Hospitals May Limit Visits to Newborns Due to H1N1

Are you pregnant? You should consider asking your birthing center how H1N1 may change visitation rules.

According to a ABC News story, fear of a potential swine flu outbreak has many hospitals considering changes to their visitation policies to protect newborn babies and their mothers.

The news story states one hospital has a ban of children from areas of the hospital where newborns and their mothers reside. Only immediate family over the age the 18 are able to visit. Other hospitals may consider a similar ban over time.

Another approach mentioned in the article is to monitor visitors to see if any appear to have symptoms, and if they do either test the visitor before allowing them to visit the mother and newborn or send them home and ask them to come back in 24 hours for re-screening.

What do you think? Should hospitals change visitation rules due to H1N1? What type of ban should be in place? Should there be a total ban of children?

Other Stories that May Interest You:
How to Protect Yourself From the Swine Flu (H1N1)

Recession to Blame in Decrease of Birth Rate

Americans are having fewer babies, and many experts are blaming the poor ecomony.

In 2007, the number of births in the United States broke a 50-year-old record high, set during the baby boom. But last year, births began to decline nationwide, by nearly 2 percent, according to provisional figures released last week by the National Center for Health Statistics.


"It's the recession," said Andrew Hacker, a sociologist at Queens College of the City University of New York. "Children are the most expensive item in every family's budget, especially given all the gear kids expect today. So it's a good place to cut back when you're uncertain about the future."

Historically, birth rates have fluctuated with the economy. Record lows were recorded during two economic crises: the Great Depression in the 1930s and the Oil Embargo in the 1970s.

To read the full story, visit The New York Times

Human Milk Donor Depot Now Open in Portland, Oregon

Adventist Medical Center opened a human milk donor depot this week. Its a 1st in Portland Oregon, and it's only the second of its kind in the northwest.

The depot collects human milk donations for medically fragile infants and children. Human milk is widely acknowledged in the medical community as the optimal source of nutrition. It is recognized for aiding in growth, immunity, protection against infection and the healing of damaged tissue. Breast milk donations are used in the treatment of a wide variety of medical conditions, including premature birth, allergies, formula intolerance, cancer, organ transplant recovery and infectious disease.

"A mother's own milk is almost always the best source of nourishment for her baby, yet there are some situations where it is either not possible for a mother to breastfeed or to produce enough milk for her child," explained Peggy Andrews, registered nurse and lactation consultant at Adventist Medical Center, as well as vice chair for Northwest Mothers Milk Bank(NWMMB). In the case of premature and sick children, human milk is particularly critical to improving health outcomes.


The donor depot is open Monday through Friday by appointment from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Women interested in becoming milk donors are encouraged to contact Adventist Medical Center's donor depot at 503-251-MAMA, or to visit NWMMB's Web site .

To read the full story, visit Fox12Oregon, or visit: Adventist Health.

Third Hand Smoke

Have you ever heard of Third Hand Smoke? I hadn't until a few months ago when the Today Show's Dr. Nancy Sniderman did a segment on this little known subject.

Well, just to recap - first hand is when you are the smoker, second hand is when you are around someone who is actively smoking, third hand is the contaminated air and matter long after the cigarette was extinguished. The Mayo Clinic says "The only way to fully protect your children — and nonsmoking adults in your family — is to make your home and car smoke-free."

Here are a few important facts from Smoking Around Your Children brochure found on MDCH.

Tobacco smoke contributes to 150,000 to 300,000 respiratory infections in babies every year. These infections are the cause of 7,500 to 15,000 hospital stays annually.
• It causes a higher rate of throat infections.
• It causes up to 26,000 new cases of childhood asthma every year.
• It may cause a permanent decrease in lung function.
• It causes up to 80 percent more wheezing, coughing, and production of sputum than normal.
• It leads to more repeated ear infections.

For more information about this subject, check out Michigan Department of Community Health's which includes a Quit Smoking for you and your Baby brochure and other helpful tips.