You’d say it’s a different kind of Easter egg hunting, maybe the first one of its kind. A London-based fertility clinic is organizing a raffle and the grand prize is a human egg. And not just any egg. The lucky winner gets to choose the ideal egg donor, from her race to her hair color, from her educational background to her upbringing. What’s more, the prospective parents will have some sort of a pre-viewing of the potential offspring through childhood photos of the donors. Now, what about a blond-haired beauty with a PhD in nuclear physics?

But wait, there’s a hitch. Isn’t the clinic aware that commercial use of human eggs in the UK is illegal? Of course, the organizers are aware of it. That is why London Bridge Centre is clever enough to organize the raffle in the US in collaboration with the Genetics and IVF Institute in Virginia to circumvent British fertility laws. The IVF procedure will also take place in the US. The raffle will be held on Wednesday, March 17.

Who Benefits From The Egg Raffle?

• British women who are infertile but do not have access to eggs donors in their home country. In the UK, egg donation is not commercialized and the donors only get a minimal honorarium to defray expenses.

• Young American women in need of cash. According to The Daily Mail, on offer for the raffle are donors aged 19 to 32 who are university-educated and were strictly screened for health issues. As compensation, the American donor can get as much as 6,600 pounds (almost $10,000).

• The fertility clinics, which with this raffle and publicity stunt, hope to become the most sought-after fertility clinics on both sides of the Atlantic. For the American clinic, this will strengthen their place in the infertility tourism industry.

According to reports, the idea of the free egg raffle originated from the American side which at first “bemused” their British counterparts. But then they quickly warmed up to the idea. “They are much more market-driven than we are, and they do have some rather more creative techniques”, said the Britons about their American partners.

Criticisms

It is no surprise that the clinics received a lot of criticism.

According to Josephine Quintavalle, founder of Comment on Reproductive Ethics:

“The capacity of the IVF industry to commodify human life reaches a new low with this latest deplorable initiative. Imagine a child one day finding out that he or she came into being thanks to such a blatantly commercial initiative.”

What’s Your Opinion?

Do you think the clinics are doing the right thing? Would you consider participating in such a raffle if you need an egg donor? Would consider using any of the two clinics involved?

You would never associate the Olympic games with family dramas, right? But this year’s 2010 Vancouver Olympics has more than its usual portion of family stories. Here are couple:

Father and daughter make Olympic history

Athanasios and Panagiota are part of the 7-person Greek Olympic team. The pair will be competing in the biathlon category. Though they are not in the running for medals, they made history as the first father and daughter duo to compete together in the same Winter Olympics This is the 5^th Olympics for 45-year Athanasios and the 2^nd for his 19-year old daughter Panagiota. For these two, the road to Vancouver hasn’t been easy. Greece, for geographical and climatic reasons, is not exactly a winter sports country, thus winter athletes do not really get the financial support they need. For Panagiota, going to the Olympics is a lonely road full of sacrifices. And the greatest sacrifice according to her is giving up the time usually spent with family and friends. However, she is lucky to have her father around all the time, as co-athlete and as coach. For Athanasios, making this comeback at a ripe age isn’t easy but couldn’t just forego the chance of competing with his daughter. For their efforts, the father-daughter duo made it to the Guinness Book of World Records.

Sisterly love conquers health hurdles

Just a year ago, nobody would have thought that the Crawford sisters will ever make it to Whistler in 2010. 26-year old Chandra, who won a gold medal in cross-country skiing at the 2006 Olympics in Turin, had ankle problems last year. Her younger sister, 21-year biathlete Rosanna had a heart procedure. But with determination and their constant support for each other, the girls made it to be part of the Canadian Olympic team. During her gold-winning race in Turin, Chandra was wearing their grandma’s ring as talisman. This year she is even willing to give up her lucky charm to her sister. Luckily, this won’t be necessary because they will be racing on different days. One thing for sure, each one will be cheering on the other during the competition.

Brothers divided by country borders

The next story is a bit closer to home in more ways than one. The Schmid brothers Tommy and Jan are competing in the Nordic combined. It is not the first time that brothers compete in the same category. What is unusual in this case is that Jan is part of the Norwegian team whereas Tommy is part of the Swiss team. The brothers were born in Norway to Swiss parents and probably had dual citizenship. Both used to compete for Switzerland but Jan recently switched to the Norwegian side. Unlike the Crawford sisters, the Schmid brothers are very competitive and would take pleasure in beating each other in any race. As the article in the official Olympic site said “[their mom would] have to wave two flags – one Swiss, the other Norwegian” during the completion.

I can imagine myself to be in the same position in the future. My 6-and-a-half year old twin sons were born in Germany and by nationality, like their father, are Germans. In a couple of years however, they will be eligible for citizenship in our current country of residence, Switzerland. Already now, when watching the Olympics, I can feel their divided loyalties when it’s Germany competing against Switzerland. They, too, are very competitive and love to outdo each other in everything. Should their dream of becoming competitive athletes (winter or summer games, they can’t decide yet) ever come true, then I too, might be waving 2 flags.

We are not “TV watchers”. Our kids get a maximum of 20 minutes of TV a day, on most days none at all. We’ve all heard the debates about over-exposure of kids to TV. On the other hand, we are a family who believe in the benefits of sports. And since moving to Switzerland, three-and-a-half years ago, winter sports have become an important part of our lives.

I was born and raised in a tropical country so I never got to learn to do any winter sports except perhaps, snow shoe walking. But my kids, like their Swiss friends, are really into it. That is why we make an exception about extended time this week and the coming week as well. But it is not only the love of winter sports brought us to this. We think our kids can benefit from watching the Olympics in a lot of ways.

What Your kids Can Learn From the Winter Olympics

• Do their best. We are hoping that seeing the winners would inspire our kids to do their best. However, we always point out to them, it is not about the medal, it is about finishing the race even if it means being last. They are now learning to understand what “personal best” means.

• Be a graceful loser. Losing in a game, be it memory or a soccer match, is hard for our boys. In letting them see how athletes lose without their cool, we hope that they learn to lose more gracefully. The hug that Lindsay Vonn gave Maria Riesch the other today after she fell in the slalom to lose her medal chance was certainly a model gesture of being a good loser.

• Learn about safety. Our boys also saw the dangers and the risks involved, such as the falls that occurred during the downhill races. We also point out to them the safety measures of the sports, hoping that they learn to take safety measures when they take to the slopes.

