Category: Health

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Hundreds of participants help raise $800,000 at Pittsburgh March for Babies Walk

PITTSBURGH — March of Dimes, the leader in the fight for the health of all moms and babies, kicked off its 54th annual March for Babies Walk on Sunday at the North Shore. Hundreds of people came together to support one another on their parenthood journies.

Sunday was John Bricker’s 50th March for Babies walk and his first in Pittsburgh. The Harrisburg native started walking for March for Babies in 1971 before he had children, but when his twin sons were born, the walk became personal.

PHOTOS: Crowds fill Pittsburgh’s North Shore during annual March for Babies charity walk

“One [of the babies] was no problems. One had a lot of physical difficulties. He had many, many surgeries and died out of Birmingham, Alabama, at the age of three,” Bricker said. “My wife said, ‘what are you going to do about the March of Dimes?’ And I said, ‘I’m going to raise more and more money so their parents don’t go through what we went through.’”

In 50 years, Bricker has raised $900,000.

March for Babies is the largest fundraiser for the March of Dimes and the nation’s oldest charitable walk. Participants in Pittsburgh’s event raised more than $800,000 for education, training, and research so moms and babies get the best possible start.

“The United States, unfortunately, is one of the most dangerous developed nations in the world for childbirth,” said Jim Hoga, from March of Dimes. “One in 10 babies is born too soon, and two babies die every hour.”

According to March of Dimes’ annual report, which measures the state of maternal and infant health in the U.S., the nation’s pre-term birth rate is a D+ Grade, with a pre-term birth rate of 10.4%. One in 10 babies in the U.S. will be born premature, and about 700 women die each year from pregnancy-related complications — making the U.S. among the most dangerous developed nations for childbirth. Pennsylvania earned a C+ in March of Dimes’ 2023 Report Card, with a pre-term birth rate of 9.6%. The study found 15.5% of Pennsylvania residents have inadequate prenatal care, and the pre-term birth rate among Black women is 1.5 times higher than the rate among all other women. There has been no improvement in the disparity ratio for pre-term birth.

Source: Hundreds of participants help raise $800,000 at Pittsburgh March for Babies Walk

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Highmark posts $533M profit in 2023, reversing dismal performance in 2022

 

After losing money in 2022, Pittsburgh’s Highmark Health rebounded last year.

The health insurance giant posted net income of $533 million even as it grappled with operating losses at its Pittsburgh-area hospitals.

That compares with a $346 million loss in 2022, due largely to struggling investments during a bear market, officials said Monday during a conference call on Highmark’s 2023 financial results.

Source: Highmark posts $533M profit in 2023, reversing dismal performance in 2022

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Pittsburgh medics respond to 15 calls at Acrisure Stadium during Steelers game, 3 hospitalized

PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh medics had a busy day during the Steelers game on Sunday.

Three people were taken to the hospital during the game.

Medics say they were requested for 12 other calls at the stadium.

 

Source: Pittsburgh medics respond to 15 calls at Acrisure Stadium during Steelers game, 3 hospitalized

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FDA clears lab-grown chicken as safe to eat

GOOD Meat still needs approval from the Agriculture Department before it can sell the product line in the U.S.

The Food and Drug Administration on Monday cleared cultured “cultured chicken cell material” made by GOOD Meat as safe for use as human food. While the FDA said the lab-grown chicken was safe to eat, GOOD Meat still needs approval from the Agriculture Department before i can sell the product in the U.S.

If approved, acclaimed chef José Andrés plans to serve GOOD Meat’s chicken to customers at his Washington, D.C. restaurant. He’s on GOOD Meat’s board of directors.

“The future of our planet depends on how we feed ourselves,” he said in a press release. “And we have a responsibility to look beyond the horizon for smarter, sustainable ways to eat.”

The FDA previously gave the green light to lab-grown chicken made by Upside Foods in November.

Source: FDA clears lab-grown chicken as safe to eat

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PA Sen. John Fetterman: Latest Medical Update – Patch

Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman was taken to the hospital Wednesday after a U.S. Senate event.

