccination program began, an estimated 3 to 4 million persons in the United States were infected each year. Of these, 400 to 500 died, 48,000 were hospitalized, and another 1,000 developed chronic disability from measles encephalitis."
Encephalitis is a life-threatening inflammation of the brain that can be caused by viral infections such as measles.
More than 90 percent of the patients were not vaccinated, the CDC said, had no evidence of having been vaccinated, or were babies too young to have been vaccinated.
"Of the 95 patients eligible for vaccination, 63 were unvaccinated because of their or their parents' philosophical or religious beliefs," the CDC said.
Some religious groups refuse vaccination but many parents have fears that vaccines are unsafe or may cause conditions such as autism -- fears the CDC says are unfounded.
"Increases in the proportion of the population declining vaccination for themselves or their children might lead to large-scale outbreaks in the United States," the CDC said.
Outbreaks of measles are being reported now in Israel, Switzerland, Austria, Italy and Britain among people who are declining the vaccine.
British health officials said in June that measles had again become endemic for the first time since the mid-1990s due to parents declining to get their children vaccinated.
The last serious U.S. outbreak was in 1989-1991, when 55,000 people got measles and 123 died. The CDC said 55 cases of measles were reported in 2006.
Measles kills about 250,000 people a year globally, mostly children in poor nations. The disease causes fever, coughing, irritation of the eyes and a rash. Serious complications include encephalitis and pneumonia that can be fatal.
"Measles knows no borders, but can be prevented for less than one dollar per child in a developing country. We must be steadfast in our efforts to reduce measles cases globally," the Measles Initiative, which includes the American Red Cross, CDC and United Nations agencies, said in a statement.
(Reporting by Maggie Fox; Editing by Michael Kahn)
Copyright © 2008 Reuters Limited.
I am just LOVING this. Really! And not because I want everyone to get measles. Things may finally be coming to a head. Apparently having 1 in 150 kids pop up on the spectrum isn't enough. Human nature, things have to get worse for them to get better. And it always comes down to money. Maybe lots and lots of measles will force change within the child vaccine protocol.
Friday, August 15, 2008
FDA to hold meeting on baby bottle chemical (BPA)
FDA to hold meeting on baby bottle chemical
Fri Aug 15, 3:15 pm ET
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said on Friday it will hold a public meeting next month about the safety of a chemical found in baby bottles and many other products.
Environmental groups say the chemical, bisphenol A, can hurt children and animals. But the FDA and European regulators, as well as the plastics industry, say it is safe.
The National Toxicology Program, part of the U.S. government's National Institutes of Health, has issued a draft report expressing concern that bisphenol A could cause neural and behavioral problems in fetuses, infants and children.
The FDA said its meeting would focus on this.
The chemical, commonly known as BPA, is used in polycarbonate bottles, including water bottles and baby bottles, as well as the lining of cans including infant formula cans.
Environmental and consumer safety groups have pointed to studies that show the chemical can interfere with how the body absorbs the hormone estrogen, which is key to the development of young bodies.
The meeting, set for September 16, will welcome public input, the FDA said.
The agency has posted a draft assessment that says further study of the chemical's safety is badly needed, as there is not enough information now to judge whether people are taking in unsafe levels -- and what those unsafe levels might be.
Democratic U.S. senators in April introduced a bill to ban BPA in children's products. Canada is also moving to ban it.
U.S. states including California, Maryland, Minnesota and Michigan are considering bills to ban or restrict BPA in children's products.
But a scientific panel of the European Food Safety Authority said last month it had looked into how people metabolize BPA and concluded that the tiny amounts of the chemical to which humans are exposed leave the body quickly enough to cause no harm.
Some retailers and manufacturers have said they will stop using the chemical in some products.
(Reporting by Maggie Fox; Editing by Xavier Briand)
Copyright © 2008 Reuters Limited.
Fri Aug 15, 3:15 pm ET
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said on Friday it will hold a public meeting next month about the safety of a chemical found in baby bottles and many other products.
Environmental groups say the chemical, bisphenol A, can hurt children and animals. But the FDA and European regulators, as well as the plastics industry, say it is safe.
The National Toxicology Program, part of the U.S. government's National Institutes of Health, has issued a draft report expressing concern that bisphenol A could cause neural and behavioral problems in fetuses, infants and children.
The FDA said its meeting would focus on this.
The chemical, commonly known as BPA, is used in polycarbonate bottles, including water bottles and baby bottles, as well as the lining of cans including infant formula cans.
Environmental and consumer safety groups have pointed to studies that show the chemical can interfere with how the body absorbs the hormone estrogen, which is key to the development of young bodies.
The meeting, set for September 16, will welcome public input, the FDA said.
The agency has posted a draft assessment that says further study of the chemical's safety is badly needed, as there is not enough information now to judge whether people are taking in unsafe levels -- and what those unsafe levels might be.
Democratic U.S. senators in April introduced a bill to ban BPA in children's products. Canada is also moving to ban it.
U.S. states including California, Maryland, Minnesota and Michigan are considering bills to ban or restrict BPA in children's products.
But a scientific panel of the European Food Safety Authority said last month it had looked into how people metabolize BPA and concluded that the tiny amounts of the chemical to which humans are exposed leave the body quickly enough to cause no harm.
Some retailers and manufacturers have said they will stop using the chemical in some products.
(Reporting by Maggie Fox; Editing by Xavier Briand)
Copyright © 2008 Reuters Limited.
In case you hadn't seen this earlier this year....As always, one of the last lines in an FDA related story is the most telling. Yeah, maybe we should look into how people metabolize BPA. Or perhaps NOT metabolize it as with our ASD children and 1 in 6 children today with developmental delays or disorders. Yeah, maybe we SHOULD look into if it's "leaving the body quickly enough to cause no harm." Hmm...well you have these bottles, then you got your chemicals in food, and the toxins we breathe in and touch. Hmm...will one day they realize how big this really is?
