taking care of each other

I know this topic can instantly instigate heated family discussions... but I think that a recent action of the Nebraska Legislature needs a bit of recognition. 

The governor of Nebraska recently vetoed a bill to "provide free prenatal care to undocumented immigrant women" in the state.   The state lawmakers passed the bill by "taking women out of the equation" and using the argument: "The Legislature finds that unborn children do not have immigration status and therefore are not within the scope" of the Nebraska law that "denies benefits to people who cannot prove they are here legally."  This bill will provide undocumented women the opportunity to sign up ("their fetuses") for the State Children's Health Insurance Program. 

The part in the article that I especially like is this statement: "If devoutly anti-abortion lawmakers can decree that immigrants' children are precious people before they're born, maybe at some point they can extend some of their compassion to children who have already entered the world, and to their parents who lack legal status."

A great thought, I think, for all of us.

giving the family gift

My favorite part of Christmas each year is the gift my siblings give to each other and to our parents.

We rotate each year being responsible for finding a way to help those in need in our communities.  Each family sends money so that there is a considerable amount to spend on something meaningful.  The one in charge finds a way to use the money, preferably in a tangible way, rather than just donating it to an institution.  Often, our children help us buy gifts for homeless children, about their same ages.  My husband and I participate in something similar each year with our kids, but we enjoy immensely the years that we are responsible for the family Christmas gift, because we have so much more to give.

It is a wonderful way to help my children remember that the most important part about Christmas, the one that reaches deep down inside of us, is finding ways to give to others, to sacrifice for others, to stretch ourselves and be able to give meaningful gifts to others, especially others that are less fortunate then we are.  It is a wonderful interactive experience as we talk about the birth of Jesus Christ, how much He loves each one of Heavenly Father's children, and how we can share his love with others as we sacrifice our own wants and desires to give to others.

We share the experiences we have through pictures and descriptions with my siblings and their children.  We also combine pictures and details into a letter for our mom and dad, describing what we gave - together - to help those in need.

We are in charge of the gift this year, so I am currently looking for charitable opportunities this Christmas.  This article caught my eye: Giving Where It Works.  There are some interesting (well researched) ideas in the article.  I was particularly touched by the Washington D.C., Youth Court project; it gives "first-time, nonviolent teenage offenders an alternative" to the juvenile justice system, "where [they] will learn to be a real criminal."  Though not quite close enough to home for us to use for the family Christmas gift, it gave me ideas for opportunities to look for in our own community.

less teen pregnancy

A preliminary analysis of 2010 birth records has revealed that the teen birth rate in the United States is the lowest it has been in over 70 years.

In 2007, about 40 girls for every 1,000 girls ages 15 to 19 became pregnant.  In 2010, there were about 34 births for every 1,000 teenage girls.

This article states that some public health experts were concerned about the spotlighting of high-profile teen moms (like in 16 and Pregnant); that it would "glamorize" teen pregnancy and possibly encourage higher rates of teen pregnancy.  I remember feeling that way.  I remembering worrying about the effects of the movie Juno, and that the reality tv shows and media spotlights of young famous pregnant actresses would only highlight the fun, cute, heart-warming and rewarding aspects of being a mom, regardless of one's age.  I remember wondering if there would be a sudden spike in the number of girls who thought they could get "extra attention" by becoming pregnant.

But, within the last three years the rates of teen pregnancy have decreased.  Maybe the media did a very good job of depicting what life is really like for a mom - absolutely wonderful and magical, and rewarding and fun - but also full of sacrifice, a word and concept often missing - or avoided - during the teenage years.  The article mentions that "better sex education in schools" may be the cause of the decreased teen birth rate, but maybe all of the media attention was actually more helpful than we ever could have predicted it would be.

social networking and fundraising

This is an amazing idea!  Here is the link to the article: One-Dollar Idea.  A woman was looking for a way to help a school for victims of gang violence in Guatemala, but she was frustrated that raising $500,000.00 would take too long.  Then she thought of social networking and decided that she could easily reach 500,000 people who might be willing to donate at least $1.00 each.  Eventually she launched the website tippingbucket.org in March 2010.  So far, her idea has raised more than $100,000.00 in small donations and funded 30 projects in 20 different countries.

