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 Michigan Council for Maternal and Child Health
Friday Notes
Friday Notes is intended to share current information, resources and notices.
If you have information or announcements that you would like to have included in the next issue, forward them to MCMCH.
April 8, 2011
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SAVE THE DATE!
May 5, 2011
MCMCH Quarterly Meeting focused on the National Children's Study
10-11:30 a.m. at Children's Hospital of Michigan
MCMCH will hold a quarterly general membership meeting on Thursday, May 5, at Children's Hospital of Michigan to hear a panel present on the National Children's Study (NCS). The launch of the NCS in Wayne County was announced in January. Wayne County is the first of five Michigan counties to participate in what is the largest long-term study of children's health in the U.S. The study will document the effects of the social and physical environment on children's health from pregnancy to age 21. The study will launch in Genesee, Grand Traverse, Leelanau and Macomb counties over the next few years. 100,000 families nationwide will participate in the study. The Study has the potential to discover ways to improve the overall health and well-being of children and to prevent disease, helping to guide health practice, clinical interventions and health policy for future generations. The Michigan Alliance for the National Children's Study, which is conducting the study in Michigan, is a collaborative partnership of scientists and health care providers representing Henry Ford Health System, Michigan Department of Community Health, Michigan State University, University of Michigan, Wayne State University and its affiliate, Children's Hospital of Michigan. Learn more about the NCS here. MCMCH members are encouraged to invite fellow staff members and guests to this event as we look forward to an interactive session and a stimulating discussion on the potential impact of this study in Michigan. MCMCH quarterly meetings bring critical information to our members and helps us to set future policy for the Council. The event will begin at 10 a.m. in the hospital auditorium. More information, including registration details, will be sent to you next week. Questions? Please contact MCMCH. ____________________________________________________________________________________
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PRB Study a Breakthrough in Decreasing Premature Births The Detroit-based Perinatology Research Branch (PRB) of the National Institute of Health (NIH) made headlines this week with the results of a groundbreaking clinical study of a new method for preventing premature birth.
The study found that the rate of early preterm delivery in women can be reduced by 45 percent simply by identifying pregnant women who have a short cervix and treating them with a low-cost "gel" of natural progesterone during the midtrimester of pregnancy until term. Pregnant women with a short cervix (one that is less than 20 mm) are at very high risk for preterm delivery. The findings are certain to have substantial impact on the practice of medicine.
Dr. Roberto Romero, Principal Investigator of the study, and Sonia S. Hassan, M.D., the lead author of the study and the Director of the PRB's Center for Advanced Obstetrical Care and Research, also pointed out that numerous studies (many by the PRB) over the past decade have shown that ultrasound of the uterine cervix can identify pregnant women who are at high risk for preterm delivery. The ultrasound examination is simple to perform, painless, and can be performed between the 19th and 24th weeks of pregnancy.
"The findings of the study are especially good news for expectant mothers in Detroit," said Dr. Hassan. "Preterm delivery has long been a major healthcare problem in the city." In 2008, more than 17 percent of births in Detroit were preterm - and they accounted for more than 70 percent of the infant mortality recorded in that year, according to the latest research from the Michigan Chapter of the March of Dimes.
The city's high infant mortality, preterm delivery rate and ethnic disparity in birth outcomes were important considerations in the NIH's decision to establish the PRB in Detroit nine years ago. The presence of the PRB in Detroit allows women to obtain state-of-the-art medical care and join medical studies to improve prenatal diagnosis, monitor fetal growth, predict preeclampsia and prevent preterm birth.
The study included patients from the United States, South America, Europe, Asia and Africa, and screened more than 32,000 women for a short cervix.
Dr. Hassan noted in the study: "The main implication for clinical practice is that universal screening of women with ultrasound examination in the midtrimester to identify patients at risk (based on a short cervix) can now be coupled with an intervention - the administration of vaginal progesterone gel - to reduce the frequency of preterm birth and improve neonatal outcome."
