Controlling women's pain levels during childbirth and the post-delivery period may reduce the risk of new mums suffering from postnatal depression (PND), according to a new study.
Researchers found that 14 per cent of women who had an epidural for pain relief during labour reported suffering depression six weeks after the birth of their baby, compared with 34.6 per cent for women who had no pain relief during childbirth.(glass prints Cheap Canvas Online Wholesale Photo Prints)
The Chinese study, which analysed data from 214 women, also found that breastfeeding was more common in the group who had an epidural for their pain (70 per cent) compared to those who did not (50 per cent).
Writing about the findings in the current issue of Anesthesia and Analgesia journal, perinatal psychiatrist Katherine Wisner described the findings as "exciting" and said the information could be particularly helpful for women who are already at risk of postnatal depression.
"It's a huge omission that there has been almost nothing in postpartum depression research about pain during labour and delivery and postpartum depression. There is a well-known relationship between acute and chronic pain and depression," said Wisner, who is a professor of psychiatry and behavioural sciences and gynecology at Chicago's Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.
"Maximising pain control in labour and delivery with your obstetrician and anesthesia team might help reduce the risk of postpartum depression."
While biological and emotional factors are known to contribute to postnatal depression, Wisner said chronic pain might also play a part by hindering a mother's ability to emotionally attach to her new baby.
The incidence of severe acute postpartum pain is approximately 11 per cent, Wisner says. While the rate of chronic pain varies between studies, it ranges from 1 to 10 per cent for vaginal delivery and 6 to 18 per cent following a caesarean.
Wisner says a woman who has chronic pain one to two months after delivery should be screened for depression.
"Pain control gets the mother off to a good beginning, rather than starting off defeated and exhausted," Wisner said. "Whether it's vaginal or caesarean section delivery, pain control postpartum is an issue for all new mothers. There is no way to have a delivery without pain; the objective here is to avoid severe pain.
"Controlling that delivery pain so a woman can comfortably develop as a mother is something that makes a lot of sense."
According to the Black Dog Institute, depression during pregnancy or the postnatal period affects between 15 and 20 per cent of women in Australia. About three per cent suffer severe depression in the early months after their baby's birth.
Common symptoms of PND include loss of enjoyment in usual activities, loss of self-esteem and confidence, loss of appetite and weight (or weight gain), difficulty with sleep, a sense of hopelessness and being a failure, suicidal thoughts, panic attacks and loss of libido.
Anyone needing more information about postnatal depression can go to Beyond Blue's Just Speak Up website or I've Been There.
Tuesday, February 3, 2015
Monday, February 2, 2015
Child's play – How to play with your baby from 7-9 months
7-9 months
Your baby is integrating everything she has learned so far by seven to nine months of age. Motor and visual skills are more in tune with one another, as seen in your baby's capacity to manipulate things using her hands and better hand to eye coordination.(canvas prints acrylic prints glass prints)
- Give your baby a few sealed containers filled with different items (rice, coins, rocks) and let her shake them and bang them together. Also show her how to make noises with other things that provide a wide range of variations in pitch, such as a bell, a whistle, keys on a ring or a music box.
- As babies become more aware of cause and effect, any items that light up, move, make noise or turn on and off, will be of interest, including mobile phones, TV remotes and light switches so try and find toys with lots of buttons (such a baby entertainment board) to help satisfy these urges.
- Your baby will extend this knowledge of cause and effect to the use of her own body parts and how to use her arms and legs to her advantage as she begins to crawl and pull herself into a standing position. Point and tell your baby the names of her body parts and engage her in games that are full of motion and predictability such as pat-a-cake.
- Once your baby can sit unsupported and have a bath in the family bathtub, bath games are a great way to get your baby to love bath time and playing with water boosts a seven to nine month old baby's sensory range with regards to texture and temperature. Additionally, blowing bubbles with your baby in the bath or in the garden (especially on a breezy day) is bound to create fascination and giggles.
