The market in “legal highs” has grown over the last three years – despite the 2007 UK ban on popular ingredient benzylpiperazine.

Websites selling “legal highs” appear less likely to carry safety warnings than they did three years ago, and appear more likely to sell products without listing all the ingredients.

Psychiatrists Dr Martin Schmidt and Dr Ken Checinski, from St George’s University of London, examined whether the BZP ban has had any effects on the marketing and availability of “legal highs” in the UK. They present their findings today at the Annual Meeting of the Royal College of Psychiatrists in Liverpool.

“Legal highs” are legal psychoactive substances which are packaged and sold for recreational use. They are widely available on the internet and on the high street.

The two researchers extracted information from the “legal highs” section of one well-known internet retailer over several time points between 2006 and 2009. Over the three year period, the total number of products on sale increased from 43 to 78.

During the same period, products containing piperazines (including BZP) decreased from 17 (almost 40% of the total) to 0. However, the number of products on sale with undisclosed ingredients rose from 0 to 6 (almost 8%).

More brands of products appeared over the three-year period, as did new routes of administration. For example, in 2006 products were designed to be swallowed or smoked. However, by 2009 additional products appeared which were designed to be snorted or taken sublingually (under the tongue).

Worryingly, the amount of safety information provided on the website decreased markedly between 2006 and 2009. In 2006, over half of products carried warnings about possible side effects and interactions with other drugs. However, in 2009 only 14% had warnings about side effects and 29% about possible interactions.

Dr Schmidt and Dr Checinski said: “Despite the UK ban on BZP, the market in “legal highs” has continued to grow, with more products on sale now than before the ban. Of particular concern is the reduction in the provision of safety information and the rise in products with undisclosed ingredients. Our study suggests while the BZP ban has led to a drop in the availability of piperazines, it appears to have had several unintended consequences”

Dr Schmidt is leading a follow up study involving a larger number of UK websites. In addition a survey is currently under way which examines the attitudes and experiences of individuals who use “legal highs”. The survey is available at: legalhighsurvey

Reference:
Annual Meeting of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, BT Convention Centre, Liverpool, 2 -5 June 2009

Source
Royal College of Psychiatrists Continue reading →

The British Medical Association (BMA) says that obesity, excessive consumption of alcohol and promiscuity amongst UK teenagers is creating a ‘potential public health timebomb’.

The BMA is urging the authorities to take action and reverse the worsening trends in adolescent health. England’s Chief Medical Officer predicts that children could die before their parents.

The BMA says that the urgent problem of child health in the UK is on a number of fronts.

The number of overweight kids in the UK has doubled in the last twenty years. In fact, 20% of all 15 year olds in the country are classed as ‘obese’.

Underage drinking has increased rapidly. It is not uncommon for under 16s to drink an average of ten units of alcohol a week (five pints of beer, ten glasses of wine) regularly, week after week throughout the year.

60% of young people in the UK (aged 16-24) say they have unprotected sex (without the use of a condom). Rates of sexually transmitted diseases is soaring among 16 to 24 year-olds.

25% of 15 year-olds smoke regularly. 30% of this age group has tried cannabis.

Vivienne Nathanson (BMA’s Head of Science and Ethics) said, ‘Young people in Britain are increasingly likely to be overweight, indulge in binge drinking, have a sexually transmitted infection and suffer mental health problems. It is high time we provided education and healthcare services that target the specific needs of young people. We need to ensure that young people do not fall in between the gap between services for children and those designed for adults.’

Doctors are already seeing cases of 13 year-olds with diabetes as a result of poor diet and lack of exercise. Doctors are worried that these kids will become more susceptible to heat disease and cancer during early adulthood.

The rise in chlamydia (sex disease) is very worrying for doctors. Chlamydia can remain hidden for years, but it causes fertility problems, leaving women unable to conceive.

The UK government is already starting some campaigns. There is an initiative underway at the moment where children will receive free school fruit.

