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The top two hospitals on this year's list held the same spots on last year's list.

1. Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
2. Children's Hospital Boston
3. Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center
4. Johns Hopkins Children's Center (Baltimore)
5. Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital (Cleveland)

I gotta say I feel good two of the top five are within 1.5 hours from home. =o)

This year, the U.S. News & World Report magazine also created separate lists that rank children's hospitals for these specialties: cancer, digestive disorders, heart and heart surgery, neonatal care, neurology and neurosurgery, and respiratory disorders.

I think it is brilliant to show specific categories.

According to the report, 1,100 pediatricians were surveyed by mail and asked to name up to five centers they believe to be most successful with difficult cases in their specialty. They were chosen at random from the database of the American Board of Medical Specialties, 200 for general pediatrics and 150 for each of the six specialties.

In addition to the surveys, ranking was also broken down by looking death rates, information about technology in place, and other data supplied by the hospitals. I'd like to know the "other" but that material doesn't appear to be supplied. Either way this information is helpful for a parent. =o)

SOURCE

Labels: children healthcare, hospital

Maybe we should move to Iowa? Or the runner up, Vermont? I've always wanted to visit Vermont.

In a recent report of which states have the best children's healthcare, Iowa came in first and Vermont came in second.

The two states lead the country in making sure children have access to regular health care and preventive services, says the Commonwealth Fund, a nonprofit organization.

The report measured states on factors such as rates of uninsured children, how many children had a regular doctor or other source of care, overall costs, and health care quality.

Vermont has a law guaranteeing health coverage to all its children. Iowa has a new law aiming for universal health coverage for children within the next three years. At the top of the list along with those two states and Massachusetts are Maine, New Hampshire, Ohio, and Hawaii.

My home state of Delaware is ranked number 31 on the list. Shameful. If you count the states which tied earlier on in the list, Delaware would be ranked 37. I will now hang my head in shame for raising a child here.

In all seriousness, I know Delaware has bad healthcare in comparison to other states. Working for the University of Delaware provides me with healthcare far better than any other company I have worked for ever and so at least I have that going for me and my family. =o)

SOURCE

Labels: children healthcare

I knew it!

Self-medication via blogging has become prominent enough that Scientific America has published a study focused on this topic.

"Self-medication may be the reason the blogosphere has taken off. Scientists (and writers) have long known about the therapeutic benefits of writing about personal experiences, thoughts and feelings. But besides serving as a stress-coping mechanism, expressive writing produces many physiological benefits. Research shows that it improves memory and sleep, boosts immune cell activity and reduces viral load in AIDS patients, and even speeds healing after surgery. A study in the February issue of the Oncologist reports that cancer patients who engaged in expressive writing just before treatment felt markedly better, mentally and physically, as compared with patients who did not."

This makes perfect sense to me. While I do not believe blogging can change your life if you are severely depressed or something of that nature, I do think it is therapeutic to write a journal and essentially that is what a blog can be. A blog can be an online log of your life, a "web log" which coined the word "blog".

SOURCE

Labels: self medication, therapy, writing

Really if you think about the fact that a million people live in New York alone, then two million isn't such a bad number. But even so, it's not cool that so many children are struggling through their teenage years. A struggle which lends to being depressed (much different than being sad or moody).

"More than 2 million U.S. teenagers have suffered a serious bout of depression in the past year, including nearly 13 percent of girls, according to a federal government survey released on Tuesday.

On average, 8.5 percent of adolescents aged 12 to 17 described having had a major depressive episode in the previous year, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration reported.

But there were "striking differences" by sex, with 12.7 percent of girls and 4.6 percent of boys affected."

I wonder if this is because more girls vocalize their depression while more boys would be apt to remain silent and miserable. I think this is probably because boys aren't supposed to be "emotional" creatures and many adults claim depression is something you should just be able to snap out of, so boys should get over it? I hope this is not the case, but unfortunately it probably is...

And don't think these kids don't know what depression is all about either. According to the report, "They defined a major depressive episode as two weeks or longer of depressed mood or loss of interest or pleasure, and at least four other symptoms such as problems with sleep, energy, concentration or self-image." Sounds spot on to me.

Having struggled with depression throughout high school I know how hard it can be to come to terms with feeling that way. I still am being treated for my depression and even after coping for over a decade, there are times when I very much just want to jump off a bridge. Of course I am able to cope after having learned coping mechanisms which work, but it took a lot of time and support.

And so, I urge everyone to be sure they are aware of the teenagers in their life. Notice their moods, may attention to how they interact with others and be sure to be as supportive of their feelings as possible. Early intervention is extremely important.

SOURCE

Labels: depression, teens

Women's Health magazine recently conducted research with 70 health/fitness experts and asked them all the same question. "What is the most important thing for women to do to stay healthy?"

Read the article here >>

They also did a quick article/slideshow on the five necessary tools to keeping a healthy smile!

You can read that one here >>

WebMD wrote about the warning signs to be aware of when it comes to a stroke. They learned many people actually don't know the top symptoms of a stroke.