- Your baby's comprehension of object permanence and the ability to seek out hidden objects is a good reason to play games centred around placing toys under covers or in different rooms where your baby needs to move around to locate them.
Your baby is integrating everything she has learned so far by seven to nine months of age. Motor and visual skills are more in tune with one another, as seen in your baby's capacity to manipulate things using her hands and better hand to eye coordination.(canvas prints acrylic prints glass prints)
- Give your baby a few sealed containers filled with different items (rice, coins, rocks) and let her shake them and bang them together. Also show her how to make noises with other things that provide a wide range of variations in pitch, such as a bell, a whistle, keys on a ring or a music box.
- As babies become more aware of cause and effect, any items that light up, move, make noise or turn on and off, will be of interest, including mobile phones, TV remotes and light switches so try and find toys with lots of buttons (such a baby entertainment board) to help satisfy these urges.
- Your baby will extend this knowledge of cause and effect to the use of her own body parts and how to use her arms and legs to her advantage as she begins to crawl and pull herself into a standing position. Point and tell your baby the names of her body parts and engage her in games that are full of motion and predictability such as pat-a-cake.
- Once your baby can sit unsupported and have a bath in the family bathtub, bath games are a great way to get your baby to love bath time and playing with water boosts a seven to nine month old baby's sensory range with regards to texture and temperature. Additionally, blowing bubbles with your baby in the bath or in the garden (especially on a breezy day) is bound to create fascination and giggles.
- Your baby's comprehension of object permanence and the ability to seek out hidden objects is a good reason to play games centred around placing toys under covers or in different rooms where your baby needs to move around to locate them.
How to play with your baby from 4-6 months
4-6 months
Your baby will start to exert some control over her individual digits and consequently, objects that she can hold and touch as well. A baby of this age is also beginning to differentiate colours, shapes and sizes, as well as developing association with various smells. Most importantly any activities that combine auditory, tactile and visual experiences such as holding, looking and listening to a book being read, or listening, moving and singing sounds in music, are ideal as they cultivate several of your baby's senses, all at one time.(canvas prints canvas prints melbourne)
- Lightly spray your baby's toys with safe, natural scents such as lemon, vanilla and peppermint (nothing that could cause irritation) and let her sniff them one by one. State the name of the smell and repeat it for your baby to hear. Do the same when coming in contact with bad odours such as when you change your baby's nappy or burn some toast – it aids your baby with the distinction of pleasant and unpleasant smells.
- Because babies can recognise a wider range of bright colours at this stage of development, ensure there is plenty of exposure to a broad colour pallet through toys and interior and external surroundings such as green grass, staring up at a blue sky or a bright red rose placed in a vase within their eyeline. In doing this, baby's become familiar with primary colours so that recognition of pastel colours follows shortly after.
- Line up materials of different textures (such as wool, velvet, towelling, lace) along a board and place it in front of your baby to pat and stare at.
- Roll your baby from side to side during tummy time to introduce the movements that are needed for your baby to flip from front to back and vice versa. Hold objects out of reach and watch your baby reach for them. Board books or cloth books are very good for babies of this age as they try to grab and turn the pages.
- Peek-a-boo can become more sophisticated at this age, with parents hiding behind furniture, doors and curtains, instead of just their hands. Making funny noises and laughing during peek-a-boo helps babies realise it's a game and that they're not being abandoned.
Your baby will start to exert some control over her individual digits and consequently, objects that she can hold and touch as well. A baby of this age is also beginning to differentiate colours, shapes and sizes, as well as developing association with various smells. Most importantly any activities that combine auditory, tactile and visual experiences such as holding, looking and listening to a book being read, or listening, moving and singing sounds in music, are ideal as they cultivate several of your baby's senses, all at one time.(canvas prints canvas prints melbourne)
- Lightly spray your baby's toys with safe, natural scents such as lemon, vanilla and peppermint (nothing that could cause irritation) and let her sniff them one by one. State the name of the smell and repeat it for your baby to hear. Do the same when coming in contact with bad odours such as when you change your baby's nappy or burn some toast – it aids your baby with the distinction of pleasant and unpleasant smells.