The government is being criticised by the general population for allowing state schools to sell off thousands of playing fields to developers. Continue reading →

After the rise in safety concerns surrounding Vioxx and other Cox-2 inhibitors, people suffering from chronic shoulder pain were left with just two therapy options at opposite extremes – take Advil, or have surgery. But a new study from Columbia University Medical Center shows that sodium hyaluronate, a drug that is FDA-approved for osteoarthritis of the knee, is also effective for shoulder pain.

The study was presented today at the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons annual meeting in Chicago by Theodore Blaine, M.D., assistant professor of orthopaedic surgery at Columbia University Medical Center and an attending surgeon at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital.

The study showed that in patients with osteoarthritis of the shoulder, sodium hyaluronate was effective in reducing chronic pain by nearly 50 percent. The results were comparable to the 1998 study that led the FDA to approve the drug’s use in treating knee pain. The FDA is currently reviewing the results in shoulder pain.

“Chronic shoulder pain is a common problem that can not adequately be treated with existing FDA-approved therapies,” said Dr. Blaine, who was the principal investigator of the study. “The results of the trial were very encouraging, and we hope will lead to this drug’s approval as an effective therapy for thousands of suffering patients.”

According to the National Institute of Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, shoulder problems account for about 1.5 million visits to orthopaedic surgeons annually. The pain can be caused by a variety of problems, including osteoarthritis or rotator cuff tears.

Sodium hyaluronate is a vital building block of normal cartilage. It is marketed under the name Hyalgan by Sanofi Aventis.

All of the patients in the study had previously tried nonsurgical clinical interventions – including physical therapy, at least one steroid injection, and various oral pain medications – but the pain persisted. At the beginning of the study patients received an x-ray of the shoulder to confirm the diagnosis of osteoarthritis and rule out fractures or other exclusionary criteria, as well as an MRI to diagnose soft tissue and bony pathology or a tear in the rotator cuff.

The 602 patients who comprised the study population were broken up into three groups. One group received five injections of the drug over six months. A second group received three injections, followed by two saline injections, and the third group received just a placebo of five saline injections.

Throughout the six month trial, the patients were asked to record their level of pain on a scale of one to 100 — with 100 being the worst pain imaginable. All three groups began with an average baseline score of 65. Patients with osteoarthritis who received sodium hyaluronate saw the greatest decrease in their pain scores, which was reduced to a score of 35 in six months. The patients who received three injections ended up with a pain score of around 37.

The patients who received saline also saw a decrease, to around 43. The improvement in the saline group could be the result of the placebo effect, as well as the possible therapeutic benefit of irrigating the joint. Similar saline results were seen in the study that led to the drug’s approval for knee pain.

No safety concerns arose during the study, which is particularly notable given that the patients were older and more likely to be on other medications and have additional diseases. Sixty percent of the patients were taking cardiac medications, approximately 55 percent took Cox-2 inhibitors prior to joining the study, and up to 14 percent were taking medication for diabetes.

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Columbia University Medical Center provides international leadership in pre-clinical and clinical research, in medical and health sciences education, and in patient care. The medical center trains future leaders in health care and includes the dedicated work of many physicians, scientists, nurses, dentists, and public health professionals at the College of Physicians & Surgeons, the College of Dental Medicine, the School of Nursing, the Mailman School of Public Health, the biomedical departments of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, and allied research centers and institutions. Columbia University Medical Center researchers are leading the discovery of novel therapies and advances to address a wide range of health conditions. cumclumbia.edu/

Contact: Craig LeMoult
cel2113columbia.edu
Columbia University Medical Center

View drug information on Vioxx. Continue reading →

FDA “has distressingly limited interest” in addressing the “rising concern that conflicts of interest may bias the outcome of clinical trials,” a New York Times editorial states. The editorial continues that a report released on Monday by the HHS Office of Inspector General on the efforts of FDA officials to identify potential conflicts of interest “found appalling failures” by the officials “to collect information and act on it”

