Autism Insurance Bill Passes

Congratulations to all the families who have been waiting for this. I was worried it would be stalled forever!

The Illinois Autism Insurance bill has finally passed, thanks to the extraordinary efforts of Pete DiCianni, a dad who took this on almost a year ago and worked tirelessly ever since to get this done. We also owe thanks to Senator James DeLeo, Representative Skip Saviano, Representative Karen May, and many other sponsors in the General Assembly, in addition to Governor Blagojevich, Speaker Madigan, and Senate President Emil Jones.

Originally SB1900, the autism insurance bill got caught up in some political back and forth for a while, but persistence pays off--and the fact that so many of you called and urged your legislators to pass this bill. This Tuesday, the insurance language was reintroduced by Rep. May as an amendment to SB934 and on Wednesday passed the House 109- 0.

Friday, the Senate voted in favor 45- 6. Immediately after the Senate vote, Governor Blagojevich issued a statement applauding the action:"I would like to commend the Illinois General Assembly for making the right choice and voting in favor of families with autistic children. By approving Senate Bill 934, the members of the legislature have shown they overwhelmingly support my position that these families have a right to the treatment their children need and deserve. This is a cause for which I have fought diligently and I could not be more pleased that both chambers of the General Assembly have now affirmed that making treatment available to parents of autistic children is a priority we all share."

This landmark bill will cover up to $36,000 per year for diagnosis and treatment of autism spectrum disorders, including applied behavior analysis, speech therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy, psychological/psychiatric care. All Illinois group and individual policies are included.

Please read the bill's language for specifics and consult your employer's insurance/human resources person with any specific questions.

I would love to hear from some parents who are benefiting!

(Thanks to David Warner from the Autism Society of Mclean County for sharing the news!)

-NewsAnchorMom Jen

Methodist Medical Center's new online healthcare program, MyMethodist eHealth, is a proud sponsor of this blog post. MyMethodist eHealth is the secure link to your doctor's office that lets you request appointments, order prescription refills, update your personal health record, and more. Sign up for MyMethodist eHealth here.

Birth Defects and Fertility Treatments

I do know quite a few people who have had to use fertility treatments to get pregnant. It seems to be a common problem these days. I don't think this study would necessarily change their minds, but it's good information to pass along.

A National Birth Defects Prevention Study Shows Assisted Reproductive Technology is Associated with an Increased Risk of Certain Birth Defects.

Infants conceived with Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) are two to four times more likely to have certain types of birth defects than children conceived naturally, according to a study by the CDC. The report, "Assisted Reproductive Technology and Major Structural Birth
Defects, United States," was released in the journal Human Reproduction.

"Today, more than 1 percent of infants are conceived through ART and this number may continue to increase," says Jennita Reefhuis, Ph.D., epidemiologist at CDC's National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities. "While the risk is low, it is still important for parents who are considering using ART to think about all of the potential risks and benefits of this technology."

The study shows that among pregnancies resulting in a single birth, ART (which includes all fertility treatments in which both eggs and sperm are handled, such as in vitro fertilization) was associated with twice the risk of some types of heart defects, more than twice the risk of
cleft lip with or without cleft palate and over four times the risk of certain gastrointestinal defects compared with babies conceived without fertility treatments. Despite these findings, the absolute risk of any individual birth defect remains low. In the United States, cleft lip with or without palate affects approximately 1 in every 950 births; doubling the risk among infants conceived by ART would result in approximately 1 in every 425 infants being affected by cleft lip with or without palate.

The study examined multiple births separately from single births because ART increases the chance of a multiple birth. Children born as part of a multiple birth are more likely to have a birth defect regardless of use of ART. The study showed use of ART did not significantly increase the risk of birth defects among multiple births.

However, ART might contribute to the risk of major birth defects by directly increasing the risk of defects among single births. It may also have an indirect impact because ART increases the likelihood of having twins, which is a risk factor for many types of birth defects. Researchers believe this suggests the need for further studies to determine risk for ART in pregnancies with multiple births.