- Because babies can recognise a wider range of bright colours at this stage of development, ensure there is plenty of exposure to a broad colour pallet through toys and interior and external surroundings such as green grass, staring up at a blue sky or a bright red rose placed in a vase within their eyeline. In doing this, baby's become familiar with primary colours so that recognition of pastel colours follows shortly after.
- Line up materials of different textures (such as wool, velvet, towelling, lace) along a board and place it in front of your baby to pat and stare at.
- Roll your baby from side to side during tummy time to introduce the movements that are needed for your baby to flip from front to back and vice versa. Hold objects out of reach and watch your baby reach for them. Board books or cloth books are very good for babies of this age as they try to grab and turn the pages.
- Peek-a-boo can become more sophisticated at this age, with parents hiding behind furniture, doors and curtains, instead of just their hands. Making funny noises and laughing during peek-a-boo helps babies realise it's a game and that they're not being abandoned.
Sunday, February 1, 2015
Why movement is so important for your baby's growth
As parents we often can’t wait until our babies can crawl and then walk – and then we spend the rest of our time wishing we could find them or catch them.
Your baby's developmental roadmap
Your toddler's development
Seeing our child able to move, whether it’s a commando crawl, a bum skid or a tummy roll, is a fabulous moment in our parenting journey.(canvas prints photo on canvas canvas prints australia)
But it’s much more than that, of course, as without plenty of natural movement, babies and toddlers run the risk of experiencing developmental delays in all areas of life.
Movement is not just about the physical body; it is a very sophisticated necessity for developing healthy brains, healthy minds and nurturing the socio-cultural development of every human being. As parents, we need to be wary of passivity and a lack of natural movement for our kids.
So why are we ‘containerising’ many of today’s children in ways that prevent them from moving?
Human beings were born to be movers, and living a sedentary life is really a disruption to our authentic nature.
Research shows that exercise and physical activity increase the levels of serotonin, norepinephrine and dopamine, which are crucial neurotransmitters that traffic thoughts and emotions throughout the body.
Essentially, exercise has a profound impact on cognitive abilities and mental health. Not only that, it makes the blood pump through the body and stimulates the brain to work more efficiently and soundly.
It is an interesting irony that the modern world is hell-bent on creating gadgets and equipment to improve our lives, yet they often end up making it hard for our children to do what they are biologically wired to do: to move in deeply encoded ways to ensure they gradually grow in all their competencies.
Take, for example, the capsules that keep our babies safe in cars. Of course they are a fabulous invention for protecting babies in case there is an accident. But while leaving your baby in the capsule for long periods of time once out of the car might seem convenient and harmless, it is not optimal for spinal development, as movement is severely restricted.
The primary early requirements of baby movement are ones that involve stretching the spine, as this ensures the baby will be able to practice primitive reflexes to enable proper and healthy growth.
One of the most disturbing trends in modern life is that babies, toddlers and children have less freedom to move naturally, and it can impact on their behaviour and capacity to learn. So many products stop babies and toddlers from moving naturally and without restraint.
Think of walkers, prams, high chairs, bouncing gyms and plastic seats that can hold babies who are developmentally unable to sit by themselves. When we combine these contraptions with very little free movement, especially time on the floor, we may be creating unnecessary inhibitors to optimal baby and toddler development.
These containers are convenient for parents, but they also need to be seen through the lens of early child development, and maybe used less rather than more.
It can cause stress for babies, toddlers and infants to be restricted rather than being free to move, so it’s important to remember to relax, sit on the couch and simply watch your baby or toddler interact with the real world through the magic of movement in their own time and in their own way.
Children learn best by moving and doing, and this means they will often be noisy, untidy, messy and unpredictable.
Yes, sometimes life with little ones can feel boring and repetitive, but that’s okay. Without enough spinning, tumbling, balancing and rolling, toddlers and infants can run the risk of an under-developed cerebellum, which can feature in many children with attention issues and learning difficulties, particularly reading difficulties.
