12-16-02 1. Child Asthma linked to Moms Acetaminophen Use According to the American Lung Association an estimated 3.8 million children under age 18 in the United States have asthma. Pregnant women who frequently took Acetaminophen later in pregnancy may increase the chances that their babies will suffer asthma after birth. The conclusion of the study published in the November issue of the journal Thorax found that exposure to acetaminophen in the womb appears to double the risk of asthma early in life. The new study led by Dr. Seif Shaheen from King's College in London included 9,400 children when they were 2.5 to 3.5 years old. The FDA found that acetaminophen overdoses lead to more than 56,000 emergency room visits a year in the U.S. about 100 die. 2. One Chicken Pox Vaccine Shot is Not Good Enough Outbreaks of Chickenpox in children who have already been vaccinated have lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to recommend a second shot to protect children from chickenpox. Children who have been vaccinated 3 years before the outbreak were at greater risk of vaccination failure that those who have been vaccinated more recently. Experts estimate that the chickenpox vaccine is between 71% to 100% effective at preventing varicella infection but the study showed the effectiveness of the vaccine was 44%. Dr. Anne Gershon of Columbia University in New York writes in an editorial in the NEJM, "It has long been known... that 'breakthrough' varicella may nevertheless develop in 10-15 percent of vaccinated persons," Gershon suggests that a second dose of chickenpox vaccine "should decrease the number of children who have vaccine failure and might also prevent waning immunity. Current guidelines want one dose of chickenpox vaccine for children between the ages of 1 and 12 years and two doses of the vaccine for children over 13. The New England Journal of Medicine 2002;347:1909-1915, 1962-1963. 3. Paxil Use in Pregnancy Tied to Complications For Baby The November issue of the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine report that when some people stop taking Paxil they have withdrawal symptoms. There are reports of irritability, jitteriness, excessive crying, shivering and other symptoms in newborns whose mothers took the drug during pregnancy. Approximately 20% of the babies whose mothers took the drug late in pregnancy experienced complications after birth for which they had to stay in the hospital. The most common complication was respiratory distress. Babies born to mothers who took Paxil in the third trimester were also much more likely to be born prematurely, 20% versus 3.7%. 4. Officials Urge Flu Shots for Babies Federal health officials recommend all children ages 6 months to two years get the flu shot. Different from adults, children are to receive two shots a month a part. Dr. Walter Orenstein of the CDC remarks that the flu shot for babies will be included in the federal program that provides vaccines for free to the needy. Flu shots typically cost about $20 plus the doctor's visit. Before you vaccinate contact the number one vaccine website in the world at www.909shot.com. Does the flu shot contain Thermisol? 5. Breastfeeding May Lower Rheumatoid Arthritis Risk The studies findings showed that those who spent a cumulative 2 or more years breastfeeding were 50% less likely to develop rheumatoid arthritis than those who breastfed for 3 months or less. The risk was lowest for woman who breastfed for at least 24 months. The study which was presented at the October 29th annual meeting of the American College of Rheumatology in New Orleans, Louisiana followed 80,000 woman for 25 years. 6. C-Sections Are Increasing Again The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that repeat Caesarean sections increased during the second half of the 1990,s compared to the trend in the 1980's and early '90s. Doctors said C-sections are on the rise because it is convenient for health providers and patients to schedule births, because of the risk of lawsuits and the stress of labor can cause bladder problems in the mother. Coming out of the University of Arkansas, Dr. Lowery reports that almost none of the hospitals in Arkansas are performing vaginal births after Caesarians. The U.S. rate now is 22 percent and the government is worried that it will fall short of its goal of 37 percent by 2010 for VBACs.