Combating Baldness

I know this is so silly, but I do worry about my kids losing their hair. Hopefully if they do, they will still look good and won't have emotional scars from it. A lot of men look good without hair. But what if one of them gets really upset about it? That thought made me key in on this story. Balding is such a common problem (and a really big deal for women) that I thought I should share this new research. Maybe by the time my oldest is in his 20s, there will be a real choice out there for people with thinning hair.

FROM NBC: Figuring out how to combat baldness and regrow hair may not be one of the most critical areas of medical research, but it's one of extremely high interest for millions of men - and women. Researchers may have discovered a key piece of the puzzle. Bald made a comeback years ago. Some men even shaving their heads before hair departed on its own. but many other say they would give anything to re-grow their loches. Now doctors say a big breakthrough could make that possible. Dr. George Costarelis/Dermatologist: "This is definitely a step closer to finding a new way of treating hair loss."

While studying the cells of men undergoing hair transplants Dr. George Costarelis says he and his team made a surprising discovery. Dr. George Costarelis: "Which is that if the scalp that's bald still has the same number of stem cells as the scalp that's not bald." The problem is, even though the stem cells exist they aren't producing a different kind of cell called a progenator cell.

Dr. George Costarelis: "These are the ones that are the work horse cells. They are constantly making the hair. Doctor Costarelis says he is hopeful researchers will find a way to turn the inactive cells back on. Dr. George Costarelis: "We know the stem cells are present. They're not gone. If they gone it would be more difficult to design a treatment. But current treatments are very good at maintaining the hair you have. This one would be geared towards actually reversing hair loss. So even if you're bald, theoretically this would be able to activate the stem cells and get new hair to grow in."

Doctors don't know if baldness in women works the same way. Dr. George Costarelis: "Many of my patients are women, most of them actually are women and I would really like to be able to help them more than what I can currently. So in the future I want to figure out if these same priciples apply to female pattern hair loss."

-NewsAnchorMom Jen

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Autism-Vaccine Study deemed fraudulent

Deliberate fraud? I have a feeling Dr. Wakefield truly believes what he is saying. I don't think he's being malicious. What are your thoughts?

FROM THE LOS ANGELES TIMES: Dr. Andrew Wakefield's 1998 report in the journal Lancet purporting to show a link between autism and the vaccine for measles, mumps and rubella "was based not on bad science but on a deliberate fraud," says Dr. Fiona Godlee, editor in chief of BMJ, formerly the British Medical Journal, in an editorial published Tuesday.

The editorial accompanies the first of three reports by British investigative journalist Brian Deer that document how Wakefield manipulated data in his attempts to prove something that he "knew" before he started his research. Most of the information in the reports has been published previously, but the recent publication of the General Medical Council's 6-million-word transcript of the hearing in which Wakefield's license to practice medicine in Britain was revoked allowed the editors of BMJ to peer-review Deer's reports and confirm the extensive falsifications in the original Lancet paper.

The episode, Godlee said, reminded her of the announcement of the Piltdown man, the paleontological hoax of 1912 that led people to believe for 40 years that a missing link between man and ape had been found.

The original paper authored by Wakefield and 12 others involved 12 children with autism, nine of them with a regressive form in which the children begin to develop normally, then lose speech or other faculties. The average delay between vaccination and onset of autism in eight of the children was 6.3 days, the authors reported, and the parents were said to blame the vaccine.

But, Deer finds:

--Only one of the nine children who supposedly had regressive autism actually did. Three did not have autism at all.

--Five of the children had preexisting developmental problems, despite the paper's claims that all were normal prior to vaccination.

--Although the paper claimed an average of 6.3 days between vaccination and the onset of symptoms, some children did not show symptoms until months later.

Moreover, none of the details of the medical histories of any of the patients could be matched to those cited in the Lancet article. All had been altered to make Wakefield's claims more convincing. Ten of the authors subsequently asked that the paper be retracted. The Lancet withdrew the paper last year.

Wakefield had been doing research at the Thoughtful House Center for Children in Austin, Texas, but he resigned the position earlier this year, and it is not clear where he is now.

"The sad thing is, his work has influenced a lot of people," said Dr. Peter Hotez of the Sabin Vaccine Institute in New York City. "If you do a Google search of vaccines, so much of what you see are anti-vaccine sentiments using Wakefield's work as a basis for it, and as a result, children are having vaccines withheld. It's tragic."

According to David G. Amaral of the UC Davis MIND Institute, "What is most destructive in an episode such as this is the undermining of the public's confidence in the integrity of science. I believe that most autism researchers have understood for some time that the weight of scientific evidence does not support the role of vaccines as a major cause of autism. The public should know that science is self-correcting."

Wakefield "is not the first scientist to be spectacularly wrong," noted Dr. Paul A. Offit of the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, who cited such others as Martin Fleischmann and Stanley Pons of cold fusion fame. "But nobody did harm like this guy. Let there be no doubt. Hundreds were hospitalized [because they weren't vaccinated], and four children were killed.... He had a tremendous negative impact."