Many paediatric physiotherapists and OTs I’ve met also express concern at the increasing numbers of young preschool children with serious posture problems and chronic back pain.
They believe a combination of hours engaged with hand-held devices, plus an absence of climbing or hanging by their body weight on trees and monkey bars, are mainly to blame.
Movement skills have also been shown to contribute to improving literacy skills, concentration spans and the ability of children to shift their attention at will. Poor self-regulation is contributing to much of the restless, inappropriate behaviour we see in early years and primary school classes.
One other thing that has changed in childhood has been the freedom of children to move and play in bare feet.
Yes, there are so many cute little shoes and footwear, but bare feet matter. The soles of our feet are very sensitive and intrinsically wired to our brain. Podiatrist Tracy Byrne, who specialises in podopaediatrics in London, believes that wearing shoes at too young an age can hamper a child’s walking and cerebral development.
“Toddlers keep their heads up more when they are walking barefoot. The feedback they get from the ground means there is less need to look down, which is what puts them off balance and causes them to fall down,” Byrne writes in The Guardian.
The benefit of letting our little ones move as much as possible in the early years – using all their senses, engaging in the real world, preferably outside – is that it will help them to grow up healthier, happier, stronger, smarter, calmer and more capable.
So move baby, move, and don’t stop.
Your baby's developmental roadmap
Your toddler's development
Seeing our child able to move, whether it’s a commando crawl, a bum skid or a tummy roll, is a fabulous moment in our parenting journey.(canvas prints photo on canvas canvas prints australia)
But it’s much more than that, of course, as without plenty of natural movement, babies and toddlers run the risk of experiencing developmental delays in all areas of life.
Movement is not just about the physical body; it is a very sophisticated necessity for developing healthy brains, healthy minds and nurturing the socio-cultural development of every human being. As parents, we need to be wary of passivity and a lack of natural movement for our kids.
So why are we ‘containerising’ many of today’s children in ways that prevent them from moving?
Human beings were born to be movers, and living a sedentary life is really a disruption to our authentic nature.
Research shows that exercise and physical activity increase the levels of serotonin, norepinephrine and dopamine, which are crucial neurotransmitters that traffic thoughts and emotions throughout the body.
Essentially, exercise has a profound impact on cognitive abilities and mental health. Not only that, it makes the blood pump through the body and stimulates the brain to work more efficiently and soundly.
It is an interesting irony that the modern world is hell-bent on creating gadgets and equipment to improve our lives, yet they often end up making it hard for our children to do what they are biologically wired to do: to move in deeply encoded ways to ensure they gradually grow in all their competencies.
Take, for example, the capsules that keep our babies safe in cars. Of course they are a fabulous invention for protecting babies in case there is an accident. But while leaving your baby in the capsule for long periods of time once out of the car might seem convenient and harmless, it is not optimal for spinal development, as movement is severely restricted.
The primary early requirements of baby movement are ones that involve stretching the spine, as this ensures the baby will be able to practice primitive reflexes to enable proper and healthy growth.
One of the most disturbing trends in modern life is that babies, toddlers and children have less freedom to move naturally, and it can impact on their behaviour and capacity to learn. So many products stop babies and toddlers from moving naturally and without restraint.
Think of walkers, prams, high chairs, bouncing gyms and plastic seats that can hold babies who are developmentally unable to sit by themselves. When we combine these contraptions with very little free movement, especially time on the floor, we may be creating unnecessary inhibitors to optimal baby and toddler development.
These containers are convenient for parents, but they also need to be seen through the lens of early child development, and maybe used less rather than more.
It can cause stress for babies, toddlers and infants to be restricted rather than being free to move, so it’s important to remember to relax, sit on the couch and simply watch your baby or toddler interact with the real world through the magic of movement in their own time and in their own way.
Children learn best by moving and doing, and this means they will often be noisy, untidy, messy and unpredictable.