I was initially quite impressed by this idea and the simplicity of the projects listed on the website.  But after observing and tracking the website for a few days I feel like the impact of their efforts is limited.  This seems strange, especially after reading through the accomplishments of each of the board of directors.  I wonder if there is just too much out there, like non-governmental health organizations in developing countries, with little or no collaboration.  With so many groups vying for money, or competing for attention so that another group (like Tipping Bucket) will choose them as an organization to help acquire money, they are all squeezing each other out.

Either way, the list of accomplishments and the amount of money raised by Tipping Bucket is impressive.

Bikes

My husband and I want to be involved in international health - eventually - meaning after he finishes his medical residency.  We have thought about living abroad, or traveling every summer with our kids and living in a developing country for large chunks of the year - later.  But we are always on the lookout for something we can be involved with right now.

My husband is an avid cyclist (both road biking and mountain biking).  I was curious about ideas for recycling bikes or donating bikes to people less fortunate in our community and stumbled upon this website: Bicycle Aid for Africa.  They recycle bikes and send them to Africa.  This seemed like an incredible idea.  A simple but powerful one - but also a very expensive one.  I brought it up to my husband, seeking his mental capacity to help me think of something we could do, but in our own city.  He belongs to a riding club.  He told me that the club chooses a specific charity to sponsor every month.  The club uses cycling to raise money or bring in donations for the charity, whether through races the club does or through the donation of bikes and/or money.  The club sometimes competes against other clubs in the area in order to motivate the members to give generously.  I was totally amazed.

I love the idea of recycling bikes because it is incredible what having a bike does for someone's confidence, the feeling of freedom and power it provides - even at the age of three.

There is so much out there that people are doing for others.  It is impressive.

autism & independence

This is an amazing article about a young man with autism.  It is long, but read the entire thing.  It is wonderful:  Autistic and Seeking a Place in an Adult World.

I think most of us have people very close to us with autism - most of them young children.  We worry about what life will be like for them when they are grown.  What an incredible blessing to have educators and teachers who can inspire and help prepare individuals with autism for life beyond school.

Theories on Cancer

This is a really good article, Cancer's Secrets Come Into Sharper Focus.  There is a great video at the beginning which describes with cartoon illustrations the latest theories on how cancer begins.  It is enlightening and also a bit disheartening as the ability to prevent cancer seems even more elusive as you realize how many things can actually, and easily, go wrong inside our bodies.

why invest in immigrants' children

I feel strongly about this issue.

A friend recently told me that her girlfriend's daughter declined a full scholarship to a university because her parents brought her to the United States when she was two-years old, thus, at age 18 she still does not have legal U.S. citizenship.

Could there be anything worse than that?

Would anyone willingly constrain an individual from furthering their education in order to become a productive and contributing member of society, and rather encourage that the individual be dependent on others in society to provide for their needs - for the rest of their lives?

Yes, I feel strongly about this.  I should stop.

But, it gets even worse.  Here is an article about a recent study: Illegal Immigrants' Children Suffer, Study Finds.  It illustrates how many of the children who are born in the U.S. suffer because of their parents' decisions long before they even graduate from high school.  Of course, this is because, as it states in the article: "The undocumented are viewed in current policy debates as lawbreakers, laborers or victims - seldom as parents raising citizen children."  The author of the study reveals that there are currently approximately four million children of illegal immigrant parents in the United States (91 percent are citizens).

"Poor cognitive development can lead to lower school performance, which in turn can lead to higher dropout rates, an undertrained work force and lower economic productivity."

"Ignoring these children has costs for society" the author of the study states.