"Based on the findings of our clinical trial, we expect that obstetricians and clinicians will begin to consider providing expectant mothers with ultrasound screening for cervical length, and to make progesterone therapy available to those who present with a short cervix," Dr. Hassan said.
The PRB, hosted by Wayne State University (WSU) at Detroit Medical Center's Hutzel Women's Hospital, was awarded to WSU in 2002 and may be opened up to another round of national competition next year. At their meeting on Thursday, the MCMCH Executive Board agreed to draft a letter of support for the PRB to continue at WSU, circulate it among other state health groups for their sign-on and send it to Michigan's congressional delegation. ____________________________________________________________________________________ |
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April is Child Abuse Prevention Month
The Children's Trust Fund will host a Prevention Awareness Day rally on Tuesday, April 12 at 11 a.m. at the Capitol steps. The day's events include the rally, the planting of a pinwheel garden and legislative meetings. Please visit the CAP Month webpage for more information.
The 2011 National Child Abuse Prevention Month website has resources and strategies on engaging
communities and supporting families. Site features include:
* Strengthening Families and Communities: 2011 Resource Guide
* Tip sheets to distribute to parents and caregivers, available in
English and Spanish
* An April calendar full of activities that include the Five
Protective Factors
* Child Abuse Prevention Month widgets to post on your website
* A video explaining how Information Gateway helps connect professionals with resources on preventing child abuse and neglect.
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Contributors to this Issue
AHIP HI-Wire
DMC
HealthDay
Wayne State University
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Quick Links . . .
April is Month of the Young Child Each April, Michigan celebrates Month of the Young Child® (MOYC®). This is a time when communities and individuals recognize the needs and rights of young children and their families. Since 1971, one week in April has been celebrated nationally as Week of the Young Child. In 1985, Michigan expanded the celebration to the entire month of April, with each week having a specific focus. Michigan Association for the Education of Young Children (MiAEYC) coordinates the campaign with support from local and state organizations, businesses and public agencies. Learn more here.
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Teen Weight Affects Later Heart Disease Risk: Study
What you weigh in your teen years can have far-reaching effects on your heart health in the future, suggests new research.
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Autism Diagnoses Still More Likely in Richer Neighborhoods
Poor children with autism are less likely than richer kids to have the condition diagnosed, but this disparity has decreased in recent years, according to a new study.
___________________________________________________________________________________________ As CT Scans of Kids Soar, Experts Urge Oversight
The substantial increase in computed tomography (CT) examinations of children in U.S. hospital emergency departments between 1995 and 2008 highlights the need for appropriate use and interpretation of these exams, say researchers. ____________________________________________________________________________________________ Evidence Weak to Support Many Medications for Autism: Study
Little evidence supports the use of most medications for treating autism in children, with the exception of the anti-psychotic drugs risperidone and aripiprazole that have shown success in controlling severely disruptive, hyperactive and repetitive behaviors, a new study shows.
___________________________________________________________________________________________ FDA Panel Delays Action on Dyes Used in Foods
Foods that contain dyes used to enhance color don't need warning labels, a U.S. Food and Drug Administration advisory panel said late last week. The advisers' 8-6 vote came in response to concerns, especially from parents, that the commonly used dyes might be linked to attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in some children. ____________________________________________________________________________________________ Order your 2011-12 Watch Me Grow Calendars! This 24-month calendar highlights a different program each month - offering both program information and contact information. Activities and tips for parents are also offered throughout the calendar providing information on health, safety, nutrition, and parenting. The best part is that these calendars are $1 each. Visit the website for complete information and order form. ____________________________________________________________________________________________ |
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The Michigan Council for Maternal and Child Health is made up of
member organizations who share a commitment to the health of
Michigan's women, children and families.
To learn more go to http://www.mcmch.org or email info@mcmch.org.
Amy Zaagman - Executive Director - azaagman@mcmch.org
Jennifer Gorchow - Communications Manager - jgorchow@mcmch.org
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