The Question of Vitamin K for Newborns
Essentially all human infants are born with very low blood levels of vitamin K and, since low amounts of vitamin K crosses into breast milk, levels remain low for several weeks after birth in breastfed babies. The purpose of this natural, universal experience of low vitamin K levels in newborns is not known. Has Mother Nature really made a mistake? Or is there a perfectly good reason…
Leptospirosis Vaccine May Be Killing Dogs
Leptospirosis is a bacterial disease spread through the urine of infected rats, wildlife, and canines. Although it is treatable with antibiotics if it is caught early, the disease can be fatal to dogs—particularly puppies and young animals. Symptoms can range from mild lethargy and depression, to more serious symptoms like abdominal pain, jaundice, and liver damage. Leptospirosis illness leads…
The Cost of America’s Childhood Asthma Epidemic
Chronic diseases are the leading cause of death and disability in the United States. The prevalence of chronic diseases among children continue to rise1 with asthma being one of the most common chronic disorders in childhood affecting an estimated 7.1 million children under 18 years of age, of which 4.1 million suffered from an asthma attack or an episode in 2011. Asthma is a chronic…
Unraveling the Mystery of Sudden Unexpected Infant Death
There are five main causes for infant mortality: birth defects, maternal health complications, unintentional injuries, preterm-related causes of death, and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). It is particularly with SIDS, however, that many questions persist and remain unanswered. SIDS is defined as “infant deaths that cannot be explained after a thorough case investigation, including a…
Why is the U.S. Infant Mortality Rate So High?
Infant mortality, defined as death within the first year of life, is commonly accepted as one of the key gauges of a nation’s socioeconomic development. So how is it possible that the United States, which spends more on health care per capita—$8,713 per person annually—than any country, has one of the highest levels of infant mortality among the world’s developed countries? According to the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency, “This rate is often used…
There’s Measles and Zika. Then There is Autism.
When you look at all the drama behind the 189 reported cases of measles1 in the United States last year and the recent daily reporting on the Zika virus, it is reasonable to question the priorities of our country’s public health officials and media. No one died from measles in the U.S. and…