• Determination. We hope that by seeing athletes pick themselves up after a nasty spill to continue with the task at hand would help our kids learn about determination. The example of Anja Pearson who gave up silver in the skiing combination downhill – slalom after her terrible crash in the downhill, would hopefully stick in their mind. That Swedish girl must be sore all over after her accident, but she still got up and won the bronze.

• Team work. It’s not only individual sports that we watched. My boys would rather watch the curling match between Switzerland and the UK than the lady’s biathlon. Learning to be a team player is one of the best benefits a child can learn from sports.

We watch sporting events regularly but of course everybody know how special the Olympics are. It wasn’t always possible to watch the games in real time due to time zone differences so we are looking forward to the London Summer Olympics in about two year’s time.

We will always encourage our kids to watch the Olympic games. After all, learning about sportsmanship should be a continuing process. They need to be taught how to succeed – and fail at an early age.

Remember bisphenol A aka BPA, that nasty compound that may be found in your baby bottles, milk formulas, and canned soup? Since the BOL blog started, we had brought you regular updates about BPA. To refresh your memory, BPA, a compound used in the manufacture of some plastics, made headlines way back in 2007 when it was found to leach from containers into the drink or food we consume. Although studies have shown that the amounts of leaching BPA can be detected in the urine and are associated with a lot of diseases, the US FDA issued in 2008 a statement that BPA in food products are too low to cause health problems. This, despite a report from the National Toxicology Program (NTP) at the National Institutes of Health that pointed to health risks related to BPA.

Most relevant developments BPA

• 2009:
  • Some states in the US called for banning BPA from baby bottles.
  • Several manufacturers responded to the states’ requests and promised to take steps in phasing out BPA from their manufacturing process.

• 2010:

  Last month, the US FDA issued the “Update on Bisphenol A (BPA) for Use in Food: January 2010”. What the update said is a stark contrast to the FDA’s stand xx years ago. For example, it say that now, the US FDA, together with the NTP, has “concerns” about the effects of BPA on fetuses, babies, and young children. Thus, it is taking “reasonable steps” to regulate exposure to BPA through the food supply. Some of these steps are:

  • Support the food manufacturer’s efforts to eliminate BPA in baby bottles and cups
  • Help in finding safer alternatives to BPA used in food packaging

BPA resources

• Bisphenol A (BPA) Information for Parents from the US Department of Health and Human Services.
• Full Update on Bisphenol A for Use in Food Contact Applications: January 2010

Another skeptical player in the BPA drama was the European health authorities. They too, revised their stand. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) gives the following table which conservatively estimates children’s and adult’s exposure to BPA through food:

Conservative estimates of total dietary exposure to bisphenol A at different ages

*  Based on the upper value of 50 microgrammes BPA/litre of infant formula

#  Based on the typical value of 10 microgrammes BPA/litre of infant formula

How To Avoid BPA Exposure

So now that health authorities finally agree on the health risks of BPA, let us hope that proper steps will be taken to minimize our exposure, and that manufacturers will fulfill their promise of BPA phase out. In the meantime, check out the Environmental Working Group’s advice on how to avoid BPA exposure.

Many of us need all the resources we can find to navigate the parental maze that we are in regardless of our children’s age. One of my friends is tearing her hair out trying to potty-train her almost 3-year old daughter. Another friend starts psychotherapy this week in order to deal with problems with her teenage son. And last week, I braved the winter weather to attend an information evening on the Swiss school system for English-speaking families.

Which is why I have compiled a couple of resources for parents scheduled in February. These resources could be podcasts, audiocasts, health chats, classes, or simply useful links.

Cleveland Clinic Health Online Chats

• February 8: Keeping Your New Year’s Weight Loss Resolution

The news series Healthcare 411 of the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) covers a wide range of health topics in the form of audio and videocasts. You can even have the audio downloaded to your mp3 player! Here’s some family-focused casts from AHRQ:

• Electively Inducing Labor: A guide on the safety and risks.
• Talk with Your Family, Talk with Your Doctor
• Using Core Needle Biopsy to Diagnose Breast Cancer

Some Fun Things For kids

Do you know that the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) site has a special part dedicated to kids (HHS for Kids)? It includes links to fun and informative resources such as:

• Brainteasers, Puzzles, and Riddles
• Meet “Yorick”, the Bionic Skeleton
• All About Animals

…and many others.

Would you like me to continue bringing you resources links each month? Do you have any useful/interesting links to share with other BOL readers?

I remember reading this interesting article at the turn of the millennium, in early 2000. The author basically compared how it was to give birth and have kids in 1900’s and then in 2000’s. In other words, what has changed within 100 years?

A few of the Major Changes in the Last 100 Years

• Prenatal tests. 100 years of medical advancement brought about tests that can accurately calculate due dates and baby sizes; test that can determine the baby as well as the mother’s health and well-being.

• Mortality rates. Mortality rates during childbirth were rather right in the 1900s – maternal as well as infant. Back then, maternal mortality rates were expressed in numbers per 1,000 births. In the 2000s, it was expressed in numbers per 100,000. In other words, mortality rates decreased by vaccine one hundred eighty times or 99.4%.

• Vaccines. Even if the baby and mother survive the delivery and the days afterward, there are the childhood diseases to reckon with, which caused high mortality in the 1^st year of a baby’s life. To name a few: small pox, polio, and measles. In the year 2000, vaccination has almost eradicated smallpox and polio. People took vaccines for granted, not knowing what it was like 100 years ago.

Other important developments that 100 years of technology brought about in 2000 was IVF, the epidural, prenatal genetic diagnostics, and in utero microsurgery.

Now, let’s fast forward to January 2010. A decade has passed since 2000. What do we have today that we didn’t have 10 years ago at the turn of the millennium?

Some Changes Made in the Last 10 Years

• Newborn screening tests. According to a 2007 March of Dimes report, almost 90% of newborns in the US are routinely screened for at least 21 life-threatening disorders. This figure is up from only 38% in 2005. The screening guidelines vary from US state to state. Currently, 1 states plus DC screen for as many as 29 disorders. Some states however require only 10 screening tests.

• Breast cancer-free babies. Thanks to prenatal genetic diagnostics, the first “breast cancer-gene” baby was born in the UK almost a year ago. More are expected to follow although this practice hasn’t become routine and is not accepted all over the place. 2009 also witnessed the first “egg-screened” baby, using the Array CGH technique.

