Should Parents Be Allowed to Decline Vaccines? Vermont Debates
Vermont is among 20 states that currently allow some form of “philosophical exemption” — essentially a right of refusal for parents who want to enroll their children in school or child care without immunizations.
Wisconsin’s Planned Parenthood Suspends Non-Surgical Abortions
Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin has suspended non-surgical abortions in response to a new state law that makes it harder for women to have the procedure, a move that followed anti-abortion measures in several Republican-controlled states.
Aging Moms Prefer Daughter to Hubby, Study Finds
A study published this week in the journal of Scientific Reports, suggests that as women age, they shift their focus of intimacy from their husbands to adult daughters — even as their husbands continue to retain their wives as their closest confidantes.
Obesity Rates Down for Infants, Toddlers
After a three-decade tripling in childhood obesity rates, the trend has leveled off and, for the first time, appears to be on a substantial decline – at least among Massachusetts infants and preschoolers, according to a study published Monday in the journal Pediatrics.
Giuliana Rancic Is Expecting a Baby
Giuliana Rancic, 37, whose road to motherhood has been made difficult by infertility struggles, one miscarriage and a diagnosis of breast cancer, announced in person Monday on the Today show that she is expecting.
Editor’s Note: This guest post is written by Ari Brown, M.D., FAAP, a Parents advisor and pediatrician in Austin, TX. She is the co-author of the best-sellling “411” parenting book series including Expecting 411: Clear Answers and Smart Advice for your Pregnancy, Baby 411, and Toddler 411. Here, she shares her new role as champion for the world-wide Shot@Life initiative.
As a pediatrician, and a spokesperson for the American Academy of Pediatrics, I’ve been involved in children’s health initiatives in the U.S. for a long time. But this year, I’m going global! I’m excited to be a part of a new movement to help kids and I want to share it with you!
On April 26, 2012, the United Nations Foundation will roll out a new grassroots program cleverly titled, Shot@Life. The message: every child—no matter where they live—deserves a shot at leading a healthy, productive life.
American parents don’t usually have to worry about losing their children to diseases like measles, pneumonia, or even the worst case of diarrhea. That’s because most of our kids have access to and are able to receive life-saving vaccines. Unfortunately, 1 in 5 children worldwide don’t have that opportunity for protection. In fact, 1.7 million children will die this year from these diseases that are rare in the U.S., thanks to vaccination. Unfortunately, a child dies every 20 seconds.
I know, I know. We have so many economic issues at home, it is hard to think about the plight of children on the other side of the world. But honestly, protection against diseases there helps all of our kids. Germs don’t need a passport. They don’t have to take their shoes off in security or go through special body scanners to get on a plane to our hometowns. So, our own children will benefit from protecting children in other countries.
‘Five S’s’ Can Keep Babies Calm During Shots
The pain and tears that infants experience after getting routine immunizations can be significantly reduced with a popular technique for calming fussy babies, a new study finds.
Stores, and More, for Breast-Feeding Moms
A small but growing niche of the baby-care industry offers not only the latest products, but also education and camaraderie.
Life Stressors Increase Obesity Risk in Young Girls
When young girls live in a stressful home where violence, depression or other disruptions are common they are more likely to become obese by age 5, compared to children raised in more stable homes.
Kids Who Play ‘Choking Game’ May Take Other Risks, Too
Kids who play the so-called “choking game” are more likely to engage in other risky behaviors, including sex, substance use and gambling, a new study of middle schoolers finds.
Moms See Themselves as Facebook’s Savviest Users: Survey
On Thursday, marketing firm Performics released its study of 3,000 active U.S. social networkers, and found moms were more proficient than other women at getting information from Facebook.
Suspect in Custody in Ohio High School Shooting
Gunfire at a high school outside Cleveland injured a number of students Monday morning, and at least one suspect has been taken into custody, officials said.
Report: Women Have Rare Egg-Producing Stem Cells
For 60 years, doctors have believed women were born with all the eggs they’ll ever have. Now Harvard scientists are challenging that dogma, saying they’ve discovered the ovaries of young women harbor very rare stem cells capable of producing new eggs.
