Twenty-eight years ago, Jake Perez was born three months early. Despite his premature arrival, he left the hospital healthy and with no signs of brain damage. But before his first birthday, his mother noticed something was not right. "It was hard for him to get up the crib, and of course my family, my brothers and sisters, told me, 'Something is wrong with Jacob,' " Maria Perez said.
Her son had a minor case of cerebral palsy, a group of disorders caused by brain damage that affect a person's ability to move and to maintain balance and posture. "I remember when I was a child walking toward a mirror and realizing I am walking differently than everyone else around me," Perez said. Stiffness was his main problem. He had excellent motor coordination and minor deformity in his legs.
Perez grew into a handsome, smart young man -- who is now a writer at CNN Headline News -- but his desire to walk normally did not lessen. Perez got his wish thanks to a spinal cord operation that is usually performed on children between the ages of 2 and 6.
Dr. T.S. Park has performed the procedure � called selective dorsal rhizotomy � on more than 1,000 children, but he is one of the few doctors to also perform the surgery on adults.
Perez is one of a small number of adults who can have this surgery -- patients must have only a mild case of cerebral palsy, little or no deformities and be able to walk independently. His surgery was performed at Barnes Jewish Hospital in St. Louis, Missouri.
During the procedure, a drill is used to remove a piece of vertebra in the lower back that covers the spinal cord. The nerves then are examined under a microscope and tested. When the right nerves are cut, some of the symptoms of the cerebral palsy are alleviated. "We calm down the spinal cord," Dr. Park said. "We kind of balance out the input and output of the spinal cord activities." While the risks of the surgery include weakness, paralysis or loss of bowel and bladder function, Dr. Park was optimistic.
"Jake will be able to walk normally after the surgery," he said. "The stiffness will be gone permanently." Indeed, one month after the surgery, and after intensive physical therapy, Perez is feeling great. "I feel very mobile and free," he said. "I feel like I've been let go. It's a good feeling. It's awesome."
Source: CNN.com
If you don't have a good relationship with your doctor, there's a chance your health could suffer. But many people stay with their physicians despite their dissatisfaction with the quality of care.
The Saturday Early Show's Dr. Mallika Marshall has some advice on when it may be time to choose a new doctor.
Dr. Marshall says there are many reasons that people stay with their doctors despite their unhappiness. Some stay because they don't know good doctors, others feel that it's not "right" to switch and still others stay with their doctors simply out of convenience. But, she explains, it's important to find a new doctor if a physician's work is inadequate because your health could suffer. Marshall says the following signs may indicate it may be time to look for a new doctor:
It's Difficult To Get An Appointment
In this world of managed care, it's sometimes very hard to get an appointment with a physician because doctors are often juggling many patients. Dr. Marshall says that doesn't mean you should have to wait a month to get in. One way to help the situation is to give the person who is making the doctor's schedule several options of times that you could come in, possibly including an afternoon, evening or weekend. However, if after you've given many options and still can't get an appointment, it may be time to move on.
Also, be sure to get an appointment with the doctor, not a nurse or an assistant, because they are not as qualified as a doctor to make the right diagnosis.
You're Discouraged From Seeking a Second Opinion
No one likes being second-guessed, but a good doctor will welcome input from another physician. Even the best doctor can sometimes miss something. Dr. Marshall says to remember that it's your health that's at stake and if your doctor discourages you from getting another opinion, then he or she doesn't have your best interests at heart.
The Doctor Is Unclear or Doesn't Explain
Some doctors use very technical terms when describing a diagnosis. This is not good because most people don't have medical degrees and technical terms may be meaningless to them. Also, Dr. Marshall advises to be wary if your doctor fails to directly answer your questions and makes you feel intimidated about asking them.
The Doctor Doesn't Consider Your Lifestyle
Dr. Marshall says it's very important that your doctor properly explain your course of treatment because it's you who is in charge of your healthcare when you are not with the doctor. You should speak up if the treatment options the doctor prescribes somehow interfere with your lifestyle. He or she may be able to offer alternatives that will suit you better.