Yes, sometimes life with little ones can feel boring and repetitive, but that’s okay. Without enough spinning, tumbling, balancing and rolling, toddlers and infants can run the risk of an under-developed cerebellum, which can feature in many children with attention issues and learning difficulties, particularly reading difficulties.
Many paediatric physiotherapists and OTs I’ve met also express concern at the increasing numbers of young preschool children with serious posture problems and chronic back pain.
They believe a combination of hours engaged with hand-held devices, plus an absence of climbing or hanging by their body weight on trees and monkey bars, are mainly to blame.
Movement skills have also been shown to contribute to improving literacy skills, concentration spans and the ability of children to shift their attention at will. Poor self-regulation is contributing to much of the restless, inappropriate behaviour we see in early years and primary school classes.
One other thing that has changed in childhood has been the freedom of children to move and play in bare feet.
Yes, there are so many cute little shoes and footwear, but bare feet matter. The soles of our feet are very sensitive and intrinsically wired to our brain. Podiatrist Tracy Byrne, who specialises in podopaediatrics in London, believes that wearing shoes at too young an age can hamper a child’s walking and cerebral development.
“Toddlers keep their heads up more when they are walking barefoot. The feedback they get from the ground means there is less need to look down, which is what puts them off balance and causes them to fall down,” Byrne writes in The Guardian.
The benefit of letting our little ones move as much as possible in the early years – using all their senses, engaging in the real world, preferably outside – is that it will help them to grow up healthier, happier, stronger, smarter, calmer and more capable.
So move baby, move, and don’t stop.
Running for these precious lives
"In that instant our brains went into shut-down. It's like we went into a wind tunnel and were cut off from anything happening around us, unable to take anything in. I would say it was like my worst nightmare, but I don't think I have ever had a nightmare as bad as what we were being told."(canvas prints photo on canvas canvas prints online)
They are the words of father Simon Rowe describing the moment he and partner Hanna Torsh learnt that their baby girl had been diagnosed with cancer 11 days before her first birthday.
Simon and Hanna took daughter Lena to the doctor in early March this year after noticing her left eyelid was not opening fully. They were referred to an ophthalmologist and were told their little girl most likely had a viral infection.
Lena's family and friends are taking part in the Run2Cure even to help raise money for research into neuroblastoma.
Lena's family and friends are taking part in the Run2Cure even to help raise money for research into neuroblastoma.
But two days later the left side of Lena's face became paralysed, and her parents took her to the emergency department at Sydney Children's Hospital in Randwick.
"We were told it was probably Bell's palsy, which can be triggered by a viral infection,'' Simon remembers. "They decided to do a scan of her head to rule out other possibilities. We were told it could be a tumour but also that it was very unlikely that was the case."
But two-and-a-half hours later, as they continued to wait for their daughter to be brought out from the procedure they were told would take only 45 minutes, Simon and Hanna were worried.
"The paediatric neurologist came and spoke to us and said 'Sorry, it's really bad news, it's cancer. It's not what we were expecting'. He told us the tumour was in the bones of Lena's face and skull and encasing both her eyes."
Lena's form of cancer is neuroblastoma, the third most common type of childhood cancer after leukemia and brain tumours. It is the leading cause of cancer deaths of children under five.
It's been just over three months since her diagnosis and in that time the family, including four-and-a-half-year-old big sister Lottie, have had their world turned upside down.
Initially Lena's cancer was assessed as being of "intermediate risk", meaning there was 90 per cent chance of survival. But sadly, tests last week showed the tumour had grown despite two rounds of chemotherapy. Her condition is now considered "high-risk".
"We've been told the chances of survival are now very much the wrong side of 50/50,'' Simon says. "Because her tumour has gotten worse we are now facing more cycles of increased intensity chemotherapy with more negative side effects and a greater risk of infection."
Despite the ordeal she's going through at such a tender age, Simon says little Lena is "probably the happiest person in our family right now".