Sunday, July 20, 2008
FDA Looking for Recruits
FDA Launches Fellowship Program To Develop Pipeline Of Scientists, Other Professionals
Article Date: 19 Jul 2008
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today announced it is launching a two-year fellowship program aimed at attracting scientists, engineers and health professionals to the agency. The FDA Commissioner's Fellowship Program will provide participants with advanced training in the scientific analysis involved in the safety and regulatory decisions unique to the agency's mission.
"Attracting the best scientists to FDA helps us make timely decisions and give doctors and patients helpful and accurate advice about treatment options. And timely decisions encourage more investment in developing new drugs and better medical devices," said Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services Tevi D. Troy. "The FDA Commissioner's Fellowship Program will not only bring great fellows in the door, but encourage them to make FDA their career."
Article Date: 19 Jul 2008
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today announced it is launching a two-year fellowship program aimed at attracting scientists, engineers and health professionals to the agency. The FDA Commissioner's Fellowship Program will provide participants with advanced training in the scientific analysis involved in the safety and regulatory decisions unique to the agency's mission.
"Attracting the best scientists to FDA helps us make timely decisions and give doctors and patients helpful and accurate advice about treatment options. And timely decisions encourage more investment in developing new drugs and better medical devices," said Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services Tevi D. Troy. "The FDA Commissioner's Fellowship Program will not only bring great fellows in the door, but encourage them to make FDA their career."
I find this completely hilarious. And so telling don't you think? They are not brave enough to make the right decisions by standing up to special interest groups, but are brave enough to say they are in trouble. Trouble indeed for future government which means trouble for us. Even more mistakes, ineptness.
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Back To Yale
Yale contacted us to see if Leo could participate in a couple of longitudinal studies that required children born in 1998 that had made progress. I am not sure what their criteria was for progress, but the invitation to go made me investigate this possibility of going back to ground zero. Cutting to the chase, Leo officially lost his diagnosis by Yale, the evaluators that originally diagnosed him.
But here is the back story...Yale diagnosed Leo at 24 months, and assessed him two other times (at 3 and 5). I am eternally grateful for their comprehensive testing and detailed lengthy reports. Our springboard to direction, and eventually goals and objectives that would be carried out by various therapists for years.
At our last evaluation, Leo (just turning 5) still met the diagnostic criteria for an ASD. I didn't care so much about that, but what may have been uncovered during this evaluation that would help us hone in on therapy. After all, this was our 3rd year of preschool and I wanted to perfect his program so that he could go to elementary school with as little support as possible. Yale gave us his current deficits which validated our direction and our goals. It wasn't until 6 months after that eval. our therapy team said we need to construct a "fading program". In the midst of litigation and getting our house appraised for selling (so we could afford it all), I wasn't capable of believing anything as crazy as no therapy.
But, it indeed happened a year later. Leo was no longer disabled as far as we could tell. There was nothing left to teach him. He still had struggles (see previous posting), but he was happy and learning with no support. I had to let go of those precious daily records provided by our shadows. I had to let go of knowing that Leo was taken care of.
Interestingly, I routinely got emails from parents, therapists, and teachers, asking me if I ever got an official from a doctor. I said no, that I didn't feel I needed that. I learned to trust myself and the therapy team to decide what Leo needed. It bothered me though, that the skeptics, my "fans" didn't believe that Leo was functioning at this level because I am just a mom saying so. It still blows my mind how educated smart people will only believe traditional doctors.
After a little soul searching, I let go of my desire to prove our outcome . A fight I can never win. A person has to be open and accepting that our kids CAN make dramatic progress, can even recover, when they are given what they need. A person has to look beyond their own experience and their "baggage". I entertained it for a couple weeks though, thinking I could drag Leo out of school and spend five thousand dollars on an evaluation that wouldn't serve in his interest. No thanks. I figured I'd save the money for when he really needed it.
So here I was with an invitation for a free evaluation. What's a mom to do? I weighed the pros and cons.
Pros: 1) A free evaluation that may provide us with deficits that are now apparent 4 years later. 2) It's the right thing to do. 3) Because of Leo's anonymity, I can't shout out to the world what has happened with good ABA and the diet. No hocus pocus. Just the stuff you hear about day after day. I knew telling Yale (I filled out a 10 page form just on his therapy schedules) would be a way to shout. Telling them will go a long way. After all, they are doctors.
Cons: 1) P.T.S.S. for me, exhausting for Leo. 2) I may have to prematurely tell Leo about the label of Autism. That there is a name for all the stuff he knows about himself. Our plan was to wait until he needed to know, taking cues from him. 3) I questioned whether it may be too much to ask of Leo. He may miss a Little League game, he may feel it's so much.
After having long talks with him, he said he wanted to do it. So I prepared for our action-packed two days at Yale. Leo liked the fact he'd get an ITunes gift card for his participation. He did the ADOS and the CELF while I did the ADI and the Vineland. I filled out other measurements - parent and behavior. They were fascinating. I must have filled out almost 20 different surveys on top of all the interviewing. It was exhausting. Leo did an EEG, we both did blood tests.
The first day the evaluators (totally 6 in all including our "handler") seemed aloof and wary. I thought, hmm....scientist personalities or what? I insisted on meeting with our initial evaluator, one of the people that originally diagnosed him. I immediately burst into tears after not feeling teary all day. The meeting was a little forced, Leo didn't remember her, and it was hard because I couldn't talk about Leo since he was with us.