But Offit is not sure he is fraudulent. "That implies intent. He's a believer. That's why he is so convincing. He is convincing because he is convinced."

Says Rick Rollens of Sacramento, the parent of an autistic child and one of the founders of the MIND Institute: "This is just another sad installment of the continued public lynching of Dr. Wakefield by the vaccine establishment and their lackeys in the public health community. The relentless personal and professional assaults on Dr. Wakefield will do nothing now or in the future to alter what we as parents of vaccine-induced autistic children already know: that is, vaccines can and do cause autism. No amount of orchestrated attacks by those who have a vested interest in defending the status quo on the historic and courageous work of Dr. Wakefield will change the truth."

-NewsAnchorMom Jen

Skin Dimensions SB products, exclusive to Soderstrom Skin Institute, are manufactured with Pharmaceutical-Grade ingredients. In addition to being "Feel Good Products," they contain unique and innovative ingredients in concentrations that can assist you in the achievement of your own personal skin care objectives. This product line contains higher percentages of Glycolic, Vitamin A, C, E, Co-Q10, green tea, than what you can purchase over the counter.

The Crib Tent

As if people didn't think I was overprotective enough, I now have a crib tent. You know, one of those nets that fits over the crib so the baby can't jump out. It seems so ridiculous, but I really think it is necessary in my case.

My 15 month old jumped out of his crib a few days ago. I didn't know what to do. I put him back in and said, "night, night" and pushed his little bottom down on the crib mattress. As soon as I turned around, he was jumping out again.

And when I say "jumping" I mean falling. He pulls that little baby leg up, scoops his body over the edge and falls to the ground. I tried standing at the side of the crib and rubbing his tummy until he went to sleep. He just stared at me like I was crazy. I rocked him to sleep in my arms and then laid him down. He popped right back up and lifted up his foot onto the crib rail immediately. Then I got some couch pillows and put them on the floor and laid down next to him with my eyes closed. He started poking me and laughing. Eventually, I grabbed everything out of his room that I thought might pose a danger and I shut the door and said, "night night." He finally fell asleep on the floor right next to the door. It was horrible.

That's when I realized I am going to have to put my kid in a crib tent. I can't do this again. My oldest jumped out of the crib at 15 months and I did not get a crib tent. He ended up landing on his shoulder at some point and broke his collar bone.

So I called Wal-mart, Babies R Us, Target, K-Mart, etc. I started to think, "No one carries them in my town in stock. Am I really going to have to order it on-line and wait desperately for the mail man for the next four days?" I was ready to get in the car and drive to Springfield when I thought of Baby Depot inside Burlington Coat Factory. I figured they wouldn't have it, but I should at least call. It was a Christmas miracle! Baby Depot carries crib tents in stock in Peoria, Illinois. I talked to the nicest lady who put it on hold for me and said she gets calls from desperate parents who need crib tents often. I was so relieved. The tent works great!

-NewsAnchorMom Jen

Skin Dimensions SB products, exclusive to Soderstrom Skin Institute, are manufactured with Pharmaceutical-Grade ingredients. In addition to being "Feel Good Products," they contain unique and innovative ingredients in concentrations that can assist you in the achievement of your own personal skin care objectives. This product line contains higher percentages of Glycolic, Vitamin A, C, E, Co-Q10, green tea, than what you can purchase over the counter.

"Mommy Thumb"

I feel like I am doomed to have "mommy thumb." I pick up kids that seem heavy and I am just a bony person. I really need to work out more! I also text and am on the computer constantly. My computer at work is not ergonomically correct. I really need to fix that, but I am not sure how. I never can figure out where to put the keyboard. Anyway, I hope I don't get this! Do you any of you get pains in your thumb?

FROM NBC: More and more mothers of young children are experiencing sharp pains in their thumbs and wrists. It's gotten so common, that doctors are calling it "mommy thumb." Dr. Bruce Hensel takes a look at why the number of cases are on the rise, and the ways to relieve the pain. It began with a sharp pain on the side of her hand.

Jennifer Chakir:Patient "I had this sharp, shooting pain all down my forearm, starting at my thumb through my wrist." Jennifer Chakir though maybe she has carpal tunnel or a work-related injury. but it seemed to hurt the most, when she was lifting up her one year old daughter. Jennifer Chakir, Patient: "It was really debilitating. I had to put the baby down and take some ibuprofen because it was really painful."

Doctors diagnosed her with mommy thumb. It's a real medical condition and there has been a rise in mothers being diagnosed with this condition, formally known as de quervian's tendinitis. Dr. David Auerbach, Orthopedic Surgeon:"After delivering a child, they do a lot of lifting of the child, have some fluid changes in the body, that leads to the pain and we see a lot of it."