"Because of her age, she is shielded from the knowledge and understanding of what is happening. The rest of us are filled with pain every time we look at our beautiful baby girl,'' Simon says.
"Lottie doesn't have a full understanding of what's happening, but she knows that Lena is sick and Mum and Dad are very worried. She has learnt the word 'cancer', but we try not to say too much around her as she's been having nightmares about death."
Despite the difficult time the family is facing, Simon says he and Hanna remain thankful for two things.
Firstly, that they live in a city where getting their daughter the best possible medical care does not mean having to uproot their family for the duration of her treatment. Secondly, the family has been blown away by the support they have received from extended family and friends - some who they had not been in contact with for years.
"We are very fortunate that we have an amazing network of friends and family helping us through,'' Simon says. "Whether it's dropping off food for us, or toys for the girls, or taking Lottie for playdates while Hanna and I need to be at hospital with Lena, so many people have shown us they care."
In addition to helping Simon, Hanna, Lena and Lottie in practical ways, some of those friends and family members will also be doing their bit to help raise funds for research into Neuroblastoma. The group will be taking part in the Run2Cure Neuroblastoma fun run in Sydney's Domain and Botanical Gardens this Sunday.
"Fundraising for neurobalstoma is very important," Simon, who is himself an intern doctor, explains. "Even though it's the cancer which kills the most children it's still a very rare condition, so from a public health perspective it's not something the government can justify spending money on.
"The only way we are going to get a cure, or better treatments, is through fundraising and the collaboration of researchers across the world in America, Europe and here in Australia."
They are the words of father Simon Rowe describing the moment he and partner Hanna Torsh learnt that their baby girl had been diagnosed with cancer 11 days before her first birthday.
Simon and Hanna took daughter Lena to the doctor in early March this year after noticing her left eyelid was not opening fully. They were referred to an ophthalmologist and were told their little girl most likely had a viral infection.
Lena's family and friends are taking part in the Run2Cure even to help raise money for research into neuroblastoma.
Lena's family and friends are taking part in the Run2Cure even to help raise money for research into neuroblastoma.
But two days later the left side of Lena's face became paralysed, and her parents took her to the emergency department at Sydney Children's Hospital in Randwick.
"We were told it was probably Bell's palsy, which can be triggered by a viral infection,'' Simon remembers. "They decided to do a scan of her head to rule out other possibilities. We were told it could be a tumour but also that it was very unlikely that was the case."
But two-and-a-half hours later, as they continued to wait for their daughter to be brought out from the procedure they were told would take only 45 minutes, Simon and Hanna were worried.
"The paediatric neurologist came and spoke to us and said 'Sorry, it's really bad news, it's cancer. It's not what we were expecting'. He told us the tumour was in the bones of Lena's face and skull and encasing both her eyes."
Lena's form of cancer is neuroblastoma, the third most common type of childhood cancer after leukemia and brain tumours. It is the leading cause of cancer deaths of children under five.
It's been just over three months since her diagnosis and in that time the family, including four-and-a-half-year-old big sister Lottie, have had their world turned upside down.
Initially Lena's cancer was assessed as being of "intermediate risk", meaning there was 90 per cent chance of survival. But sadly, tests last week showed the tumour had grown despite two rounds of chemotherapy. Her condition is now considered "high-risk".
"We've been told the chances of survival are now very much the wrong side of 50/50,'' Simon says. "Because her tumour has gotten worse we are now facing more cycles of increased intensity chemotherapy with more negative side effects and a greater risk of infection."
Despite the ordeal she's going through at such a tender age, Simon says little Lena is "probably the happiest person in our family right now".
"Because of her age, she is shielded from the knowledge and understanding of what is happening. The rest of us are filled with pain every time we look at our beautiful baby girl,'' Simon says.
"Lottie doesn't have a full understanding of what's happening, but she knows that Lena is sick and Mum and Dad are very worried. She has learnt the word 'cancer', but we try not to say too much around her as she's been having nightmares about death."