The next day seemed a bit better. I ran into that original evaluator and she seemed more available. I was able to take her aside and share the good news about Leo's functioning level and thank her for all that she's done for us. It was a great conversation, I felt I shared what I felt I needed to say, and I felt like I had some closure. At the end of the day, I got an unanticipated "wrap-up" where the lead evaluator went over her observations. She was very warm and friendly and immediately told me Leo no longer meets the diagnostic criteria for an ASD.
I wasn't surprised by the news but it got me teary. It's not all in my mind or something. I was really shocked because she was able to give me this information when I knew the testing was for their research, not specifically for us. She also told me this is so rare to tell a parent this news. That they regularly tell parents their child still has symptoms of Autism. Their behavior all made sense to me now - they didn't BELIEVE me, they just put up with my high-maintenance requests about anonymity and not using the word Autism around Leo. There was a shift in the air - the entire team seemed very happy.
They also noted that Leo appears to have a visual spacial processing deficit. She wasn't exactly sure what it means yet, but was going to process the testing and consult with the other evaluators. This area tested within the normal range, but with approximately a 20 point deviation away from all his other numbers. This led her to believe there may be an issue. Leo may have non-verbal learning disorder. Or it may be a milder deficit. I'll find out soon when they send my a write-up, another pleasant surprise. I love facts and figures (no surprise, right). They'll have 4 assessments to compare. I won't be thrilled if there's a new disability to learn about - I am already busy working on a new degree in Homeopathy and my endless search for my children's facial tics. But I know I have no place to complain.
For now, there's nothing to do about this deficit. She thinks perhaps high school math may be a problem. I love having this information - I can prepare. If any parent can take away any learning from reading this post, look how valuable it is to have regular assessments done. Expensive, hard to find at times, but the pay-off is exponential.
But here is the back story...Yale diagnosed Leo at 24 months, and assessed him two other times (at 3 and 5). I am eternally grateful for their comprehensive testing and detailed lengthy reports. Our springboard to direction, and eventually goals and objectives that would be carried out by various therapists for years.
At our last evaluation, Leo (just turning 5) still met the diagnostic criteria for an ASD. I didn't care so much about that, but what may have been uncovered during this evaluation that would help us hone in on therapy. After all, this was our 3rd year of preschool and I wanted to perfect his program so that he could go to elementary school with as little support as possible. Yale gave us his current deficits which validated our direction and our goals. It wasn't until 6 months after that eval. our therapy team said we need to construct a "fading program". In the midst of litigation and getting our house appraised for selling (so we could afford it all), I wasn't capable of believing anything as crazy as no therapy.
But, it indeed happened a year later. Leo was no longer disabled as far as we could tell. There was nothing left to teach him. He still had struggles (see previous posting), but he was happy and learning with no support. I had to let go of those precious daily records provided by our shadows. I had to let go of knowing that Leo was taken care of.
Interestingly, I routinely got emails from parents, therapists, and teachers, asking me if I ever got an official from a doctor. I said no, that I didn't feel I needed that. I learned to trust myself and the therapy team to decide what Leo needed. It bothered me though, that the skeptics, my "fans" didn't believe that Leo was functioning at this level because I am just a mom saying so. It still blows my mind how educated smart people will only believe traditional doctors.
After a little soul searching, I let go of my desire to prove our outcome . A fight I can never win. A person has to be open and accepting that our kids CAN make dramatic progress, can even recover, when they are given what they need. A person has to look beyond their own experience and their "baggage". I entertained it for a couple weeks though, thinking I could drag Leo out of school and spend five thousand dollars on an evaluation that wouldn't serve in his interest. No thanks. I figured I'd save the money for when he really needed it.
So here I was with an invitation for a free evaluation. What's a mom to do? I weighed the pros and cons.
Pros: 1) A free evaluation that may provide us with deficits that are now apparent 4 years later. 2) It's the right thing to do. 3) Because of Leo's anonymity, I can't shout out to the world what has happened with good ABA and the diet. No hocus pocus. Just the stuff you hear about day after day. I knew telling Yale (I filled out a 10 page form just on his therapy schedules) would be a way to shout. Telling them will go a long way. After all, they are doctors.
Cons: 1) P.T.S.S. for me, exhausting for Leo. 2) I may have to prematurely tell Leo about the label of Autism. That there is a name for all the stuff he knows about himself. Our plan was to wait until he needed to know, taking cues from him. 3) I questioned whether it may be too much to ask of Leo. He may miss a Little League game, he may feel it's so much.
After having long talks with him, he said he wanted to do it. So I prepared for our action-packed two days at Yale. Leo liked the fact he'd get an ITunes gift card for his participation. He did the ADOS and the CELF while I did the ADI and the Vineland. I filled out other measurements - parent and behavior. They were fascinating. I must have filled out almost 20 different surveys on top of all the interviewing. It was exhausting. Leo did an EEG, we both did blood tests.
The first day the evaluators (totally 6 in all including our "handler") seemed aloof and wary. I thought, hmm....scientist personalities or what? I insisted on meeting with our initial evaluator, one of the people that originally diagnosed him. I immediately burst into tears after not feeling teary all day. The meeting was a little forced, Leo didn't remember her, and it was hard because I couldn't talk about Leo since he was with us.
The next day seemed a bit better. I ran into that original evaluator and she seemed more available. I was able to take her aside and share the good news about Leo's functioning level and thank her for all that she's done for us. It was a great conversation, I felt I shared what I felt I needed to say, and I felt like I had some closure. At the end of the day, I got an unanticipated "wrap-up" where the lead evaluator went over her observations. She was very warm and friendly and immediately told me Leo no longer meets the diagnostic criteria for an ASD.