You Don't Get Better
If you don't start feeling better after several consultations, Dr. Marsahll says you may want to consider switching doctors. This doesn't mean that your doctor isn't good, because even the best physicians can miss things.
Once you've made the decision to switch doctors, make sure you do your homework. While the recommendations of family and friends are important, you want to make sure that the doctor is board certified. You should also check to see if any disciplinary actions have been taken against him or her.
At a first appointment, you are starting with a clean slate. Dr. Marshall recommends asking a lot of questions and voicing any concerns you had about your previous doctor so the same problems aren't repeated.
Source: CBSnews.com
A Visit to the Dentist
Until fairly recently I had a toothache that could maim a rhino. Its funny now in foresight the pain and suffering I went through in order to avoid the man of a thousand drills. It wasn't as if I'd lost a leg in a freak yachting accident. Far from it. I had a mere cavity. A hole in my tooth. A tooth which had a nerve linked directly to the pain gland. I'm not a brave man, that I'm first to admit, but I honestly did not believe that one puny incisor could insist on ruining my life.
This oral hell went on for a couple of months since my dentist first told me that there was a very real possibility I would need a root canal in the near future. To an oraladrillaphobic like myself, this was the end. A root canal, that's the sort of thing they should be doing near a river, not my bloody mouth. The words root and canal are bad enough flying solo but put them together in the same sentence as drill and needle and I'm a slobbering mess. Time went by but the pain got worse. It was like chewing on an ice cube wrapped in tin foil. After yet another sleepless night I decided it was time to go back to the collector of evil instruments and have the wretched root canal. Well, my girlfriend did anyway. She rang and told me of the appointment while I was at work. As the hours drew closer to my dreaded date with the dental demon my nerves grew and my tooth ached more.
Then came my opportunity to bail. Dr Death's assistant called me at work to confirm my appointment. Well, that's what she said. I figure she was somehow attempting to gauge my fear - deciding whether it was necessary to bring out that one instrument that guaranteed pushing me over the edge. You know the one, it looks like a cross between one of Freddy Kruger's fingers and a common pair of thin tipped pliers. In all probability she was only doing her job. The nerve and pain cocktail had a funny way of twisting my imagination. I realise now she was offering me a get out of jail free card and I hadn't even passed go yet. I should have acted quickly. 'What appointment?' I could have said. I could have used the tried and true 'I'm sorry but a cassowary just ate my car keys.' But no, "I'll be there." is all I offered. "I'll be there." The threat of a girlfriend who'd been woken once to often by my midnight sobs momentarily outweighing any fear of the dastardly operation that lay ahead.
The time passed slowly after that phone call. My palms were sweaty, my heartbeat raced. Talking tooth decay with fellow work-mates just added to my anxiety. "You know Jacob from Accounts? He had a root canal. Spent three months in hospital. In the end that had to cut his head off, there was nothing else they could do for the poor bugger." Thanks for the chat.
The receptionist smiled as I walked in the door - the sadist. She informed me that Dr Smith hadn't died a grizzly death in the preceding two hours. "Take a seat", she offered. I did. I must have looked a sight, sitting there with a heartbeat slightly slower than the rpm of the drill in the room next door. To take my mind off things I picked up a copy of Time magazine from 1968. Fine read, right on the cutting edge, I thought. Is it just me or does every doctors/dentists waiting area have magazines from the pre lunar landing period?
"Mr. Dodson, the doctor will see you now." This was it. The story about the new wonder drug penicillin, would have to wait. Time goes on. It was no more than ten metres to the door of the surgery but the trip seemed to take an eternity. I'd been to quicker cricket matches. Past the x-ray room, past another surgery, past the room they made all the spare teeth in and into 'the room'. The room smelt of anaesthetic, that and obviously smoke from the drill. It was painfully sterile. Disposable plastic sheaths covered everything, including the dentist's face and hands. What was he trying to hide? Paranoia had now set in. He said nothing at first, just stared at my x-rays from a previous visit. A little green pill bubbled away in a plastic cup just next to the spit bowl. An attempt at softening the mood of the room hung in a cheap frame by the door. Various certificates competed for attention. They weren't getting mine. The assistant slipped quietly into the room; the holder of the spit sucker. I didn't care about her, they didn't let her near the drill.
