The FDA Is Making These Important Changes to Its Mammogram Guidelines

by Shahrzad WarkentinApril 21, 2019

For the first time in two decades The Food and Drug Administration has just proposed new mammogram guidelines and all women should be aware of the new recommendations.

Mammograms aren’t exactly something women look forward to, but they are important and necessary to protecting your health. However, the FDA believes that one important factor in breast cancer screenings hasn’t received enough attention until now. Based on research by the the National Cancer Institute, breast density can a be a major factor in developing breast cancer, but only 36 percent of women surveyed by Hologic, Inc. say they have ever discussed the term with their doctors.

Breast density and the proposal of updated mammography regulationshttps://t.co/J8JWW5yfBT

— Ubt Srl (@UBTsrl) April 11, 2019

For the uninitiated, breast density refers to the amount amount of glandular tissue and connective tissue in relation to the amount of fatty breast tissue. The higher the amount of glandular tissue and connective tissue the denser breasts are.

The FDA’s new guidelines propose a standard density assessment to be included in mammogram summary letters and patient records. It would also establish nationwide density categories, which right now vary from state to state.

No word yet on when these new mammogram guidelines will go into effect, but in the mean time women can and should bring up the subject of breast density with doctors at their annual exams.

—Shahrzad Warkentin

Featured photo: DarkoStojanovic via Pixabay

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This Viral Teacher’s Letter about Standardized Testing Will Move You

by Erica LoopApril 3, 2019

When Arehzo Poirier’s former first grade students were ready for third grade standardized testing time, this Florida teacher had something special for them. After her then-third grade son received an inspirational letter from his teacher prior to test time, Poirier decided to pen one of her own.

Standardized testing can be a polarizing subject for some families. With a growing emphasis on the results, it’s no wonder why kids and their parents react so strongly to standardized measures. When Poirier’s former students were nearing the Florida Standards Assessment date, the teacher felt it was important to remind each child of what truly is important.

Poirier wrote, “The Florida Standards Assessments (FSA) is a big test, but it’s not an important one in my eyes.” The teacher continued, explaining, “The real test is how you present yourself as a student and as a little human every day of your life.” Here’s the rest of her moving letter:

Dear Former Poirier Friends,

Next week you will take the FSA for the very first time. This is a test I am sure you have heard a lot about. It will test you on your math and reading skills. Can you remember what I told you whenever you took a big test with me in the first grade? I always told you to stretch yoruself and brag about your brain. The FSA is a test just like any other test we took together in first grade. It will tell you and your teacher what you’ve learned in reading and math and what you can do with these skills on your own.

The Florida Standards Assessments (FSA) is a big test, but it’s not an important one in my eyes. The real test is how you present yourself as a student and as a little human every day of your life. The real test is how you showed kindness to those less fortunate that yourself. The real test is how you perservered and never gave up, even when things were tough. The real test is how some of your were able to make me laugh out loud every day. The real test is how some of you have a smile that can brighten even the darkest of spaces. The real test is how after two years you all still make me proud to have been your teacher.

I don’t write letters like this to all of my previous first graders. You were all very special to me and you always will be. I am writing this to you not because the FSA is important or extraordinary, but because YOU are.”

The first grade teacher told TODAY, “Writing the letter made me cry as I wrote it, because I meant every single word.” Poirier also added, “My son is in sixth grade now and still has that letter (from his third grade teacher) in his desk at home. As a parent, seeing the look on my boy’s face as he read that letter made me realize testing isn’t so bad if it’s approached in the right way. It inspired me to do the same with my former first grade friends.”

—Erica Loop

Featured photo: Tjevens via Pixabay

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Autism Markers Aren’t Always Linked to Developing Autism, New Study Finds

by Shahrzad WarkentinMarch 20, 2019

The development of autism has long been linked to delays in an infant’s motor skills. However, new research that examines how to identify autism has uncovered motor problems in autistic infants are no different than those in babies with other developmental conditions.