FDA accepted most of the recommendations but “complained” that reviewing financial information prior to the start of trials “would increase its workload for no clear gain, especially since many drugs or devices that enter clinical trials never reach the market,” the editorial states. According to the Times, “Such bureaucratic excuses seem lame,” adding, “Surely it would be better for [FDA] to eliminate potential conflicts before they can bias a trial than try to mitigate them after the results are in.” The editorial concludes that FDA’s “lax performance underscores the need for Congress to pass legislation requiring all drug and device makers to report their financial arrangements with doctors in a public databank,” adding, “That would make it harder for clinical investigators or sponsoring companies to hide potential conflicts, including those that might bias clinical trials for the FDA” (New York Times, 1/13).

Reprinted with kind permission from kaisernetwork. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at kaisernetwork/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation.

© 2008 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved. Continue reading →

“Build a better mousetrap,” the saying goes, “and the world will beat a path to your door.” In the complex field of organic chemistry, that path leads to Florida State University, where a newly developed substance could make the jobs of scientists throughout the world a little easier as they work to develop new drugs and other chemicals that benefit humanity.

Researchers from the Dudley Laboratory at FSU have invented a reagent – a substance used in a chemical reaction to detect, measure, examine or produce other substances – that can trap specific regions of complex molecules in such a way that those molecules can be released at a later time. This will allow scientists to perform complex experiments involving chemical synthesis much more easily and precisely.

“It isn’t every day that one can put a new product on the market,” said Gregory B. Dudley, an assistant professor of chemistry and biochemistry at FSU whose research lab bears his name.

“Even more exciting for me is the knowledge that scientific breakthroughs in biomedical research and various other areas of organic chemistry might be made possible as a result of this reagent,” Dudley said.

The Sigma-Aldrich Chemical Company has licensed Dudley’s patent-pending reagent from FSU and recently began marketing it to chemical research labs worldwide under the name “Bn-OPT” – short for BeNzylOxyPyridinium Triflate. FSU will receive royalties from Sigma-Aldrich in the amount of 5 percent of net sales of the reagent.

Bn-OPT is designed to be employed as part of what Dudley refers to as “protecting group strategies” in organic synthesis. 2-Benzyloxy-1-methylpyridinium trifluoromethanesulfonate – the rather unwieldy chemical name for the new reagent – converts vulnerable hydroxy groups, also known as alcohols, into benzyl ethers upon warming. These less-reactive benzyl ethers provide “protection” for alcohols during chemical synthesis. Bn-OPT emerged from his lab’s basic research in organic chemistry, and researchers now are studying the reagent in search of new applications.

“Benzyl ethers have always played an important role in organic chemistry, but their use has been limited by difficulties in preparing them,” Dudley said. “This reagent solves some of the problems associated with making benzyl ethers.”

Professor Joseph Schlenoff, the interim chairman of FSU’s department of chemistry and biochemistry, hailed Dudley as a young educator whose work is helping others both in and out of the classroom.

“Greg is one of our rising stars, both in teaching and research in the area of synthetic organic chemistry,” Schlenoff said. “His discovery of this important new chemical reagent will bring significant attention to our department and to the cutting-edge research that is being conducted here.”

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A scientific paper Dudley and an FSU postdoctoral associate, Wing C. “Kevin” Poon, was published last year in the prestigious Journal of Organic Chemistry. To view that paper, which describes the process for creating the reagent, click here

Dudley and his doctoral students last made headlines in 2005 with their research on roseophilin, a naturally occurring compound that has emerged as a promising new avenue for cancer research. Dudley’s ongoing goal in that project is to find ways to produce synthetic versions of roseophilin (pronounced rose-ee-oh-FILL-in) both cheaply and efficiently so that it can be produced in quantities large enough to enable further cancer research. To read more click here.