The condition has been around for as long as patients have lifted their children, but now the number of cases are shooting up. Why? Doctors say a combination of heavier children, older new mothers, cribs that are lower to the floor, and frequent scrolling on smart phones are putting the thumb out of alignment with the rest of the hand. Dr. David Auerbach, Orthopedic Surgeon: "It's an inflammation of the tissue around the tendon. Definitely do not recommend trying to live with the problem. It rarely goes away on it's own."

Orthopedic surgeons estimate that between one quarter and one half of new mothers experience symptoms of mommy thumb. The treatment, ice and anti-inflammatory pills or injections. Surgery for the really severe cases. In Jennifer's case, she wore a wrist brace that included a thumb splint, which rests the tendon and reduces swelling. Jennifer Chakir, Patient: "I wore that off and on for about two weeks and I've never had a problem with it since."

-NewsAnchorMom Jen

Skin Dimensions SB products, exclusive to Soderstrom Skin Institute, are manufactured with Pharmaceutical-Grade ingredients. In addition to being "Feel Good Products," they contain unique and innovative ingredients in concentrations that can assist you in the achievement of your own personal skin care objectives. This product line contains higher percentages of Glycolic, Vitamin A, C, E, Co-Q10, green tea, than what you can purchase over the counter.

ADHD and Obesity

According to this article, there may be a link between kids with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and obesity. This connection seems a bit odd to me. If the person is hyperactive and can't sit still, wouldn't they burn more calories than the average person? I guess not according to this study. Maybe that is too simple of an explanation.


FROM NBC: Children with symptoms of Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder may be at higher risk for obesity later in life. Researchers at Duke University say it's not an ADHD diagnosis that appears to predict obesity, it's the symptoms -- like inattention, hyperactivity and impulsive behavior.

They found as the number of symptoms increased, so did the risk of future obesity. Hyperactivity and impulsiveness were the most influential risk factors -- with a 63-percent increase in obesity rates when kids had just one of these symptoms. Researchers say these findings could be the key to understanding why people who struggle with regulating their impulses are prone to obesity.

-NewsAnchorMom Jen

Skin Dimensions SB products, exclusive to Soderstrom Skin Institute, are manufactured with Pharmaceutical-Grade ingredients. In addition to being "Feel Good Products," they contain unique and innovative ingredients in concentrations that can assist you in the achievement of your own personal skin care objectives. This product line contains higher percentages of Glycolic, Vitamin A, C, E, Co-Q10, green tea, than what you can purchase over the counter.

What you may not know about stitches

(These pics are two months post-op)
I think I have mentioned my middle son has had stitches not once, but twice in the last couple months. I hope you never have to go through what I did, but just in case, I think I should share what I learned about stitches.

The first time we went to one of those mini-clinics that can do simple stitches. It did not go well. My son jerked and screamed during the procedure and the stitches were so loose, he pulled them out within two days.



The second time I called my husband and he took our son to the Emergency Room. He saw a physician's assistant who said he could do the stitches. I was on the phone saying, "No, No, No! We are going to a plastic surgeon this time." The cut is across his forehead and I wanted it to look the best it could. So, the ER put a big cotton ball on my son's head with numbing cream on it. My husband was told his head would be numb by the time we got to the plastic surgeon's office.
This is where the problem comes in.
The plastic surgeon took one look at my son and said, "Why does the ER keep putting these huge cotton balls on with numbing cream? Cotton balls soak up the cream and the skin underneath doesn't get numb." A light bulb went off in my head. I realized the first time my son got stitches only the top layer of skin got numb! No wonder he was jerking around so much. The Plastic Surgeon put a tiny steri-strip on my son's head and actually poured the numbing medicine on his wound. When my son got the stitches, he didn't move at all. He couldn't feel it this time. It was such a HUGE RELIEF. So, if your child has to get stitches, make sure no one uses a cotton ball to put the numbing cream on. It was a big lesson learned for me!

-NewsAnchorMom Jen

Skin Dimensions SB products, exclusive to Soderstrom Skin Institute, are manufactured with Pharmaceutical-Grade ingredients. In addition to being "Feel Good Products," they contain unique and innovative ingredients in concentrations that can assist you in the achievement of your own personal skin care objectives. This product line contains higher percentages of Glycolic, Vitamin A, C, E, Co-Q10, green tea, than what you can purchase over the counter.

C-section Rate Goes Up

Many of you know, I reluctantly had a c-section with my last son because he was breech. I am disappointed the c-section rate keeps going up and I keep meeting people who opted to have a c-section even though they could have had a vaginal birth. It seems crazy to me, but I am starting to feel like I am the weird one!

FROM NBC: The number of women giving birth by c-section has gone up again -- for the twelfth year in a row. Researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say the c-section rate rose to nearly a third of deliveries in 2008. That's a more than fifty percent increase since 1996. The study also found births to teens are down -- while births to women in their forties were the highest reported in several decades. In all more than four million babies were born -- and if the life expectancy rate holds true -- they should all be around until 2085!

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-NewsAnchorMom Jen

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