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Michigan Council for Maternal and Child Health Friday notes

Posted over 9 years ago by Rachel VanDenBrink

October 10, 2014

In this issue
State Preparing for Potential Ebola Risks
Contaminated Water Linked to Pregnancy Complications, Study Finds
Preventing Childhood Obesity: Maternal-Child Life Course Approach

State Preparing for Potential Ebola Risks

Gov. Rick Snyder announced Thursday that although there is no immediate threat of Ebola in Michigan, the state is vigilantly working with the health and medical community to be prepared to deal with any threat the virus could pose to Michiganders.

Snyder, the Michigan Department of Community Health, the Michigan State Police, the Michigan Association for Local Public Health (MALPH), and Michigan's other health and hospital professionals want to reassure all Michiganders that the state and its medical community are preparing for, and being vigilant against, any threat the Ebola virus may pose to our state and its citizens, the governor said in a released statement.

The MDCH Ebola website is now live; the site resides within the Emerging Diseases website and is available at www.michigan.gov/ebola.

While the risk of an Ebola outbreak in the United States is very low, emergency response plans are in place and coordination is occurring between the state, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and local healthcare partners to make sure Michigan is prepared for any possible threat. These plans have been developed and are routinely tested in coordination with local health and emergency response partners. As Michigan monitors the Ebola outbreak in West Africa, the state has focused additional efforts on maintaining situational awareness, through continual information sharing and outreach to local health partners.

"Michigan's state public health laboratory, our Office of Public Health Preparedness, and our front line disease epidemiologists in Michigan have been committed to monitoring surveillance and any potential risks of Ebola in Michigan for quite some time now," said MDCH Director Nick Lyon. "With the top experts in the state following the issue so closely, Michigan residents can be assured that our state and local health partners are prepared to quickly and effectively respond to infectious disease issues to protect the health of our communities."

Through the use of Michigan's Health Alert Network which connects public health officials, healthcare systems and professionals, local preparedness healthcare coalitions, and emergency responders including emergency medical services workers, MDCH has worked to ensure all public health preparedness partners have the information they need to prepare for a case of Ebola being found in Michigan.  Further, Michigan hospitals are prepared to follow strict CDC infection control recommendations in the event they need to respond and isolate a patient.

"Local public health departments have been in continuous contact with hospital infection control departments and sending up-to-the-minute CDC guidance to all first responders, clinics, physicians, and local elected officials through local health alert systems," said Meghan Swain, executive director of the Michigan Association for Local Public Health. "There are several joint planning and exercises occurring across the state between local public health, healthcare, and EMS systems to ensure the population is safe."
Additional information on Ebola and how to prevent it is available on the CDC's website.

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Contaminated Water Linked to Pregnancy Complications, Study Finds

Prenatal exposure to tetrachloroethylene (PCE) in drinking water may increase the risk of stillbirth and placental abruption, according to a new study led by a Boston University School of Public Health researcher.
The study, published in the journal Environmental Health, compared 1,091 PCE-exposed pregnancies and 1,019 unexposed pregnancies among 1,766 women in Cape Cod, Ma., where water was contaminated in the late 1960s to the early 1980s by the installation of vinyl-lined asbestos cement pipes. PCE exposure was estimated using water-distribution system modeling software. Data on pregnancy complications were self-reported by mothers.Of the more than 2,000 pregnancies, 9 percent were complicated by pregnancy disorders associated with placental dysfunction. Pregnancies among women with high PCE exposure had 2.38 times the risk of stillbirth and 1.35 times the risk of placental abruption, compared to unexposed pregnancies. Also, the study found an elevated risk of vaginal bleeding in pregnancies where women had PCE exposure greater than or equal to the sample median.
Lead researcher Ann Aschengrau, professor of epidemiology at BUSPH, said the study findings support a small body of prior research indicating that PCE exposure may impact placental function and fetal growth. However, further investigation of related disorders is needed, she said.
"We need to have a better understanding of the impact of this common drinking water contaminant on all aspects of pregnancy," said Aschengrau, who has led numerous prior studies on the health effects of PCE.
Researchers used data from the Cape Cod Family Health Study, a population-based retrospective study designed to examine the influence of prenatal exposure to PCE-contaminated drinking water on multiple outcomes during pregnancy and childhood. Women were considered eligible for the parent cohort if they gave birth to at least one child between 1969 and 1983 and were living in one of eight Cape Cod towns with some contaminated pipes at the time of the child's birth.
The study was conducted as part of BU's Superfund Research Program, available here: http://www.ehjournal.net/content/13/1/72