Contact: Gregory B. Dudley

Florida State University Continue reading →

At a time of significant economic uncertainty, preliminary findings of a new fiscal impact study reveal that the Stanford University Medical Center Renewal Project will provide an estimated $18 million in taxes and fees to the city of Palo Alto as a result of the proposed construction of new facilities. That’s on top of approximately 2,200 new jobs.

Commissioned and paid for by the SUMC Renewal Project, the 125-page study is part of the process for seeking necessary city approval of the project. It accompanies an environmental impact report that is expected to be made public later this spring, and was compiled by CBRE Consulting Inc. of San Francisco, drawing on data, interviews and documents provided by city and hospital officials.

The study analyzes the fiscal impact of the projected $3.5 billion project to upgrade and expand Stanford Hospital & Clinics and Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital, and replace older laboratories at the School of Medicine. Palo Alto has retained an economic consulting firm to conduct a peer review of the study.

The projected one-time revenue benefits to the city include $8.2 million in sales and use taxes paid on construction activity and $10 million in impact fees for housing, transportation and community facilities. In addition, the Palo Alto Unified School District would receive just over $616,000 in fees.

On an annual basis, the report estimates that the SUMC project will generate about $639,000 in revenue for the city’s general fund. The major components of that annual revenue would be $297,000 for utility user taxes and $236,000 for sales and use taxes.

Increased expenditures by the city’s general fund, which will be necessary because of the expanded hospital facilities, are estimated at $635,000, with 63 percent of that amount going to police and fire services.

The net difference between the estimated revenues and expenditures on an ongoing basis “results in an annual surplus of $4,000″ for the city’s general fund, the report notes.

Referring to the projected $18 million contribution resulting from construction activities and impact fees, the study concludes that “the large one-time revenue benefits generated during the construction period … will provide a substantial and significant surplus to the city of Palo Alto that will offset potential deficits.”

The financial benefits to Palo Alto that are outlined in the study “come at a time when the city is currently facing close to a $6 million deficit,” said Michael Peterson, vice president for special projects at the medical center. “And next year, they’re projecting a $10 million deficit, so the city budget is in need of an infusion of funding.”

Peterson is scheduled to discuss the benefits of the renewal project on March 14 at a study session of the Palo Alto City Council. He recently assumed his new position as vice president responsible for all space and facilities projects, representing both LPCH and SHC. He had served as interim president and CEO of SHC from May 2001 through April 2002, when Martha Marsh was appointed. At that time he became chief operating officer through January 2009.

Peterson said the benefits of the hospital go beyond added revenues to city coffers. “One of the things we really want to emphasize is that the provision of health care to Palo Alto is the major community benefit of this project,” he said. “The children’s hospital and Stanford Hospital & Clinics provide a wide array of services, particularly emergency and trauma services, along with participation with the city in disaster planning and management. All of that creates a health and safety net for the city. We want to emphasize that we are committed to treating everyone, regardless of their ability to pay.”

Peterson added that the medical center trains many of the community physicians in Palo Alto and on the peninsula.

Peterson underscored that while the two hospitals are owned by and are part of Stanford University, they are separate corporations, with separate compensation systems, separately insured. “When it comes to clinical services, the hospitals-not the university-are expected to step up to the plate, and the mitigations, costs and fees will come from the hospitals, not from Stanford University,” he said.

The hospitals, which have some 7,000 employees at the medical center, are undertaking the renewal project to meet regulatory requirements and assure adequate capacity for patient care, as well as modernize their facilities.

The study has more than 70 detailed tables and exhibits and focuses on how the project will upgrade SHC and LPCH services, including tripling the size of the emergency department they share. As a result of the project, most accommodations will be single-patient rooms-the current standard for hospitals being built today. Overall, the construction will produce a total of 1.3 million square feet of net new space by 2025.

The replacement of the medical school laboratories will be limited to the amount of square footage currently being used.