The study examined data from 281 births conceived with ART and 14,095 conceived without infertility treatments. The National Birth Defects Prevention Study is a population-based study that currently incorporates data from birth defects research centers in Arkansas, California,
Georgia, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Texas and Utah. These ten centers have been working on the largest study of birth defects causes ever undertaken in the United States.

Information is gathered from more than 30,000 participants to look at key questions on potential causes of birth defects. While the causes of most birth defects are unknown, studies show that smoking, alcohol, and obesity increase a mother's risk of having a child with a birth defect.


Since 1981, ART has been used in the United States to help women become pregnant. It is defined as any procedure that involves surgically removing eggs from a woman's ovaries, combining them with sperm in the laboratory, and returning them to the woman's body or donating them to another woman. ART does not include treatments in which only sperm are
handled (i.e., intrauterine-or artificial-insemination) or procedures in which a woman takes medicine only to stimulate egg production without the intention of having eggs retrieved.

The number of infants born after ART doubled in the United States from 1996 through 2004. According to data from the 2002 National Survey of Family Growth, almost 12 percent of U.S. women aged 15-44 years have reported using infertility services. In 2005, more than 134,000 ART procedures were performed and approximately 52,000 infants were born as a result of these procedures.

For more information about birth defects please call toll free 1-800-CDC-INFO (232-4636)

I remember when fertility treatments first became popular it was very controversial. Do you think that is still the case?

Thanks to Teresa Snow from KRCG for sending me this article!

-NewsAnchorMom Jen

Methodist Medical Center's new online healthcare program, MyMethodist eHealth, is a proud sponsor of this blog post. MyMethodist eHealth is the secure link to your doctor's office that lets you request appointments, order prescription refills, update your personal health record, and more. Sign up for MyMethodist eHealth here.

Donating Cord Blood Answers

From Susan Hovey at OSF St. Francis Medical Center in Peoria, IL:

"All mothers’ are asked if they are planning to do cord blood banking or donation. If they indicate they are not doing either – we ask if they want us to dispose of their cord blood or if they are interested in donating. There is an entry in our admission profile in IDX that the nurse asking this information documents the patient’s response.

There are 2 situations that a mother would be asked this. One is by one of ‘the-two Sues”. We are RN’s in Labor and Delivery that call all mothers who have a prearranged Cesarean Section or Induction. The other scenario is when an unscheduled mother is admitted to the Family Birthing Center. At that point, the admitting nurse asks her if she is banking or donating cord blood. The only thing the mother does for donating cord blood is give verbal permission for us to collect.

Peggy Mankin (309) 671-8447, the coordinator at University of Illinois College of Medicine at Peoria for the research grant for collection of cord blood needs to be called. If the patient’s situation is such that she has been unable to call Peggy, she can give permission to the nurse. We notify Peggy and she comes to the hospital to get permission from the mother. The medical team at delivery does all the paperwork, collection and contacting of Peggy to indicate we have received a donation, There are no fees of any kind incurred from the donor or the hospital. The donor does not have to ‘jump through any hoops’ to participate in such a valuable donation."

I talked to Peggy about how the cord blood is being used. She says basically the main project they've been working on for the last three years is cancer. They are using stem cells from cord blood to track down and kill brain cancer cells. It has been working really well in mice. The second project is repairing spinal cord injuries in rats. The animals with spinal cord injuries are now using their limbs again. She says it has been very successful and she expects human trials to begin on this project first. UICOMP is also working on cardiac repair. Peggy said, "We treat the animals with a stem cells to repair the heart muscle itself." Most of know when you have a heart attack, that dead tissue cannot be repaired. This would great for so many people.

If you have any other questions about donating stem cell cord blood, post a comment and I will get you an answer.

-NewsAnchorMom Jen

Methodist Medical Center's new online healthcare program, MyMethodist eHealth, is a proud sponsor of this blog post. MyMethodist eHealth is the secure link to your doctor's office that lets you request appointments, order prescription refills, update your personal health record, and more. Sign up for MyMethodist eHealth here.