• Lab-made sperm. Last year, two teams of scientists claimed to be the first to produce sperms in the lab.

• Increasing skepticism about childhood vaccines. The last ten years brought about an increasing skepticism of childhood vaccines, mainly due to speculations that vaccines are linked to autism. Because more parents opt out of the immunization process for their kids, more outbreaks of the now-rare but childhood diseases such as pertussis, measles and chicken pox have been reported in recent years. Will the strengthening anti-vaccination movement undo the work done during the last 50 plus years?

• Smoking bans. Now, I personally think this is one of the greatest developments we have achieved in the last 10 years. In most developed countries, smoking bans are in place so that I don’t dread anymore taking my kids to restaurants, cinemas or any other enclosed spaces where people tend to smoke.

• Better knowledge about SIDs. We now have a better understanding of SIDs or cot death, including its prevention. Aside from the right sleeping position, we now know that breastfeeding reduces the risk of SIDS but secondhand smoking does.

• Extra-old moms. Thanks to advancements in reproductive medicine, women as old as 70 were able to deliver during the last couple of years. Although the IVF technique is more than 30 years old, it has been developed and refined over the years with dramatic results.

• Surrogacy. Although not new, surrogacy only became openly debated recently and even widely accepted in many countries.

• Celebrity adoptions. Adoption splashed across the headlines during the last decade, mainly due to the likes of Angelina Jolie and Madonna. More celebrities are following suit, adopting children from less developed countries.

• Social media: Twitter and Facebook. When I delivered 6.5 years ago, people were so impressed that our twins already had their individual email addresses. It wasn’t a big deal for us. We were one of the very first to have our own web domain about 15 years ago. Nowadays, birth announcements are done through websites like Babies Online, Twitter, and Facebook. Then minutes later, the first photos of the newborn are online for the world to see. Or any other social media network that parents are part of. Babies can now have their own PayPal accounts, blogs and avatars.

• Healthcare. The last 10 years witnessed big reforms in health care systems the world over. The most dramatic health care changes however occurred without a doubt, in the US in 2009.

Can you add anything else to the list above? What do you think would the next ten years bring?

Five-year-old Noah Biorkman passed away in his South Lyon, Michigan home on Monday, November 23, after a long battle with stage IV neuroblastoma cancer. This little boy, a fighter all the way, touched tens of thousands of hearts and showed us exactly how connected this world has become as a result of  the Internet.

Approximately two weeks ago, his mother, Diane Biorkman, posted a note on Noah’s CarePages site that the little boy would be celebrating Christmas early, and if anyone wanted to send a card, it would be greatly appreciated. Noah loved Christmas cards and, just like many kids, receiving real mail.

Word spread through Facebook, Twitter and many blogs. That Tuesday, 64 cards arrived. On Wednesday, 416. Thursday, 2,600. Friday, 5,100. By the end of the week, his mom lost count, but estimated more than 10,000 Christmas cards had arrived for Noah.

“It is just humbling, shocking, incredible, astounding… the outpouring of love for one sick little boy,” Diane Biorkman wrote on her CarePages account.

A Very Special (early) Christmas
The following Friday, Noah enjoyed a visit with Santa Claus, opened presents and played with friends and family members. On Sunday, after Noah took Saturday to rest, the family celebrated Christmas privately, with a fully-decorated tree in their front yard and more presents beneath it. The ear-to-ear smile on Noah’s face, his mother reported, said it all.

On Monday, the Biorkmans woke up to 80,000 Christmas cards. The post office even delivered mail to the house on Veterans Day.  No one could have imagined the outpouring of support for this little boy – least of all his mother, who had to ask that people stop sending cards. She had no place to put them all and needed to focus on caring for Noah in what would be his last days. In total, Noah received more than one million Christmas cards.

Noah’s Legacy Can Live On
“The outpouring of love and compassion has been remarkable and we are extremely grateful,” his mother posted on her CarePages blog. She requested that people respect the family’s privacy during this difficult time.

In lieu of cards or flowers, Noah’s mother has requested that anyone wishing to show their support to please make a donation in Noah’s name to the University of Michigan Department of Pediatrics and Oncology or to the Make-a-Wish Foundation of Michigan (addresses posted below).

“With your donation, Noah’s legacy will live on for many years to come, if not forever,” his mother said in her most recent – and possibly final – CarePages post. “Thank you so much for your support and love.”

Please send donations to the following:

Department of Pediatrics and Oncology
University of Michigan
1500 East Medical Center Drive
D4202MPB
Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-5718
Checks payable to: The University of Michigan – Noah’s Pediatric Oncology Fund

OR

Make-A-Wish Foundation of Michigan
230 Huron View Blvd.
Ann Arbor, Michigan 48103
Checks payable to: Make-A-Wish Foundation of Michigan – Memo: Noah Biorkman

Ok, so maybe your baby can’t speak multiple languages, but they sure do cry in their native language… read on.

For the untrained ears, it’s just a newborn baby’s cry. For scientists, it’s a series of pitches based on a language – the mother language. There have been studies showing that a baby in the womb can hear. In other words, the little one is listening! But this recent study suggests that the little one is not only listening but seems to be storing what he or she hears and later imitates it.

German scientists report that newborns babies cry in their native tongue, i.e. the language they are most familiar with because they heard it most often while still in the womb.

As early as the first week after delivery, the researchers noticed that babies will make crying sounds which have “melodies” specific to a language. The researchers looked at 60 babies, 30 born to German-speaking families and 30 to French-speaking families and recorded cries produced under different situations. Acoustic analysis showed that German babies tended to start crying in a high-pitched tone and progress to lower-pitched tines. The French babies, on the other hand, started low and moved towards higher-pitched sounds. These baby sound patterns, according to the researchers, correspond to the intonation patterns of the language they are most familiar with. As the baby grows older, the baby cries will develop into babbles that would also be similar to baby’s mother language.

We know that unborn babies especially during the last trimester can hear what’s being said in the outside world. This is the reason why:

• We talk to our babies while still in the tummy. At least I and my husband did. Did you?

• We play soothing music to our unborn babies. I did from time to time but I preferred to sing to my babies. Some moms even place a music player right next to the tummy, music which many claims, would later help put the baby to sleep post delivery.

• A baby seems to know Mommy’s voice right from the start.

The fact that babies may “recognize” and “bond” with their native language is also fascinating. But it also makes me wonder about babies born to bilingual or multilingual families. Do the babies get confused about the languages? How would this affect their language skill development? I’d love to know as my kids as multilingual. Hopefully, more studies in this area will answer my questions.