At a time when the health-care industry is one of the few sectors of the economy that is continuing to make new hires, the report predicts that SUMC will have 2,243 additional employees by 2025. The number of annual outpatient visits to the hospitals is estimated to increase by 215,050 by 2025, which is an increase of 42 percent over 19 years.

The March 14 study session of the Palo Alto City Council will begin at 8:30 a.m. in the council chambers at City Hall. The meeting is open to the public.

For more information, please visit stanfordpackard.

About Stanford Hospital & Clinics

Stanford Hospital & Clinics is known worldwide for advanced treatment of complex disorders in areas such as cardiac care, cancer treatment, neurosciences, surgery, and organ transplants. Ranked #16 on the U.S. News and World Report annual list of “America’s Best Hospitals,” Stanford Hospital & Clinics is internationally recognized for translating medical breakthroughs into the care of patients. The Hospital is part of the Stanford University Medical Center, along with the Stanford University School of Medicine and Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital at Stanford.

Stanford Hospital & Clinics Continue reading →

The two most recent Surgeons General of the United States, David Satcher, M.D., Ph.D., FAAFP, FACPM, FACP and Richard H. Carmona, M.D., M.P.H., FACS, today led the Strategies to Overcome and Prevent (STOP) Obesity Alliance in urging policymakers to take direct action in health reform to address obesity and the chronic diseases associated with it.

“We’ve reached the tipping point on obesity in the United States,” said Dr. Richard H. Carmona, 17th U.S. Surgeon General, Health and Wellness Chairperson of the STOP Obesity Alliance and President of Canyon Ranch Institute. “Obesity now impacts every aspect of our lives, including the future of our health care system. Health reform that directly addresses obesity will save lives, save money, and improve the health and well-being of every American.”

“When I served as Surgeon General, obesity was a problem of epidemic proportions,” said Dr. David Satcher, 16th U.S. Surgeon General, who released the 2001 Surgeon General’s Call to Action To Prevent and Decrease Overweight and Obesity. “Today, we are in a state of emergency when it comes to obesity. The issues underpinning obesity are too complex and widespread for any one institution to effectively address it alone. Until we collaborate to address obesity through meaningful, population-based policies and programs, our nation will continue to be crippled by obesity and the chronic diseases it causes.”

The STOP Obesity Alliance released four targeted recommendations designed to improve the dialogue and interventions around obesity. The following elements should be included in health reform:
Standardized and effective clinical interventions, flowing from evidence-based guidelines, such as those approved by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI), that include acknowledging the health benefits of five to ten percent sustained weight loss to aid and support those individuals who are currently overweight or obese achieve improved health.

Enhanced use of clinical preventive services to monitor health status and help prevent weight gain, especially for individuals who are already overweight and are at risk of becoming obese.

Effective, evidence-based community programs and policies that encourage and support healthy lifestyles, focus on health literacy, address health disparities, and represent a significant investment in population-based prevention of obesity.

Coordinated research efforts to build the evidence for all three of the above elements, continuously improving quality of care, bolstering our understanding of what does and does not work in various settings, and helping to translate the scientific research into practice recommendations for real-world clinical settings and communities.

“Obesity significantly increases the risk of having more than 20 different chronic diseases that cause tremendous suffering and early death throughout our nation,” said Carmona. “Health leaders and scientists, including Surgeon General Satcher and myself, as well as people from all sectors of society, are urging Congress to act now to include prevention and treatment of obesity in health reform.”

Dr. Satcher is Director of the Satcher Health Leadership Institute and Center of Excellence on Health Disparities and Poussaint-Satcher-Cosby Chair in Mental Health at the Morehouse School of Medicine. Surgeon General Satcher served from 1998 to 2002 and Surgeon General Carmona served from 2002 to 2006.

