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Some women who have had Caesarean sections have difficulty obtaining private health coverage

Some insurers are denying individual coverage to women who have given birth via caesarean section because they are likely to undergo the procedure again, the New York Times reports. According to the Times, a c-section on average costs about $2,700 more than a vaginal birth.

2 Jun 2008

13.7 million young adults in the United States lack health insurance coverage

The number of uninsured young adults in the United States rose to 13.7 million in 2006-an increase from 13.3 million in 2005-making the 19-to-29 age group one of the largest and fastest-growing segments of the population without health insurance. According to a newly updated report from The Commonwealth Fund, 38 percent of high school graduates who do not attend college and 34 percent of college graduates will spend some time uninsured in the year after graduation.

1 Jun 2008

International Narcotics Control Board 'out of step' with HIV/AIDS control efforts, opinion piece says

The International Narcotics Control Board "remains out of step" with the rest of the United Nations' efforts to fight the spread of HIV, especially among injection drug users, and its practices should be open for review, Joanne Csete of the Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network and Daniel Wolfe, deputy director of Open Society Institute's International Harm Reduction Development program, write in a Lancet opinion piece.

30 May 2008

SEC says companies must allow shareholders to vote on universal health coverage proposal

The Securities and Exchange Commission, in a reversal of a previous position, has told companies that they cannot exclude a health care proposal from proxy materials provided to shareholders, the New York Times reports.

28 May 2008

Possible biological explanation for C-Section-linked allergies and asthma found

Scientists believe they may have identified a biological explanation for the link between cesarean-section delivery and risk of allergy and asthma in childhood. They will present their findings at the American Thoracic Society's 2008 International Conference in Toronto on Tuesday, May 20.

21 May 2008

ACMN publishes clinical guidelines for oral nutrition during labor

The newest Clinical Bulletin from the American College of Nurse-Midwives reviews evidence relevant to providing oral nutrition to women in labor and concludes that drinking and eating during labor can provide women with the energy they need and should not be routinely restricted.

20 May 2008

Senate leaders agree on privacy protections amendment to health care information technology bill

Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) on Wednesday announced that sponsors of a bill (HR 1693) that would promote the use of health care information technology have agreed to include an amendment Leahy proposed to help protect patient privacy, CQ HealthBeat reports. Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee Chair Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) and ranking member Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.) introduced the legislation last October.

19 May 2008

Productivity surge boosts growth and living standards in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union

Big gains in the productivity of workers in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union during the past decade have helped boost growth and living standards, but more must be done to eliminate red tape and barriers to enable firms to become more productive in a rapidly globalizing world, says a new World Bank report.

14 May 2008

American Medical Association officials outline provisions physicians would accept in electronic prescribing legislation

The American Medical Association on Friday discussed a set of standards that physicians would accept for any electronic prescribing requirement under Medicare, CongressDaily reports.

13 May 2008

House Energy and Commerce Committee approves bill to reauthorize community health centers program

The House Energy and Commerce Committee on Wednesday by voice vote approved a bill (HR 1343) that would reauthorize the federal community health centers program through fiscal year 2012, CQ Today reports (Mattingly [1], CQ Today, 5/7).

8 May 2008

Rapid HIV tests highly effective in preventing mother-to-child HIV transmission in India

Rapid HIV tests have been found to be highly effective in preventing mother-to-child HIV transmission in clinical trials in India, according to a study published online Tuesday in PLoS Medicine, the Times of India reports (Sinha, Times of India, 5/7). For the study, the researchers used OraSure Technologies' OraQuick Advance Rapid HIV 1/2 Antibody Test (Derfel, Montreal Gazette, 5/6

8 May 2008

Too much or too little weight gain poses risks to pregnant mothers, babies

Women who gain more or less than recommended amounts of weight during pregnancy are likely to increase the risk of problems for both themselves and their child, according to a new report by the RTI International-University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Evidence-based Practice Center.

