Avoid Brain Injuries: Don’t Forget Your Helmet

(Salt Lake City, UT) – With the state’s recent snowfall, the Utah Department of Health (UDOH) wants to remind the public to stay safe as they enjoy the winter outdoors. In 2009, 440 Utahns – or more than eight people every week – were hospitalized or died from a sports or recreation-related traumatic brain injury (TBI). Ten percent of these TBIs were due to snow sports like skiing and snowboarding, sledding, ice skating, and snowmobiling.

Recent data show the top five causes of sports and recreation-related TBIs in Utah are:

   

   1.  Bicycle crashes (34.3%)  

   2.  Off-highway vehicle/all-terrain vehicle (OHV/ATV) (24.5%), which also includes dirt bikes, dune buggies, snowmobiles, etc.

   3.  Horse/rodeo/large animal (13.0%)

   4.  Snow sports (8%) like skiing, snowboarding, sledding, and ice skating

   5.  Skateboard/in-line skates/scooter (6.8%)

When looked at more closely, the data reveal that snowboarding accounts for half (50%) of all TBIs caused by snow sports, followed by skiing (28.9%), sledding (18.4%), and ice skating (2.6%). Snowmobile crashes account for only 5.9% of all TBIs caused by OHV/ATV crashes.

Three simple steps can help keep you and your family safe this winter.

  •  Wear a helmet when riding a snowmobile, skiing, snowboarding, or sledding. A full two-thirds (66.7%) of those who suffered a TBI in 2009 during these activities were not wearing a helmet.

  •  Complete the Utah State Parks and Recreation Know Before You Go! snowmobile education course. Utah law requires youth ages eight to 16 (or until they get their state-issued driver license) to complete this course before operating a snowmobile. The course costs $30 and is available online at http://stateparks.utah.gov/ohv/education-snowmobile.

  •  Check current avalanche danger and weather conditions before going into Utah’s backcountry. Find it online at http://utahavalanchecenter.org.

Traumatic brain injuries can have dramatic impacts on a person’s ability to lead an active, fulfilling life. Help is available for Utahns who have suffered a TBI and their families by contacting the Brain Injury Association of Utah (BIAU) at 801-716-4993 or by visiting http://biau.org/.

For additional data on sports and recreation-related TBIs, visit http://health.utah.gov/vipp/traumaticBrainInjury/TBIData.html.

 

Media Contact:

Jenny Johnson

Violence & Injury Prevention Program

(o) 801-538-9416 (m) 801-298-1569

Ron Roskos

Brain Injury Association of Utah

(m) 801-979-2799

Helping Babies Start Life With a Healthy Heart

(Salt Lake City, UT) – The image of a beating heart is the image of life. But many babies in Utah and across the nation are born with a congenital heart defect. These include problems with how the heart, its walls, or valves have been formed and are among the most common of all birth defects. In Utah, more than 300 babies are born with heart problems every year.

“This is an important public health concern, and our goal is to make everyone aware of possible prevention measures and early warning signs, said Amy Nance, Program Manager, Utah Department of Health (UDOH) Utah Birth Defect Network (UBDN).

As a group, birth defects are the leading cause of infant mortality in the U.S., and heart defects are the number one killer. January is National Birth Defects Prevention Month, and the UBDN is joining Intermountain Healing Hearts (IHH), a Wasatch Front support group that helps families dealing with the realities of a child born with heart problems.

IHH President Brytten Pettit is the mother of a child born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome. She says she’s benefitted from the group and the Utah medical community.

“Today I have a happy, thriving, independent 3-year-old, and we are grateful for every day we spend together. It's no longer about counting the years, it's about making the years count!" said Brytten.

There is hope for children with congenital heart defects. Early detection and treatment can help them live longer and better. Survival has been improving in the last several decades.

There is also hope for prevention. The causes of many heart defects remain a mystery, but the UBDN, University of Utah (U of U), other groups around the country, and hundreds of Utah families are involved in studies to identify preventable causes as part of the National Birth Defects Prevention Study, supported by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The heart forms in the early weeks of pregnancy, often before a woman realizes she is pregnant,” said Lorenzo Botto, M.D., a geneticist and professor of Pediatrics at the U of U “Diet, lifestyle choices, the environment, health conditions, and medications can all play a role in preventing or causing congenital heart defects,” Botto added.

