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By Michael McCarthy on July 31st, 2010
State’s infant mortality rate lowest in the nation
By other child well-being measures, Washington ranked lower but generally did well, ranking 11th in the nation overall.
Newborn and Infant Health
By Michelle Andrews on June 08th, 2010
Health law provides benefits for pregnant women, new mothers
Some insurers treat pregnancy as a preexisting condition, charging pregnant women higher premiums, or refuse to cover childbirth costs.
By Katherine Kahn - HBNS on June 08th, 2010
Quitting smoking before pregnancy could save babies’ lives
Despite a decline over the past decade in the number of women who smoke during pregnancy, smoking is still a major cause of newborn deaths, early births and babies born with low birth weight.
By Michael McCarthy on November 17th, 2009
One in ten Washington infants born prematurely
“This week alone, 183 more babies will be born prematurely.”
By U.S. FDA on September 05th, 2009
A parent’s guide to kids’ vaccines – from the FDA
In its “Parent’s Guide to Kids’ Vaccines” the U.S. Food and Drug Administration addresses many questions parents have about the vaccines that are recommended for their children and provides a list of these vaccines, their purpose and common side effects.
By CDC on September 05th, 2009
Special Webcast About the Flu for Pregnant Women and New Moms
U.S. Government’s flu information site www.flu.gov assembled a team of experts to answer questions that pregnant women and new moms might have about the flu.
By LocalHealthGuide on August 24th, 2009
Health stories in the news
Unapproved hormone used to prevent premature births
Seattle Times health reporter Kyung Song writes in today’s issue of the paper about a program in which Washington state’s largest Medicaid contractor is promoting the use of a synthetic hormone that is thought to prevent premature births.
But the hormone, called 17P, has not been approved by the U.S. [...]
By LocalHealthGuide on August 13th, 2009
For Dying and Seriously Ill Children, Hope For Better Care
By Carol Ann Campbell
August 13, 2009
NEWARK, N.J. – Fourteen-year-old Prince Jackson made a fist and banged his hand on his head, again and again. “It was like this,” he said, trying to describe the blinding pain from the tumor growing inside his head. “It hurt so much. It wouldn’t stop.”
Jackson could not read or sleep [...]
By LocalHealthGuide on August 03rd, 2009
How to use infant car seats–Seattle Children’s
Seattle Children’s has produced a video on how to safely buckle your baby into an infant car seat.
To learn more:
Visit Seattle Children’s Child Health & Safety information page for more information
Visit American Academy of Pediatrics Car Seat Safety page.
Visit SeatCheck.Org, a Web site that lists places where you can have your car seats inspected.
By LocalHealthGuide on July 30th, 2009
King County reports first heat-related death
Seattle’s record heat wave has contributed to the death of a Seattle man, King County officials said Thursday.
The man, in his 60s, had a heart condition that may have made him more vulnerable to the effects this week’s high temperatures in the Seattle area, officials said.
Dr. David Fleming, director and health officer for Public Health [...]
By LocalHealthGuide on July 09th, 2009
Kolcraft recalls 1 million Play Yards due to fall hazard
Kolcraft Enterprises is recalling 1 million of its “Play Yards” products because they pose a fall hazard to children, according to an U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission alert.
“The play yard’s side rail can fail to latch properly and when a child pushes against the rail it can unlatch unexpectedly, posing a fall hazard to children,” [...]
By LocalHealthGuide on July 08th, 2009
Inflatable baby floats recalled due to drowning hazard
Acqua-Leisure Industries of Avon, Massachusetts is voluntarily recalling certain models of its inflatable baby floats due to concerns about a possible drowning hazard.
(Not all models have been recalled. Information about which models are involved can be found through the links at the end of this posting.)
Leg straps in the recalled models seats can tear, “causing [...]
By LocalHealthGuide on June 03rd, 2009
Heat Advisory for Seattle and East Puget Sound
The U.S. National Weather Service has issued a heat advisory for Seattle, Tacoma, Everett, Bremerton and the East Puget Sound area.
A heat advisory indicates that there is an increased risk of heat-related illnesses due to a combination of high temperatures and humidity.
The Service advises area residents to stay out of the sun and in an [...]
By Michael McCarthy on May 09th, 2009
International experts meet in Seattle to tackle stillbirth and deaths due to prematurity
Stillbirth and prematurity are responsible for more deaths of children under age 5 than AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria combined.
By LocalHealthGuide on May 02nd, 2009
Children with mild flu symptoms overcrowding Seattle Children’s emergency room
Many parents, concerned about influenza A/H1N1 (swine flu), are bring children with mild or even no symptoms to the emergency room at Seattle Children’s, more than doubling the number of patients the staff usually sees at this time of year.
Most of these visits are unnecessary, hospital officials say, and are overburdening the emergency room’s resources.
“Most [...]
By LocalHealthGuide on April 30th, 2009
Swine flu: Seattle Children’s advice to parents
Seattle Children’s has produced a video and a tip sheet for parents about swine flu. The video features Dr. Danielle Zerr, medical director, Infection Control, Seattle Children’s Hospital. Additional information is available on Seattle Children’s swine flu information page.
Message from Seattle Children’s:
There are suspected cases of swine flu in the state of Washington. As a result, [...]
By LocalHealthGuide on March 26th, 2009
Circumcision effective way to reduce risk of AIDS, herpes and genital warts, UW researchers say
Healthcare providers should make it clear to patients and parents that male circumcision substantially reduces a man’s risk of contracting AIDS, genital herpes and the virus that causes genital warts and cervical cancer, two University of Washington researchers write in today’s issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
In recent years, the value of circumcision [...]
