Group items matching

in title, tags, annotations or url

According to Gary Coody, R.Ph., FDA’s national health fraud coordinator, the agency has warned a number of companies that they are facing possible legal action if they continue to make false or misleading claims about products and therapies claiming to treat or cure autism. Some of these so-called therapies carry significant health risks and include:“Chelation Therapies.” These products claim to cleanse the body of toxic chemicals and heavy metals by binding to them and “removing” them from circulation. They come in a number of forms, including sprays, suppositories, capsules, liquid drops and clay baths. FDA-approved chelating agents are approved for specific uses, such as the treatment of lead poisoning and iron overload, and are available by prescription only. FDA-approved prescription chelation therapy products should only be used under medical supervision. Chelating important minerals needed by the body can lead to serious and life-threatening outcomes.Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy. This involves breathing oxygen in a pressurized chamber and has been cleared by FDA for certain medical uses, such as treating decompression sickness suffered by divers. It has not been cleared for autism, among other conditions.Miracle Mineral Solution. Also known as Miracle Mineral Supplement and MMS, this product becomes a potent chemical that‘s used as bleach when mixed according to package directions. FDA has received reports of consumers who say they experienced nausea, severe vomiting and life-threatening low blood pressure after drinking the MMS and citrus juice mixture.Detoxifying Clay Baths. Added to bath water, these products claim to draw out chemical toxins, pollutants and heavy metals from the body, falsely offering “dramatic improvement” for autism symptoms.CocoKefir probiotics products. Product claims include being a “major key” to recovery from autism, but they are not proven safe and effective for this advertised use.Coody offers some quick tips to help you identify false or misleading claims.Be suspicious of products that claim to treat a wide range of diseases.Personal testimonials are no substitute for scientific evidence.Few diseases or conditions can be treated quickly, so be suspicious of any therapy claimed as a “quick fix.”So-called “miracle cures,” which claim scientific breakthroughs and secret ingredients, may be a hoax.The bottom line is this—if it’s an unproven or little known treatment, talk to your health care professional before buying or using these products.

Some key findings include the following: People with disabilities experience significant health disparities and barriers to health care, as compared with people who do not have disabilities. People with disabilities frequently lack either health insurance or coverage for necessary services, such as specialty care, long-term services, prescription medications, durable medical equipment, and assistive technologies. Most federally funded health disparities research does not recognize and include people with disabilities as a disparity population. The absence of professional training on disability competency issues for health care practitioners is one of the most significant barriers preventing people with disabilities from receiving appropriate and effective health care. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) has had limited impact on how health care is delivered for people with disabilities. Significant architectural and programmatic accessibility barriers still remain, and health care providers continue to lack awareness about steps they are required to take to ensure that patients with disabilities have access to appropriate, culturally competent care.

The ABC Conference is a new conference sponsored by The University of Chicago, the Illinois Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, Almost Home Kids, and the Illinois Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (LEND) program at the University of Illinois at Chicago, with speakers from many of the major medical centers in this region.

What: As a part of the Mayo Clinic’s outreach to rural communities, we are fortunate to have Dr. Tanya Brown come to Missoula to share information about non– verbal learning disabilities. The purpose of these sessions is to understand the history, identify core features and review case illustrations of non-verbal learning disabilities for parents, educators and medical staff. Monday’s lecture will focus on core features and strategies to support students in home and school . Tuesday’s lecture will provide more of the medical background behind diagnosis, review case illustrations and relevant treatment recommendations and accommodations.

Complex Child is a monthly online magazine written by parents of children with special healthcare needs and disabilities.  It is intended to provide medical information, along with personal experiences, in simple language that other parents can understand.  Articles are on a wide variety of topics ranging from basic information on medical conditions and treatments to advice on how to beat insurance company denials. 

In an effort once considered unimaginable, scientists are testing a series of drugs which they hope will improve the mental abilities of individuals with fragile X syndrome. Unlike currently available drugs that treat symptoms of fragile X — like anxiety — the new medications now in trials are designed to address core components of the disorder. The idea is not to cure fragile X, but rather to improve the mental functioning abilities of those who have it.

A medical journal formally retracted a 12-year-old study Tuesday that first sparked fears of a link between autism and vaccines. The move by The Lancet comes after a British medical panel determined last week that the study’s lead author, Dr. Andrew Wakefield, acted “dishonestly and irresponsibly” in conducting his research.

Despite a growing interest in comparative effectiveness research, little medical study is being done to improve this aspect of patient care

The nation’s top psychiatrist is calling on others in the profession to “transform what has become a culture of influence” surrounding financial relationships between physicians and drug companies. In a commentary in this week’s Journal of the American Medical Association, the head of the National Institute of Mental Health, Dr. Thomas Insel, tackles head-on the perception that psychiatrists are tainted by their relationships with pharmaceutical manufacturers.

