Strollerderby

Browse by Tags

• "Shot Down": Babble Investigates the Anti-Vaccination Movement

  Show of hands: how many of your kids have had polio? Measles? Mumps? I'd venture to guess that most of you have vaccinated your kids against those and other diseases. There are a surprising number of parents who are opting out of vaccinations, and to many parents (myself included), that decision is seen as irresponsible and fraught with peril - not only for the child in question, but other kids who may come into contact with those who have not been vaccinated. Over at Babble, reporter Liza Featherstone contributes a thoughtful but tough look at the anti-vaccination movement. She explores the myriad of reasons why some parents choose not to give their kids shots; chief among these are fears of autism, side effects, and actually contracting the disease that the vaccine was supposed to prevent.  According to Featherstone, such fears are based on misinformation, inference, and flawed logic. Indeed, she wonders how it that people are "more willing to believe a random article on the internet than scientists who have spent their lives studying vaccines." The problem here, notes Featherstone, is that the choice to not vaccinate has repercussions beyond one's own child. Featherstone cites outbreaks of whopping cough in Colorado, a state with a considerable number of "vaccine resistors" (also of note but not mentioned in the piece: an outbreak of mumps in the Midwest last year and another outbreak of measles in Boston - in the measles case, the outbreak was traced back to a computer programmer from India, a country where only 56% of the population is thought to be vaccinated against the disease. Gee.) So - to vaccinate, or not? Tell us what you think. Posted Mar 27 2007, 08:36 AM by JasonAvant with | with 11 comment(s) Filed under: health, medicine, Babble, health and well-being of children., medical ethics, chicken pox, vaccinations, childcare, health care, pro-vaccination, medical, drugs, health risks, baby health, children's health, health news, Child medication, bad medical advice, anti-vaccination

• Hugs, Not Drugs, Better For Kids

  In a disturbing NY Times article published today, it was revealed that over-the-counter cough and cold remedies could pose serious health risks for children and, in response to a petition filed by prominent pediatricians and public health officials, are planning a thorough review. According to the petition, in higher than normal doses, cold medicines can affect the heart’s electrical system, leading to arrhythmias. Some medicines affect the blood vessels and, in high doses, have been associated with hypertension and stroke.  Furthermore, popular medicines like Toddler’s Dimetapp, Infant Triaminic and Little Colds, which are marketed for use in children as young as 2, should not be given to children younger than 6 under any circumstances. Apparently, nobody has ever done a thorough study on the safety of these drugs for children because they have been around for so long and are so commonly used that the FDA never conducted any efficacy studies regarding use or dosage.  Older FDA standards were significantly lower in the past and the agency has never sought to revisit the safety of these drugs again until now.  I'm surprised that I'd never heard of any surrounding controversy regarding these OTC drugs until now.  However, rest assured, I'm certainly going to think twice before giving them to my daughter again! Posted Mar 02 2007, 03:08 PM by MetroDad with | with 3 comment(s) Filed under: FDA, NY Times, Child medication