Despite the difficult time the family is facing, Simon says he and Hanna remain thankful for two things.
Firstly, that they live in a city where getting their daughter the best possible medical care does not mean having to uproot their family for the duration of her treatment. Secondly, the family has been blown away by the support they have received from extended family and friends - some who they had not been in contact with for years.
"We are very fortunate that we have an amazing network of friends and family helping us through,'' Simon says. "Whether it's dropping off food for us, or toys for the girls, or taking Lottie for playdates while Hanna and I need to be at hospital with Lena, so many people have shown us they care."
In addition to helping Simon, Hanna, Lena and Lottie in practical ways, some of those friends and family members will also be doing their bit to help raise funds for research into Neuroblastoma. The group will be taking part in the Run2Cure Neuroblastoma fun run in Sydney's Domain and Botanical Gardens this Sunday.
"Fundraising for neurobalstoma is very important," Simon, who is himself an intern doctor, explains. "Even though it's the cancer which kills the most children it's still a very rare condition, so from a public health perspective it's not something the government can justify spending money on.
"The only way we are going to get a cure, or better treatments, is through fundraising and the collaboration of researchers across the world in America, Europe and here in Australia."
Friday, January 30, 2015
The life-saving vaccine our children are being denied
New parents are urged to keep their children's immunisations up to date from the day their bundle of joy arrives in an attempt to keep dangerous diseases at bay. But there's one vaccine which could protect children from a deadly disease which isn't on the nation's child immunisation schedule.(canvas prints photo on canvas canvas prints australia)
Meningococcal B vaccine Bexsero (4CMenB) has been available for purchase privately in Australia since March 5 this year, but unlike the vaccine for Meningococcal C, is not funded through the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. And at about $125 per injection -with babies requiring four injections before they are 12 months old - it is simply financially out of reach for many families.
The recent death of a two-year-old boy in NSW who was infected with meningococcal B has thrown the spotlight on the new vaccine, with support groups calling for it to be included in the National Immunisation Program (NIP) immediately.
The Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee is meeting next month to discuss if the B-strain vaccine should be included on the NIP. An application by Bexsero manufacturer Novartis Vaccines for PBS listing last year was rejected by the committee, which argued the vaccine was not cost effective.
Meningococcal Australia director Kirsten Baker said although the disease is rare, the speed at which is spreads and its potentially deadly outcome justify the inclusion of the Bexsero vaccine as a routine immunisation.
"The problem is so many of the symptoms are similar to when a child has a bit of a cold. Parents often don't realise something is really wrong until they see the rash, but the rash is the usually the final symptom appear,'' Baker said.
"Also young children may not be able to explain what they are feeling, so they might just appear to be tired and generally unhappy in the early stages. But the clear message is that whoever thinks their child, or a child in their care, is showing symptoms of meningococcal disease, should seek urgent medical attention.
"This disease can become deadly within hours, and the sooner treatment is started the better the chance of a positive outcome."
Baker spent two weeks in hospital after contracting meningococcal septicaemia in 2005. She said the symptoms came on suddenly and believes if she had not sought immediate medical attention she may not have survived.
She is hopeful the government committee will approve an application to add Bexsero to the routine childhood immunisation schedule. She also encourages adults to make sure their own vaccinations are up to date.
"The rates of meningoccal C have plummeted since the vaccination was added to the childhood immunisation program in 2003, and we would love to see that happen with the B strain,'' she said.
One family who knows how quickly meningococcal disease can take hold is the Manulat family from Anna Bay, north of Newcastle in NSW.
Last Tuesday night their two-year-old son Ryder went to bed showing no signs of sickness, before waking up on Wednesday morning with a rash of pinprick spots on his body. He was rushed to hospital, where doctors quickly diagnosed the deadly meningococcal disease and administered antibiotics.
By 10am the little boy, who had Down syndrome, was placed on life support, and by 2pm he had passed away.
After the little boy's death his parents spoke about the fact they were not aware of the availability of a vaccine for the meningococcal B-strain which killed their son.