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Preventing Childhood Obesity: Maternal-Child Life Course Approach

This report reviews evidence supporting implementing child obesity prevention strategies based on the maternal-child life course approach. Topics include cumulative caloric imbalance and childhood obesity, periconceptional nutrition, weight gain during pregnancy, maternal smoking during pregnancy, breastfeeding, complementary feeding, development of food taste preferences in the infancy period, weight gain during the first year of life, and toddler and preschool nutrition.

Contents include a summary of the science and implications for policy and practice, initiatives in

Connecticut to reduce child obesity risk factors among children under age 3, and recommendations for action.

Produced by the Child Health and Development Institute of Connecticut the report is available here: http://www.chdi.org/download.php?id=1134

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Contributors to this Issue HealthDay Maternal and Child Health Library MDCH __________________________________________________________

Quick Links . . .

School Nurses Sought for Southwest Detroit Positions

Henry Ford has a job posting for school nurses to work within southwest Detroit schools. Posting is available here or visit henryford.com and search under posting number is 88391 -RN-Ambulatory I.

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MI-AIMH 2015 Conference Call for Proposals Released

The 2015 Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health's Biennial Conference entitled, "Caring for the Whole Child: Working Together for the Health and Well-Being of Infants, Toddlers, and their Families," will take place at the Radisson Hotel and Suites in Kalamazoo May 17-19, 2015.

The call for workshop and student poster proposals is now open and the deadline has been extended to November 7.  Download workshop proposal and student poster submission applications here.

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Mott Tuuri Day Conference October 16

Mott Children's Health Center's 42nd Annual Tuuri Day Conference--Protecting Our Children and Youth int he 21st Century--will be held Thursday, Oct. 16, 8 a.m.-4 p.m., at the Holiday Inn Gatway Centre in Flint. This year's conference addresses emerging maltreatment issues for children in foster care, including identification and recognition of changing presentation, the increase in maltreatment rates, the sexualization of children, and the victimization of domestic trafficking of minors. Register at www.mottchc.org.

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Health Endowment Board Announces Final Listening Tour Dates

The Michigan Health Endowment Fund board is conducting a listening tour to gain a deeper understanding of the health issues confronting Michigan residents, and to familiarize the public with the Michigan Health Endowment Fund. The listening tour sessions will be an opportunity for participants to respond to questions about health concerns in their community, the barriers preventing people from achieving good health, and approaches that are working well to improve the health and well-being of children and the elderly. Requests for funding are not being accepted at this time. Members of the general public and representatives of health-related organizations are invited to attend. Each session will begin with a presentation by a Michigan Health Endowment Fund board member, followed by facilitated discussion in response to structured questions. The agenda for the listening tour sessions and registration can be found here. The remaining tour dates and locations are: October 14, Grand Traverse Resort, Traverse City additional information; agenda October 20, UAW-GM Center for Human Resources, Detroit; agenda November 2, Salvation Army Kroc Community Center, Grand Rapids; agenda ___________________________________________________________________________ 22nd Annual Parenting Awareness Michigan Confereces: Oct. 16 and Nov. 10

PAM will hold its annual conferences Oct. 16, 8 a.m.-4:15 p.m., at the Holiday Inn of Marquette; and on Nov. 10, 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m., at the Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center in East Lansing. These  conferences are for anyone who works with parents and  families, including educators, coalition members, service providers, parent  volunteers, and anyone interested in parenting. Learn more and register online here. ___________________________________________________________________________

Care Coordination Empowering Families Training on Nov 13 in Lansing The Region 4 Midwest Genetics Collaborative is hosting a Care Coordination: Empowering Families training on Thursday, November 13 from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Lansing. This particular training is open to any parent or legal guardian of a child (birth-18) who has been diagnosed or identified as having a genetic condition. The purpose of the training is to help parents learn some tips and skills to better coordinate care for their child. Light breakfast and lunch will be provided and participants will receive a $150 gift card at the end of the day to help with mileage and childcare costs.

Seating is limited to 10 spots for this training so interested parents are encouraged to apply quickly. More information and online registration available here.

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