"So Paul, lets have a look at that incisor." A look, huh. Why didn't he just come out and say it. Let's drill a hole the size of Belgium in that incisor. That's obviously what was on his mind. I was on the verge of becoming hysterical. I opened my mouth as he adjusted the chair. I could feel myself creeping into the fetal position. He straightened me out.
"Hmmm, yes hmmm. Does it hurt when you drink hot or cold drinks?" he asked as he probed around with an ice cream stick.
"Theth ath thlittl", I replied. He understood. He jabbed the pulp (which is dentist speak for nerve) with an instrument like a fish hook on the end of a crochet needle. I jumped four feet out of the chair. I landed on the assistant. When I got back in the chair he said, "I think we'll need to perform that root canal now Paul. Jenny, can you pass me a hypodermic and fifty mill of hydronumbaclorate please." This was it, the moment of truth, the moment of pain. I dug my fingernails into the underside of the armrests. I closed my eyes as the tip of the needle slid its way to a point just south of my eyeball. The spit sucker sucked, the needle poured out its magic as tears welled in my eyes. He jabbed me again and again and again, till the whole left side of my head tingled. I felt good. I nearly hadn't cried. Spurred on by my new found bravery, I thought it time to ask for details of what terror awaited. He passed me a crudely put together book titled, "So you're going to have a root canal". He left the surgery to massacre someone next door. He promised me he'd be back in ten minutes; after the anaesthetic took hold. The title of the book suggested that the procedure would not be cheap. It made it sound like it was either that block down the coast or an hour in the chair. I'd gone this far, what the hell, the beach could wait. The book went into a little to much detail regarding the whole thing about drilling. But the really distressing thing was the process of pulp eradication. Yes, pulp eradication. Sounds like a cattle thing doesn't it. Round up all the cows, dip them, viola, pulp eradication. Unfortunately for me, I wasn't about to be dipped. I was however going to have tiny files pushed into my nerve until it was all filed away. He'd start with a file not much thicker than a common dressmakers pin, the book assured me but by the time he'd finished he'd be pushing one of those files farriers use on horses hooves into my gob. Sounds inviting doesn't it?
The anaesthetic set in, which suited me just fine. The dentist came back in and asked if I had any questions. Rather silly I thought, after all, he was only a dentist. He didn't know the answer to the one about teenage acne and the question regarding tax minimisation had him really stumped. Two love to me, but he had the drill.
"First of all Paul I'm going to create a dam". A dam I thought, a dam. A dentist specialising in engineering, strange. I checked the range of certificates on the wall looking for anything that resembled a diploma in water catchment construction. Not a thing. Dams, canals, maybe I should have taken a right turn in the foyer. The dam in reality was a sheath of rubber supported by a metal frame stretched across the entire width and breath of my lower face. I looked a little like Anthony Hopkins in 'Silence of the Lambs' when they wheeled him out to meet the Senator, although a touch more pathetic. The sheath had a whole cut where my incisor was. I guess so as he didn't drill and file the wrong tooth.
He started the drill. It whirred its menacing whir. He had a mask on but I could tell he was smiling; his eyebrows were raised. I sank further in the chair as the assistant slipped the spit sucker behind the dam. The he came at me. At this point I could have swore his eyes were closed. I was having trouble breathing. That damned dam confining the flow of oxygen to my lousy blocked nostrils. He drilled, I snorted. She sucked, I spluttered. He filed, I cried. They finished, I laughed.
