Category Archives: Newsletters

In a recent study involving 55 autistic children ages 5 to 16 and 44 healthy children of similar ages and genders, researchers at Arizona State University (ASU) found higher levels of toxic metals in the blood and urine of children with autism. They also found that levels of toxic metals “are strongly associated” with autism severity, especially mercury and cadmium. According to Healio.com, “the researchers said the reason for the higher burden of toxic metals among children with autism may stem from increased exposure to the toxic metals, increased absorptions as a result of intestinal permeability or decreased ability to excrete the toxic metals.” Researchers measured toxic metal levels in participants’ whole blood, red blood cells and urine. They found significantly higher levels of lead in the autistic children’s red blood cells and urine, as well as higher urinary levels of thallium, tin and tungsten. According to an article about…
Read More »

During the first two years of the Premier Perinatal Safety Initiative (PPSI), 14 participating hospitals reduced the annual rate of neonatal birth trauma in their facilities by 22 percent. The hospitals also lowered the annual rate of birth hypoxia and asphyxia, which can cause infant brain damage, by 25 percent. Participating hospitals saw a 39 percent drop in annual liability claims, compared to 10 percent in non-participating hospitals in the same healthcare systems. These statistics are part of the PPSI Phase I Summary, which was published in December 2012 and covers the period from January 2008 to December 2010. A report on Phase II, which ran from January 2011 to December 2012, is expected later this year. The Premier healthcare alliance launched this initiative in an effort to significantly reduce preventable birth injuries. Rep. Shelley Moore Capito, co-chair of the Congressional Caucus on Infant Health and Safety, was quoted in…
Read More »

David Blaski, a former magician who now works as a senior clinical occupational therapist at Franciscan Omni Health and Fitness in Schererville, Ind., invented the Aquatic Stabilizer Apparatus to help children with cerebral palsy swim better. Aquatic therapy allows cerebral palsy patients to strengthen and develop their muscles in a pool, but sometimes overcoming muscular challenges in the water proves extremely difficult. The Aquatic Stabilizer Apparatus, as it is currently named, aligns the body so that children with cerebral palsy can use their arms and legs more effectively in the water. The idea for the Aquatic Stabilizer Apparatus came to Blaski when he met a young girl with cerebral palsy who, despite her love of being in the water, had trouble swimming. Her legs crisscrossed when she was in the pool. As Blaski explains, “Some kids with cerebral palsy have difficulty with muscle tone, which causes the scissoring of the…
Read More »