It goes by many different names. The International Day of the Child. The Universal Children’s Day. The National Child Day in individual countries.

However, it doesn’t matter what it’s called. November 20 is a special day for children all over the world.

When it all started

It was almost 55 years ago when the General Assembly of the United Nations recommended that the special day be observed to celebrate “worldwide fraternity and understanding between children.” The Assembly decided on November 20 as the special day which also marks the day when the Declaration of the Rights of the Child was adopted in 1959 and Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1989. Today, all over the world, countries, organizations and schools celebrated this very special day.

How I celebrated the Universal Child’s Day

I live in Switzerland, one of the smallest but most diverse countries in Europe. When one of my sons’ teachers asked for extra help for this day, I immediately volunteered despite my full schedule. Each class at the school had chosen a country to celebrate its culture and tradition. One of my sons’ class had chosen England; the other Pakistan. The schoolchildren from the neighboring town were invited over so they can celebrate together. My task was to show the children how to prepare cucumber sandwiches and tea for a typical English repast – English tea. I am not English, but I am familiar with the culture and I speak the language.

The classrooms were so wonderfully decorated according to the theme country and many parents lent a hand. A Daddy from Togo played African beats on drums. A Mommy from Thailand made lots of spring rolls while a Swiss Mommy married to a Pakistani baked patties from her husband’s region.

All 500 plus of the school kids then gathered outside, joined hands, and formed a big circle around the school house. Afterwards, Universal Child Day balloons were released.

It was a long morning for the kids. It was great chance for us moms to participate in such an event. My sons were so proud to tell their classmates “That’s my Mom. She helped us make the cucumber sandwiches.”

What the Universal Children’s Day means

As the name indicates, today was a day dedicated to each and every child in the world. However, it doesn’t stop there. It is also the chance to draw attention to the plight of children in low income regions. Yes, somewhere in the world, children still suffer from:

• Poverty. According to a study, 1 in 3 children in developing countries has no access to sanitation facilities. 1 in5 has not access to clean water.

• Child labor. The International Labor Organization (ILO) estimates that 218 million children are being used as labourers, with the highest numbers in the Asian-Pacific region.

• Child abuse. 80 to 98% of children suffer from physical punishment at home. More than 50,000 die as a result of homicide.

• Diseases. Millions of children die from malaria, tuberculosis and other diseases which are easily preventable and curable in developed countries.

• Lack of education. 13% of children aged 7 to 28 years in developing countries (approx. 140 million children) have never attended school, most of them girls.

• Discrimination and racism.

Many of us may not realize that these things are not only happening in some remote country. It may be happening in our own neighborhood. Here in Switzerland, the main problems children have to contend with are racism and discrimination.

I really applaud the school’s efforts to introduce the children to other cultures, thereby broadening their horizon and promoting tolerance, respect and appreciation for diversity. I was proud to be part of this effort. And I hope that other parents will participate more in the coming years to help make this world a better place for our kids.

November 18 is Prematurity Awareness Day.

I am one of those moms who had firsthand experience with prematurity. My twin boys were born 5 weeks early 6 years ago. Even though they’ve grown to be healthy boys, we had to struggle with low birth weight and health problems during the first year of their lives.

This is the reason why I tend to follow closely the latest new updates on prematurity. This is why I am sharing with you today some facts and figures on prematurity.

What is Preterm Birth?

Preterm birth is defined as delivery before 37 weeks of gestation is completed. In recent years, preemies have been loosely classified into 3 categories:

• Very preterm infants are those born before the 32^th week of gestation.
• Moderately preterm infants are those born between the 32nd and 34^th week of pregnancy
• Late preterm births are those which occur between the 34^th and the 36^th week of gestation.

Children born prematurely have a higher rate of health problems such as cerebral palsy, sensory deficits, and respiratory conditions, and learning disabilities compared to children born full term.

Statistics on Prematurity

Let’s look at some statistics on prematurity:

• Almost 13 million babies from all over the world are born prematurely each year.

• More than 1 million of these preemies die as a result of preterm delivery.

• More than 85% of preterm births occur in low- and middle-income countries of Africa and Asia

• One in 8 American babies is premature.

• The rate on preterm deliveries in the US has increased by 36% during the last 25 years, higher than most developed countries.

These figures are cited in the white paper of March of Dimes on Preterm Birth. The numbers are based on data collected by the World Health Organization (WHO).

Global distribution of preterm births

The white paper also reports the following preterm birth rates per region:

• Africa – 11.9%

• Asia – 9.1%

• Europe – 6.2%

• Latin America and the Caribbean – 8.1%

• North America – 10.6%

• Oceania – 6.4%

According to income or resources, the preterm birth rates are as follows:

• High income countries – 7.5%

• Middle income countries -8.8%

• Low income countries -12.5%

The figures clearly indicate that preterm birth rates are related to income or resources. What is surprising, even troubling is the fact the preterm birth rate in North America is quite high, higher that the rate in middle income regions.

Preterm birth rate in the US is high – and rising

Breaking down the North American rates among individual countries, the rate is 12.7% in the US according to U.S. National Center for Health Statistics and 8.2% in Canada according to a Canadian government report. The rate of preterm births seems to be increasing in some countries including the US, Denmark and Norway. There are several factors that contribute to the increasing rate of preterm births in the US and other countries, and include

• Increased births due to assisted reproduction which lead to multiple pregnancies that necessitate early delivery.

• Increased number of pregnancies in women older than 35

• Increased use of elective Cesarean sections close to term, thus increasing the number of late premature births.

In contrast, not much is known about the causes of premature births in low income countries but they are presumably related to poor health care system and economic problems.

Prematurity is a global problem and seems to be increasing due to many different reasons. But it all boils down to the fact that preterm births, unless medically necessary, do not benefit baby or mom.

Can you imagine your toddler growing up to be 80? 90? 100? It’s not as unlikely as you think.

What a paradox. Children nowadays are purported to be unhealthy – overweight, sedentary, raised on junk food and hooked to the TV and the Internet. They are likely to develop diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. On the other hand, the same generation of children is expected to live longer than their parents and their grandparents, according to a study by German and Danish researchers. They are the future centenarians.

Which Countries Have the Highest Life Expectancy?

