Community rallies to
prevent leading cause of infant mortality
Community members – doctors,
hospitals, non-profit organizations and civic groups – are rallying to prevent
SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome), a leading cause of death for infants
through their first year of life and particularly between ages 2 to 4 months.
SIDS is a sleep related disorder that’s a subcategory of a broader definition
taking hold nationally called SUIDS (Sudden Unexplained Infant Death Syndrome).
“SIDS is the most preventable cause of infant mortality, and after the first
month of life, is one of the leading causes of infant mortality,” said Carol
Brady, executive director for the Northeast Florida Healthy Start Coalition.
“We know what to do, and if the families would just do it, we could change
that.”
Although the number of infant
deaths due to SIDS appears to be declining, the rate of infant deaths in
Jacksonville is higher
than that for the rest of the state; and, similarly, the state infant mortality
rate (IMR) is higher than that for the nation. Perhaps even more disturbing,
the infant mortality rate is higher among blacks and other minority populations
that it is with whites.
Vaccines protect your
child and society from deadly diseases, yet some parents are bucking this
proven system
Childhood immunization is the
greatest success story in modern public health. “Just imagine life without vaccinations,”
says Randy Thornton, M.D., with Jacksonville Pediatrics. “Polio paralyzed
10,000 children annually in the
United
States. German Measles caused birth defects
and retardation in up to 20,000 newborns. Measles infected 4,000,000 people
annually and killed 3,000 children,” explains Dr. Thornton, a pediatrician
affiliated with Wolfson Children’s Hospital.
“If there’s
anything pediatricians are behind, it’s vaccinations,” says David L. Wood,
M.D., Professor at the University of Florida College of Medicine Jacksonville.
“It has dramatically changed the practice of medicine. Even things like ear
infection rates are going down because of these vaccines.”
ADD/ADHD is a symptomatic label that’s growing
in popularity in epidemic proportions. The symptoms of ADD/ADHD have their
roots in both medical and developmental causes. The mainstream medical
solutions seem to advocate drugging the individual, typically with amphetamines
and amphetamine-like drugs that paradoxically slow down the brain processes.
This appears to give the person added attention span while in actuality these
drugs serve only to mask symptoms without addressing or removing causes. These
drugs alter the brain function with the possibility of permanent and adverse
side effects that may even mimic the very symptoms the drugs were prescribed to
control. These medications also put a toxic load on the body and may cause
damage to vital organs.
Believe it or not, you impart a legacy of
health to your children that goes well beyond the genes you give them. You also
pass along health beliefs and model health-related choices.
Here are 5 tips that will
set your kids up on a path toward a healthy life.
Children who get
sufficient amount sleep every night function better throughout the day, are
more alert, and their concentration, performance and memory are better than
those who don’t sleep well. As well, children who get ample sleep are less
likely to develop behavioral problems of any kind, moodiness, anxiety or
depression.
The needs of sleep differ from child to child, but school-age children in
general require in the area of nine to twelve hours of sleep per night.
Consider these things if you are unsure whether your child is getting enough
sleep every night.
- If he/she wakes up easily in the morning that is a good sign.
- If he/she is wide awake, energetic and alert throughout the school day then
the nighttime sleep is sufficient.
- If a child can fall asleep within a period of fifteen minutes to a half an
hour then he or she is getting enough sleep.
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