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MCMCH LOGO       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 an upcoming issue, please forward them to MCMCH.

                         July 15, 2011
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In this issue
Tracking of Child Abuse Deaths in U.S. is Flawed
Report on Nursing Practices in Regional Forums
New CDC Recommendation: Wait to Start The Pill After Delivery
Child Care 'Let's Move' Checklist

GAO Report: Tracking of Child Abuse Deaths in U.S. is Flawed 

A congressional hearing held this week about child deaths due to maltreatment called on national experts to explain why the number of child deaths has been undercounted. The hearing coincided with the release of the Government Accountability Office (GAO) report on child abuse and neglect deaths associated with the child welfare system. Read the full report here. 

 

Congressman Dave Camp (R-MI), Chairman of the Committee on Ways and Means, called for the hearing when he was presented with a petition including more than 8,000 signatures during a congressional briefing on child abuse deaths hosted by the National Coalition to End Child Abuse Deaths (NCECAD) in April. 

 

Findings from the long awaited GAO report, Child Maltreatment: Strengthening National Data on Child Fatalities Could Aid Prevention, were presented at the hearing. In addition, child welfare experts made recommendations for what can be done to reduce child fatalities.

 

The GAO's new report focuses on the whether or not the federal National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System (NCANDS) accurately or completely captures the number or circumstances of child abuse and neglect fatalities. Their conclusion: it does not.


NCANDS reported 1,770 child abuse and neglect related fatalities in 2009, but the GAO report cited a peer reviewed study of fatal maltreatment in three states and found that the deaths were undercounted by 55 to 76 percent. The more likely number of child abuse and neglect related fatalities is 2,500-an estimate provided by the National Coalition to End Child Abuse Deaths.


The GAO report further concludes that reducing preventable fatalities requires complete and reliable data based on commonly understood definitions of maltreatment and the systematic evaluation of the causes and circumstances of these deaths.

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Regional Forums Examine Nursing Practices 

The MDCH-Task Force on Nursing Practice is holding Regional Forums in order to examine The Forums will take place in Gaylord on July 19, in Southfield on August 30, in Grand Rapids on September 2, and in Lansing on October 20.
 
The Task Force on Nursing Practice has been charged to examine nursing practice issues in Michigan with the goal of modernizing the nursing practice environment and thereby protecting the health and safety of the public. To identify current nursing practice issues, the Task Force is hosting a series of five forums around the State to hear from nurses, other healthcare professionals, consumers and stakeholders. Please join us for one of the Regional Forums and share practice issues you experience. The information collected at the Regional Forums will help shape the Task Force recommendations.
 
For more information, visit the Center for Nursing Workforce and Policy's website at micnwp.org.

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CDC: Wait to Start Birth Control Pills After Delivery 

Women who have just given birth should wait at least three weeks before they start using birth control pills because of the risk of serious, potentially fatal blood clots, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced last week. Women who deliver by Caesarean section or have other risk factors for blood clots - like obesity or a history of previous blood clots - should wait at least six weeks before using these medications, they said.

The new recommendations are more restrictive than guidelines issued last year and are similar to recommendations made in 2010 by the World Health Organization.

Women are far more likely to develop a blood clot in the weeks after delivery than nonpregnant women of reproductive age who have not just had a baby, several studies have shown. The risk declines rapidly after 21 days but does not return to normal until 42 days after delivery.

Birth control pills that include both estrogen and progestin also increase the risk of blood clots in the deep veins (venous thromboembolism). Women who are breast-feeding may want to avoid hormonal contraceptives because they can interfere with lactation, the CDC said.

The guidelines were published in the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report and can be read here.

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Let's Move Campaign Focuses on Improving Health in Child Care
The Let's Move Child Care Checklist presents recommendations for childhood obesity prevention in early care and education. The checklist is a component of Let's Move Child Care, a website launched by the White House in June, in collaboration with Nemours and the National Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies to help child care providers (public and private, center and home based) promote health in infants, toddlers, and preschool-age children.

The checklist is based on the Nutrition and Physical Self-Assessment for Child Care (NAP SACC), a research-tested intervention designed to enhance policies, practices, and environments in child care by improving the nutritional quality of food served, the amount and quality of physical activity, staff-child interactions, and facility nutrition and physical activity policies and practices and related environmental characteristics. Checklist topics include physical activity, screen time, food, beverages, and infant feeding.

The checklist is available at
http://www.healthykidshealthyfuture.org/filebox/letsmove/childcareclist.pdf.

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Contributors to this Issue
Associated Press
AHIP HI-Wire
HealthDay
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Quick Links . . .

 

Sign-On Letter Addressing Debt Ceiling Negotiations

The Children's Leadership Council is circulating a sign-on letter that addresses concerns related to the federal budget debt ceiling negotiations and the need to prioritize vulnerable children. You can read the letter here and have your organization sign-on.
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MOASH Offers Mini-Grants; Deadline August 10
The Michigan Organization on Adolescent Sexual Health is pleased to announce a mini-grant opportunity to support local community coalition-building and collaboration among diverse stakeholders committed to addressing adolescent sexual health related issues. Awards of $500 - $1,000 will be available. Deadline for application is August 10. Learn more here or contact Ellen Ives. 

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Low 'Empathy' Response in Brain Might Point to Autism Gene

People with autism and their siblings share a similar pattern of reduced activity in an area of the brain associated with empathy, researchers say. The identification of this so-called 'biomarker' for a familial risk for autism could help scientists determine the causes behind the disorder, the new study suggests.

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Job Posting: The Ecology Center Seeks Healthy Food in Health Care Associate
The Ecology Center is seeking a talented person to assist our Healthy Food in Health Care Program in educating health care professionals about the link between a healthy food system and public health; in recruiting clinicians to be spokespeople and advocates for a healthier and more equitable food system within their healthcare facilities and communities; and in supporting greater engagement of health professionals with their patients around the importance of healthy, sustainable foods. The Ecology Center is a Michigan-based nonprofit environmental organization that works at the local, state, and national levels for clean production, healthy communities, environmental justice, and a sustainable future. Learn more here.

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"Fragile Infants and Fragile Relationships: Supporting Babies and Their Families in the NICU and Beyond"
July 28, 9 AM - 4 PM. Live Site: The Children's Center- 79 W. Alexandrine, Detroit, MI 48201; Broadcast Site: Ingham ISD- 2630 W. Howell Rd., Mason, MI 48854Nursing CEs of 5.16 hrs just approved. Suggested Participants: Professionals serving families birth to 3 yrs. Register by July 21. 

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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 Healthblur image MCMCH 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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