Group Backs HPV Shot Recommendation for Boys
Boys 11 years and up should get Merck & Co’s Gardasil vaccine to protect them against HPV infections, which can cause genital warts as well as oral, penile and anal cancers, the nation’s largest group of pediatricians said Monday.
Active Video Games Don’t Mean Kids Exercise More
All that virtual boxing, bowling and dancing along with video game systems might not be helping kids meet their daily exercise requirements, a new study suggests.
Cold and flu season is upon us, and this week’s spotlight on influenza vaccinations is a perfect reminder to take your child to the pediatrician for a flu vaccine (if you haven’t done so already). According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the 2011-2012 flu vaccine will safeguard against three viruses: influenza A (H1N1), influenza A (H2N2), and influenza B.
Getting the flu vaccine will protect your family and loved ones from worse symptoms. Read more about the importance of getting a flu vaccine below.
Here are more resources recommended by Shot of Prevention, a community blog that brings you the latest news and guidelines about immunizations, which recently hosted a conference call (sponsored by Every Child by Two and Families Fighting Flu) to raise awareness about flu vaccines.
Lack of Soap Means Illness, Death for Millions of Children
An estimated 1.5 million children die every year because their immune systems are not mature enough to battle diarrheal and respiratory diseases spread in contaminated environments.
High IQ Linked to Drug Use
A new British study finds children with high IQs are more likely to use drugs as adults than people who score low on IQ tests as children.
LAUSD Menu: Parents Love it, but Students?
Move over pizza and mac and cheese. Welcome chili lime chicken wings and Greek salad. These items are part of the new menu at the Los Angeles Unified School District.
Lawsuit: LaBelle Threw Water at Tot in NYC Lobby
R&B diva Patti LaBelle hurled curses — and half a bottle of water — at a woman and her 18-month-old daughter after a dust-up over parenting in an apartment building lobby, according to a lawsuit filed Monday and the family’s lawyer.
Earlier today, the United Nations Foundation announced Shot@Life, a campaign to expand access to vaccines for children in developing countries. “Every 20 seconds, a child dies from a disease that could have been prevented by a vaccine,” said Peg Willingham, Executive Director of Shot@Life.
The campaign hopes to teach Americans about the success of childhood vaccines as a cost-effective way to save lives and, in return, have them advocate for and donate vaccines to children in need.
Each year, 1.7 million children under the age of 5 die from vaccine-preventable diseases, according to the World Health Organization. But vaccines have already proven successful in drastically decreasing the number of deaths from measles and polio. Increased education about and accessibility to vaccines can save the lives of millions of more children.
For more information about Shot@Life, visit ShotatLife.org.
While some medical professionals were skeptical of the research results and discredited it, some doctors and parents voiced their support for the research and became suspicious about other vaccines. Some moms, including celeb mom Jenny McCarthy, became pickier about vaccinations or stopped vaccinating their children completely.
Even though The Lancet retracted Dr. Wakefield’s research in early 2010, a recent editorial in the the British Medical Journal has publicly denounced Dr. Wakefield’s research as “fraudulent.” The editorial asserts that Dr. Wakefield “falsified data” and tampered with his research results to give the (MMR) vaccine bad publicity. At the time, Dr. Wakefield was involved in a lawsuit against the manufacturers of the (MMR) vaccine and would have gained money for winning–an obvious conflict of interest.
After the research was released in 1998, there was a sharp decrease in parents giving their children the (MMR) vaccine. Even though the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports 90% of children in the United States are vaccinated, mumps remain the second most common disease that can be easily vaccinated. Also, in 2008, reports for measles reached an all-time high since 1997, and about 90% of the kids with measles hadn’t been vaccinated.
Since Dr. Wakefield has been unable to reproduce his research results and there are no other conclusive studies, there is no proof that autism is linked to the (MMR) vaccine or other vaccines. However, the new information has lead parents to wonder if they should have vaccinated their children, while doctors are disturbed how one study prevented children from getting necessary medical attention.
As a parent, do you believe autism is still linked to vaccinations ? Do you vaccinate your children and will you continue to do so? Share your thoughts in the comments section.
Editor’s Note: This guest post is written by 
Cold and flu season is upon us, and this week’s spotlight on influenza vaccinations is a perfect reminder to take your child to the pediatrician for a flu vaccine (if you haven’t done so already). According to the 