It was then he said it. The statement which to me was akin to the meaning of life. It gave me hope. It gave me reason to believe. It proved that maybe I wasn't a yellow bellied yam after all. "Don't worry Paul, brown eyed people feel pain and suffer stress much more than anyone else." How true, of course they do. That was it, I was brown eyed. It's that simple. The assistant shed a tear.
So next time you feel the need to inflict pain or misery on anyone, take time out to look them in the eye. If they're brown, reconsider. If it's my dentist, punch him in the gob for me.
Many people struggling to lose weight or eat more healthfully feel discouraged by food cravings that seem to undermine their good intentions. Food cravings are quite common, especially among women, according to a new review of the topic in the Journal of Nutrition. Many different factors may create food cravings, although which are the most important and how cravings should be dealt with are far from clear.
FOOD CRAVINGS are at least partly related to sensory appeal. Foods high in both sugar and fat are the most commonly craved foods, especially chocolate. An earlier report in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association notes that, although chocolate cravings are linked with sweet cravings, people who crave chocolate generally report that these cravings are not satisfied by other sweets.
A PHYSIOLOGICAL CAUSE?
Some research has found a physiological basis for cravings, according to the new Journal of Nutrition review. According to some studies, carbohydrates initiate a chain reaction that theoretically can change levels of neurotransmitters influencing mood.
Research with carbohydrate-cravers suggests that cravings for sweets may come with negative or depressed feelings that could be relieved as those levels change, but this idea is not universally accepted. Some studies, like one in the International Journal of Obesity and Related Metabolic Disorders, suggest that carbohydrate snacks may not necessarily improve mood.
Uncomfortably low blood sugar may be another physiological cause for a craving for sweets as the body tries to normalize blood sugar levels.
Others propose that cravings may stem from nutritional deficiencies. For example, lack of adequate magnesium in the diet could be behind a chocolate craving. Chocolate is a good source of magnesium. But avocados and spinach are far more concentrated sources, and we rarely hear of people craving those foods.
Some cravings, especially for chocolate, also seem to fluctuate with hormonal changes before and during women�s menstrual periods.
THOUGHTS AND EMOTIONS
A large body of research shows that thoughts and feelings about food are also strongly influenced by non-physical factors. People who go on diets that forbid certain foods almost always end up craving those foods.
According to a report in the International Journal of Eating Disorders, cravers are often more concerned about their weight than non-cravers. But is this because out-of-control cravings cause undesired weight gain, or because excess concern with weight and dieting leads to more cravings?
Not everyone experiences food cravings. But scientists say we should understand that for those who do, their cravings are real and should be respected.
TIPS FOR CONTROLLING CRAVINGS
For people whose cravings seem to be physiological, eating regular meals and not allowing hunger to become overwhelming can help prevent dropping blood sugar from acting as a trigger. Choosing whole grains, fruits, vegetables and legumes for most of the day�s carbohydrate will supply important nutrients and reduces roller-coaster effects on blood sugars.
For those who seem to crave foods in order to cope with their feelings, eating only small amounts of less-nutritious craved foods, along with a nutritionally balanced snack or meal, may be appropriate.
Some experts observe that the more we use certain foods to ease emotionally laden times, the more we condition ourselves to crave them in the future. For this reason, efforts to find other ways to ease emotional pain are likely worthwhile. Exercise, for example, has proven to have positive, mood-elevating effects.
Finally, don�t create cravings by making overly strict rules as you aim for healthy eating habits. No food needs to be eliminated in order to create a healthy diet - it�s how often and in what portion it is eaten that counts.
Source: msnbc.com
(CBS) Alisa Kotler-Berkowitz and her son Matan are the picture of health today, but two-thirds of the way through her pregnancy, Kotler-Berkowitz got an unexpected diagnosis. She learned she had gestational diabetes. "I was concerned because I wasn't sure what it meant, I didn't know a lot about diabetes," says Kotler-Berkowitz.