Life expectancy has been improving with each generation. At least in developed countries. Japan and San Marino have the highest life expectancies in the world today: 86 and 81, respectively according to a World Health Organization (WHO) report. Canada is not far behind at 80.5 years. US life expectancy is 78.5.

If this trend of improvement continues, 75% of present day children born since 2000 will reach 75, even a hundred years old. Furthermore, the senior citizens of the future will be fitter, with less disability and functional limitations.

Why Are People Living Longer?

Advances in medical treatment and better health care seem to be what is making people in developing countries live longer despite the increased incidence of chronic diseases, pollution, and unhealthy lifestyle.

With all the efforts exerted to fight aging, diseases, and disability, it is a great to know that these efforts are bearing fruit. There are still countries with a life expectancy between 40 and 50 years due to poor health care and war.

Some Downsides to Having an Older Population

Despite this apparent victory against aging, there are some downsides to consider:

• Increased life expectancy and low birth rates will result in a population dominated by retirees and pensioners. Experts believe that in 5 to 10 years, some countries’ demography will reach a point wherein there will be more 65 plus citizens than under-fives. It would be a world with more grandparents than there are grandchildren to go around.

• Such a population structure described above can result in collapse of health care and welfare systems of developed countries.

• Even if birth rates are increased, Mother Earth can only support so much. We may reach a point when our population will outgrow our planet.

Experts believe that country leaders should act now and start preparing for the foreseeable future.

Can you imagine your toddler to live to be 100? Do you want to live to be 100?

Here’s your opportunity to kick off the holiday season by doing something nice. Even the most time-strapped parents of toddlers can take the time to send a Christmas card to a little boy for what may be his last Christmas.

Five-year-old Noah Biorkman has been battling neuroblastoma cancer for two-and-a-half years. He was diagnosed with Stage IV neuroblastoma in February 2007. It went into remission in August of that year, but returned in September 2008 with legions on Noah’s right arm and leg. After six different clinical trials, the cancer continues to spread.

His family, including his mother Diana Harrison Biorkman, will celebrate Christmas with him early this year – what is likely to be Noah’s last one. Noah loves Christmas cards, so his mom had asked everyone to send him a card.

According to Snopes.com, DJ Ed Carter WKSR in Pulaski, Tennessee, who is an acquaintance of Mrs. Biorkman, has verified the story on the air. You can also read updates on Noah at his section on CarePages. Be warned that his mother’s blog is a definite tearjerker. I’m actually sitting here with tears in my eyes, holding my one-year-old daughter, as I read.

On Thursday, Noah received 416 cards and they continue coming in. The celebration is planned for this weekend. But it’s not too late to send a card with well wishes for this beautiful and brave little boy.

Private thoughts, prayers and well wishes for a “Christmas miracle” won’t hurt either, I’m sure. While Noah sleeps a lot, the medication that keeps the pain at bay does permit him to walk and play, as well. He is filled with wonder at the well wishes he’s receiving and is making the most of his time with his family in the ways only a child can.

About Neuroplastoma

Mrs. Biorkman describes her son’s cancer on the blog: “Neuroblastoma cancer really sucks and is a beast.” Noah’s doctors continue working hard to find a cure for children who relapse, and Mrs. Biorkman hopes the clinical trial’s Noah has taken will help them in their efforts.

Neuroblastoma is a cancerous tumor beginning in the nerve tissues – often in the adrenal glands in the abdomen — of infants and toddlers. About 650 cases of neuroblastoma are detected in the U.S. each year and most are diagnosed in children under 5 years old.

As with most cancers, the prognosis for children with neuroblastoma varies depending on how early it is detected, and how quickly the cancer progresses.

Read more about Neuroblastoma at https://www.nbhope.org

Before there was an embryo, there were an egg and a sperm, collectively called gametes. And before the gametes, there were germ cells. The pathway from germ cells to gametes to embryo is long and complicated and occurs only in the human reproductive organs. Or at least it used to.

There have been previous similar claims of artificially creating gametes in the lab. Some claims had some degree of credibility. Some were simply hoaxes.

If you remember, just a few months ago, British researchers from the University of Newcastle claimed they did it first. However, their report published in the journal Stem Cells Development was later retracted due to plagiarism claims so that their claim to be “first” is currently still unsubstantiated.

Well, the latest claim to achieve this feat is coming from no less than researchers of Stanford, an educational institution of impeccable reputation. And the fact that the results have been published in no other than the highly esteemed science journal Nature tells us – this is really it.

The Stanford researchers developed a technique to isolate germ cells from embryonic stem cells. However, they went further and induced the germ cells to give up half of their chromosomes in the process called meiosis. Eureka! The first “lab-made” sperms are here. OK, so they were actually only spermatids, i.e. immature sperms.

But hey, can you imagine the controversy this latest development triggered? If sperm (and eventually eggs) can be made in the lab, the next logical step is to use these lab-made gametes in IVF. This is definitely taking the “test tube baby” one step further. Is this the start of the eugenics era?

However, the researchers claim they have different intentions and site the following benefits that may come out of this discovery:

• Learn more about the earliest stages of human development

• Understand inherited diseases better

• Find treatments for infertility

Understandably, there are those are not too happy about such scientific advancements. Those who object would probably base their objections on the following:

• The use of embryonic stem cells.

• The act of playing God, trying to make human beings in the lab.

Some scientists, however, dismiss these objections as groundless and irrelevant. According to a Bioethics professor:

“It seems to me this is one of those examples where people are groping around for a problem and there literally isn’t one.”

So how do you feel when you hear about such developments? Outraged? Scared? Skeptical? Or fascinated?

Road traffic safety and prematurity are just a few of the many interesting health-related events going on in November. However, I’ve prepared a short list focusing on family health.

GLOBAL EVENTS AND OBSERVANCES

• November 14 is World Diabetes Day

• November 16 is World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims

• November 19 to 20 is the First Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety

• November 25 is the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women

US EVENTS AND OBSERVANCES

• November is American Diabetes Month
  by the American Diabetes Association

• November is National Adoption Month
  by the Child Welfare Information Gateway
  “You don’t have to be perfect to be a perfect parent”

• November is National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month
  by the Alzheimer’s Association

• November is National Family Caregivers Month
  by the National Family Caregivers Association

• November 18 is Prematurity Awareness Dayby the March of Dimes Foundation

• November 6 to 8 is the Gynecologic Cancer Awareness Movement Weekend and half marathon/5K race
  by the Gynecological Cancer Foundation’s (GCF)

• November 19 is the Great American Smokeout
  by the American Cancer Society

HEALTH WEB CHATS AT CLEVELAND CLINIC

Check out the online health chats with Cleveland Clinic’s health experts. It’s free.