It is clear that all of us will benefit if we invest in illegal immigrants' children, whether citizens themselves or not.

reasoning and biases

This article is thought-provoking:  Reason Seen More as Weapon Than Path to Truth.  It presents the latest idea among scholars that the human ability to reason evolved not to ultimately "find truth," but instead to be able to win an argument.  The debate currently revolving around this "argumentative theory of reasoning" is seemingly quite vicious, but it makes perfect sense.  I think it definitely "offers profound insight into the way people think and behave."

The authors of the journal article were seeking an explanation for "why people persisted in picking out evidence that supported their views and ignored the rest - what is know as confirmation bias - leading them to hold on to a belief doggedly in the face of overwhelming contrary evidence." (This is something we battle constantly in matters of public health.)  One of the co-authors of the journal article presenting this idea stated:  "Reasoning doesn't have this function of helping us to get better beliefs and make better decisions... it was a purely social phenomenon.  It evolved to help us convince others and to be careful when others try to convince us. Truth and accuracy were beside the point."

Another interesting point made is: "the limits of reason can be overcome by putting people together in the right way, in particular to challenge people's confirmation biases"  and "as people became better at producing and picking apart arguments, their assessment skills evolved as well."

This was so interesting because recently a young woman described to me her current upper level high school math class.  At the time I thought this was absurd.  Her class is divided into groups.  Each day they are given new math problems surrounding a general concept.  There is no teacher instruction.  If her group cannot figure out a new concept, he refers them to another group for help.  An author of this article explained: "Groups are more likely than individuals to come up with better results... because they will be exposed to the best arguments, and "children may have an easier time learning abstract topics in mathematics or physics if they are put into a group and allowed to reason through a problem together."

There are a lot of implications in this research.  And a lot of possible applications.  Especially in public health, where our focus is on changing unhealthy behaviors of individuals and populations.  This could be useful in small group discussions involving breast feeding, healthy eating, smoking, other addictions, etc.  It could be particularly useful in a foreign setting where a "Westerner" enters the scene and attempts to teach local individuals about changing health habits.  I think there can be great power in reasoning with one's peers to find an acceptable solution, rather than "being told what to do."

Well, some-times, that is.

preventing drowning

My sister-in-law sent this article to me, Drowning Doesn't Look Like Drowning, along with everyone else in the family.  I think it is eye-opening and felt that I received it at the perfect moment as we enter the warm summer months full of swimming lessons and parties.

I passed a lifeguard course as a freshman in college, but never took a job as a lifeguard; I couldn't stand the thought that someone - especially a child - might die on my watch.  But even with a lifeguard nearby, I think we need to be vigilant as parents.  I think this part of the article sums up well the point the author attempts to make, and gives us a simple, useful, easy-to-remember tip:

"Sometimes the most common indication that someone is drowning is that they don’t look like they’re drowning. They may just look like they are treading water and looking up at the deck. One way to be sure? Ask them, “Are you alright?” If they can answer at all – they probably are. If they return a blank stare, you may have less than 30 seconds to get to them. And parents – children playing in the water make noise. When they get quiet, you get to them and find out why."


Because, drownings happen - much more frequently than they should.  And one child drowning is too many.

how could we ever give up our cellphones?

This new announcement by the World Health Organization panel that cellphones are "possibly carcinogenic" is a big concern.

It's huge.

In this article, Cellphone Radiation May Cause Cancer, Advisory Panel Says, it refers to "heavy cell phone users" as having an increased risk of a rare brain tumor.

What exactly does that mean to be a "heavy cell phone user"?  We don't have a home telephone line.  We use our cell phones for all of our calls, along with everything else in the world.  It seems like most people in society also use their cell phones "heavily" every day.

(I found it a bit comical that coffee and pickled vegetables were also "classified as Category B2" by the W.H.O. panel, and that immediately cellphone companies appeared to use that as somewhat of a defensive argument.)

I wonder if we will be viewed in 50 years as we currently view our grandparents, willfully slathering huge slabs of margarine onto their dinner rolls, completely ignorant of the potential adverse health effects.

