Daily Rounds: FDA Vs. Dr. Oz; South African Mothers Dying; Incorrect Car Seats; Racial Bias On Lead

Tempest In A Lunch Box: Arsenic Traces In Apple Juice : Shots - Health Blog : NPR "A lot of parents might be worried about what's in their kids' sippy cups if they caught a recent report by TV talk show host Dr. Mehmet Oz about high levels of arsenic in popular brands of apple juice. But the Food and Drug Administration and medical experts are attacking Oz's report, saying it's inaccurate and needlessly panics parents. In fact, Dr. Richard Besser, former acting head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, tackled Oz head-on this morning on Good Morning America. Besser, a med school classmate of Oz's, called the report "extremely irresponsible" and compared it to yelling fire in a crowded theater." (npr.org)

South Africa maternal and infant healthcare record criticized - latimes.com "Moleboheng, who is black, alleges that she was left to handle a difficult breech delivery without help. She says her baby boy was born blue, and that she had to be resuscitated after being left sitting in a pool of blood unattended by doctors for three hours."I gave birth like an animal," Moleboheng said. "Their attitude to patients is very bad. But not many people have the guts to come out and say what happened to them." Despite boasting sub-Saharan Africa's wealthiest economy and some of the world's richest mineral resources, South Africa has an abysmal record on maternal and infant health." (Los Angeles Times)

Study: Most parents fail child car safety seat test – USATODAY.com "Most parents aren't using child seats correctly, research released Thursday from the non-profit group Safe Kids USA shows. Only 30% are using the tether straps that keep the tops of child seats — and children's heads — secured in crashes, and many are not using the safest seats for their children's ages.
Although the death rate has declined, car crashes remain the leading cause of death for children ages 3 to 14, according to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data. Properly used child safety seats decrease the risk of death by 71% for infants and 54% for toddlers, NHTSA says. Children are 59% less likely to be injured in a booster seat than if they were using seat belts only." (USA Today)

Suit Over Lead Dust Names Kennedy Krieger Institute - NYTimes.com "A class-action lawsuit was filed Thursday against a prominent Baltimore medical institute, accusing it of knowingly exposing black children as young as a year old to lead poisoning in the 1990s as part of a study exploring the hazards of lead paint. Lawyers for the plaintiffs say that more than 100 children were endangered by high levels of lead dust in their homes despite assurances from the Kennedy Krieger Institute that the houses were “lead safe.” The institute, a research and patient care facility for children that is affiliated with Johns Hopkins University, periodically tested the children’s blood to determine lead levels." (nytimes.com)