Fetterman communications director Joe Calvello said the results of an MRI and other tests eliminated the possibility of a second stroke.

“He is being monitored with an EEG for signs of seizure – so far there are no signs of seizure, but he is still being monitored,” Calvello said in a statement provided to CNN.

Calvello did not indicate when Fetterman might be able to leave George Washington University Hospital.

Shortly before last year’s election, which Fetterman won by defeating celebrity doctor Mehmet Oz, Fetterman’s doctor released the results of an exam amid concerns that Fetterman’s health problems might prevent him from assuming his duties if elected.

Source: PA Sen. John Fetterman: Latest Medical Update

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Urgent search for tiny radioactive capsule missing in Australia – BBC News

An urgent search is under way in Western Australia after a tiny capsule containing a radioactive substance went missing between a town and city roughly 1,400km (870 miles) apart. The casing contains a small quantity of radioactive Caesium-137, which could cause serious illness if touched. The public has been warned to stay away from the capsule if they see it.

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Lisa Marie Presley, daughter of Elvis Presley, dead at 54 | CNN

Singer Lisa Marie Presley, the only child of the late Elvis Presley and Priscilla Presley, has died, her mother confirms in a statement. She was 54.

“Priscilla Presley and the Presley family are shocked and devastated by the tragic death of their beloved Lisa Marie,” Priscilla Presley said in the statement, provided to CNN by a representative. “They are profoundly grateful for the support, love and prayers of everyone, and ask for privacy during this very difficult time.”

Source: Lisa Marie Presley, daughter of Elvis Presley, dead at 54 | CNN

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Why did Bills safety Damar Hamlin collapse on the field Monday? And what do we know now?

Damar Hamlin joined the Bills in 2021.
Damar Hamlin joined the Bills in 2021.GREG M. COOPER/ASSOCIATED PRESS

Bills safety Damar Hamlin suffered cardiac arrest after making a tackle during Monday night’s game, causing the NFL to suspend a pivotal matchup against the Bengals that quickly lost significance in the aftermath of a scary scene that unfolded in front of a national television audience.

Here’s what we know:

What happened to Damar Hamlin?

The Bills said Hamlin, 24, suffered cardiac arrest.

“His heartbeat was restored on the field,” the team said in a statement early Tuesday. He was transferred to University of Cincinnati Medical Center for “further testing and treatment.”

Related

‘Please pray for our brother:’ NFL players rally around Damar Hamlin after shocking injuryDamar Hamlin’s condition is far more important than footballBills safety Damar Hamlin suffers cardiac arrest, in critical condition after on-field collapse

The Bills said Hamlin is sedated and in critical condition.

What kind of play did it happen on?

Hamlin was hurt while tackling Bengals receiver Tee Higgins on a seemingly routine play that didn’t appear unusually violent.

Source: https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/01/03/sports/what-happened-damar-hamlin/

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State liquor store in Greensburg to reopen Monday

The state liquor store in Greensburg will reopen, but not in time for partygoers to buy their favorite libations for a New Year’s Eve bash. The Fine Wine & Good Spirits store at 105 Harrison Ave. will reopen Monday after being closed since August because of potential safety concerns for employees. The Liquor Control Board said those issues have been addressed.

A “temporarily closed” sign remained in the window and door of the business Thursday. Store shelves are stocked.

The LCB is in the process of restaffing the store, said Shawn Kelly, an LCB spokesman in Harrisburg. The employees who worked there were reassigned to other liquor stores, Kelly said.

The building’s owner, John Rause, could not be reached for comment.

After the liquor store was closed, Rause said he had contractors assess moisture issues in the basement. The business uses the basement for storing some stock.

The upper part of the building houses the Slavonic American Home of Greensburg, known as the Ash Club.

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Source: State liquor store in Greensburg to reopen Monday

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Baby product company recalls 10,500 of its stainless steel sippy cups over lead poisoning risk | CNN Business

A baby product company has recalled around 10,500 sippy cups and bottles over lead poisoning risks.