Studies have shown there are several things women who are pregnant or who may become pregnant can do:

• See a physician prior to pregnancy, especially if there are: health conditions that require medications; metabolic conditions like diabetes, obesity, phenylketonuria (PKU); or a family history of congenital heart defects.
• Diabetic or obese women should make sure their blood sugar is under control and work toward a healthy weight through a nutritious food plan prior to conception.
• Take a folic acid supplement and check with their health care provider to confirm they are getting adequate amounts of all the essential nutrients.
• Avoid all alcohol and illegal/recreational drugs.
• Avoid exposure to smoke, chemicals, and toxins both at work and at home.
• Get regular medical check-ups and learn about their family history and potential genetic risks. 

“Small steps like visiting a health care provider before pregnancy and taking a multivitamin every day can go a long way,” said Nance.

The UBDN works with health care professionals and public health agencies around Utah to encourage prevention and awareness of congenital heart defects among women of childbearing age in the Utah. To learn more, call 866-818-7096 or visit www.health.utah.gov/birthdefect.

Media Contact:

Amy Nance

Program Manager

(801) 883-4661

State Receives Coveted Award in Research Leadership

(Salt Lake City, UT) – For its groundbreaking implementation of the Utah All Payer Claims Database (APCD), the Utah Department of Health (UDOH) has been named a winner of the prestigious 2011 Ventana Research Leadership Award.  UDOH received the honor along with its vendor, Informatica, for the category of Information Management.  Details about the award can be found at: http://www.ventanaresearch.com/awards/.

Determining the actual cost of health care has become a hot-button issue given rising costs and health care reform. UDOH developed a database to better understand and analyze health care costs across the state by tracking the cost and quality of medical care. The APCD uses data from private insurance agencies and public health organizations.

"Leveraging information assets to gain efficiency while governing the proper costs of services is a core example of what information management is all about," said Mark Smith, Ventana CEO & Chief Research Officer. "Congratulations to the Utah Department of Health for providing a unified view of health care treatments and costs to support a range of cost management and governance-related needs for improving care."

Over time, the APCD will enable the state to identify populations that are underserved or not receiving screenings or preventive care, allowing for the better allocation of services and resources. The APCD will also eventually allow citizen access, so Utahns can understand and compare costs and options for their care.

"Having a complete and accurate picture is especially important because we believe that statewide episode of care analysis across payers will yield a broad spectrum of data vital to public health, policy, and economic decision making,” said Dr. Keely Cofrin Allen, director, UDOH Office of Health Care Statistics,

Cofrin Allen also notes: “The Informatica software’s ability to identify and link records over time and reduce duplication within the system is essential to high quality analysis."

In its release announcing the award, Informatica noted, “With its All Payer Claims Database program to track the cost and quality of medical care, the UDOH has created a seamless data collection/access/analysis environment around health care data in the state of Utah. The Informatica Platform was used to design and power the linking elements of the database, including ensuring the quality of the data and protecting patient privacy.”

The Ventana Leadership Awards recognize technology vendors and their customers that have most effectively achieved success through using people, processes, information and technology and applying best practices within specific business and technology categories.  By receiving this award, the UDOH has been acknowledged for demonstrating business leadership requiring a clear vision, understanding, determination, and a team effort.  

Media Contact:

Keely Cofrin Allen, Ph.D.

Office Director

801-538-6551 (office)

801-538-9916 (cell)

Safe Kids, ABRA Auto Body & Glass Donate Vehicle to Family in Need

(Salt Lake City, UT) – Safe Kids Utah, ABRA Auto Body & Glass, and Primary Children’s Medical Center (PCMC) gave a reconditioned minivan to a South Salt Lake family today as part of the National Auto Body Council’s Recycle Rides program. Recycle Rides identifies families in need across the U.S.  Member shops repair and donate recycled vehicles to families in their communities.