Four more hospitals are signing on to be part of a unique national network that provides one-stop shopping for medical and behavioral care of children and adolescents with autism. medical centers in Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Columbus, Ohio and Edmonton, Canada will join 13 other hospitals as part of Autism Speaks’ Autism Treatment Network.

Grantee Spotlight Project Access grantees are implementing unique and innovative strategies to address the challenges children and youth with epilepsy face within their health care system, schools, and communities. Learn more as we highlight a new grantee each month. How can I help improve care for children and youth with epilepsy? Explore the resources and best practices from the National Center for Project Access (NCPA) to learn about what others have done to improve systems of care. News & Events Stay informed with current epilepsy and Project Access news, funding opportunities, and upcoming events. Next About Project Access is a national initiative funded by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau of the Health Resources and Services Administration that seeks to increase awareness of epilepsy and improve access to coordinated, comprehensive care for children and youth with epilepsy in medically underserved and rural areas.

Project Access is a national initiative funded by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau of the Health Resources and Services Administration that seeks to increase awareness of epilepsy and improve access to coordinated, comprehensive care for children and youth with epilepsy in medically underserved and rural areas.

MK-869 wasn't the only highly anticipated medical breakthrough to be undone in recent years by the placebo effect. From 2001 to 2006, the percentage of new products cut from development after Phase II clinical trials, when drugs are first tested against placebo, rose by 20 percent. The failure rate in more extensive Phase III trials increased by 11 percent, mainly due to surprisingly poor showings against placebo. Despite historic levels of industry investment in R&D, the US Food and Drug Administration approved only 19 first-of-their-kind remedies in 2007—the fewest since 1983—and just 24 in 2008. Half of all drugs that fail in late-stage trials drop out of the pipeline due to their inability to beat sugar pills.

NCRR awarded 18 grants to help determine outcome measures and increase the likelihood of success of future trials of treatments for children. The grants were awarded to 17 Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) institutions to support 18 studies of pharmaceutical treatments for children. The CTSA consortium is a national network of 46 medical research institutions working together to improve the way biomedical research is conducted across the country. The $8.5 million in funding — administered by NCRR and provided by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development — will support studies which focus on three areas critical to health: pediatric cardiology, neonatology and pediatric neurology.

Autism treatments range from medications to behavioral therapies to alternative medical practices. But too few treatments are backed by solid evidence, according to a series of studies released Monday in the journal Pediatrics.

While medication is often used to treat children with autism, “strikingly little evidence” exists to support the approach, researchers said Monday. That’s the conclusion of an analysis published online in the journal Pediatrics looking at 10-years worth of studies on the effectiveness of antipsychotics and other drugs in treating children with autism.

Some novel programs are addressing a growing gap in health care: helping the millions of survivors of serious childhood diseases find treatment when they grow up. Thanks to medical advances, there are a growing number of survivors of childhood cancers as well as patients living longer with diseases like cystic fibrosis and spina bifida. More children have diseases like diabetes and asthma that will follow them into adulthood. Nearly 25% of children have at least one of a list of 18 chronic conditions, according to federal survey data.

The Achieving a Better Life Experience Act (ABLE) of 2011 (S. 1872/H.R. 3423) was introduced on November 15 in the 112th Congress (2011-2012 Congressional cycle). The bill is being led by a bipartisan, bicameral set of Congressional champions, including Senator Robert Casey, Jr., (D-PA), Senator Richard Burr (R-NC), Congressman Ander Crenshaw (R-FL), Congressman Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), and Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA). The ABLE Act will give individuals with disabilities and their families the ability to save for their child's future just like every other American family, and help people with disabilities live full, productive lives in their communities without losing benefits provided through private insurances, the Medicaid program, the supplemental security income program, the beneficiary’s employment, and other sources. The account could fund a variety of essential expenses for individuals, including medical and dental care, education, community based supports, employment training, assistive technology, housing, and transportation.

Last month, Dr. James M. Perrin, a professor of pediatrics at Harvard Medical School and the Massachusetts General Hospital for Children, became the president-elect of the American Academy of Pediatrics, a professional group of 60,000 doctors. A primary care physician, Perrin is particularly interested in addressing chronic childhood illness during his three years of leadership at the academy, first as president-elect, then president, then president emeritus. What do you think are the biggest health issues facing today’s kids? Childhood obesity and other chronic health conditions: the continuing growth in childhood asthma, and the tremendous growth in mental health conditions and developmental conditions like autism. We’ve got three or four major epidemics really growing among children and adolescents in America.