• November 6: Facelifts with Dr. James E. Zins

• November 9: International Adoption Right For You? with Dr. Elaine Schulte

• November 11: Congenital Heart Disease in Children, with Dr.Constantine Mavroudis

• November 13: Ask the Expert: Menopause: Ready or Not!, with Dr. Holly L. Thacker

• November 19: Are You Concerned About Your Baby’s Motor Development?, with Ann Marie Pace, MPT and Merri Jo Somodi, PT

The flu, especially the swine flu is making headlines everyday and I deemed it wise to give you the latest flu updates that may be relevant for you and your family.

Swine Flu Shots in New York Schools

Schools in New York City will start offering H1N1 shots end of October, the NY Times report. Those of you residing in NYC might already have received the consent forms. The vaccination will cover primary public schools but private schools who want to participate will also get access to the vaccine. The shots or nasal sprays will be administered by school nurses. Middle and high schools are scheduled later in November and December. Other cities and states are expected to follow suit.

Pregnant Women Urged to Get the H1N1 flu Vaccine

Pregnant women are on top of the H1N1 vaccination priority list. This is because pregnant women seem to be especially vulnerable. Health authorities say that the mortality rate among women infected with H1N1 is six times higher than what is normally observed in the general population. The reasons for pregnant women’s vulnerability are their young age and an immune system that is naturally weakened in order not to reject the growing fetus. It is, however, very hard for pregnant women to accept the flu vaccine despite health official’s reassurances of its safety. So far, 28 deaths have been reported among pregnant women in the US but health officials think it could be more. Many cases go unreported for confidentiality reasons. An NY Times report features one almost fatal case.

Tamiflu for Children in Short Supply

In another report from the NY Times earlier this month, Mary Poppin’s advice that a spoonful of sugar would make medicine more palatable may also be true for the flu drug Tamiflu. The liquid pediatric version of the drug is in short supply as drug companies are concentrating on producing more pills which are definitely much faster to manufacture than Tamiflu syrup. Some sources say that the manufacturing process for the suspension is almost 25 times longer than for the pills. Pharmacists are therefore advised to mix Tamiflu capsules in a liquid that consists of sugar, purified water, artificial cherry flavoring. The instructions on how to mix the liquid version are given in the Tamiflu labels, the report says. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also gives easy to understand instructions in their site.

Flu Fears Prompt Review of the Sportsman Handshake

The hockey season has started and sports associations are scrambling to come up with hygiene guidelines that would hopeful prevent the swine flu. CBC reports that the chief medical officer of Hockey Canada sent out a bulletin with recommended precautionary measures which include no sharing of water bottles and – yes – maybe even do without the end-of-game handshake. It’s not only hockey that is affected. I am a soccer mom here in Switzerland and as early as school start in August, there were already instructions to avoid the sportsmen handshake, if possible. Just one more challenge for parents to find the balance between short-term preventive measure and long-term character building. At least hockey players wear gloves…

Fourteen years is a long time. In this period of time, many of us have:

• upgraded our cell phone, computer hardware, and software several times.

• gotten married, delivered babies and have raised them up to puberty.

• moved into the digital age, set up our blogs, and expanded our social media.

• updated our knowledge of parenting, the environment, and nutrition.

In the meantime, obesity has become an epidemic, even among children, and smoking bans are in place almost everywhere. Very few things have remained unchanged during the last 14 years. And one of them is the US Nutrition Standards and Meal Requirements for the National School Lunch Program (NSLP). No kidding! The standards have been in place in 1995 and haven’t been updated ever since.

In July this year, Joan Blades of MomsRising.org challenged moms to take the following test

Which of the following is considered a junk food according to national school nutrition standards?

• A. Hi-C Blast – vitamin fortified sugar water

• B. Poland Springs seltzer water – water with bubbles

• C. French fries

• D. Candy Bars

I am sure most, if not all of us, got it wrong by just using our common sense. The correct answer is – brace yourself – B water. No, this isn’t a joke. Based on the current nutritional standards, it is the only item on the list that does not contain any vitamins or minerals. If you think this is all rubbish, then you are not alone. In fact, MomsRising prepared a petition to the Congress to “update outdated nutrition standards immediately to ensure our schools provide healthy food for our children.”

It seems that their prayers have been answered. Earlier this week, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) released the report School Meals: Building Blocks for Healthy Children which reviewed the NSLP as well as the US School Breakfast Program (SBP). And on top of the list of the IOM recommendations are: more fruits and vegetables! The recommendations are aiming to be consistent with 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans set by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and US Department of Agriculture (USDA). In general terms, the IOM committee advise to take the following into consideration in menu planning:

• increase the amount and variety of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.

• set a minimum and maximum level of calories.

• increase the focus on reducing the amounts of saturated fat and sodium provided.

Here’s what the changes, if ever implemented will bring:

• An increase in the amount of fruit offered in school breakfast to 1 cup per day for all students

• An increase in the amount of fruit offered in school lunch to 1 cup per day for students in grades 9-12

• An increase in the amount of vegetables offered in school lunch to ¾ cup per day for grades K-8 and to 1 cup per day for grades 9-12

• An acknowledgment that improving the nutritional value of school meals by increasing servings of fruits, vegetables and whole grains will increase the cost of breakfast by 25% and lunch by 9%

• A requirement that students take at least one serving of fruit at breakfast and at least one serving of fruit or vegetable at lunch.

• A reduction in sweetened beverages to be replaced by water, low-fat or nonfat milk, and unsweetened fruit juices.

With these recommendations, the answer to the above question completely changes. In fact, our common sense was right in the first place. Let’s hope it won’t take another 14 years for the recommendations to be implemented…

The IOM report comes in a timely manner. Oct 5 was National Child Health Day and Oct 12 to 16 was National School Lunch Week.

Not Bright Enough to Marry?

For 17-year old Kerry Robertson, what stands in her way to marriage and motherhood is her learning disabilities. Social workers already canceled her wedding to her 25-year old fiance Mark McDougall 2 days before the church ceremony. The Fife Council where Robertson lives feels that her learning disabilities render her incapable of understanding the institution of matrimony. Under such circumstances, according to Scottish Law, authorities have the right to refuse sanctioning a marriage. Her age is not a factor here because the minimum legal age for getting married is the UK is 16. Although some places require written consent from guardians of those under 18, this is not the case in Scotland where Robertson lives. Besides, Robertson’s guardian is her grandmother who doesn’t oppose the nuptials.