I wasn't surprised by the news but it got me teary. It's not all in my mind or something. I was really shocked because she was able to give me this information when I knew the testing was for their research, not specifically for us. She also told me this is so rare to tell a parent this news. That they regularly tell parents their child still has symptoms of Autism. Their behavior all made sense to me now - they didn't BELIEVE me, they just put up with my high-maintenance requests about anonymity and not using the word Autism around Leo. There was a shift in the air - the entire team seemed very happy.
They also noted that Leo appears to have a visual spacial processing deficit. She wasn't exactly sure what it means yet, but was going to process the testing and consult with the other evaluators. This area tested within the normal range, but with approximately a 20 point deviation away from all his other numbers. This led her to believe there may be an issue. Leo may have non-verbal learning disorder. Or it may be a milder deficit. I'll find out soon when they send my a write-up, another pleasant surprise. I love facts and figures (no surprise, right). They'll have 4 assessments to compare. I won't be thrilled if there's a new disability to learn about - I am already busy working on a new degree in Homeopathy and my endless search for my children's facial tics. But I know I have no place to complain.
For now, there's nothing to do about this deficit. She thinks perhaps high school math may be a problem. I love having this information - I can prepare. If any parent can take away any learning from reading this post, look how valuable it is to have regular assessments done. Expensive, hard to find at times, but the pay-off is exponential.
May and June Highlights
Third grade ended with nothing exciting to report. Our final Parent/Teacher conference was more of the same. He ended his marker year with anonymity intact and no learning issues. His talking out-of-turn seems to be under control, as it hadn't come up on the report card or the conference. Even in math, a topic that prompted this to happen last year. Leo had a different teacher for math, and while she said he is a "talker", it didn't appear to be an issue. Without arising suspicion, I casually asked about how Leo seemed to do with the standardized testing. She said he did great, whatever that means.
But, paranoia aside, I think Leo's 3rd grade year was a success both academically and socially. Most importantly, he's a happy person that is confident and secure in his environment. What else, really, is a mother to want? He's now viewed as one of the "older" elementary school kids. You'll find him spending most of his time surfing for 70's classic rock music on ITunes, his new favorite genre thanks to Guitar Hero. At school, they made CD trades of music and bartered sharpened pencils for cough drops, squishies, and yellow highlighters. He's saving his allowance for a pair of D.C. shoes, and prefers to only wear sports shorts with those slick exercise shirts that look like sun shirts. I can barely keep up. He gets a few calls a week, mostly from his 3rd grade BFF. They trade Bakugons and scheme about how to get more from classmates at school.
Pool Politics: I've seen a snapshot into the future so far as I've watched the "gang" of 8 to 10 year olds at the local pool. They move in a pack, back and forth from the water to the sanded volleyball court. They spend about 10 minutes "debating" during the transition about what to play next, how to divide into teams if needed. The group leader is a boy that Leo went to preschool with. Back in the day he wasn't a very nice boy. We had a bus incident early on in 1st grade with this same kid. Today, he's not one of Leo's preferred boys to play with, but will play with him if there's no one else.
I see Leo right in the middle of it all, participating, waiting. I can't hear what they are saying, but I see him and I am in awe because he looks content and natural in the group. I'll never forget what he used to look like and how he'd struggle joining a group. He used to be always one or two steps behind as his playmates had already moved on. He'd still be playing dinosaurs while the boys had moved on to transformers.
Leo doesn't seem to miss any cues, goes with the flow, often playing something he doesn't really want to because he prefers to play with the group. Funny though, he'll often break off with one or two boys and do something else if the discussion takes longer. I wonder if this is typical, a preference of how much politics you want to put up with. I asked him if he understood what was happening, thinking maybe he was missing stuff. But it appears no, he was able to fully explain the situation and said it was "boring" to wait for it all to work out. When asked if he'd share what HE wanted to do, he said yes. I can believe that because in small groups of 2, 3 or 4 boys, he'll often iniitate ideas and naturally take the lead if they let him.
At the end of last year, he'd come back by himself sometimes if things got heated - say, the 5th grade boys taking over the court, if the arguing went on and on. It seems to bother him less, and it seems like he's comfortable enough to find something to do, with our without participating in a large group. Leo will always avoid conflict if he can. He said "we were here first" for the first time. But if the 5th graders don't budge, he'll walk away and complain it's not fair. As his mom, I know it would be suicide for me to say anything. If this continues, I'll have the pool manager observe and remind the older boys not to act like bullies and share the court.
Conversations: Leo and me (and dad) have had amazing conversations recently. So interesting how time goes by and we can go another layer deep about the war in Iraq, the election, and other current events. I'd find him looking at the election coverage on CNN up until Hilary lost. He loved voting this year as always. Like many kids feel, Leo thinks war is stupid.
Still A Kid: I've appreciated watching Leo still play Webkins with his younger sister. They've made up their own very sophisticated world where they 'babysit" each other's animals, and take on these elaborate personalities for each animal. He loves to play with the dog in the kiddie pool, play in the mud with Sydney, and still plays superheroes with some of his kindergarten friends.
Theory Of Mind Tidbit: We somehow started talking about Leo's classmates, and he began talking about how his teacher calls on certain people in certain situations. He noticed that a boy that never raises his hand will get called on the rare time he does do it. He seems to know the pecking order, and who favorites are, etc. None of it seems to bother him a bit, and finds it interesting. He is certainly a real behaviorist now.
Brain Fog and Face Tics: We had our usual couple day visit from "brain fog" where Leo acts like his old self and has an off-spectrumy day. It's still very distressing when he's that out-of-it. Our homeopath is close to recommending a remedy that will address it. Leo's tics came back the last month - they are not as strong as last time, and I've found a couple of homeopathic remedies that really help. My hope is that we can nail the tics permanently - I am positive we can do it! For Sydney also - hers are worse.