Rising obesity rates across the nation have led to worsening health outcomes and increasing inequities in health (1) -72 million American adults are now considered to be overweight or obese.(2) Additionally, economists have identified obesity as a major driver of health care utilization and spending, and contributor to escalating health care costs. In fact, a recent study published in the journal, Health Affairs found that obesity accounts for 9.1 percent of annual health care spending in the United States, nearly $150 billion dollars a year.(3)

“Clearly, America cannot successfully reform the health system without addressing obesity,” said Christine Ferguson, director of the STOP Obesity Alliance. “While the situation is grave, the goal is attainable. The STOP Obesity Alliance recommendations provide a needed focus and a successful plan for health reform.”

Source:
Tom Murphy

Chandler Chicco Agency Continue reading →

Research published in the Fetal and Neonatal Edition of Archives of Disease in Childhood says that more than half of children born severely prematurely require additional educational help in mainstream schools.

The research specifies that they have more trouble with mathematics.

The study included 219 eleven year old schoolchildren who had been born before twenty six weeks of pregnancy in the UK, during 1995. The researchers evaluated intelligence (cognitive ability) and academic skills.

The performance of 153 classmates, all born after a standard time of pregnancy was analyzed in comparison.

The evaluation relied on standard IQ and academic achievement tests, teacher??s reports of school performance and any special educational needs.

In the core subjects of reading and mathematics, children born very prematurely had much inferior scores.

Except in mathematics, boys scored fewer points than girls. This distinction did not exist in the other group.

In the group of children born very prematurely, one in three had difficulty reading, and almost half (44 percent) had trouble with mathematics. These students also showed problems in simultaneous processing of complex information.

Only 29 of the children in the group were at special schools. The rest of the group attended mainstream schools where 57 percent had special educational needs. The majority needed supplementary learning support.

Two thirds of the children required academic and behavioral special educational help whereas only 11 percent of their classmates and 24 percent of schoolchildren across England did. They were as well more likely to require multiple support services than their classmates.

The academic performance of half of the extremely preterm children was rated by the teachers as lower than average, for this age group. Only 5 percent of the children born after a normal length of gestation were beneath the average range.

The authors explain that because their birth date is earlier than expected, most children born prematurely start school an academic year earlier.

Research pointed out that even though the academic performance of these children was very much the same as for those who started school at the regular time, they required even higher levels of special support.

“The impact of these impairments is likely to increase over time,” say the authors. “…existing difficulties may be exacerbated in secondary school when cognitive demands increase in parallel with progressively complex academic studies,” they conclude.

“Academic attainment and special educational needs in extremely preterm children at 11 years of age: the EPICure study.”
Arch Dis Child Fetal Neonatal Ed 2009; doi 10.1136/adc.2008.152793
Click here to view abstract online
Stephanie Brunner (B.A.)

Continue reading →

The abundance of evidence supporting the relationship between positive mental health and physical well-being has spurred a growing interest in how different forms of psychological well-being can impact one’s physical health. Recently, McGill University Post Doctoral Scholar Dr. Paule Miquelon closely examined how both hedonism (pleasure) and eudemonism (purposeful life engagement) relate to physical health, and won the Eighth Annual Martin E.P. Seligman Award for Outstanding Dissertation Research in Positive Psychology.

The award, funded by the John Templeton Foundation, included a $1000 cash grant and travel expenses to the Gallup International Positive Psychology Summit in Washington D.C., where the presentation recently took place.

Now in its eighth year, the Seligman Award seeks to recognize talent and promise among young researchers exploring topics in the emerging field of positive psychology. Psychology traditionally has been problem-focused, but the new movement stresses building human strengths and focuses more on positive vs. negative behavior.

Dr. Miquelon’s research suggests that individuals who pursue their goals because of their own personal choices rather than external pressures, achieve more pleasure (hedonistic well-being), and more purposeful life engagement (eudemonistic well-being). These individuals also experience less stress and display greater improvement in physical health over time than those who pursue goals due to external pressures or a sense of guilt.

For her future research, Miquelon hopes to build a link between her interest in social psychology, psychological well-being and physical health by examining the role of resilience in psychological adjustment/well-being and health maintenance in reaction to major life challenges such as the onset of a chronic disease.