Since cellphones are so new, relatively speaking, I think it is unwise to dismiss any cautions associated with them, especially due to the fact that cancer studies often take many years to provide reliable results.  As for our family, we will likely be increasing our earpiece usage, decreasing our cellphone usage, and definitely limiting our kids' cellphone usage.  That is easy to say when they are so young, but hopefully by the time they are 13-years old or so, we will have better and more reliable epidemiological data available.  Or, maybe we will all text in the future, maybe no one will hold real time conversations with each other, maybe we will only communicate via texts and we won't have to worry about holding a cellphone up to our ears.

My husband initially dismissed the W.H.O.'s ruling, reminding me that the debate over whether cellphones cause cancer has been around for many years.  But, I did notice later, while he was sitting on the porch talking casually with his mom on his cellphone today, he was holding his cellphone in his hand and talking via his bluetooth device.

the Tornado in Joplin

These photographs of the remains left after the tornado went through Joplin, Missouri are unbelievable.  This is an aerial before-and-after shot of an area in Joplin, revealing major damages to a major trauma center, a nursing home, a high school, among numerous other structures and homes.

Here is a link for an article on Charity Navigator listing agencies that are sending relief to Joplin, as well as tips to find the right organization to donate to.  This Food Bank gets good ratings and could most likely provide essential relief to the people affected by the tornado - and quickly.  Of course, in the long run, Habitat for Humanity may offer the greatest service for numerous individuals and families in Joplin.

driving without distractions

The other day I caught myself opening a cheese stick and reaching back to give it to my 21-month old - while I was driving.  The riskiest part of the act was the effort required by both of my hands to peel back to top of the cheese stick packaging.  I was driving on a major road at about 40 mph.  I suddenly imagined what could have happened if my left hand, which was steadying the steering wheel, had been thrown off balance just a bit had I jerked it just a little while I struggled to open the wrapper.  I was horrified and vowed to never open another cheese stick again while driving, and to try to avoid doing anything while driving - but driving.

This is hard - really hard - with little kids.  They constantly need something while they are sitting there, locked in securely and feeling most likely quite bored.

This is an interesting article: Keeping Eyes on Distracted Driving's Toll. Reading it made me even more determined to completely focus on my driving and ignore any possible distractions.  One of the links in the article contains multiple stories of people killed by distracted drivers: http://distraction.gov/faces/.  It is so sad.

It only takes one little slip.

measles?

It absolutely amazes me that there can be an outbreak of measles in Utah - in 2011 - decades after the development of an effective measles vaccine.

It is frustrating - especially after studying vaccinations at length as a public health graduate - to learn about all that is currently happening with people shying away from vaccinations.  That physician that published journal articles about likely links between autism and vaccinations was recently charged and (I think) sent to prison.  He "tweaked" his results to provide "desired" results.  But, the damage he did is too far out there, the word has spread rapidly for years among circles of moms, already terrified by unknown causes of diseases and disabilities, desperately looking for explanations and something to blame for the unknown.  It's just so sad.  And frustrating.

But, really, we know so little...  But, we do know that if we go to Utah right now, we should be vaccinated for measles.

Bonding with Daughters while Tanning

This is an interesting article: The Tans That Bond. It is about the strong influence that mothers have when they introduce their daughters to tanning in salons.

Researchers asked 227 female students at East State Tennessee University questions in order to determine: how old they were when they started indoor tanning, and who they went with to the tanning salon for the first time.

Researchers found that it was "often" their own mothers (40%) who took their daughters to the tanning salon for the first time. These girls were, on average, 14 years old, rather than 16, the average age when other girls started indoor tanning without a mother's initial introduction. The girls whose mothers introduced them to tanning were "almost five times as likely... to be heavy tanners in college." (I think "heavy tanning" was defined as two or more visits per month to a tanning salon.)

This research reinforces the belief that unhealthy habits are easily transferred from parents to children despite massive amounts of education regarding adverse effects of unhealthy habits. The article states that "the World Health Organization has labeled indoor tanning a class one carcinogen, the same class as tobacco." (Oh my goodness.) Here is another article that discusses the possibility of indoor tanning being addictive.