Little League: This was a great experience for Leo - he played AA and really learned how to play better and consistently hit the ball. He looked forward to every game and every practice, even riding me about getting ready and being there on time. It was really fun watching him this year while chatting with the other parents. I still am amazed by him, a kid that was so fearful of the ball and had a gazillion hours of OT and PT to get over numerous SI issues.
Yale: We had a very positive but draining experience at the Yale Child Study Center. Leo participated in a Longitudinal study and a couple other studies for ASD kids. Leo officially lost his diagnosis, which I'll be posting about later.
But, paranoia aside, I think Leo's 3rd grade year was a success both academically and socially. Most importantly, he's a happy person that is confident and secure in his environment. What else, really, is a mother to want? He's now viewed as one of the "older" elementary school kids. You'll find him spending most of his time surfing for 70's classic rock music on ITunes, his new favorite genre thanks to Guitar Hero. At school, they made CD trades of music and bartered sharpened pencils for cough drops, squishies, and yellow highlighters. He's saving his allowance for a pair of D.C. shoes, and prefers to only wear sports shorts with those slick exercise shirts that look like sun shirts. I can barely keep up. He gets a few calls a week, mostly from his 3rd grade BFF. They trade Bakugons and scheme about how to get more from classmates at school.
Pool Politics: I've seen a snapshot into the future so far as I've watched the "gang" of 8 to 10 year olds at the local pool. They move in a pack, back and forth from the water to the sanded volleyball court. They spend about 10 minutes "debating" during the transition about what to play next, how to divide into teams if needed. The group leader is a boy that Leo went to preschool with. Back in the day he wasn't a very nice boy. We had a bus incident early on in 1st grade with this same kid. Today, he's not one of Leo's preferred boys to play with, but will play with him if there's no one else.
I see Leo right in the middle of it all, participating, waiting. I can't hear what they are saying, but I see him and I am in awe because he looks content and natural in the group. I'll never forget what he used to look like and how he'd struggle joining a group. He used to be always one or two steps behind as his playmates had already moved on. He'd still be playing dinosaurs while the boys had moved on to transformers.
Leo doesn't seem to miss any cues, goes with the flow, often playing something he doesn't really want to because he prefers to play with the group. Funny though, he'll often break off with one or two boys and do something else if the discussion takes longer. I wonder if this is typical, a preference of how much politics you want to put up with. I asked him if he understood what was happening, thinking maybe he was missing stuff. But it appears no, he was able to fully explain the situation and said it was "boring" to wait for it all to work out. When asked if he'd share what HE wanted to do, he said yes. I can believe that because in small groups of 2, 3 or 4 boys, he'll often iniitate ideas and naturally take the lead if they let him.
At the end of last year, he'd come back by himself sometimes if things got heated - say, the 5th grade boys taking over the court, if the arguing went on and on. It seems to bother him less, and it seems like he's comfortable enough to find something to do, with our without participating in a large group. Leo will always avoid conflict if he can. He said "we were here first" for the first time. But if the 5th graders don't budge, he'll walk away and complain it's not fair. As his mom, I know it would be suicide for me to say anything. If this continues, I'll have the pool manager observe and remind the older boys not to act like bullies and share the court.
Conversations: Leo and me (and dad) have had amazing conversations recently. So interesting how time goes by and we can go another layer deep about the war in Iraq, the election, and other current events. I'd find him looking at the election coverage on CNN up until Hilary lost. He loved voting this year as always. Like many kids feel, Leo thinks war is stupid.
Still A Kid: I've appreciated watching Leo still play Webkins with his younger sister. They've made up their own very sophisticated world where they 'babysit" each other's animals, and take on these elaborate personalities for each animal. He loves to play with the dog in the kiddie pool, play in the mud with Sydney, and still plays superheroes with some of his kindergarten friends.
Theory Of Mind Tidbit: We somehow started talking about Leo's classmates, and he began talking about how his teacher calls on certain people in certain situations. He noticed that a boy that never raises his hand will get called on the rare time he does do it. He seems to know the pecking order, and who favorites are, etc. None of it seems to bother him a bit, and finds it interesting. He is certainly a real behaviorist now.
Brain Fog and Face Tics: We had our usual couple day visit from "brain fog" where Leo acts like his old self and has an off-spectrumy day. It's still very distressing when he's that out-of-it. Our homeopath is close to recommending a remedy that will address it. Leo's tics came back the last month - they are not as strong as last time, and I've found a couple of homeopathic remedies that really help. My hope is that we can nail the tics permanently - I am positive we can do it! For Sydney also - hers are worse.
Little League: This was a great experience for Leo - he played AA and really learned how to play better and consistently hit the ball. He looked forward to every game and every practice, even riding me about getting ready and being there on time. It was really fun watching him this year while chatting with the other parents. I still am amazed by him, a kid that was so fearful of the ball and had a gazillion hours of OT and PT to get over numerous SI issues.
Yale: We had a very positive but draining experience at the Yale Child Study Center. Leo participated in a Longitudinal study and a couple other studies for ASD kids. Leo officially lost his diagnosis, which I'll be posting about later.
Advisory Panel Approves 2 New Combination Vaccines
June 26, 2008
Advisory Panel Approves 2 New Combination Vaccines
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Filed at 5:55 p.m. ET
ATLANTA (AP) -- A federal advisory panel on Thursday endorsed two new combination vaccines designed to reduce the number of needle sticks that young children must endure to get the recommended immunizations.
The panel gave its nod to a four-in-one shot made by GlaxoSmithKline. It offers protection against diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis and polio and costs $45. It's given once to preschool-aged children.
Also getting approval was Sanofi Pasteur's five-in-one shot for diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, polio and illness due to Haemophilus influenzae type b, or HiB. It costs about $69. Youngsters get four doses by age 2.