Not Bright Enough to be a Mother?

Robertson’s lack of mental capacity to comprehend marriage also extends to her understanding of motherhood, the authorities say. She won’t therefore be allowed to keep her baby boy after her delivery in January next year as she lacks the mental capacity to take of the baby. What about the father of the child? He, too, is not deemed eligible to keep the baby boy because he’s not legally married to Robertson in the first place.

Social Legislation Gone Awry?

To be fair, social legislations are in place to protect those who need protection. But how far should the authorities meddle in people’s affairs on the grounds of benevolence and protection?

In halting the marriage, the social services feel they are protecting Robertson from getting into something that she might do her more harm than good, something she might regret later. Well, tell that to millions of people who entered matrimony and got out again, many via messy divorces.

In taking away the baby from his mother, the social services feel they are protecting the baby. The baby will be placed in an institution and put up for adoption. Would the social institution prove to be a better alternative to a mother who wants and loves him?

What’s Social Services Have to Say?

The authorities say they cannot divulge all the details that made them reach their decisions for confidentiality reasons. However, according to a spokesperson, they try to “balance risk and welfare while supporting people at times of personal or family need.” Platitude or genuine concern?

What the Couple Has to Say

According to Robertson and her fiance, Robertson’s learning disabilities are “mild”. She can read and write and she is “loving and caring” and “enjoys being pregnant. They already named the unborn baby boy Ben.

Social Services Mean Well But…

We may never know everything about this affair or hear what the full truth from both sides. But we know for sure that this isn’t the first time nor last time that social services or child protection authorities interfere with people’s lives for the “right” reasons. In most cases they succeed. Think about how many children are rescued from their abusive parents each year. But in some cases they fail.

Take the following cases:

• A teenager who committed sexual offenses was placed by social services in a foster family in Wales who wasn’t informed of his personal history. He sexually abused the family’s two young children. In protecting the teenage boy, social services failed to protect the foster family.

• In the US, a 5-year old girl and her younger sister were taken away from their birth mother and placed in a foster family. The 5-year old was found dead in the foster family’s cellar. She was restrained in a high chair with duct tape and died of asphyxiation. The foster mother was a respected case worker at Maine Department of Human Services.

• More painful is the plight of Australia’s stolen generation wherein aborigine children were taken away from their parents to be raised in a “civilized” way.

Do you think social services have the right to stop Robertson’s marriage?

To take away the baby from parents who want him?

It used to be said that a mom is always sure it’s her child but a man’s paternity can always be questioned. Not anymore.

Every year, hundreds of thousands of embryos are implanted into women’s wombs during in vitro fertilization (IVF). What are the chances that an embryo is implanted in a womb where it isn’t supposed to be? No, this is not something out of Private Practice. It happened before and it has happened again.

According to this CNN report, when the couple Carolyn and Sean Savage got a phone call informing them of the mistake after implantation, shock is a poor word to describe their feelings. It is not only about the “strange” embryo that is growing in Caroline’s uterus that concerns them. In fact, there are many things one has to consider when one is involved in embryo mix up situation.

Health and Future Pregnancy

If you were the one who is carrying the embryo, how would this pregnancy affect your health? Does it put you at risk for pregnancy complications? Does it jeopardize your chances of getting pregnant again? And as the DNA mom, are you willing to wait out this pregnancy until you try for the next one? Is your age a determining factor?

After going through miscarriages, several failed IVF cycles, health problems and difficult pregnancies, this could be Carolyn’s last chance to have another child. In fact, the doctor has advised Carolyn from getting pregnant again.

Religious Beliefs and Convictions

In cases of mix ups, a termination of the pregnancy is a very likely outcome. How would you feel about an abortion if you were the DNA-mother? If you were the accidental surrogate mother?

Carolyn and Sean, due to their religious beliefs, strongly believe in human life in the embryos. Carolyn is not willing to terminate this pregnancy. To complicate things, the couple still had 5 frozen embryos left over from IVF which they are not willing to destroy or leave frozen forever. They are now looking at surrogacy options for these embryos.

Unintended Surrogacy

What is your attitude towards surrogacy? How would you feel if you became a surrogate mother unintentionally? Would you treat this pregnancy the same way as any other normal pregnancy? A clinic in Wales accidentally implanted the last of a couple’s embryo in another woman. The unwilling surrogate mom decided to terminate the pregnancy and the couple was left with nothing.

Isn’t it ironic that Carolyn and Sean are looking for a surrogate mother for their embryos when Carolyn herself has become an unintentional surrogate mother to somebody else’s embryo?

Custody

Whose child is it? In 1993, a white couple in Australia gave birth to black twin babies after going through IVF. At that time, according to the Australian Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990, a woman delivered the child, even if it is not through genetically hers, is the “legal mother”. Paternity, however, is “open to legal interpretation.” In another mix up case in 2004, an American woman who got implanted with the wrong embryo was sued by the DNA parents for custody after delivery. Laws change but still vary from country to country or even from state to state in the US.

Carolyn is the biological or womb mother but she is not the DNA mother of the child. It is not clear how the law will decide when it comes to a custody battle. Fortunately for the DNA, Carolyn, again due to her strong religious principles, will never put a claim to a child that is not hers despite the ordeal she has to go through. Both sets of parents are talking to each other to find a solution. After all, this was none of their fault. Nor it was that of the unborn child.

Bonding

Mother-child bonding starts at the womb. Will you be able to give up a baby after carrying it for 9 months in your womb? Surrogate moms can do this but Carolyn is not just any surrogate mom. She really wanted, fought for, and risked a lot for this pregnancy.

In the current case, will the DNA mom bond with her baby? She, too, wanted to be pregnant and now she has been denied of the privilege (at least this time around) of carrying her baby in her womb.

Nowadays, mix ups are discovered before delivery. In case of the Australian couple, and another reported case in the Netherlands, they only found out about the mistake at birth. The blow in these cases is much harder since mom and baby have already strongly bonded for 9 months without any doubts about their relationship.

This is not the first case of embryo mix ups. According to American Fertility Association experts, the odds of this happening are 1 in a million, mainly due to human error.

So what would you do if you were involved in an embryo mix-up?