No Gardasil Mandate

Medical -News Net:Vaccinating girls against the human papilloma virus (HPV) before they are sexually active appears to be successful in protecting them against cervical cancer, however, a Johns Hopkins University researcher and health policy expert warns it would be ill-advised to mandate vaccinations at this time.

Gail Javitt, JD, MPH, is a Research Scholar at the Johns Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics and the Law and Policy Director at the Institute's Genetics and Public Policy Center. In a recently published paper in the Summer 2008 issue of the Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics , Javitt and her co-authors argue state-mandates requiring girls to be vaccinated for HPV as a condition for school attendance would not currently be supported by legal and ethical justifications.

The HPV vaccine, sold as Gardasil in the U.S., is intended to prevent 4 strains of the human papillomavirus. HPV is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the world. Two strains are known to cause 70% of cervical cancer cases and two other strains are associated with 90% of genital warts cases.

While the HPV vaccine represents a significant public health advance, the article argues it is inappropriate at this time to mandate the vaccine for the following reasons: the vaccine is relatively new, and long-term safety and effectiveness in the general population is unknown; outcomes of those voluntarily vaccinated should be followed for several years before mandates are imposed; the HPV vaccine does not represent a public health necessity of the type that has justified previous vaccine mandates; the economic consequences of mandating HPV are significant and could have a negative impact on financial support for other vaccines as well as other public health programs.

Javitt and her colleagues argue that during the current climate regarding vaccines and their effects on children, state-mandated vaccinations are under a higher degree of scrutiny from parents, especially the HPV vaccine.

The paper argues that state lawmakers' push to mandate HPV has led to significant concern that the government is overreaching its police powers and authority, and unduly interfering with parental rights to make health care decisions for their children. At this time, Javitt warns a mandate could actually do more harm than good, "It could not only pose Constitutional concerns, but could also lead to public backlash, undermining both HPV vaccines and existing vaccine programs."

Gardasil is the first vaccine developed for a disease that is not easily communicable (i.e. airborne) or immediately life-threatening. "There will likely be other vaccines available in the future that don't fit the traditional conditions that have justified state mandates," says Javitt, "and we need to figure out a legally and ethically appropriate way to provide such vaccines to the public."

IMHO: I would be shocked if the government ever mandates a vaccine that is for something that is not easily communicable or immediately life-threatening. Why would that even be an option? Will there be a mandate that all girls go on birth control until they're 18 years old too? I think parents are smart enough to make their own decisions about this vaccine, especially since it's so controversial! What are your thoughts? Is there good reason to mandate the HPV vaccine?

-NewsAnchorMom Jen

Methodist Medical Center's new online healthcare program, MyMethodist eHealth, is a proud sponsor of this blog post. MyMethodist eHealth is the secure link to your doctor's office that lets you request appointments, order prescription refills, update your personal health record, and more. Sign up for MyMethodist eHealth here.

The Mandarin Orange Obsession

We are watching T.V. and I hear little foot steps in the kitchen. I turn around to see my toddler crawling into the pantry. I know what's up. He wants his oranges. Now the pointing and grunting starts. Finally he successfully reaches them. He runs across the room so fast, he trips and the oranges go flying. Luckily the container didn't open(this time.) I pick them up, pour out the juice and hand them to him--who at this point is jumping up and down at my feet. Then my older son starts in. "I didn't get any mom. Where are mine?" This is not a one time thing. This is every day. So when I saw this story below--I shrieked with excitement.

From ABC: If it seems like you just feel better after eating a mandarin orange, the effects may not be all in your head. The USDA has found that mandarins grown in Placer County, California contain high levels of synephrine which can help fight allergy and cold symptoms.

Synephrine is a naturally occurring decongestant found in the fruit. You can buy these particular mandarins at stores and online. But like most people who enjoy these oranges you don't have to know what synephrine is to enjoy the biggest benefit--taste.

What a relief. There is a real benefit to the Mandarin Orange obsession at my house. It's the little things that can really make my day great!

-NewsAnchorMom Jen

Methodist Medical Center's new online healthcare program, MyMethodist eHealth, is a proud sponsor of this blog post. MyMethodist eHealth is the secure link to your doctor's office that lets you request appointments, order prescription refills, update your personal health record, and more. Sign up for MyMethodist eHealth here.

