NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Children born to a parent over age 35 are at greater risk for developing an autism spectrum disorder -- but the risk is the same whether just one or both parents are older, according to a new study of Danish families. "Parental age doesn't appear to be synergistic. That is having an older mom and an older dad doesn't increase risk more than having one or the other," said Marissa King, a professor at the Yale School of Management, who was not involved in the study. "The data clearly demonstrate that older parents are more likely to have kids with autism, but it doesn't establish why that is the case," King told Reuters Health in an email. The findings throw ... Continue reading →
Punxsutawney Phil sees his shadow, predicting 6 more weeks of winter. (Courtesy: State of Pennsylvania) KTLA News 9:25 a.m. EST, February 2, 2012 PUNXSUTAWNEY, Pa. -- The groundhog has spoken! Punxsutawney Phil emerged from his oak stump and saw his shadow Thursday morning, which means he's predicting six more weeks of winter. Thousands gathered outside the groundhog's home on Gobbler's Knob, a tiny hill in the town for which he's named, located about 65 miles northeast of Pittsburgh. Phil's prediction this year may come as a surprise to many, because much of the U.S. has been enjoying unseasonably warm weather. Regardless of what the groundhog says, spring officially starts March 20. Continue reading →
Every week, four specially trained therapists visit Emma and Samantha Gerstein to help them overcome the problems of being born 15 weeks prematurely. But the special care is in danger of ending. The Pembroke Pines 2-year-olds are among 46,000 disabled and chronically ill babies who could lose special care from Florida's Early Steps program because of a $7 million shortfall in the $66 billion state budget. Without the money, Florida could become the only state to drop the program. Parents with affected children and social service advocates are lobbying Florida legislators to find the money for Early Steps, which pays for therapy that health insurance doesn't cover. "The girls would have been nowhere without the program," said the twins' mother, Colleen Gerstein. "We have good ... Continue reading →
Monday, March 14, 2011 16:50 A collaborative effort by AIDS Healthcare Foundation, Focus-Media Fund and Dance4Life engaged 11,356 participants across 17 regions of … Read more » Continue reading →
Florida consumers on Friday can get their first look at how well hospitals do controlling a potentially life-threatening type of infections caused by large intravenous needles.The nationwide ratings, posted on the website hospitalcompare.hhs.gov show that the majority of hospitals in South Florida and the state beat a benchmark on this type of infection set by federal health officials.The new ranking is among dozens on the federal website that consumers can use to assess local hospitals. Advocates said the rankings have pushed hospitals to improve through peer pressure. Out of 85 Florida hospitals that were ranked, two in South Florida and 12 others in the state scored poorly. Thirty-two had perfect scores.Hospitals have struggled for years to reduce the number of infections from central lines, the ... Continue reading →
The nearly 420,000 people uninsured in Broward County — as well as anyone with gaps in their insurance coverage — can catch a break on prescription drug costs. The free NLC Prescription Discount Card is offered in cities across South Florida. Coconut Creek will join the list on Sunday. The card could mean an average savings of 20 percent off retail prices of prescription medications, city officials said. Pharmacies in the national network absorb the difference. There are no eligibility requirements or restrictions on how often these discount cards can be used. They can be used at any participating pharmacy in the U.S. for generics or brand medications and the discount only kicks in if insurance won't pick up the tab. Broward County has offered ... Continue reading →
Thursday 6:45 a.m. Group run begins Former Olympic runner Jeff Galloway will lead early-morning risers on an easy-paced run. After runners (and walkers) return to the hotel, Galloway will discuss covering health and fitness. A member of the 1972 U.S. Olympic team, Galloway is a best-selling author and Runner’s World columnist. 8 a.m. Field trip buses depart Details coming soon Workshops Track 1 Track 2 10 a.m.-noonEvaluating medical evidence for journalists Led by Reuters Health executive editor Ivan Oransky, M.D., and HealthNewsReview.org publisher Gary Schwitzer, this session will help you uncover the flaws in published medical research – essential knowledge for journalists charged with evaluating the quality of evidence and the potential tradeoffs between benefits and harms. Noon-12:30 p.m.The working journalist's guide to using FOI ... Continue reading →
Med students watch the House session from the gallery. http://t.co/LXKqhB1m Continue reading →
Restaurants have menus, retailers have pricetags and soon, Florida doctors could have price boards.Legislation in Tallahassee would force doctors and some medical care centers to post signs of about 3-feet-by-5-feet in their waiting rooms showing the prices to be charged a person paying out of pocket. Charges for the insured vary by policy and wouldn't be posted."The cost of health care is a big mystery. Nobody knows how much health care costs. We need some clarity," said Rep. Richard Corcoran, R-Trinity, the sponsor of one of the bills. "When consumers are price-conscious, they shop around, and there's competition. That lowers costs and gives better quality." The same legislation would force urgent care centers owned by hospitals to disclose if they charge emergency room prices — ... Continue reading →