Both combinations shots were recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration. The combo shots don't change the recommended vaccine schedule, just the number of needle jabs needed.
The vaccine advisory panel OK'd the shots for the federal Vaccines for Children program, which pays for vaccinations for about 36 million children who are covered by Medicaid, are uninsured or meet other eligibility guidelines.
The panel's recommendations are also considered influential with private health insurers.
The approval brings to six the number of multi-disease combination vaccines available to children.
Dr. Gregory Wallace, chief of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Vaccine Supply and Assurance Branch, said he expects more combination vaccines to become available.
The availability of both combination vaccines and individual vaccines will likely cause confusion and storage issues at many doctor's offices, panel members acknowledged.
Copyright 2008 The Associated Press
Advisory Panel Approves 2 New Combination Vaccines
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Filed at 5:55 p.m. ET
ATLANTA (AP) -- A federal advisory panel on Thursday endorsed two new combination vaccines designed to reduce the number of needle sticks that young children must endure to get the recommended immunizations.
The panel gave its nod to a four-in-one shot made by GlaxoSmithKline. It offers protection against diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis and polio and costs $45. It's given once to preschool-aged children.
Also getting approval was Sanofi Pasteur's five-in-one shot for diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, polio and illness due to Haemophilus influenzae type b, or HiB. It costs about $69. Youngsters get four doses by age 2.
Both combinations shots were recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration. The combo shots don't change the recommended vaccine schedule, just the number of needle jabs needed.
The vaccine advisory panel OK'd the shots for the federal Vaccines for Children program, which pays for vaccinations for about 36 million children who are covered by Medicaid, are uninsured or meet other eligibility guidelines.
The panel's recommendations are also considered influential with private health insurers.
The approval brings to six the number of multi-disease combination vaccines available to children.
Dr. Gregory Wallace, chief of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Vaccine Supply and Assurance Branch, said he expects more combination vaccines to become available.
The availability of both combination vaccines and individual vaccines will likely cause confusion and storage issues at many doctor's offices, panel members acknowledged.
Copyright 2008 The Associated Press
This is very scary. Such bullies, how brazen, approving this after the walk on Washington and everything else. Another example how the government makes their decisions. By not being told what to do, never admitting mistakes. They'd rather trudge on down the path they know is wrong than protect our children from future damage.
Saturday, June 07, 2008
Warning About Uncooked Red Tomatoes
Hi all. I pulled this off the FDA news list. This confirms what my sister recently said, that many fruits and vegetables are discovered to have certain bacteria INSIDE the fruit or vegetable. Like lemon. Very disturbing...will investigate more on this...
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is warning people in Texas and New Mexico not to eat uncooked red tomatoes due to possible contamination.
The FDA said an outbreak of salmonellosis appears linked with consumption of certain types of raw red tomatoes and products containing raw red tomatoes. The bacterium causing the illnesses is Salmonella serotype Saintpaul, an uncommon type of salmonella.
The federal agency said it hasn't determined the specific type and source of the contaminated tomatoes, although preliminary data suggest raw red plum, red Roma or round red tomatoes are involved.
At this time, consumers in New Mexico and Texas should limit their tomato consumption to tomatoes that have not been implicated in the outbreak, the FDA said. These include cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes, tomatoes sold with the vine still attached and tomatoes grown at home.
Salmonella can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections.
The FDA said from April 23 though June 1 there were 57 reported cases of salmonellosis in New Mexico and Texas, including 17 hospitalizations. Approximately 30 reports of illness in Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas and Utah are being investigated to determine whether they are also linked with tomatoes.
Copyright 2008 by United Press International
Publication date: 04 June 2008
Source: UPI-1-20080604-09260200-bc-us-tomatoes.xml
Tuesday, June 03, 2008
Antibacterial Wipes, Hospitals, and Staph
Antibacterial wipes can spread superbugs: study
By Michael Kahn
Tue Jun 3, 1:11 PM ET
Disinfectant wipes routinely used in hospitals may actually spread drug-resistant bacteria rather than kill the dangerous infections, British researchers said on Tuesday.
While the wipes killed some bacteria, a study of two hospitals showed they did not get them all and could transfer the so-called superbugs to other surfaces, Gareth Williams, a microbiologist at Cardiff University, said.
The findings presented at the American Society of Microbiology's General Meeting in Boston focused on bacteria that included methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA.
"What we have found is there is a high risk," Williams, who led the study, said by telephone. "We need to give guidance to the staff on how to use the wipes because we found there is a possibility of cross transfer."
MRSA infections can range from boils to more severe infections of the bloodstream, lungs and surgical sites. Most cases are associated with hospitals, nursing homes or other health care facilities.
The superbug can cause life-threatening and disfiguring infections and can often only be treated with expensive, intravenous antibiotics.
Experts have been saying for years that poor hospital practices spread dangerous bacteria, and yet many studies have shown that health care workers, including doctors and nurses, often fail to even wash their hands as directed.
The findings from a study of intensive care units at two Welsh hospitals suggest that even cleaning with antimicrobial wipes may not be enough depending on how staff use them.
The researchers found that many health care workers cleaned multiple surfaces near patients, such as bed rails, monitors and tables with a single wipe and risked sweeping the infections around rather than cleaning them up.
"We found that the most effective way to prevent the risk of MRSA spread in hospital wards is to ensure the wipe is used only once on one surface," Williams said.
Copyright © 2008 Reuters Limited. A
By Michael Kahn
Tue Jun 3, 1:11 PM ET
Disinfectant wipes routinely used in hospitals may actually spread drug-resistant bacteria rather than kill the dangerous infections, British researchers said on Tuesday.
