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New York Times Examines Trend Of Posting Childbirth Videos On YouTube
The New York Times on Thursday examined how thousands of women have posted videos on YouTube showing themselves giving birth. According to the Times, the women believe the videos help "demystify" childbirth by candidly presenting the process in a manner that pregnant women and their partners otherwise might not see. Along with YouTube, Web sites like Internet chat rooms and pregnancy blogs are helping to shift dynamics between pregnant women and their care providers, the Times reports. Eileen Ehudin Beard, an adviser for the American College of Nurse-Midwives, said, "The more information you have, the more s you have, the more informed you are, the better questions you ask." However, she added that the videos could have negative effects, particularly if they make women more fearful of childbirth. The childbirth videos are relatively controversial because of their graphic nature, which has challenged some of YouTube"s rules and raised issues of propriety. Victoria Grand, the head of policy for YouTube, said that nudity generally is banned from YouTube but that the site "make[s] exceptions for videos that are educational, documentary or scientific." Most childbirth videos on YouTube are age restricted to ages 18 and older. A majority of them show home births because most U.S. hospitals prohibit patients from recording births due to liability concerns, the Times reports. Although childbirth education classes have shown edited videos of births since the 1970s, the Internet and YouTube could change the way such classes are taught, according to Jeanette Schwartz, president of the International Childbirth Education Association. She noted that most videos currently used in childbirth classes are heavily edited and out of date, adding that the YouTube videos "create a wonderful opportunity to show free, real life, candid videos in a classroom setting." Eugene Declercq, a professor at the Boston University School of Public Health, said, "A hundred and fifty years ago, women viewed birth on a pretty regular basis -- they saw their sisters of neighbors give birth." He said that changed with a trend toward hospital births beginning in the late 19th century. "But now, with YouTube, we"ve come back around and women have this opportunity to view births again," Declercq said (Wollan, New York Times, 6/11).
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Safe Kids Kansas Reminds Parents That Hot Weather And Vehicles Can Be A Deadly Combination For Kids
A few minutes might not seem like a long time, but there are circumstances when it can mean the difference between life and death. As temperatures begin to heat up, children are at a serious risk for heat stroke when left alone even for a few minutes in a closed vehicle.Last year, at least 42 children across the United States died from heatstroke caused by being left or trapped in a vehicle.
News of the day
FDA Approves First Canine Cancer Therapy
Pfizer Animal Health today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the first canine cancer therapy in the U.S. - PALLADIATM (toceranib phosphate) - which was developed by Pfizer to treat mast cell tumors in dogs. Pfizer made the announcement to veterinarians attending the 2009 American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM) Forum and Canadian Veterinary Medical Association Convention.
Diagnostics

PBS Listing Of Antifungal Suspension Welcomed By Paediatricians

General Practitioners and specialists will be able to prescribe VFEND® (voriconazole) oral suspension for immuno-suppressed adolescents and children following its listing on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) from 1 August 2009. VFEND® is a broad-spectrum antifungal agent for the treatment and maintenance therapy of definite or probable invasive aspergillosis, including disseminated disease and aspergillosis which has been unresponsive to other therapies.1,2 Invasive aspergillosis is an important cause of morbidity and mortality in transplant recipients and immuno-compromised patients with haematological malignancies.Âð Dr Anne Thomas, Associate Medical Director, Specialty Care, Pfizer believes: "The listing of VFEND® oral suspension provides easier access to medication in a form suitable to children, while easing pressure off hospitals as the only of this medicine." Associate Professor David Ellis, Head of Mycology, Women"s and Children"s Hospital agrees stating the "PBS listing of voriconazole oral suspension will provide further flexibility in patient care, an important component in the successful management of invasive fungal infections; especially for pediatric and other patients who may have difficulty swallowing tablets". Previously, this antifungal - a first-line therapy also used for scedosporium or fusarium fungal infections, and a second line therapy for both candida and other serious invasive mycosis - was only available through hospitals.1,2 Professor Peter Shaw, Head of Bone Marrow Transplant Unit, The Children"s Hospital Westmead explains that VFEND® Suspension has been much anticipated by paediatricians. "Voriconazole is a standard drug used in many of our patients undergoing Blood and Marrow Transplant. These patients are all children undergoing unrelated or mismatched procedures and often come to BMT with pre-existing invasive fungal infection. Our ability to give them multiple medications in the early months post BMT, as well as adequate nutrition and fluid, is often hampered by the tolerability of all the drugs. We have extensive experience with the use of Voriconazole suspension and find it well tolerated and can achieve acceptable blood levels in most patients. These patients often require maintenance treatment for several months and the ability to give younger out-patients Voriconazole suspension certainly makes it easier to manage them" said Professor Shaw. VFEND® is also a treatment option for other life-threatening fungal infections such as cryptococcosis.2 Additionally, VFEND® is used to treat serious candida infections such as invasive candidiasis and candidaemia - increasingly common, costly and potentially fatal yeast infections, particularly affecting the immuno-compromised and critically ill.1,2 The most common side effects of VFEND® are visual disturbances, fever, rash, vomiting, nausea, diarrhoea, headache, peripheral oedema and abdominal pain2. The severity is generally mild to moderate. VFEND® is contraindicated with the simultaneous use of cisapride, pimozide, quinidine, rifampicin, carbamazepine, long-acting barbiturates, ergot alkaloids, sirolimus and St John"s Wort. It should also be used with caution in patients with hypersensitivity to azoles and proarrhythmic conditions2. Prior to prescribing, please review full Product Information for VFEND®, is available at http://www.pfizer.com.au. VFEND® is available in tablets, oral suspension and intravenous injections and is PBS listed for adults as well. The most recent PBS listing is specifically for oral suspension (40mg/mL 70mL) for adolescents and children aged 2 and over. VFEND® Tablets (50mg or 200mg) are also available on the PBS but VFEND® intravenous injections are still only accessible through hospitals. Health professionals with questions about VFEND® should contact Pfizer Medical Affairs on 1800 675 229. References Âð Thursky KA, Playford EG, Seymour JF et al. Intern Med J 2008; 38(6b): 496-520 ² VFEND® (voriconazole) Product Information. Pfizer Australia


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