Pre-chewed food for infants may increase HIV transmission in Africa

A new study from South Africa noted that two-thirds of mothers and other caregivers pre-chew food for infants, which can place the baby at risk for HIV. Of the caregivers interviewed, they said they did it to test the food's taste or temperature or to make it into a consistency that was easier for the baby to eat. Researchers believed that most probably didn't know the possible risks involved.

Friday Roundup

Here is a listing of articles of interest that have been published within the last 7-10 days:

Health
1. Worm drug ivermectin is shown to kill mosquitoes, New York Times, July 11, 2011
Brief Intro: "A cheap deworming pill used in Africa for 25 years against river blindness was recently shown to have a power that scientists had long suspected but never before demonstrated in the field: When mosquitoes bite people who have recently swallowed the drug — called ivermectin or Mectizan — they die. "

2. HIV treatment as prevention called winning approach, CBCNews, July 14, 2011
Brief Intro: "Studies suggest that a combination of antiviral drugs known as highly active anti-retroviral therapy (HAART) helps treat HIV and also prevents its transmission, by reducing how infectious someone is."


Education
1. Education secretary orders additional standard test review, Post-Gazette.com, July 14, 2011
Brief Intro: "Pennsylvania Education Secretary Ron Tomalis has ordered that the state's 2010 standardized test results be analyzed for any irregularities following the recent discovery of a similar report that indicates possible cheating in roughly 50 school districts in 2009."

2. 'Parent trigger' rules adopted for low-performing schools, The Orange County Register, July 14. 2011
Brief Intro: "The California Board of Education has approved a new set of regulations that will give parents more control to force changes to low-performing public schools. The "parent trigger" rules will allow a majority of parents at low-performing schools to petition school districts for major changes that include adding intervention programs, removing the principal, replacing staff, converting the campus to a charter, or closing the school altogether."

3. Feeding kids when parents, schools can't, CNN.com, July 14, 2011
Brief Intro: "During the school year, public schools provide breakfast and lunch to millions of students in the United States. But when summer arrives, parents struggling to feed their children can no longer rely on those meals."

Friday Roundup

Here is a roundup of news articles of interest published within the last 7-10 days:

Health

1. A writer traces illnesses back to the womb, Dec. 27, 2010, NYT.com
Brief Intro:"The idea led to her acclaimed new book, “Origins: How the Nine Months Before Birth Shape the Rest of Our Lives” (Free Press). Divided into nine chapters that mirror the nine months of Ms. Paul’s own pregnancies, it explores the notion that heart disease, diabetes and perhaps other illnesses may have their origins during pregnancy."

2. New drug strategy shows promise against HIV, Dec. 22, 2010, Health Day
Brief Intro:"Scientists are reporting early but promising results from a new drug that blocks HIV as it attempts to invade human cells."

3. Nutrition: At home, influence wanes on child diets, Dec. 27, 2010, NYT.com
Brief Intro:"Researchers reviewed 24 studies on parent and child dietary habits, using statistical techniques to combine their results. Their analysis, being published in the February issue of The Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, found only a weak correlation between what parents and their children eat.

They also found that the association diminished over time — later studies generally showed a weaker connection than earlier ones between child-parent pairs. The authors acknowledge that their conclusions were based on limited data, that only three of the studies were conducted in developing countries, and that methodologies varied."

Vulnerable populations

1. Anti-bias agency cracks down on the use of credit and criminal checks in job screenings, Dec. 27, 2010, Chicago Tribune
Brief Intro:"The federal agency that enforces workplace anti-discrimination laws is warning employers they could be sued if they refuse to hire blacks or Latinos because of a bad credit history or a criminal record."

2. Hispanics leave Connecticut town as FBI probes complaints of police abuse, racial profiling, Dec. 26, 2010, Chicago Tribune
Brief Intro:"Racial profiling allegations began swirling about two years ago in East Haven, a predominantly Italian-American seaside suburb of about 28,000 people 70 miles northeast of New York City. Hispanics make up only about 7 percent of the population, but their numbers had been growing as the peaceful, small-town setting and thriving businesses attracted newcomers from Mexico and Ecuador."

Friday Roundup

Here is a listing of news articles of interest that have been published within the past 7-10 days:

Health
1. Proximity to freeways increase autism risk, study finds, Los Angeles Times, Dec. 16, 2010
Brief Intro: "Children born to mothers who live close to freeways have twice the risk of autism, researchers reported Thursday. The study, its authors say, adds to evidence suggesting that certain environmental exposures could play a role in causing the disorder in some children."

2. A cure for HIV?, WebMD
Brief Intro:"The first and only person ever to be cured of HIV/AIDS is a leukemia patient treated in Berlin with HIV-resistant stem cells.

Although the Berlin patient was treated in 2007, researchers are only now officially using the word "cure." That's because extensive tests -- including analyses of tissues from his brain, gut, and other organs -- detect no sign of lingering HIV."

3. Call for fast-food moratorium unlikely to succeed in Detroit, Detroit Free Press, Dec. 15, 2010

Brief Intro:"Bing spokesman Dan Lijana said the mayor "supports initiatives to ensure Detroiters are living healthy lifestyles," but is reluctant to make policies that would hamper development in a city that needs the economic boost from new business.

The Physician's Committee for Responsible Medicine, which is pushing the moratorium, acknowledges that its efforts elsewhere have been met with silence."

Friday Roundup

These are articles of interest published within the last 7-10 days:

Health

1. Gene variations may explain HIV control, USNWR, November 5, 2010

Brief Intro: Researchers say that rare variations in an immune system protein may explain why some people may continue to remain healthy, despite infection.

2. U.S. obesity rate may hit 42% by 2050, USNWR/Health Day, November 5, 2010

Brief Intro: A research team from Harvard and MIT have predicted that adult obesity rates will continue to rise for another 40 years before leveling out. With these rates, the team predicts that 42% of the adult population will be obese.

3. Wyoming and W. Va lead in chewing tobacco use, MSNBC.com, November 4, 2010

Brief Intro: Wyoming tops the nation in chewing tobacco use, with 1 in 6 adult men making use of the product. In both Wyoming and W. Va, approximately 9% of adults, both men and women, make use of chewing tobacco. The report, created by the CDC, is one of the government's first attempts to collect state level statistics on smokeless tobacco.