Health

Men have key role in ending female circumcision: experts

Experts and workers on the ground said Friday that men had a key role to play in the fight against female circumcision in Africa, a day before the International Day against Female Genital Mutilation.

Elise Johansen from the World Health Organisation said in many countries it had been found that men were often more opposed to the practice than women, so the “approach must be one that involves the whole community.

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Seniors aren’t getting vital vaccinations, study finds

States require that children have all their immunizations before they can enroll in school. Veterinarians send reminder cards to pet owners when Fido or Tabby is due for a shot. No such safety net exists for adults, however, and especially for the elderly, who are particularly susceptible to many diseases that vaccines can prevent, according to a new report about the low rate of adult immunization.

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Healthy baby campaign uses texts to reach mothers

Expectant mothers are getting a new tool to help keep themselves and their babies healthy: pregnancy tips sent directly to their cell phones.

Organizers say texting is an effective means of delivering wellness tips because 90 percent of people in the U.S. have cell phones.

The so-called text4baby campaign is the first free, health education program in the U.

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Report: Feds to pay more than half of health costs

For all the hue and cry over a government takeover of health care, it’s happening anyway.

That’s even if President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul wastes away in congressional limbo. Long in coming, the shift to a health care sector dominated by government is being speeded up by the deep economic recession and the aging of the Baby Boomers, millions of whom will soon start signing up for Medicare.

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Healthy baby campaign uses texts to reach mothers

Expectant mothers are getting a new tool to help keep themselves and their babies healthy: pregnancy tips sent directly to their cell phones.

Organizers say texting is an effective means of delivering wellness tips because 90 percent of people in the U.S. have cell phones.

The so-called text4baby campaign is the first free, health education program in the U.

Continue reading Healthy baby campaign uses texts to reach mothers…

Children Likelier to See Dentist if Parents Go Too

Parents who make regular visits to the dentist are more likely to take their children to the dentist, a new study shows.

Kids whose parents saw a dentist were more likely to have seen a dentist, too. About 86 percent of children whose parents had a dental visit during the preceding year had a dental exam, compared to about 63 percent of the children whose parents hadnt, the study authors found.

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If you’re 70 and overweight, you may live longer

A few extra pounds might help you live longer if youre past your prime but otherwise healthy, a new study finds.

Although his suggestion may seem counterintuitive, Yoshikawa is only half-joking. The Journal of The American Geriatrics Society, of which he is editor-in-chief, just published a report showing that overweight elderly Australians were 13 percent less likely to die during a 10-year period than those who kept their weight within the recommended range.

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Children Likelier to See Dentist if Parents Go Too

Parents who make regular visits to the dentist are more likely to take their children to the dentist, a new study shows.

Kids whose parents saw a dentist were more likely to have seen a dentist, too. About 86 percent of children whose parents had a dental visit during the preceding year had a dental exam, compared to about 63 percent of the children whose parents hadnt, the study authors found.

Continue reading Children Likelier to See Dentist if Parents Go Too…

Shots Relieve Children’s Hay Fever, Cut Expenses

Allergy vaccinations reduce total health-care costs in children with hay fever by one-third and drug prescription costs by 16 percent, according to a 10-year U.S. study.

“This large-scale, comparative effectiveness study of health outcomes clearly demonstrates the benefits of allergen immunotherapy for children with allergic rhinitis.

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Bill Gates promises $10 billion for vaccines

Bill and Melinda Gates said on Friday they would spend 10 billion over the next decade to develop and deliver vaccines, an increased commitment that reflects progress in the pipeline of products for immunizing children in the developing world.

By increasing immunization coverage in developing countries to 90 percent, it should be possible to prevent the deaths of 7.

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