While the wipes killed some bacteria, a study of two hospitals showed they did not get them all and could transfer the so-called superbugs to other surfaces, Gareth Williams, a microbiologist at Cardiff University, said.
The findings presented at the American Society of Microbiology's General Meeting in Boston focused on bacteria that included methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA.
"What we have found is there is a high risk," Williams, who led the study, said by telephone. "We need to give guidance to the staff on how to use the wipes because we found there is a possibility of cross transfer."
MRSA infections can range from boils to more severe infections of the bloodstream, lungs and surgical sites. Most cases are associated with hospitals, nursing homes or other health care facilities.
The superbug can cause life-threatening and disfiguring infections and can often only be treated with expensive, intravenous antibiotics.
Experts have been saying for years that poor hospital practices spread dangerous bacteria, and yet many studies have shown that health care workers, including doctors and nurses, often fail to even wash their hands as directed.
The findings from a study of intensive care units at two Welsh hospitals suggest that even cleaning with antimicrobial wipes may not be enough depending on how staff use them.
The researchers found that many health care workers cleaned multiple surfaces near patients, such as bed rails, monitors and tables with a single wipe and risked sweeping the infections around rather than cleaning them up.
"We found that the most effective way to prevent the risk of MRSA spread in hospital wards is to ensure the wipe is used only once on one surface," Williams said.
Copyright © 2008 Reuters Limited. A
Not Autism related. Or is it? Either way it's just too darn gross and sad not to share it.
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Anti-U.S. beef protest draws 100,000 S.Koreans
Anti-U.S. beef protest draws 100,000 S.Koreans
Sat May 31, 8:52 AM ET
South Korean students, parents with toddlers in tow, and union members took to the streets on Saturday in a massive protest against a government decision to resume imports of U.S. beef that they see as dangerous.
The organizers of the candle-lit vigil said 100,000 people were at the rally that stopped traffic on the 16-lane central Seoul main thoroughfare, after more than a week of daily protests against President Lee Myung-bak.
South Korea, once the third-largest importer of U.S. beef until a 2003 outbreak of mad cow disease in the United States, said it would start quarantine inspections of U.S. beef, a move that opens its market fully for the first time in four years.
Lee, who came to power with the largest margin of victory in history, has been caught by surprise by the protests and his popularity has plummeted over the decision to import U.S. beef.
Critics said the decision, announced during his visit to the United States in April and just before he met President George W. Bush, was a move to please Washington.
College student Ju Ha-na, 24, who took part in a head-shaving ceremony in protest with 19 others, said the people at the protest were not only alarmed by U.S. beef.
"Not just the beef deal, but the Lee Myung-bak government's policies are anti-working people and are not right," she said.
U.S. and South Korean officials have said U.S. beef is safe but that has not placated South Koreans.
Several hundred people have been detained from the daily protests, but police have so far refrained from using full force to contain the crowd. Officials again ordered restraint on Saturday.
The protests have grown over the past week as the government stood by largely idle and public discontent grew. People felt the government was ignoring public outcry and waiting for the protests to die down.
Chung Hye-ran, 38, at the downtown rally, said she did not like being ignored. "I came out here as a mother and as a member of the public to protect the health of my child and that of the people of this country."
Under the deal to reopen its market, Seoul agreed with Washington to accept all cuts of beef from cattle of all ages, while other U.S. trading partners such as Japan still will not do so because of concerns over mad cow disease.
President Lee last week apologized for ignoring public health concerns and promised to restore the ban if there was a fresh outbreak of mad cow disease.
Critics said the apology came too late and did not adequately address public concern.
(Reporting by Reuters TV; Writing by Jack Kim)
Copyright © 2008 Reuters Limited.
Sat May 31, 8:52 AM ET
South Korean students, parents with toddlers in tow, and union members took to the streets on Saturday in a massive protest against a government decision to resume imports of U.S. beef that they see as dangerous.
The organizers of the candle-lit vigil said 100,000 people were at the rally that stopped traffic on the 16-lane central Seoul main thoroughfare, after more than a week of daily protests against President Lee Myung-bak.
South Korea, once the third-largest importer of U.S. beef until a 2003 outbreak of mad cow disease in the United States, said it would start quarantine inspections of U.S. beef, a move that opens its market fully for the first time in four years.
Lee, who came to power with the largest margin of victory in history, has been caught by surprise by the protests and his popularity has plummeted over the decision to import U.S. beef.
Critics said the decision, announced during his visit to the United States in April and just before he met President George W. Bush, was a move to please Washington.
College student Ju Ha-na, 24, who took part in a head-shaving ceremony in protest with 19 others, said the people at the protest were not only alarmed by U.S. beef.
"Not just the beef deal, but the Lee Myung-bak government's policies are anti-working people and are not right," she said.
U.S. and South Korean officials have said U.S. beef is safe but that has not placated South Koreans.
Several hundred people have been detained from the daily protests, but police have so far refrained from using full force to contain the crowd. Officials again ordered restraint on Saturday.
The protests have grown over the past week as the government stood by largely idle and public discontent grew. People felt the government was ignoring public outcry and waiting for the protests to die down.
Chung Hye-ran, 38, at the downtown rally, said she did not like being ignored. "I came out here as a mother and as a member of the public to protect the health of my child and that of the people of this country."
Under the deal to reopen its market, Seoul agreed with Washington to accept all cuts of beef from cattle of all ages, while other U.S. trading partners such as Japan still will not do so because of concerns over mad cow disease.
President Lee last week apologized for ignoring public health concerns and promised to restore the ban if there was a fresh outbreak of mad cow disease.
Critics said the apology came too late and did not adequately address public concern.
(Reporting by Reuters TV; Writing by Jack Kim)
Copyright © 2008 Reuters Limited.
