A drink or two each week during pregnancy may not affect a child’s general intelligence at age 5, according to a new series of Danish studies. The research indicates that strict abstinence may not be necessary during early to mid pregnancy, but the researchers say their findings need to be investigated further. Mothers-to-be, they say, should continue to follow current guidelines that advise against any alcohol consumption.

To read more on this study, click here.

Peg Perego has recalled hundreds of thousands of strollers because children can become trapped and strangled between trays on them. The company said entrapment and strangulation can take place, particularly among those younger than a year old, when the child is not harnessed into the stroller. If unharnessed, children can pass through the opening between the tray and the seat bottom and the child’s neck and head can become trapped by the tray.

The FDA has issued an alert warning about risks, including death, associated with endovascular treatments for multiple sclerosis based on the controversial theory that the disease is caused or exacerbated by blocked cerebrospinal veins.

Called chronic cerebrospinal vascular insufficiency (CCSVI), the theory has polarized the MS community since an Italian researcher proposed it in 2009. Many patients and some physicians immediately embraced it, but most mainstream neurologists have been deeply skeptical.

Read the full release from the FDA.

Evenflo is recalling three models of its convertible high chairs because the chairs’ activity tray could unexpectedly detach, allowing unrestrained children to fall.

Here are the three models being recalled:

• Dottie Lime (model number 29111259)
• Dottie Rose (model number 29111271)
• Marianna (model number 29111234)

You can find the model number on the lower part of one of the chair legs.

Click here for more information.

CCBC will officially launch the txt4health campaign at the Hyatt Regency New Orleans on Tuesday, January 31^st, 2012 from noon to 5pm.

Txt4health is a mobile health information service designed to help people understand their risk for type 2 diabetes and become more informed about the steps they can take to lead healthy lives. People who sign up for txt4health will receive SMS text messages each week with timely, relevant information to help them improve and manage their health.

The campaign launch event will be both educational and entertaining, featuring prominent guest speakers, panel discussions, exercise and cooking demonstrations, and live entertainment.  Below, are some launch event program highlights:

• Farzad Mostashari, the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, will be the keynote speaker.
• Guest speakers include: Mayor Mitch Landrieu, Secretary of Health Bruce Greenstein, and Mike Reitz, CEO of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana.
• Guest panelists include, but not limited to: Dr. Karen DeSalvo, Health Commissioner, City of New Orleans; Dr. Ann Albright, Division Director of Diabetes Translation, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Dr. Vivian Fonseca, President of Medicine and Science, American Diabetes Association; Dr. Ken Phenow, Chief Medical Officer, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana, Warren Moore, PharmaD, Divisional Health and Wellness Senior Director Mississippi River Delta (LA, MS, TN), Walmart; and Chris McGowen, Director of Government Affairs, Novo Nordisk.
• Four local celebrity chefs will demonstrate how to prepare heart healthy meals.
• Hornets players, cheerleaders and Hugo the mascot will lead the exercise demonstration.
• O. Perry Walker High School band and the Brassaholics will provide live entertainment.

The launch event will be webcasted live with public health leaders and stakeholders from across the country tuning in from the convenience of their computer and having the opportunity to actively participate in the program by asking questions via the UStream channel.

To RSVP for the txt4health launch event, send an email to RSVP@spearsconsultinggroup.com.

For more information about the txt4health program, please visit www.crescentcitybeacon.org.

Winn-Dixie Stores is voluntarily recalling Sunrise Assorted Flavor Gummy Bears sold in the self-serve bulk area of one store in Covington and five in Florida due to a possible metal contamination. The candy was sold between Nov. 14 and Dec. 13.

The Covington store that sold the gummy bears is located at 70431 Hwy. 21.

The recall is being initiated out of an abundance of caution for consumer safety, though the company has received no reports of illness associated with consumption of the candy.

Check out the full story in the Times-Picayune here.

Louisiana health officials are urging people to use only distilled or sterile water in neti pots after the death of a DeSoto Parish woman.

The unidentified woman, 51, died after an infection caused by Naegleria fowleri, a water-borne amoeba. The organism infects people via the nose. People can’t become infected by drinking water. State health officials learned that the woman used tap water in a neti pot to flush her sinuses before developing the infection.

Naegleria fowleri causes primary amebic meningoencephalitis, or PAM, a brain infection that leads to the destruction of brain tissue. In its early stages, symptoms of PAM may be similar to symptoms of bacterial meningitis.

Initial symptoms of PAM start one to seven days after infection. The initial symptoms include headache, fever, nausea, vomiting and a stiff neck.

Later symptoms include confusion, lack of attention to people and surroundings, loss of balance, seizures and hallucinations. After the start of symptoms, the disease progresses rapidly and usually causes death within one to 12 days.

Naegleria fowleri infections are rare. In the 10 years from 2001 to 2010, 32 infections were reported in the United States. Of those cases, 30 people were infected by contaminated recreational water and two people were infected by water from a geothermal drinking water supply.

The death is the second in Louisiana this year from the organism.

“If you are irrigating, flushing or rinsing your sinuses, for example, by using a neti pot, use distilled, sterile or previously boiled water to make up the irrigation solution,” Louisiana state epidemiologist Dr. Raoult Ratard said.

Story credit: The Shreveport Times

View the story on the newspaper’s website here.

Did you know that the American Association of Pediatrics has updated vaccine policy recommendations for meningococcal vaccines? The pediatric group is now advising a booster dose be given 3 years later, to bolster immunity against meningococcal illness among teens and young adults.

Check out the full story on CNN Health here.

The Louisiana Health Care Quality Forum launched its most recent initiative Louisiana’s health information exchange, known as LaHIE, on Friday Nov. 4th.

So what does this mean for you, the consumer? It means that, for example, you’ll soon be able to give your personal health information to your physician just once instead of having to fill out numerous forms every time you visit, among numerous other benefits.

Currently being piloted in the Acadiana region, LaHIE is a tool that will allow for the secure exchange of your health information among authorized providers and across Louisiana’s health care system. The goal of this program is to help improve patient safety, quality of care and health outcomes.

For more information, check out the program’s website here.

Also, WWL-TV ran a great story detailing the program which you can watch here.

The Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services has launched a new, more efficient approach to protecting children at risk of abuse and neglect. A single toll-free number, 1-855-4LA-KIDS (1-855-452-5437), replaces the twenty-five regional phone numbers used in the past to report child abuse. The new hotline is staffed by trained child welfare workers 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Benefits of the newly centralized reporting system include more consistent screening of child abuse reports while allowing local child protection workers more time in the field to better respond to the needs of Louisiana children. Read the press release for more information on Louisiana’s new child abuse hotline.