The article concludes with a thought regarding the messages women transmit to their daughters. This is such a simple message: "sun-kissed" skin is beautiful, and getting it is worth the accompanying (greatly increased) risk of getting skin cancer, but what a powerful and life-changing message that is.

Freestanding ERs

Recently, I read an article about a new idea to improve the delivery of health care. The idea is to create an entity that will "bridge the gap between overrun hospital emergency rooms and urgent-care clinics." The entities are known as local, freestanding emergency rooms (versus a hospital-based emergency room).

Currently, as we all know, the demand for emergency care is much too high; many people use the emergency room as their "primary physician." And not only are resources in hospital-based emergency rooms extremely limited because of the high demand for care, patients often (if not always) have an incredibly long wait time (been there).

There is a "huge gap" in what hospital-based emergency rooms and urgent-care clinics offer. The freestanding ERs are in between: "more than a clinic, but not quite a hospital." The freestanding ER can provide community emergency services (without overnight stay), with provisions such as x-ray, ultrasound, CT scan, MRI, and laboratory services. One freestanding ER website stated: "on average, only about 10 percent of freestanding ER patients [end up] requiring hospitalization."

Wow.

I think this idea, along with other innovative ideas, could drastically improve the delivery of health care in the United States. It goes against the current "money-making-machine-mentality" driving the current health care system, but it seems so simple - and really much too sensible to pass up.

Political Views, Capable, and a Little Luck

I love the political parallels in the book, The Very Persistent Gappers of Frip by George Saunders. I cannot read the book and not be reminded of my somewhat liberal upbringing in a very (very) conservative atmosphere.

The people in the story blame "luck" for their various trials, blessings, responsibilities, and resulting happiness (or lack thereof) in their lives in the tiny sea town called Frip. The people are quick to consider only their own situations, rather than that of others, and are surprised when those with worse "luck" seek their help.

It is hard to look beyond our own needs, especially when it comes to political views and our expectations of our government bodies and representatives. It is extremely difficult to look at the big picture, to seek ways to improve the lives of everyone around us, and not just our own. I love Capable's ingenuity and inner strength, not only to find a way to overcome the persistent gappers, but also to forgive others and teach them the value of community. Their lives and the challenges to the residents of Frip are changed forever because of her thoughtfulness, determination to succeed, and her willingness to share her material goods when her "luck" came back.

I read it to my kids. They loved the story and the pictures.

But, really, I think I enjoyed it and appreciated it much more than they did. I think I stole this copy from my parents' bookshelf years ago. I hope they don't miss it - it's definitely a keeper.

Caffeine & Pregnancy

I have thought a lot about the possible effects of caffeine intake during pregnancy since my fourth pregnancy. I was taking biostatistics, epidemiology and public health policy courses for my Master's degree. I was between four months and eight months pregnant. I was exhausted and decided to drink a Diet Coke a few times. Only one sip gave me a huge burst of energy. I could easily stay up for hours at night and study. One can of Diet Coke could last me for days. I was surprised by my ability to focus late at night. I only did this a few times though. I was convinced that my baby was feeling the effects of the caffeine also - since it would also send him into an overly active state as soon as I started drinking the Coke.

It seems like any sort of stimulant could potentially have powerful effects on a baby growing inside the womb - especially since their systems are unable to filter the stimulants. I know physicians often counsel woman to consume only low to moderate amounts of coffee and/or other caffeinated drinks, but even a little bit on a continual, regular basis seems like it could be very harmful. My own OB laughed when I asked her about the amount I had consumed, "Three cokes in three months?" she asked, clearly surprised that I was even worried about it. It seems like the studies on this should be abundantly present in the literature - since "the average American" drinks coffee on a daily basis - and since there are so many more trends in behavioral disorders, etc. in young children. The most recent studies I could find are from 1993.

