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HIV-Positive Babies More Likely To Contract Deadly TB If Given BCG

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Obama, Pope Focus On Abortion, 'Life' Issues In First Meeting
In their first meeting, President Obama and Pope Benedict XVI on Friday discussed their views on abortion, embryonic stem cell research and the rights of health care workers to object to procedures and services that go against their beliefs, the Los Angeles Times reports. During a 30-minute discussion, the pope expressed to Obama his beliefs about "the defense and promotion of life and the right to abide by one"s conscience," according to the Vatican. The Times reports that the statement was a "clear reference" to debates over abortion rights, embryonic stem cell research and "conscience" protections for health care providers who refuse care on moral or religious grounds (Chu, Los Angeles Times, 7/11).According to Time, Benedict showed "no intention of papering over differences on what the Vatican calls "life" issues," including abortion rights. Vatican spokesperson the Rev. Federico Lombardi said that the pope told him how Obama "explicitly expressed his commitment to reducing the number of abortions and to listen to the Church"s concerns on moral issues" (Israely, Time, 7/10). According to White House deputy national security aide Denis McDonough, Obama was "eager to find common ground on these issues and to work aggressively to do that" (Simpson/Feller, AP/Boston Globe, 7/11). However, "[I]t may just be that there"s issues that you can"t come to agreement on," McDonough added, noting that Obama believes that "you can disagree without being disagreeable" (Los Angeles Times, 7/11).Montsignor Georg Ganswein, the pope"s personal secretary, said that Obama was given a copy of "Dignitas Personae," or "The Dignity of a Person," a Vatican document released in December detailing the Roman Catholic Church"s most recent stance on bioethics issues (Time, 7/10). The document "hardened" the Church"s opposition to embryonic stem cell research, cloning and in vitro fertilization (AP/Boston Globe, 7/11). Obama assured the pope he would read the document that day on his flight from Italy to Ghana. Ganswein said that the document "can help the president better understand the position of the Catholic Church." Lombardi noted that it "would be ambiguous to hide or minimize what we believe," adding, "It"s not meant to be divisive or polemical" (Time, 7/10).
Oncology

In Pediatric Patients Sleep Disorders Are Largely Underdiagnosed

Primary care pediatricians may be under-diagnosing sleep disorders in children and teens, according to a research abstract presented on June 8 at SLEEP 2009, the 23rd Annual Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies. The study obtained data from 32 primary care pediatric practices affiliated with Children"s Hospital of Philadelphia. Information was gathered by chart review for 154,957 patients, ranging in age from 0 to 18 years. Results show that less than four percent (5750 children) were diagnosed with a sleep disorder. The most common diagnoses were sleep disorders that are "not otherwise specified" (1.42 percent), enuresis - or bedwetting (1.24 percent), sleep disordered breathing (1.04 percent), and insomnia (0.05 percent). According to lead author Lisa Meltzer, PhD, the rate of diagnosis found in this study is significantly lower than prevalence rates reported in epidemiological studies. "Sleep is often discussed during check-ups for young children, but it may not come up as a topic with teenagers, resulting in an under diagnosis of sleep disorders for this group of adolescents," said Meltzer. "Pediatricians should ask about sleep during every well-child visit. Children who snore, have problems falling asleep, are difficult to wake in the morning, or who fall asleep in school should be further evaluated for sleep disorders." Because sleep problems in children can have a major impact on learning, growth and development, the authors advise that it is important for pediatricians to receive education and support in the diagnosis and treatment of sleep disorders. According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM), some signs that your child may have a sleep problem include: * You spend too much time "helping" your child fall asleep * Your child wakes up repeatedly during the night. * Your child snores very loudly or struggles to breathe during sleep. * Your child"s behavior, mood or school performance changes. * Your child who used to stay dry at night begins to wet the bed. Parents who notice an ongoing sleep problem in their child should talk to their child"s doctor or contact an AASM-accredited sleep disorders center. Abstract Title: Prevalence of Sleep Disorders in Pediatric Primary Care Practice Presentation Date: Monday, June 8 Category: Pediatrics Abstract ID: 0197 Kelly Wagner American Academy of Sleep Medicine


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