A woman with gestational diabetes produces the right amount of insulin, but the insulin's effects are blocked by hormones made in her placenta. It's a condition that affects between 3 and 6 percent of non-diabetic women. Risk factors include a family history of diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity and being over the age of 30.
"It is very important that we screen pregnant women because there are no symptoms," says Mt. Sinai Hospital's Dr. Michelle Morgan.
Women are tested for gestational diabetes between the 24th and 28th week of pregnancy. They begin by drinking a sugary solution. After one hour, their blood is drawn to check the glucose level. If it's too high, the expecting mom will have to undergo further testing. If it is determined a pregnant woman does have gestational diabetes, she must get it under control immediately. Failure to treat the condition can lead to serious problems for the baby, including excessive birth weight, low blood sugar, jaundice, respiratory problems and sometimes death.
In most cases, gestational diabetes is fairly easy to deal with.
"The main stays of treatment generally consist of a program of diet and exercise, and in some cases if the diabetes is not controlled, an addition insulin would be used," says Morgan.
Kotler-Berkowitz keeps her diabetes in check by following a healthy diet she hopes to maintain. "Lately I've rediscovered my love for chocolate so I'm sort of thinking about it, remembering my diabetic diet."
Dr. Mallika Marshall from WBZ-TV explained on The Saturday Early Show that regular exercise and a healthy diet have been shown to lower the chances of diabetes in people who are at risk. There's also a medication, called Metformin, that can help prevent diabetes in people who have mildly elevated blood sugar levels high enough for a diagnosis of diabetes.
Another problem some pregnant women may be concerned about is preeclampsia, says Marshall. It is commonly known as toxemia, or pregnancy-induced hypertension. It only occurs during pregnancy and affects about 5 percent of pregnant women in the United States. It usually develops in the second or third trimester.
Women with preeclampsia develop high blood pressure, protein in the urine and swelling of the legs, hands and sometimes the entire body. In rare cases, women can develop seizures and can even die from the condition.
The cause of preeclampsia is unknown, but it results in constriction of the blood vessels in the mother, which can decrease blood flow to placenta and to the fetus. This can slow the baby's growth.
Marshall says some women may develop swelling, headaches, blurry vision or abdominal pain if they have preeclampsia. But many women don't develop symptoms at all. That's why it's so important that pregnant women get regular prenatal care and have their blood pressure checked throughout their pregnancy.
The only cure for preeclampsia is to deliver the baby, because it resolves itself as soon as the pregnancy is over. If the symptoms are mild and it's too soon to deliver the baby safely, the woman will usually be put on bed rest and will be monitored closely by doctors and nurses. Sometimes women are hospitalized and treated with intravenous medications. But if symptoms are severe or the woman develops seizures, the baby has to be delivered.
Another problem to be on the lookout for in the later stages on pregnancy is bleeding. Some women may suffer from placenta previa, which happens when the placenta is located in an abnormally low position in the uterus, partially or completely blocking the cervix. In some cases, as the pregnancy progresses, the placenta changes locations and no longer obstructs the cervix. In some cases, a C-section is required for delivery.
In placental abruption another pregnancy-related problem, a part of the placenta detaches from the wall of the uterus, and can cause pain and bleeding. If minor, bed rest may be all that's required. If severe, the baby may have to be delivered by C-section.
Marshall says pregnant women with asthma are also at high risk of endangering their unborn child. About a third of women with asthma will notice their asthma symptoms worsen during pregnancy. However about a third of women get better during their pregnancy. Severe uncontrolled asthma can reduce the supply of oxygen to the baby and can increase the risk of premature birth.
Source: CBSNews.com
The 12-week study focused on 202 post-menopausal or post-hysterectomy women who complained of female sexual arousal disorder. The women in the group who took Sildenafil � the little blue pill commonly known as Viagra � took notes after each sexual experience, and reported better overall sexual satisfaction compared with those who took a placebo.
Their enhanced sex lives included better arousal, lubrication and orgasm.