By LocalHealthGuide on March 24th, 2009
Fisher-Price recalls 3-in-1 High Chairs due to fall hazard
Fisher-Price 3-in-1 High Chair
Fisher-Price is recalling its “3-in-1 High Chairs” after learning the seat can fall backwards from the chair frame if the seat release is unlatched while a child is in the chair.
Fisher-Price has received a report of a child falling out of a chair and suffering a skull fracture after the seat back [...]
By LocalHealthGuide on March 20th, 2009
One in three babies born to unwed mothers in Washington state – CDC
One in three babies born in Washington state in 2007 were born to unwed mothers, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The Washington state’s proportion of unwed births, 33.2 percent, was less than the national average, 39.7 percent, which was a historic high for the country.
But Washington’s rate was considerably higher [...]
By LocalHealthGuide on March 19th, 2009
Hospital CEO outlines bold ambitions, formidable challenges for Seattle Children’s
Seattle Children’s is on track to become on of the nation’s leading pediatric research center, but first it must meet formidable challenges caused by the current economic downturn, the hospital’s CEO Dr. Thomas Hansen said Thursday.
Dr. Hansen, a neonatologist who specializes in chronic lung diseases in newborns, made the comments today at an address to [...]
By LocalHealthGuide on January 08th, 2009
Valley Medical Center will have OB/GYN specialist onsite 24 hours a day, everyday
Valley Medical Center in Renton will now have a specialist in obstetrics and gynecology in its hospital 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
These specialists will be available to evaluate all patients admitted with emergency obstetrical and gynecologic problems and be available to help with any urgent needs of hospitalized patients with obstetrical and gynecologic [...]
By LocalHealthGuide on December 30th, 2008
Seattle Children’s ranked 13th top children’s hospital in U.S.
Parents magazine has ranked Seattle Children’s the 13th top children’s hospital in the country.
The ranking was based on a 250-questions survey filled out by 75 children’s hospitals.
The survey asked the hospitals about such issues as survival rates, number of complex procedures performed, research studies, staff qualifications, and safeguards to prevent medical errors.
Among specialties, Seattle Children’s [...]
By LocalHealthGuide on December 03rd, 2008
Washington state ranks 10th healthiest in nation
Washington is the 10th healthiest state in the U.S.A., according to a new report.
The report, America’s Health Rankings, has been compiled for 19 years by the United Health Foundation.
Vermont was ranked the healthiest state followed by Hawaii, New Hampshire, Minnesota and Utah.
Louisiana was found to be the least healthy state, followed by Mississippi, South Carolina, Tennessee and [...]
By LocalHealthGuide on November 29th, 2008
AIDS expert to speak at UW for World AIDS Day
[ December 1, 2008; 5:30 pm; ]
Dr. Catherine Wilfert developed the idea that it was possible to prevent the AIDS virus from spreading from an infected mother to her uninfected newborn by giving an anti-HIV drug to the mother just before and to the child right after delivery.
The approach can cut mother-to-child transmission of HIV by 80% and is credited with [...]
By LocalHealthGuide on November 29th, 2008
AIDS pioneer to speak at UW Monday, Dec. 1
Dr. Catherine Wilfert developed the idea that it was possible to prevent the AIDS virus from spreading from an infected mother to her uninfected newborn by giving an anti-HIV drug to the mother just before and to the child right after delivery.
The approach can cut mother-to-child transmission of HIV by 80% and is credited with [...]
By LocalHealthGuide on November 25th, 2008
Seattle Chef to Fête Swedish NICU families
John Howie, Chef and Owner of the Seastar Restaurant and Raw Bar in Bellevue, will be cooking up a special Thanksgiving feast for the families of newborns in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Seattle’s Swedish Medical Center.
Howie and his culinary team will be serving a complete holiday meal tomorrow evening, Wednesday, for the [...]
By LocalHealthGuide on November 11th, 2008
Infants’ Mylicon Gas Relief Dye Free drops recalled
Johnson and Johnson—Merck Consumer Pharmaceuticals has issued an urgent nationwide recall of its Infants’ Mylicon Gas Relief Dye Free Drops (Simethicone-Antigas) non-staining because some bottles may contain metal fragments.
Infants’ MYLICON® drops are sold over-the counter, in retail stores and pharmacies, as an anti-gas medicine to relieve the discomfort of infant gas frequently caused by air swallowing [...]
By LocalHealthGuide on November 04th, 2008
When are genetic tests on infants ethical? – webcast
A conference held this July in Seattle on the ethics of genetic testing of newborns and children is now available online at UWTV’s website.
The 2008 Pediatric Bioethics Conference brought together some of the nation’s top ethicists to talk about the controversies involved in testing newborns and children for genetic conditions even when there might be [...]
By LocalHealthGuide on October 08th, 2008
Over-the-counter cold medicines not for kids under 4, manufacturers agree
Children under the age of four with colds should not be given over-the-counter cough and cold medicines, according to new labeling that will go on the products.
Manufacturers of the nonprescription cough and cold remedies agreed to make the change in labeling after long negotiations with federal regulators.
Earlier this year, the US Food and Drug Administration [...]
By LocalHealthGuide on September 15th, 2008
Seattle’s Children’s Hospital & Regional Medical Center adopts shorter name
Seattle’s Children’s Hospital & Regional Medical Center has changed its name to Seattle Children’s and adopted a new logo.