Ear Infections and Tubes

My youngest child has had a few ear infections, but not many. I do have several friends who have dealt with tubes. If the child is diagnosed properly, they seem to really help. Read the bold text below to find the connection between clumsiness and ear infections.

From Medstar: One of the most common causes of developmental issues in kids is recurrent ear infections. And with a trend toward letting them heal without antibiotics, when is it time to talk tubes?

In his first year, Luke Longmore faced a flurry of ear infections. Mom Michelle Longmore said, "He had six in a six month time period. It wasn't that they weren't healing. They were healing after each time. The antibiotics were working for him, but he just continued to get them."

Luke was the perfect candidate for ear tubes, small, plastic tubes surgically inserted into the eardrum to keep air moving in the middle ear.

Dr. Margaretha Casselbrant said, "We usually say if a child has three acute infections with pain on colds and fever in six months, after that you should start considering putting tubes in." Doctor Casselbrant is the first researcher in the United States to find a potential link between clumsiness and fluid in the middle ear.

Dr. Margaretha Casselbrant said, "I think it's important to see how the child doing in school. can they hear, or not? do they seem to be extra clumsy? and i think they need to talk to their pediatrician." Luke's motoring around with no problems, thanks to the ear tubes he got a few months ago.

Michelle Longmore said, "Within a week's time, he was crawling around the house, pulling himself up to stand, sleeping through the night." Dr. Casselbrant said,"Usually the whole personality can be different and the parents come back and say, 'oh, my child is like a new kid.' And I think that's the fun things to hear."

Dr. Casselbrant continues her research, focusing on the search for the gene responsible for ear infections.

FAST FACTS:

• 90 percent of children in the U.S. have at least one ear infection before age three.



• Ear infections lead to more than 5 million visits to physicians' offices each year in the U.S.



• Chronic ear infections can lead to hearing problems, speech development and balance problems.



• More than one-half million ear tube surgeries are performed on children in the U.S. annually.

Are your kids clumsy? Do they get a lot of ear infections?

(I am still working on the how to donate cord blood locally story)

-NewsAnchorMom Jen

Methodist Medical Center's new online healthcare program, MyMethodist eHealth, is a proud sponsor of this blog post. MyMethodist eHealth is the secure link to your doctor's office that lets you request appointments, order prescription refills, update your personal health record, and more. Sign up for MyMethodist eHealth here.

Umbilical Cord Blood

I saw this story today on umbilical cord blood uses and wondered if you donated your child's umbilical cord for research. According to the story, that is not controversial like other stem cell research. I don't think anyone every asked me if I wanted to donate for free. I just got all the brochures about paying hundreds of dollars a year to store the umbilical cord blood for future use.

From ABC: Umbilical cord blood is being studied at the blood bank in St. Louis. If at one point in time you needed a stem cell transplant for a malignancy that bank of stem cells from the cord blood would be used to find an ideal match for you. While the collection happens after a baby is born, we're told this is not at all associated with the controversial early stem cell issue.

The controversy lies more with fetal stem cells. When we collect cord blood, we use adult stem cells not fetal stem cells-even though it's a newborn. The hope is the new program at Saint Luke's hospital in Missouri will help the need for minority donors. A patient who's African American, Hispanic, Asian, who needs a stem cell transplant, is less likely to find a match.

The donations to be handled here at the hospital are for public use. Like those gathered at a blood bank, they go to any patient who needs them.
And that might be an adult or child, a patient with leukemia, sickle cell anemia, or an immune deficiency to name a few. That collection program at Saint Luke's starts on December 1st.

Did you donate your umbilical cord for stem cell research? Why or why not?

-NewsAnchorMom Jen

Methodist Medical Center's new online healthcare program, MyMethodist eHealth, is a proud sponsor of this blog post. MyMethodist eHealth is the secure link to your doctor's office that lets you request appointments, order prescription refills, update your personal health record, and more. Sign up for MyMethodist eHealth here.