The study was conducted by Laura Berman, director of the Berman Center and a professor of OB-GYN and psychiatry at Northwestern University in Chicago, and Dr. Jennifer Berman, director of the Female Sexual Medicine Center at UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles. The researchers say that the results are preliminary.
"In terms of ability to achieve orgasm, there was a statistically significant movement," Laura Berman said on ABCNEWS' Good Morning America.
"It increases blood flow to the genital area, increases the sensation of warmth, tingling and fullness," she said.
More than 50 million women experience some type of sexual dysfunction. Jennifer Berman said it's important for women to remember that this pill can't overcome mental and emotional barriers to a satisfying sex life.
"At this point, we can say that women with significant emotional or relationship problems and women that have desire problems related to their interest in being sexual might not be the best candidates," Jennifer Berman said. "It's for women who were satisfied with their sexual response at one point and now, for whatever medical reason, are no longer able to respond," she said.
Increased Blood Flow Theory
Women who suffer from female sexual arousal disorder can experience a variety of symptoms, including lack of "excitement," vaginal dryness, loss of sensation and sensitivity in the genitals and nipples and low blood flow to the genitals. Women in the study were screened to make sure that psychological or relationship issues were not the cause of the problem.
Since Viagra enhances sexual arousal in men by increasing the blood flow to the penis, the Bermans theorized that the drug could have a similar effect on women, increasing the blood flow to the female genitals and thereby producing better arousal, sensation and lubrication in the genital area.
Women in the study were given doses of 50 milligrams, which was increased to 100 milligrams only once during the study based on how well the lower dose was working, and the women's tolerance to it. The pill was to be taken prior to sexual activity but no more than once daily.
Each patient had to engage in sexual activity at least once a week and keep a personal log about it. During the course of the study, neither the patients nor the doctors knew which patients were receiving the Viagra. Women taking Viagra reported mild to moderate side effects, including headache, flushing, nausea, and vision symptoms � the same side effects reported by men who take the drug.
Source: abcNews.com
They wear herbal eye masks, sip healthy drinks from the juice bar and rest their necks on warm pillows. They slip their feet into toasty booties, breathe in the sweet aroma of lavender and lemongrass and watch movies through video goggles.
No, Alex isn't a massage therapist, but the Athens, Ga.-based dentist believes such pampering will make his office seem, well, less like a dentist's office.
He began creating the spa-like atmosphere -- a massage therapist works out of a converted treatment room -- about four years ago after the staff brainstormed ways to make dental appointments more appealing.
"It's changing people's perception of what it is to have dental treatment," Alex says. "People are looking forward to coming to the dentist."
That sums up the goal of a growing number of dentists across the country who have adopted the spa-dentistry concept, with luxuries nobody would have dreamed of in the traditional sterile dental office where the most comfortable thing around was the chair (even if those sitting in it rarely were).
It's hard to say how many dental offices have combined elements of the spa or other soothing touches with the more typical filling, drilling, root canals and such. However, anecdotal evidence suggests the idea is spreading in dental care, which federal officials say accounted for a record $65.6 billion in U.S. spending in 2001.
At one of the biggest dental conventions in the country, the Chicago Dental Society will offer a course at its midwinter meeting this weekend that includes tips on how to "create a comfortable spa-like atmosphere for patients and team."
"We've been seeing more and more focus on making our patients comfortable at the dentist office, and I think this whole spa-dentist office concept has come out of that," says Dr. Kimberly Harms, a consumer adviser to the American Dental Association (ADA). "And given the positive response from patients, I think you're going to see more and more of a trend in that direction."
Harms and her husband, James, both dentists, have an office in Farmington, Minn. She likes pampering in the dentist office in part because she empathizes with dental-phobic patients.
"We don't have a good reputation in the public," she concedes. And her view of getting dental care? "I'm a big baby. I hate going to the dentist."
However, Harms dreads it much less nowadays. After all, she's not only a dentist but a patient at her practice. And slipping on goggles to watch a movie somehow made getting a root canal much easier to bear.