After a slow summer, autumn brings us lots of health-related events in the form of awareness campaigns, observances as well as podcasts and webchats. Once again, I’ve compiled a list which I think might be interesting to out BOL readers.

EVENTS ABOUT CHILDREN’S HEALTH

• October is National Down Syndrome Awareness Month
  National Down Syndrome Society

• October is National Spina Bifida Awareness Month
  Spina Bifida Association
  Sudden Infant Death Syndrome Awareness Month
  First Candle/SIDS Alliance

• October 5 is National Child Health Day
  Maternal and Child Health Bureau
  Health Resources and Services Administration
  U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

• October 12 to 16 is National School Lunch Week
  School Nutrition Association

EVENTS ABOUT MOM’S HEALTH

• October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month
  National Breast Cancer Awareness Month Board of Sponsors

• October 13 is Metastatic Breast Cancer Awareness Day
  Metastatic Breast Cancer Network

• October 14 to 17 is NPWH 12th Annual Premier Women’s HealthCare Conference
  Nurse Practitioners in Women’s Health

EVENTS ON FAMILY SAFETY

• October is Eye Injury Prevention Month
  American Academy of Ophthalmology

• October is Halloween Safety Month
  Prevent Blindness America

• October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month
  Domestic Violence Awareness Project
  National Resource Center on Domestic Violence

• October 4 to 10 is Fire Prevention Week
  National Fire Protection Association

• October 5 to 11 is Get Smart About Antibiotics Week
  Division of Bacterial Diseases
  National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases
  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

• October 14 is Stop America’s Violence Everywhere Today
  American Medical Association Alliance

ONLINE CHATS AND PODCASTS ON FAMILY HEALTH

Webchats at Cleveland Clinic

• October 15
  Are You Concerned About Your Baby’s Motor Development? by A. Pace, PT and MJ Somodi, PT

• October 16
  Breast Reconstruction hosted by Risal Djohan, MD

• October 27
  Male Infertility: Your Questions Answered by Edmund Sabanegh, MD

Available Radio Podcast at the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)

• Gestational Diabetes: A Guide for Pregnant Women, from September 30 on

Available Podcasts at CDC

• Snort Sniffle Sneeze: No Antibiotics Please from September 29 on

• 2009 H1N1 ACIP Vaccination Recommendations

The flu season is here and if it isn’t bad enough dealing with the threat of the seasonal flu, the H1N1 flu (aka swine flu) is also ready to add its virulence to autumn-winter sniffles. Mexico is already possibly seeing the second wave of H1N1 flu and it is only a matter of time till the bug again crosses the border to the rest of the Americas and the world.

Many parents with little children (including me) are on the verge of panic and are scrambling to find out how to best protect their families from the pandemic that’s almost here. Other than the options of moving to South Pole, to a remote tropical island or isolated cave, we can’t avoid being exposed to the flu. My physician told me she believes everybody will get it sooner or later and I tend to agree with her. So how do we live with the epidemic that’s hanging over our heads? Here are some tips aside from the usual wash-your-hands-and-cover-your-nose advice.

Be Informed About the Flu.

This may be an overused cliché but the “knowledge is power” adage still holds true. Inform yourself about the disease, the symptoms, and the treatment. There questions about the flu that can only be answered by gathering as much information as we can. Only then can we make “informed” choices.

Flu Prevention.

I will use another overused adage here. “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” And prevention is not just about washing hands. It’s about a whole lifestyle of healthy nutrition, physical fitness, and thinking positively.

Here is a list of resources on prevention which I found useful and therefore would like to share:

• 100 Healthy Hacks to Help You Through Cold & Flu Season at Online Nursing Programs

• What You Can Do to Stay Healthy at the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

• For those with kids in college: CDC Guidance for Responses to Influenza for Institutions of Higher Education during the 2009-2010 Academic Year

• American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) H1N1 Flu Information.

To Vaccinate or Not to Vaccinate.

I am an advocate of immunization but I always drew the line when it came to the seasonal flu vaccine. I thought I and my family never had a need for it. But with the added threat of H1N1 flu, I have to rethink my options. To vaccinate or not to vaccinate, that’s a big question. So what do we know about the flu vaccines?

Flu Vaccination Updates:

• The US FDA approved the new batch of seasonal flu vaccines last month. It was developed from the most common strains of the previous season as well as strains isolated during the winter flu season in the southern hemisphere. It is indicated for adults and children.

• The US FDA has also approved the H1N1 flu vaccine but it is currently available for adults only. The vaccine is still being tested in children and, according to the Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, is showing promise (CNN reports). If approved for pediatric use, children ages 6 months to 9 years may need 2 doses versus the single dose mean for adults and children older than 9. For those who would like to know about thimerosal, some formulations of the vaccine have it, and some not. Thimerosal is normally not present in children’s vaccines in the US.

• The AAP has recently updated it guidelines for flu vaccines. It highly recommends that children ages 6 months to 18 years old should receive the current season flu vaccine.

Know Your Family’s Susceptibility.

Children are especially susceptible because they had limited exposure to the seasonal flu. In the UK, the cases of H1N1 among children have doubled since school started a few weeks ago.

Thousands have caught the swine flu but fortunately, it is not as deadly as previously thought. There are certain sectors of the population which are more likely to develop serious symptoms and complications that can result in death.

Here are some of the latest statistics on fatal swine flu cases in children:

• As of end of August, 36 children (under 18) have died of the H1N1 flu in the US (Source: MedicalNews Today).

• The youngest victim was aged 2 months, and the oldest was 17 years.

• Five fatalities were under 2 years old and 7 were under 5 years old.

• The majority of children who died (24 out of 36) have at least one other medical condition that made them highly susceptible. These conditions include developmental delay such as cerebral palsy and chronic pulmonary problems such as asthma.

Thus, considering that there probably won’t be enough vaccines to go around, the AAP suggests that the following high-risk groups should receive the vaccine first:

• Children ages 6 months through 24 years

• Parents and caretakers of infants younger than 6 months

• Pregnant women

• Health care workers and emergency services personnel

• Adults ages 25 to 64 with chronic health conditions

Think about your family’s susceptibility. Does anybody have a serious condition that makes vaccination worth considering? Does anybody have a higher likelihood of more exposure than usual (e.g. healthcare professionals, school teachers, etc.)?

Take care of yourself.

Finally, moms, do not forget to take care of yourself. It is our jobs to look out for our families in good times and bad times and it seems that bad times may be coming. All the more reason that we should stay healthy.