Green Sprouts, a North Carolina-based company focused on “natural parenting,” has recalled three products: a stainless steel sippy cup, a stainless steal sippy cup with a straw, and a stainless steel straw bottle. The base of the cups and bottles can break off, exposing a solder dot which contains lead, according to the recall notice.

The bottles and cups were sold at Buy Buy Baby and Whole Foods stores and online at Amazon and Bed, Bath and Beyond, according to the notice.

Name of Product:

Green Sprouts Stainless Steel Straw Bottles, Sippy Cups and Sip & Straw Cups

Hazard:

The recalled stainless-steel bottles and cups bottom base can break off, exposing a solder dot that contains lead, posing a lead poisoning hazard to the child.  Lead is toxic if ingested by young children, and can cause adverse health effects.

Remedy:
Refund
Recall Date:

November 23, 2022

Units:

About 10,500

Source: Baby product company recalls 10,500 of its stainless steel sippy cups over lead poisoning risk | CNN Business

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Dr. Jha: A ‘tripledemic’ could hit the U.S., but ‘we’re not powerless against it’

Dr. Ashish Jha said a “tripledemic” of Covid, flu and RSV cases could unfold this winter. He pointed to tools we can use to fight it, including new vaccines.

Covid has been a prominent winter threat during the last two years and is expected to wreak havoc again this year, especially with the emergence of so-called “Scrabble” variants that appear adept at evading immunity from vaccines and prior infection.

The U.S. is also seeing an early uptick in flu cases, which don’t typically rise until late December. The country’s South Central and Southeastern regions already have positivity rates as high as 10%, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) cases, especially among children, are also rising. Nearly 75% of the country’s estimated 40,000 pediatric beds are currently full, according to the latest Department of Health and Human Services data.

Source: Dr. Jha: A ‘tripledemic’ could hit the U.S., but ‘we’re not powerless against it’

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New Infectious Threats Are Coming. The U.S. Probably Won’t Contain Them.

The coronavirus revealed flaws in the nation’s pandemic plans. The spread of monkeypox shows that the problems remain deeply entrenched.

No single agency or administration is to blame, more than a dozen experts said in interviews, although the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has acknowledged that it bungled the response to the coronavirus.

Source: New Infectious Threats Are Coming. The U.S. Probably Won’t Contain Them.

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Pittsburgh Public Schools updates sex education policy

Instead of an emphasis on “sexual abstinence as the expected norm,” the revised policy “stresses that abstinence from sexual activity is the only completely reliable means of preventing sexually transmitted infections and HIV when transmitted sexually.”

The revised policy also says that sex education provided by the district “is evidence-based, culturally relevant and inclusive of all students regardless of race, gender, disability, etc.”

Source: Pittsburgh Public Schools updates sex education policy

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Why It’s Important to Know if You Have Dense Breasts Like Katie Couric

On Wednesday, Katie Couric revealed that she had breast cancer.

In an essay on her website, she wrote about the “heart-stopping, suspended animation feeling” she had upon receiving her diagnosis in June; she also noted that she had dense breasts — a common classification that can increase the risk of developing the disease.

About half of women who are 40 years old or older have dense breast tissue, said Dr. Laura Esserman, director of the Breast Care Center at the University of California, San Francisco. Here’s what to know about what breast density means and how dense breasts can influence cancer risk.

Density isn’t related to breast size or firmness, said Dr. Sarah Friedewald, chief of breast imaging at the Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine. It is a measure of how much fibrous and glandular tissue is in your breasts compared with the amount of fatty tissue, as viewed on a mammogram. These tissues include the glands that create milk, the tubes that ferry milk to the nipples and the fibrous tissue that binds them together.

Every mammogram report includes an assessment of a woman’s breast density, which falls into one of four categories: almost entirely fatty; some areas of scattered density; evenly dense; or extremely dense. Dense breasts is an umbrella term that refers to the latter two categories.

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/28/well/live/dense-breasts.html

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