That's but one of the plush features at the Harms' practice, which they renovated extensively after moving in a decade ago. Today, patients settle in to couches and easy chairs in a reception area painted in soothing pastels, read books or magazines from the library, nibble cookies and drink juice or coffee.
In treatment rooms, patients sit on chairs with back massagers and snuggle in warm blankets beneath ceilings with flowers painted on them. Instead of watching the needle or drill, they can take in a movie or gaze out the large picture windows at a garden with evergreen trees, flowers in summer and heated bird baths.
Harms says she and her husband don't charge additional fees for any of their non-dental services.
Other practices, such the Imagemax Dental Day Spa in Houston, charge separately for each service. Along with dentistry, Imagemax offers Swedish body massage, massage with hot stones, "body polishes" with sea salts, body wraps for weight loss, facials and Botox treatments, among other options.
The ADA, Harms says, considers quality dental care the top priority, but welcomes the meshing of luxury and dentistry for a simple reason.
"What will happen is patients will be more comfortable going to the dentist, and that will cause them to go more often," she says. "The ADA's main concern is the health and safety of our patients, and anything that can bring them into the office and improve their oral health is a darn good thing."
Harms sums up the boom in spa-dentistry this way: "It all really relates to what the patients are wanting, and we're not only dentists, we're small businesspeople. It's really fun to practice in an arena where you're giving patients what they want. I think it's a nicer way to practice dentistry, improving our lifestyle as well as patients' lifestyles."
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Cases of child abuse and neglect rose slightly in 2001 for the second straight year, government officials said. The increase was not statistically significant but Prevent Child Abuse America, a private group in Chicago, worried that it could be the start of a new trend.
Officials could not say what accounted for the increase in 2001, the last year for which data are available. But Prevent Child Abuse America said the stress of an economic downturn and unemployment increases the risk of child abuse. About 1,300 children died of abuse or neglect in 2001, 100 more than in the previous year. Overall, 903,000 children were victimized, said Wade Horn, assistant secretary for children and families at the Department of Health and Human Services.
"The good news is that the overall rate has not significantly increased from the previous year," Horn said. "The bad news is that there were 903,000 children who were victims of abuse and neglect. That's 903,000 too many."
Confirmed maltreatment cases peaked in 1993, with 15.3 per 1,000 children. The rate fell for six straight years, hitting 11.8 per thousand in 1999. In 2000, there were 12.2 cases per thousand.
In 2001, there were 12.4 cases per thousand, or a total of about 903,000, the agency said.
Child protective service agencies across the country received 2.6 million referrals in 2001, according to data reported to the federal government. About a third of them were substantiated after investigation; the majority were cases of neglect. Of those that were confirmed, 59 percent suffered neglect, 18 percent were physically abused, 10 percent were sexually abused and 7 percent were psychologically maltreated. Consistent with previous years, 81 percent of perpetrators were parents.
Horn, joined by Sid Johnson, president of Prevent Child Abuse America, presented the results at a news conference in St. Louis, site of a national conference this week on child abuse and neglect. Both Horn and Johnson emphasized the importance of prevention, but they didn't agree about how that should happen. Horn focused on the Bush administration's proposed granting of modified block grants to states' child welfare systems, an attempt to give states more flexibility and fewer rules. Under the plan, states could use some money now designated solely for foster care for abuse prevention. Johnson said he likes the flexibility but has reservations. He said he worries that the financial risk would shift from the federal government to the states "and ultimately children" if a capped five-year block grant was not enough to cover any spiraling of abuse cases.
Democratic legislation introduced Tuesday by U.S. Reps. Benjamin L. Cardin of Maryland and George Miller of California would, among other things, give performance bonuses and grants to states that improve their child welfare systems and improve the quality, training and retention of caseworkers.
Source: CBSnews.com
MUSIKALISASI PUISI MELALUI APLIKASI SUNO.AI
7 months ago