The Koreans, so much more enlightened than us. In America, we just don't protest like this (not that I think violence is the answer). We are just so "civilized" and "nice" about stuff like this. We just lay back and take it. Take the mother quoted in the article, Chung Hye-ran. Just trying to keep her children healthy just like any of us.
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Inconvenient Wired Magazine: Inconvenient Truths: Get Ready to Rethink What It Means to Be Green
WIRED MAGAZINE: 16.06
Inconvenient Truths: Get Ready to Rethink What It Means to Be Green
The environmental movement has never been short on noble goals. Preserving wild spaces, cleaning up the oceans, protecting watersheds, neutralizing acid rain, saving endangered species — all laudable. But today, one ecological problem outweighs all others: global warming. Restoring the Everglades, protecting the Headwaters redwoods, or saving the Illinois mud turtle won't matter if climate change plunges the planet into chaos. It's high time for greens to unite around the urgent need to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases.
Just one problem. Winning the war on global warming requires slaughtering some of environmentalism's sacred cows. We can afford to ignore neither the carbon-free electricity supplied by nuclear energy nor the transformational potential of genetic engineering. We need to take advantage of the energy efficiencies offered by urban density. We must accept that the world's fastest-growing economies won't forgo a higher standard of living in the name of climate science — and that, on the way up, countries like India and China might actually help devise the solutions the planet so desperately needs.
Some will reject this approach as dangerously single-minded: The environment is threatened on many fronts, and all of them need attention. So argues Alex Steffen. That may be true, but global warming threatens to overwhelm any progress made on other issues. The planet is already heating up, and the point of no return may be only decades away. So combating greenhouse gases must be our top priority, even if that means embracing the unthinkable. Here, then, are 10 tenets of the new environmental apostasy.
Autopia:
Go Green — Buy A Used Car. It's Better Than A Hybrid
10 GREEN HERESIES
Live in Cities:
Urban Living Is Kinder to the Planet Than the Suburban Lifestyle
A/C Is OK:
Air-Conditioning Actually Emits Less C02 Than Heating
Organics Are Not the Answer:
Surprise! Conventional Agriculture Can Be Easier on the Planet
Farm the Forests:
Old-Growth Forests Can Actually Contribute to Global Warming
China Is the Solution:
The People's Republic Leads the Way in Alternative-Energy Hardware
Accept Genetic Engineering:
Superefficient Frankencrops Could Put a Real Dent in Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Carbon Trading Doesn't Work:
Carbon Credits Were a Great Idea, But the Benefits Are Illusory
Embrace Nuclear Power:
Face It. Nukes Are the Most Climate-Friendly Industrial-Scale Form of Energy
Used Cars — Not Hybrids:
Don't Buy That New Prius! Test-Drive a Used Car Instead
Prepare for the Worst:
Climate Change Is Inevitable. Get Used to It
COUNTERPOINT
It's Not Just Carbon Stupid:
The Danger of Focusing Solely on Climate Change
Inconvenient Truths: Get Ready to Rethink What It Means to Be Green
The environmental movement has never been short on noble goals. Preserving wild spaces, cleaning up the oceans, protecting watersheds, neutralizing acid rain, saving endangered species — all laudable. But today, one ecological problem outweighs all others: global warming. Restoring the Everglades, protecting the Headwaters redwoods, or saving the Illinois mud turtle won't matter if climate change plunges the planet into chaos. It's high time for greens to unite around the urgent need to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases.
Just one problem. Winning the war on global warming requires slaughtering some of environmentalism's sacred cows. We can afford to ignore neither the carbon-free electricity supplied by nuclear energy nor the transformational potential of genetic engineering. We need to take advantage of the energy efficiencies offered by urban density. We must accept that the world's fastest-growing economies won't forgo a higher standard of living in the name of climate science — and that, on the way up, countries like India and China might actually help devise the solutions the planet so desperately needs.
Some will reject this approach as dangerously single-minded: The environment is threatened on many fronts, and all of them need attention. So argues Alex Steffen. That may be true, but global warming threatens to overwhelm any progress made on other issues. The planet is already heating up, and the point of no return may be only decades away. So combating greenhouse gases must be our top priority, even if that means embracing the unthinkable. Here, then, are 10 tenets of the new environmental apostasy.
Autopia:
Go Green — Buy A Used Car. It's Better Than A Hybrid
10 GREEN HERESIES
Live in Cities:
Urban Living Is Kinder to the Planet Than the Suburban Lifestyle
A/C Is OK:
Air-Conditioning Actually Emits Less C02 Than Heating
Organics Are Not the Answer:
Surprise! Conventional Agriculture Can Be Easier on the Planet
Farm the Forests:
Old-Growth Forests Can Actually Contribute to Global Warming
China Is the Solution:
The People's Republic Leads the Way in Alternative-Energy Hardware
Accept Genetic Engineering:
Superefficient Frankencrops Could Put a Real Dent in Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Carbon Trading Doesn't Work:
Carbon Credits Were a Great Idea, But the Benefits Are Illusory
Embrace Nuclear Power:
Face It. Nukes Are the Most Climate-Friendly Industrial-Scale Form of Energy
Used Cars — Not Hybrids:
Don't Buy That New Prius! Test-Drive a Used Car Instead
Prepare for the Worst:
Climate Change Is Inevitable. Get Used to It
COUNTERPOINT
It's Not Just Carbon Stupid:
The Danger of Focusing Solely on Climate Change
Go to the full article to read each of the 10 points they make in detail. My only problem with all of this is that they don't do a good job on referencing. They make some good points though. It looks as though, per usual, we must choose between our planet (the future) and the health of our families today. I like the counterpoint article a lot which is at the bottom of the article (a link) on the website.
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