Researchers used a common assessment of cognitive and motor abilities known as the Mullen Scales of Early Learning and were unable to identify problems that were clear markers of autism and nothing else. The study, which involved 625 babies from the United States, Canada, United Kingdom and Israel, assessed the babies’ motor and language skills at six-months-old and then evaluated them for autism at 36 months.

photo: Sandy Millar via Unsplash

Although the babies in the high-risk group showed weaker fine-motor skills, there was no difference in gross motor skills when compared to the control group of infants developing typically. They also found that there were no differences overall between those kids who were diagnosed with autism versus those who were diagnosed with other developmental problems.

The researchers believe that combining fine- and gross-motor scores or pairing these with a test of other autism-related traits, might be able to help distinguish between autistic infants and those with other developmental issues. The team is also continuing to study the connection between language development and motor skills.

—Shahrzad Warkentin

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Fire Fighters Go Above & Beyond When They Deliver Baby—During the Polar Vortex

by Erica LoopFebruary 1, 2019

Earlier this week, the Cedar Rapids Fire Department delivered a baby during the Polar Vortex. While you might expect baby delivering duties to fall into the hands of an OB/GYN or midwife, when duty calls, these first responders came through in an amazing way.

Sometimes the birth plan doesn’t work out as hoped. When mama-to-be Cassy Abram and husband Scotty were told that Scotty Jr. just wasn’t ready for his grand debut, the expectant couple left the hospital and returned to their Cedar Rapids, Iowa home. But apparently Scotty Jr. wasn’t in agreement with the hospital staff’s assessment. Minutes after arriving home, Cassy was in labor and the baby was coming.

Imminently soon-to-be dad Scotty called the Cedar Rapids Fire Department and got to work actually delivering his baby. In an interview with CNN, Cassy’s aunt, Larissa Ruffin, said, “EMTsarrived about 10 minutes later and they let dad cut the umbilical cord on the living room floor.”

But wait, the story gets better. Not only did the unplanned home birth go flawlessly, the firefighters didn’t stop at the delivery. In a now-viral Facebook post, a pic of two firefighters shoveling the new family of three’s driveway melted hearts across the internet.

One commenter wrote, “Your firefighters rock! That took one huge weight off of a new dad’s shoulders, and let him enjoy some special time with his wife and new son. Those firefighters deserve a huge pat on the back, a warm blanket and some hot cocoa.”

Summing it up, another FB commenter added, “Well done! This was such a beautiful gesture and a nice reminder of the goodness in the world. Thank you for your work.”

—Erica Loop

Featured photo: Shelby Miller via Unsplash

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Red Tricycle Gets Fit!

by Tina LyOctober 29, 2012

The team here at Red Tricycle is putting our money where our mouth is. We’re getting in on Blue Shield of California’s We Shield Moms program in an effort to inspire our readers that we too, are up for the challenge on achieving healthy, balanced and active lives.

For the next 8 weeks, Keely Grand of Be Grand Fitness (and part of our “Moms Who Make a Difference” program) will be whipping our staff into shape, despite the holiday temptations that lurk behind every trick or treat bag and supermarket aisle.

Week 1: The Assessment

With varying degrees of fitness within our group, we started off with a written assessment of our current physical fitness, followed by Keely taking down our measurements (height, weight, inches, gulp) so that we can keep track of our progress.

The Red Tricycle Team (Rebecca, Scott, Rebecca and Tina) with Keely’s son 11-month old Miles, gets ready to get moving for our morning workout.

We then hit the studio to get started on a basic physical assessment of strength, coordination and agility. Moves included several minutes of cardio – jumping jacks and high knees; toning – plank positions, push-ups and bridges; and coordination – squat kicks and shoulder presses with resistance bands.

While the team was successful in strength by holding plank and lifting medicine balls, a few missteps during squat kicks (ummm… two people kicked each other!) told us we could work on our coordination.

Week 1 Wellness Challenge:
Our assignment – to walk, hike, jog or run twice this week for a minimum of 30 minutes.

ML Interest Tag: assessment

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