7 May 2008

Workers with no healthcare protecting Kaiser Permanente facilities

In the heart of California's leading healthcare provider, Kaiser Permanente, an increasing number of security officers report they either don't have health insurance or can't afford the plan for their families.

7 May 2008

Medical research is essential to improving the economy and bettering lives

Health care in the United States is expensive, but its funding is crucial because it also is a major contributor to the economy and can better lives, according to an essay appearing in the June 2008 issue of the Journal of the American Society Nephrology (JASN). Because of the cost of health care, this is not time to shrink the budget at the National Institutes of Health, which funds medical research that leads to potentially curative therapy.

7 May 2008

Impact of round-the-clock, rapid oral fluid HIV testing of women in labor

Can HIV transmission in pregnancy in low income settings be prevented with round the clock rapid testing in labor?

6 May 2008

New saliva-based HIV test gives results in 20 minutes!

The usual waiting period for the results of a HIV test can seem like an eternity, especially in emergency situations where results are needed immediately. Also it requires a blood sample, which is invasive and often painful. Recognizing the urgent need for a faster and less invasive diagnostic method, Dr. Nitika Pant Pai, from Marina Klein's research team at the MUHC has just finished testing a new saliva-based test that gives results in approximately 20 minutes! She describes her findings in an article that will appear in the May 6th, 2008 issue of PLoS Medicine.

6 May 2008

Intensive training for medical staff in Latin American hospitals reduces serious complication of pregnancy

An intensive educational program for physicians and midwives involving 19 hospitals in Argentina and Uruguay dramatically reduced the rate of postpartum hemorrhage, according to researchers from the National Institutes of Health and other institutions.

1 May 2008

Better-educated women have healthier average weight

A new comparison of multi-national data, released this month, reveals that highly educated women have a healthier average weight than less educated women, but that the meaning of "healthier" changes according to a nation's relative wealth. In countries where malnutrition is prevalent, better-educated women weigh more. But in wealthier countries - with rapidly growing rates of obesity - better-educated women weigh less.

30 Apr 2008

FDA official says agency cannot ensure safety of all medications sold in U.S.

Janet Woodcock, director of the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research at FDA, on Thursday at a Senate hearing said that the number of medication ingredients manufactured abroad limits the ability of the agency to ensure the safety of all treatments sold in the U.S., CQ HealthBeat reports (Carey, CQ HealthBeat, 4/24).

26 Apr 2008

Proposed rules to revise family and medical leave act prompt debate over law

The Bush administration appears "intent on putting its stamp" on the Family and Medical Leave Act through rules that would increase restrictions, but the proposals face "fierce" opposition, the Washington Post reports.

24 Apr 2008

Labor News and Research

Some women who have had Caesarean sections have difficulty obtaining private health coverage

13.7 million young adults in the United States lack health insurance coverage

International Narcotics Control Board 'out of step' with HIV/AIDS control efforts, opinion piece says

SEC says companies must allow shareholders to vote on universal health coverage proposal

Possible biological explanation for C-Section-linked allergies and asthma found

ACMN publishes clinical guidelines for oral nutrition during labor

Senate leaders agree on privacy protections amendment to health care information technology bill

Productivity surge boosts growth and living standards in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union

American Medical Association officials outline provisions physicians would accept in electronic prescribing legislation

House Energy and Commerce Committee approves bill to reauthorize community health centers program

Rapid HIV tests highly effective in preventing mother-to-child HIV transmission in India

Too much or too little weight gain poses risks to pregnant mothers, babies

Workers with no healthcare protecting Kaiser Permanente facilities

Medical research is essential to improving the economy and bettering lives

Impact of round-the-clock, rapid oral fluid HIV testing of women in labor

New saliva-based HIV test gives results in 20 minutes!

Intensive training for medical staff in Latin American hospitals reduces serious complication of pregnancy

Better-educated women have healthier average weight

FDA official says agency cannot ensure safety of all medications sold in U.S.

Proposed rules to revise family and medical leave act prompt debate over law

Achieving and maintaining ISO 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

Examining how pain could play a direct protective role in the gut

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