F.D.A. to Reconsider Plastic Bottle Risk

According to an article appearing in the NY Times the F.D.A. was accused of failing to adequately consider research about the dangers of a substance known as bisphenol-A.

What Are The Benefits Of Methadone Maintainance During Pregnancy?

There is documented evidence that methadone maintainance during pregnancy is beneficial.  It is common knowledge that substance use is dangerous for pregnant women and their unborn children.  Anything ingested by Mom is absorbed into the bloodstream, passes through the placenta and is ingested by the baby.  Most often, pregnant women want to stop using harmful substances to ensure the health of their babies.  However, stopping use of heroin or other opiates, can be very harmful to the unborn child, possibly resulting in death.

Methadone maintainance for opiate addiction during pregnancy is a healthier alternative for promoting and maintaining the health of opiate addicted pregnant women and their unborn children.  For more information on methadone maintainance during pregnancy, refer to an excellent fact sheet provided by March of Dimes. For a more comprehensive understanding, refer to a wonderful brochure developed by staff of Addiction Treatment Forum.

Can Moderate Drinking While Pregnant Hurt Your Child’s Behavior?

Read this article which summarizes a report on findings published in the December 6, 2008 issue of the Journal of Pediatrics.  The title of the article is “Moderate Alcohol Use During Pregnancy Linked to Behavior Problems in Children.” Tell us what you think.

NCBDDD External Partners December Newsletter

1. A Note from Our Friends at NCBDDD: Event with the Becketts Rescheduled for December 11

   This event has been rescheduled for Thursday, December 11 at 11 a.m. EST in Atlanta, with audioconferencing available: Join CDC’s National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities in welcoming a presentation from Katie and Julie Beckett. Julie Beckett currently serves as Director of National Policy for Family Voices. Her daughter is Katie Beckett, in whose name a Medicaid home and community-based waiver program was developed. The Becketts will share details on bringing families and communities together to obtain services for children with special needs/disabilities. The event takes place at CDC’s Roybal Campus, Tom Harkin Global Communications Center, Building 19, Auditorium A. There is no cost, but registration is required. For more information, visit www.cdc.gov/ncbddd or contact Marcia Miller at mfv9@cdc.gov.

   

2. A Note from the Executive Committee: Opportunity to Share Your Ideas for 2009

   As our thoughts turn to the holidays, we’re also interested in ideas and strategies for maintaining and expanding the programs and activities of NCBDDD as we move into the next budget cycle. As always, feel free to share your ideas with me or with any of the executive committee members.

   Best wishes for a safe and happy holiday season!
   Russell Kirby, Chair
   rkirby@health.usf.edu

   

3. Toys “R” Us Releases 2008 Toy Guide for Differently-Abled Kids

   Just in time for holiday shopping, Toys “R” Us has released its 2008 Toy Guide for Differently-Abled Kids. This year TV journalist Meredith Vieira appears on the guide’s cover along with Owen Wagner, an inspiring eight-year-old boy from New Jersey who is one of the many children with differing abilities featured in the publication. Released annually, the guide provides qualified toy recommendations to help in the skill development of children who have physical, cognitive or developmental disabilities. The free publication is available at all Toys “R” Us and Babies “R” Us stores across the country and online, in both English and Spanish, at www.ToysRUs.com/DifferentlyAbled. The toy retailer has partnered with the National Lekotek Center since 1994 to evaluate hundreds of toys during therapeutic play sessions, determining those that best contribute to the development of children with special needs. Within the guide, Lekotek also provides helpful tips for choosing developmentally appropriate toys for children with differing abilities.

   

4. UCP Offers Another Helpful Resource on Toy-Shopping for Children with Disabilities

   This holiday season, United Cerebral Palsy (UCP) is sharing a resource for parents, family, and friends of children with disabilities – a tip sheet detailing 10 considerations to keep in mind when toy shopping. The resource also includes an extensive list – with web links – of organizations providing information and retailers who stock great toys for differently-abled kids of all ages. To access this UCP resource online, click here.