Before I had my caffeine experience above, I partially blamed television. Experts have for years been recommending no, or a very limited amount of, television viewing for young kids, but most of my friends over the years have had very small children watching tv on a regular basis. Again though, I believe this would be only a small piece of the pie in explaining current trends.

One article in WebMD makes it sound like it's ok to drink coffee during pregnancy, but in actuality makes it very clear that there is too little evidence to base that opinion on. One, not-so-great-of-a reliable source, stated "latest studies indicate that women who drink two or even three cups of coffee a day are probably not putting their babies at risk. However, the chance of miscarriage does increase slightly in women who have five to six cups of coffee a day." This sounds nice, until you really think about it. If five to six cups of coffee per day could cause a miscarriage, it seems to naturally follow that even one cup of coffee per day could be harming the fetus in other ways. I did find a specific research study on this in JAMA. The conclusion was as the article stated above: "Caffeine intake before and during pregnancy was associated with an increased risk of fetal loss."

Anyways, just another question I have been thinking about a lot - and have very little to no scientific facts to settle it. It comes up a lot since everywhere I turn there are tiny expresso shops - and I mean every-where. I've heard Seattle rain and coffee "go together."

Marketing and Box Tops

This is a great article about women: Cause Marketing Hits the Mother Load of Support: Study. It gives a synopsis on a recent study done on by a "leading cause marketing firm" on cause marketing. It found that "95% of moms find cause marketing acceptable, 92% want to buy products that support causes, and moms purchased more cause-related products than the other demographics surveyed."

The founder of the marketing firm that conducted the study explained, "Women by their nature are keepers of the relationships in their lives, at home, at work and in their community. Because of that they are the most receptive to causes that are relevant to them." The insights supervisor at the marketing company said, "Certainly moms tend to have a strong sense of empathy for social issues and a desire to make the world a better place for their children. Buying a product attached to a cause is an easy way to make a small difference... and since moms do most of the household shopping, they are most in-tune with brand attributes and see their purchase decisions as a direct reflection of how they care for their families."

While studying for my masters in public health, I took a health marketing course. It was incredible to learn about the careful planning that goes into emotional marketing - marketing that is directly designed to convince people to make purchases based on their emotions. To me, it felt almost manipulative and deceptive at times, and made me step back and really evaluate what drives my purchase decisions. But, honestly, I have never specifically looked on a package to see if it has a box top that can be clipped for my kids' elementary school, or if the box is recyclable (as mentioned in the article). When I buy something that has a cause connected with its purchase, I figure it is a bonus, rather than the sole reason I am choosing it over its competitors. The products I purchase that are cause-related are often ones that I already use (like zip-loc bags and cereal). I wouldn't buy a product just because it was related to a cause that I supported.

Does that mean the millions of dollars invested by cause marketing firms to increase the successful marketing to moms is wasted, or am I just out of it?

Honestly though, I don't plan to ever buy a product that I won't use or don't really like, just because proceeds go to a foundation or charity that I like. I know that only a small portion of my money will even go to that charity. I think it would be better to just donate directly to the charity - then I know that all of my money is going where I want it to.

Preparing for an Emergency

The American Public Health Association (APHA) is currently encouraging people to prepare for an emergency as September is officially National Preparedness Month.

My husband and I have been discussing this often since moving for his residency, attempting to find ways to set aside money and supplies, now that we know we are not moving for at least three more years.
We haven't done much, other than buy more food than is necessary so that we always have extra food on hand.

A friend referred me to this lovely little blog, titled, "Safely Gathered In." I have already found it quite enlightening, simple, and helpful. The blog is based on the idea that readers gather a little bit at a time to create a 72-hour kit, a three-month supply, in addition to a long-term storage supply. I think it presents a great way to slowly, and without spending too much, chip away at the list of necessary emergency preparedness items, and eventually have enough for a family to survive in an emergency for three days, three months, and also even longer.

While driving in the car and listening to NPR describe the huge mudslides in Asia recently, my already-present feelings to prepare my family for an emergency hit an all-time high. I like the ideas from this blog and hope that I can stick with it until we are well prepared.