Interested, read the article >>

And The New England Journal of Medicine writes about a recently published book "The Corrosion of Medicine: Can the Profession Reclaim Its Moral Legacy?"

Enjoy the read >>

Labels: healthy mouth, random links

Msn.com had a featured health tid-bit on their front page this morning and I'm such a sucker for clicking on anything that tells me I can do a work-out in the office.

Like many people I spend a good part of my day sitting on my arse behind a desk. Bob Harper has some fantastically easy ways to make sure you take a few minutes each hour to do some calorie burning. Something as simple as sitting down and standing up over a 60-second period each hour automatically gets you doing squat-like exercise to work your thighs and buns! Man, why didn't I think of that!? It's genius!

He also suggests sitting on an exercise ball while at your desk. You can keep an exercise ball in your office and switch it out for your desk chair every now and then. He says it will help you to build up your core strength. Brilliant!

And um, you can tell by the photo he is an expert at fitness. ;o)

Labels: bob harper, fitness, office workout

Twelve children remain in a critical condition and more than 600 are still in hospital, some with brain damage and heart and lung problems.

A nationwide alert launched on the weekend has called for greater efforts to control the spread of all infectious diseases including hepatitis A and measles, as well as EV-71, particularly with the upcoming Beijing Olympics and Paralympics.

The World Health Organisation says the virus does not currently present a threat to the Olympics or any other events.

The outbreak is primarily in Fuyang, in the eastern province of Anhui, where 22 of the deaths occurred; nurseries and schools have been closed and workers have sprayed disinfectant around houses in the affected areas.

However, it is my understanding spraying disinfectant alone will not help the situation. These schools need to thoroughly be cleaned with a bleach mixture.

UPDATE: 8:14 p.m.

Two more children have been pronounced dead, the death toll is now 26 children age six and under.

Labels: children, china, enterovirus 71

Hand, foot and mouth disease is something I am familiar with as I have seen several children with the disease in my lifetime. I have not known it to kill anyone.

Tragically, there are twenty-two fatal account of the disease in China as of late. On Friday, there were 3,321 reported cases of the virus in children. The illness -- known as enterovirus 71 -- can cause hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD).

A total of 978 children are hospitalized, Wang Yan, a Anhui province official, told Xinhua. Forty-eight of them are in critical condition.

Medical specialists have been sent out to 32 different locations in China to monitor the treatment measures being taken.

SOURCE

Now enterovirus 71 can evolve into many horrible things which can lead to fatality. But it is my understand hand, foot and mouth disease should not be a fatal disease. Am I wrong? If the virus attacks your nervous system and gets into your spinal fluid it can cause meningitis and even paralysis.

Hand, foot and mouth disease is not fun by any means. Sores develop in the aforementioned places and it can be quite uncomfortable. What I don't understand is how it is leading to death overseas. I mean it is supposed to be rare that complications caused by the virus can cause death. This doesn't sound rare to me. I am concerned. I feel horrible for these children and I can only hope they truly are receiving the best of care, but I am doubtful.

Maybe I am thinking of something different. Perhaps there are different strains? Maybe what I have seen has been from a different enterovirus, I don't know. I offer my prayers to those children.

UPDATE: (as of 8:58 a.m.)

More research...

Hand, foot and mouth disease can be caused by several strains of viruses, and EV71 is potentially more lethal for children. I must have seen cases in which the HFMD was caused by a less severe strain of the virus, possibly A16 aso known as coxsackievirus. The children I have know with HFMD have gotten it due to the coxsackievirus.

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention: "Hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) is a common illness of infants and children. It is characterized by fever, sores in the mouth, and a rash with blisters. HFMD begins with a mild fever, poor appetite, malaise ("feeling sick"), and frequently a sore throat. One or 2 days after the fever begins, painful sores develop in the mouth. They begin as small red spots that blister and then often become ulcers. They are usually located on the tongue, gums, and inside of the cheeks. The skin rash develops over 1 to 2 days with flat or raised red spots, some with blisters. The rash does not itch, and it is usually located on the palms of the hands and soles of the feet. It may also appear on the buttocks."

HFMD caused by coxsackievirus A16 infection is a mild disease and nearly all patients recover without medical treatment in 7 to 10 days. Complications are uncommon. Rarely, the patient with coxsackievirus A16 infection may also develop "aseptic" or viral meningitis, in which the person has fever, headache, stiff neck, or back pain, and may need to be hospitalized for a few days. Another cause of HFMD, EV71 may also cause viral meningitis and, rarely, more serious diseases, such as encephalitis, or a poliomyelitis-like paralysis. EV71 encephalitis may be fatal.

Those of you wondering about prevention...?
Generally the best way to prevent any infection is to wash your hands often. HFMD is not airborne, it is contracted after direct contact with infected saliva or stool.

It is important to also clean anything associated with an infected person in case they have touched it with saliva. To properly clean a surface first use soap and water, and then disinfect with a diluted solution of chlorine-containing bleach made by mixing approximately a quarter cup of bleach with 1 gallon of water.

Labels: china, enterovirus 71, hand foot mouth disease