   

5. AAIDD Call for Presentations: 2009 Annual Conference

   The American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD) has issued a call for presentations for their Annual Conference, “Creating Enviable Lives: The Business Plan,” set for June 9-12, 2009 in New Orleans. Deadline for submissions is December 21, 2008. Established leaders in the field are being asked to participate in the roundtables at the interactive cafés so that newer professionals can interact with them and each other in a casual setting. The schedule has times for plenary sessions, panel presentations, workshops, and interactive cafés. Interactive cafés will include posters, exhibitors, a resource center, and a roundtable with a known leader on the topic of that particular interactive café. There also will be action planning sessions around the major topics areas where participants can network for future action and collaborate on the conference topics, as well as connect in a casual setting with other experienced leaders. All proposals will be peer reviewed and must be submitted electronically: Click here.

   

6. TSA Expands Family & Special Needs Lanes to Every U.S. Airport

   The Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) popular family lanes for families and individuals traveling with medically-necessary liquids have been extended to every American airport this year, just in time for holiday travel. The lanes allow families and travelers with special needs to go through security at their own pace. Individuals carrying medically necessary liquids, aerosols and gels in excess of three ounces will also be directed to these popular lanes. Individuals traveling with liquids, gels and aerosols within 3-1-1 limits will not experience any change to their screening procedures. For more information, click here.

   

7. VCU Receives Grant for Minority Disability Research

   The Virginia Commonwealth University School of Allied Health Professions has received a $1.8 million, five-year National Institute of Disability and Rehabilitation Research grant, which will be used to identify and evaluate current practices and methods in conducting minority disability research – and to increase capacity in this area. The project will involve a national survey that examines the experiences of Americans with disabilities from underrepresented racial and ethnic minority groups, and what research methods, practices and strategies are needed to advance the field in culturally competent research. In addition, the project will focus on a longitudinal study of post-injury unemployment for minorities with traumatic brain and spinal cord injuries; and prevalence and trends in employment discrimination. To learn more, click here.

Timing Baby’s Arrival to Lower Asthma Risk

How, when and where a child is born may all play a role in lifetime asthma risk, new studies suggest.

Asthma occurs when airways in the lungs spasm and swell, restricting the supply of oxygen. The incidence of asthma in the United States has risen steadily for more than two decades, and now affects about 6 percent of children, up from less than 4 percent in 1980, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The reasons for the increase are not entirely clear. Genetics probably plays a role in risk for asthma, but an array of environmental factors — pollen, dust, animal dander, mold, cockroach feces, cigarettes, air pollution, viruses and cold air — have all been implicated in its development.

Click here to read the entire article.

Prevent Childhood Lead Poisoning: DVD Now Available For Community Educators

The Sesame Workshop recently made available the program “Lead Away” on DVD.  Unlike its predecessor which was in VHS and had an accompanying fee, the DVD is free of charge! The only requirement is that the requesting agency
pay for shipping. If you are interested, please contact Debbie Plate at lead@sesameworkshop.org. In addition,  click here for great supporting materials which include a mini-poster, activity,pages, children’s story, PSAs geared to adults, and on-line version of the DVD.

Iodized Salt: Raising Our Children’s and the World’s I.Q.

NICHOLAS D. KRISTOF published an important opinion editorial in the New York Times on December 4, 2008, writing, “Travelers to Africa and Asia all have their favorite forms of foreign aid to “make a difference.” One of mine is a miracle substance that is cheap and actually makes people smarter.

Unfortunately, it has one appalling side effect. No, it doesn’t make you sterile, but it is just about the least sexy substance in the world. Indeed, because it’s so numbingly boring, few people pay attention to it or invest in it. (Or dare write about it!)

It’s iodized salt.”

To learn why iodized salt is so important to our children’s developing neurological and physical systems, click here to read the full editorial.

Almost one-third of the world’s people don’t get enough iodine from food and water. The result in extreme cases is large goiters that swell their necks, or other obvious impairments such as dwarfism or cretinism. But far more common is mental slowness.

When a pregnant woman doesn’t have enough iodine in her body, her child may suffer irreversible brain damage and could have an I.Q. that is 10 to 15 points lower than it would otherwise be. An educated guess is that iodine deficiency results in a needless loss of more than 1 billion I.Q. points around the world.

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