Currently a postdoctoral scholar in the Psychology Department of McGill University, Miquelon received her B.S. in psychology, as well as her M.S. and Ph.D. in social psychology from the University of Quebec. Commenting on her recent award, she notes, “I was delighted to be nominated and felt privileged to have been chosen as the winner of this year’s (Seligman) competition. As completing my thesis was an “autonomous” goal, receiving this award provides me with both feelings of “hedonic” and “eudemonic” well-being.

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Established by renowned global investor Sir John Templeton, the core mission of the John Templeton Foundation is to serve as a philanthropic catalyst for scientific discovery in areas engaging life’s biggest questions in science and philosophy. Ranging from scientific questions about the laws of nature to the nature of love, forgiveness, purpose, complexity, the mind and creativity, the Foundation’s philanthropic vision is derived from Sir John’s resolute commitment to rigorous scientific research and related cutting-edge scholarship. The Foundation’s motto, “how little we know, how eager to learn” exemplifies our support for open-minded inquiry and our hope for advancing human progress through breakthrough discoveries. For more information about the Templeton Foundation, go to templeton/.

Specific information about the Seligman Positive Psychology Award can be found at templeton/SeligmanAward/

Contact: Pamela Thompson

John Templeton Foundation Continue reading →

The
African-American infant mortality rate is more than twice as high as white
Americans and the preterm birth rate for black women averaged 17.6 percent,
compared to the national average of 12.3 between 2002 and 2004.

These statistics, and others related to birth outcomes, are discussed
in a new PBS documentary “When the Bough Breaks.” This episode, scheduled
to air Thursday, April 3, at 10:00 PM (check local PBS listings), is part
of the four-hour series entitled “Unnatural Causes — Is Inequality Making
Us Sick?” that was produced by California Newsreel and presented by the
National Minority Consortia of public television. The March of Dimes is an
official outreach partner for the series in conjunction with other leading
public health, policy and community-based organizations.

“Racial and ethnic disparities in premature birth are troubling and
persistent,” said Dr. Jennifer L. Howse, president of the March of Dimes.
“We face an urgent need for effective prevention programs and interventions
to reverse a serious trend that has lasted too long. That’s going to take
influencing lawmakers to enact meaningful policy changes that will increase
access to affordable health care coverage and committing more public
dollars to prevention programs and to research so that we may find
answers.”

This episode interviews many experts in the field, including a March of
Dimes-funded researcher, Dr. James Collins, from Northwestern University.
Dr. Collins and Dr. Michael Lu, who also appears in the program, are
members of the March of Dimes Scientific Advisory Committee. Some of those
interviewed raise the hypothesis that the chronic stress of racism may have
a detrimental impact on the health of African American women and on their
children.

Preterm birth has been the leading cause of death for black infants for
more than a decade. For those babies that do survive, approximately 25
percent of them live with serious long-term problems, such as learning
disabilities, cerebral palsy, blindness, hearing loss, and other chronic
conditions including asthma. Infant mortality rates for blacks averaged
13.5 per 1,000 live births, compared to the national average of 6.9 between
2002 and 2004.

Committed to alleviating the racial and ethnic disparities in birth
outcomes, the March of Dimes is involved in many activities to promote
health equity including federal and state advocacy activities, funding
grants for research, conducting professional education, sponsoring
community-based programs, and collaborating with organizations such as Zeta
Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. and Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity and government
agencies such as the Centers for Disease Control and the Office of Minority
Health within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. In 2003,
the March of Dimes launched a multi-year, multi-million dollar national
campaign to reduce the growing rate of preterm birth among all racial
groups.

The March of Dimes is the leading nonprofit organization for pregnancy
and baby health. With chapters nationwide and its premier event, March for
Babies, the March of Dimes works to improve the health of babies by
preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality. For the
latest resources and information, visit marchofdimes or
nacersano.

March of Dimes
marchofdimes Continue reading →