Here is a free Pause Recipe Book. Enjoy!

pregnant-pause-recipe-book.pdf

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - Take a Pregnant Pause for Mother’s Day

This Mother’s Day, the Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalitions of Cumberland and Salem Counties are asking moms-to-be to take a pregnant pause—from alcohol, tobacco, and illicit drugs.

Avoiding these substances is a fail-safe way to prevent certain birth defects that are lifelong, permanent, and irreversible. It’s also easier than ever, thanks to the Pregnant Pause Beverage Blast recipe book, a free resource with 20 alcohol-free cocktails for pregnant women.

The Beverage Blast book and other pregnancy health tips will be the focus of two upcoming Pregnant Pause events this May.

Friday, May 16, 2008

10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Annual Community Day

110 Cohansey Street, Bridgeton

Thursday, May 22, 2008

10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Memorial Hospital of Salem County

310 Woodstown Road, Salem.

Both events are co-sponsored by the Southern New Jersey Perinatal Cooperative and the New Jersey Coalition for Prevention of Developmental Disabilities, with funding support from the Governor’s council on the Prevention of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities.

Click on the link below for more information.

pregnant-pause-5-08.pdf

The Coalition for Healthy Communities invites you to join their 3rd annual Pedaling for Prevention bicycle tour.  This event is scheduled for Sunday, September 7, 2008 from 9:30 am to 2:00 pm at Johnson Park, Grove 4 in Piscataway.  You can choose your activity by your physical stamina:

• ride a 50 mile bicycle tour
• ride a 20 mile bicycle tour
• go on a 5 k run or walk and the park 

Lots of other activities will be taking place too that include helmet fittings, bike safety checks, informational tables, and a silent auction.  Click on the pink tab above to register for these fun events. 

Screening women of childbearing age for the presence of mental health disorders, substance abuse and domestic violence is an important aspect of health care. The Northern New Jersey Maternal and Child Health Consortium will be sponsoring a conference to address these women’s behavioral health risk factors.   The event will be held on Wednesday, May 28, 2009 at the Chilton Memorial Hospital in Pompton Plains.  You can view the full brochure by clicking above.

What You Can Do to Keep Kids Safe is an easy to use checklist for parents.Safe Kids USA has produced this checklist to mark it’s 20 anniversary.

You can download the checklist below.

2008-safety-checklist.pdf

“Sex, Lies and Stereotypes - How Abstinence-Only Programs Harm Women and Girls” details the possible unintended effects of abstinence-only education.  This report was sponsored by Legal Momentum in partnership with the Human Rights Project at Harvard Law School and the Program on International Health and Human Rights at the Harvard School of Public Health.  These organizations convened a roundtable which brought together experts from a wide range of disciplines to consider the impact of abstinence-only programs on women and girls. 

Legal Momentum was founded in 1970 as the NOW Legal Defense and Education Fund.  It is the nation’s oldest legal advocacy organization dedicated to advancing the rights of women and girls.  It has served as a leader to establish public policies to secure equalaity and justice for women.  Legal Momentum’s work includes employment and housing rights, domestic violence, equal pay, health and many other important issues.

Over the past several weeks, we have posted a number of articles about environmental toxins.  Due to the way the chemical industry is regulated in the United States, very few of the 60,000 or more chemicals on the market have ever been tested to determine their possible detrimental effects on human health and development.    Concern has been expressed that recent studies by the CDC and other federal agencies have documented the presence of numerous toxins in the blood of a broad cross section of Americans. 

Actions taken by the European Union is resulting in the establishment of some regulatory control over chemical testing and product safety in the United States.  Toxic Inaction: Why Poisonous, Unregulated Chemicals End Up In Our Blood by Mark Schapiro, recently published in Harpers, describes the effects of REACH - Registration, Evaluation and Authorisation Chemicals - in establishing global standards for the chemical industry.  Because of international trade of virtually 1,000s of products, REACH is igniting a revolution as to how chemicals are tested and  managed as well as impacting upon how production and trade decisions will now be made around the world. 

For an interesting website on toxins in infant and children’s care products and toys, click here. 

Last week the New York Times and Washington Post published articles regarding concerns that are being raised in Canada and the United States about the possible dangers of Bisphenol-A (BPA) to humans.   BPA is a heavy plastic used in many common household goods, including baby bottles and liners in food cans.  The New York Times  published in article in its Health Section on Tuesday, April 22 that tries to respond to some of the concerns about the toxicity of BPA.   Along with addressing whereBPA is found and providing some epidemiology on the extent of human exposure, the article also offers some suggestions as to how to limit exposure.

Pregnant Pause is a community education campaign geared to educate the public about the dangers of drinking alcohol during pregnancy. The events combine fun and festivity with important information about prenatal care, childhood safety, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD), and community resources.   These events were first held in two New Jersey counties, Monmouth and Ocean, over a decade ago.  Today, with support from the Office for Prevention of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities, the Coalition for Prevention of Developmental Disabilities at The Arc of New Jersey  provides leadership and guidance to local agencies to sponsor Pregnant Pause events in every county in the State. You can learn more about Pregnant Pause and find out when an event  will be held in your area by clicking here.

The New Jersey Coalition on Women and Disabilities, Essex County Chapter, will sponsor its 3rd Annual Empowerment Conference on Monday, May 12, 2008.   Ms. Wheelchair NJ 2008, Cynthia DeSouza, will be the special guest.  The conference will be held at the New Jersey Institute of Technology Campus Center, 2nd floor.  You can access a registration form by clicking on the pink link above.