Path: bloom-picayune.mit.edu!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!news.media.mit.edu!americast.com!usa-post Newsgroups: usa-today.health From: usa-post@AmeriCast.Com Organization: American Cybercasting Approved: usa-post@AmeriCast.com Subject: health Thu, Apr 16 1992 Date: Thu, 16 Apr 92 05:42:24 EDT Message-ID: 04-16 0000 DECISIONLINE: Health USA TODAY Update April 16, 1992 Source: USA TODAY:Gannett National Information Network EXPERTS CHANGE ADVICE TO PARENTS: The risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome can be cut if babies sleep on their backs or sides - not on their stomachs, the American Academy of Pediatrics said Wednesday. This is not what most U.S. physicians advise, but research supports a change, says the group's Dr. John Kattwinkel. Stomach-sleeping has been advised to prevent choking on vomit, which is "very rare," says the academy. EXPERTS SPECULATE ON SIDS CAUSE: If all healthy U.S. babies slept on their backs or sides, the rate of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome would drop by nearly 20%, says Dr. John Kattwinkel of the American Academy of Pediatrics. It now kills 6,000 infants a year. Experts don't know why a prone position raises risk. Some speculate babies may exhale carbon dioxide into bedding then "rebreathe" it, causing suffocation. HEART ATTACK FINDINGS PRESENTED: Using thrombolysis to treat heart attack patients before they arrive at a hospital - rather than after - can reduce cardiac deaths by 17%, according to researchers from the European Myocardial Infarction Project. The researchers reported their findings Wednesday at the meeting of the American College of Cardiology in Dallas. (For more, see special Heart package below.) IMPLANT DECISION EXPECTED: The Food and Drug Administration's verdict on silicone gel breast implants is due out Thursday. The FDA plan, expected to agree with the recommendations made by an advisory panel in February, should allow generous access for women needing reconstruction and limited access for those wishing to enlarge healthy breasts. The decision will end a 10-month review. CLUE TO CANCER SPREADING FOUND: Scientists have discovered a communication system between cancer cells that may lead to preventing the spread of the disease, reports Thursday's Cancer Research. Researchers identified certain cancer cells that produce a protein that signals other cancer cells to stop moving. Fast-moving cells are more likely to spread, and experts say that the spread of cancer, not the tumor, causes death. CDC PREPARES VACCINE PAMPHLETS: Important immunization information may be ignored because a series of pamphlets from the Centers for Disease Control may be too confusing, critics charge. The three pamphlets, out Wednesday, cover diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, measles, mumps, rubella and polio. Included are descriptions of the diseases and a schedule of when kids should get the vaccines. ABSTINENCE CAMPAIGN LAUNCHED: Focus on the Family, a Colorado-based, non-profit group, Tuesday launched a nationwide advertising campaign promoting abstinence over sex education. The full-page ad, appearing in USA TODAY, cites rates of sexually transmitted diseases and encourages people to abstain from sex until marriage and then remain monogamous. GRANT WORKSHOP PLANNED: The Office for Treatment Improvement of the Alcohol, Drug Abuse and Mental Health Administration are sponsoring a workshop to help applicants understand the steps involved in seeking grants to fund substance abuse programs. The workshop will be held April 30-May 1 at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington, D.C. CENTOXIN NOT APPROVED: The Food and Drug Administration will not approve the drug Centoxin because of a lack of evidence proving its effectiveness, the drug's manufacturer, Centocor, said Wednesday. XOMA, another drugmaker, announced late Tuesday that the FDA had announced it wouldn't approve XOMA's drug E5. The firms are hoping to market a drug for sepsis, an infection afflicting people undergoing surgery. MICH. CONSIDERS PROBE FINDINGS: Michigan Gov. John Engler has ordered the adoption of all the recommendations in a report on the state's adult foster care system. A recent probe concluded that improved care was needed, as well as reporting and monitoring of facilities. Much of the effort targets Wayne County, which Engler said has most of the problems. BASEBALL PLAYERS FIGHTING AIDS: Major League Baseball owners and the Major League Players Association are working together to prevent AIDS. The two are cosponsoring AIDS awareness sessions to educate major league players about the disease. The sessions are held when teams are in New York. The Boston Red Sox were the first team to attend the session. SPECIAL PACKAGE ON HEART: CARDIOLOGISTS GAIN NEW TOOL: An ultrasound device mounted on a small drill may prove an effective tool for treating dangerous plaque deposits in arteries, researchers reported Wednesday at the annual meeting of the American College of Cardiology. The device provides an ultrasound image, which cardiologists then use to guide the cutting tool to remove plaque. HEART PROBLEMS NOT APPARENT: Men with high blood pressure who also have risk factors such as obesity or smoking may suffer from "silent" coronary artery disease, say researchers. A recent study of 226 high blood pressure patients found that 20% had significant coronary artery disease, despite being free of symptoms and having no evidence of the disease on their electrocardiograms. (End of package.) Health Editor: Christopher Goldthwaite. (1-919-855-3491) Making copies of USA TODAY Update (Copyright, 1992) for further distribution violates federal law. This article is copyright 1992 Gannett News Service. 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