The Rivera family was selected for this year’s donation because they have three young children, ages five, two, and five months. The two youngest children have spina bifida. The family doesn’t currently have a vehicle and relies solely on public transportation or rides from family and friends to get around, including several trips each month to specialists for their children’s health care needs.

“Receiving a car will be such a great help to us. We have to take TRAX or the bus everywhere we go,” said Inelise Rivera. “With two little children with special needs, we have to see the doctor several times each month and this will really help with that,” Rivera added.  “The weather is getting cold and I was worried about being outside so much and causing more problems for the kids. We are very grateful to everyone who has made this possible.”  

Car seat technicians from Safe Kids Utah and PCMC also installed three car seats in the minivan for the family, to ensure the children are safe each and every time their ride in their new vehicle.

“We chose to partner with Safe Kids and Primary Children’s because of their great reputation in helping children and families in Utah,” said Greg Peeters, District Manager, ABRA Auto Body & Glass-Utah. “Knowing we helped someone as deserving as the Rivera family, especially during the holiday season, makes this a very special project for all involved. We are honored to be a part of it.”

Donations for the project were generously provided by Liberty Mutual Insurance, Parts Chain, Advanced Detail, South Bountiful Auto, Sherwin Williams, Lynn’s Auto, Christopher Kia, Costco, Primary Children’s Medical Center, and Safe Kids Utah. 

For information on keeping your family safe in a motor vehicle, visit  http://www.safekidsutah.org/.

Media Contact:

Christi Fisher

Violence & Injury Prevention Program

(o) 801-538-6852 (m) 801-860-2544

Laurie Janu

ABRA Auto Body & Glass

(o) 763-585-6240

Cold Medicines for New Moms and Moms-to-Be

(Salt Lake City, UT) – It’s cold and flu season in Utah, and new and pregnant moms are at risk like anyone else.  But unlike the rest of us, they can have different treatment needs. Staff of the Pregnancy Risk Line, a joint service of the Utah Department of Health and University of Utah Health Care, are standing by their phones, ready to help.

"Every year around this time, we get a significant number of calls from pregnant and breastfeeding women in Utah who are battling colds and are worried about which medications they can and cannot take," said Al Romeo, PhD,  nurse for the hotline.  "Callers have valid concerns because there are certain ingredients in over-the-counter medications that could be harmful to their babies," explains Romeo.

The following are the Top 5 Tips for moms and moms-to-be coping with winter ailments:

1.  Less is better. Take only those medications needed for your symptoms. Many cold remedies have 3-6 ingredients, some of which you and your baby do not necessarily need. If your major complaint is a cough, avoid combination drugs that include an antihistamine. Cold medications have not been known to cause birth defects, but they can reduce breast milk production.

2.  Oral decongestant alternatives. Women with high blood pressure should avoid oral decongestants in pregnancy. These women should consider saline nose drops or a short-term nasal spray decongestant instead.  All can benefit from a humidifier.

3.  Herbal ingredient warning. Watch out for herbal ingredients in many over-the-counter medications. Chances are they have not been studied for safety in pregnancy.

 4.  Throat Lozenges & Vitamin Overload. While most throat lozenges contain mainly sugar, some may include other ingredients such as zinc or vitamin C. When taking vitamin C, the recommended daily allowance for a pregnant or breastfeeding mom is 80-100 mg per day and zinc is 11 mg per day. The dose indicated on the lozenges package is usually too high for pregnant or breastfeeding moms.  Drinking a daily glass of 100% fruit juice that contains vitamin C will provide the same benefit.

5.  Cough Syrups & Alcohol. Some medications for colds and coughs contain alcohol. Although the amount is small and not harmful, consider alcohol-free formulations if you’re still concerned. Don’t hesitate to ask your pharmacist to help you choose the proper medication to help with your cold and cough symptoms.

For more information about the safety of medications during pregnancy and breastfeeding, contact the Pregnancy Risk Line at 800-822-2229 (BABY). 

The PRL is a free service for Utah families and health care providers and has been answering questions about the effects of medicines, chemicals and other maternal exposures on a developing fetus or breastfed baby for nearly 30 years. 

Media Contact:

Julia Robertson

Pregnancy Risk Line

(801) 538-9161 (w)  (801) 910-6790 (c)