Around 200 Australians contract meningococcal disease each year, with children under five years of age and teenagers and adults between 15 and 25 most at risk. Up to 10 per cent of people who contract the disease die as a result.
According to Meningococcal Australia, symptoms of the disease vary and include headache, fever, drowsiness, a stiff or painful neck, sensitivity to light, vomiting, shivering, cold hands or feet, muscle or joint pain, and changes in skin colour. A late-stage rash may also develop, which can start off as spots, blisters and pinpricks and later appear as purple, bruise-like blotches.
One fifth of survivors are left with lifelong disabilities, including brain damage and limb loss.
Meningococcal B is the most common strain of the disease in Australia, being responsible for 83 per cent of cases.
Besxero has been approved by the TGA for use in Australia following a review of the vaccine’s safety and effectiveness. The vaccine has already been recommended for inclusion on the childhood National Immunisation Program in the UK, based on the results of trials involving more than 8000 people.
Meningococcal B vaccine Bexsero (4CMenB) has been available for purchase privately in Australia since March 5 this year, but unlike the vaccine for Meningococcal C, is not funded through the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. And at about $125 per injection -with babies requiring four injections before they are 12 months old - it is simply financially out of reach for many families.
The recent death of a two-year-old boy in NSW who was infected with meningococcal B has thrown the spotlight on the new vaccine, with support groups calling for it to be included in the National Immunisation Program (NIP) immediately.
The Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee is meeting next month to discuss if the B-strain vaccine should be included on the NIP. An application by Bexsero manufacturer Novartis Vaccines for PBS listing last year was rejected by the committee, which argued the vaccine was not cost effective.
Meningococcal Australia director Kirsten Baker said although the disease is rare, the speed at which is spreads and its potentially deadly outcome justify the inclusion of the Bexsero vaccine as a routine immunisation.
"The problem is so many of the symptoms are similar to when a child has a bit of a cold. Parents often don't realise something is really wrong until they see the rash, but the rash is the usually the final symptom appear,'' Baker said.
"Also young children may not be able to explain what they are feeling, so they might just appear to be tired and generally unhappy in the early stages. But the clear message is that whoever thinks their child, or a child in their care, is showing symptoms of meningococcal disease, should seek urgent medical attention.
"This disease can become deadly within hours, and the sooner treatment is started the better the chance of a positive outcome."
Baker spent two weeks in hospital after contracting meningococcal septicaemia in 2005. She said the symptoms came on suddenly and believes if she had not sought immediate medical attention she may not have survived.
She is hopeful the government committee will approve an application to add Bexsero to the routine childhood immunisation schedule. She also encourages adults to make sure their own vaccinations are up to date.
"The rates of meningoccal C have plummeted since the vaccination was added to the childhood immunisation program in 2003, and we would love to see that happen with the B strain,'' she said.
One family who knows how quickly meningococcal disease can take hold is the Manulat family from Anna Bay, north of Newcastle in NSW.
Last Tuesday night their two-year-old son Ryder went to bed showing no signs of sickness, before waking up on Wednesday morning with a rash of pinprick spots on his body. He was rushed to hospital, where doctors quickly diagnosed the deadly meningococcal disease and administered antibiotics.
By 10am the little boy, who had Down syndrome, was placed on life support, and by 2pm he had passed away.
After the little boy's death his parents spoke about the fact they were not aware of the availability of a vaccine for the meningococcal B-strain which killed their son.
Around 200 Australians contract meningococcal disease each year, with children under five years of age and teenagers and adults between 15 and 25 most at risk. Up to 10 per cent of people who contract the disease die as a result.
According to Meningococcal Australia, symptoms of the disease vary and include headache, fever, drowsiness, a stiff or painful neck, sensitivity to light, vomiting, shivering, cold hands or feet, muscle or joint pain, and changes in skin colour. A late-stage rash may also develop, which can start off as spots, blisters and pinpricks and later appear as purple, bruise-like blotches.
One fifth of survivors are left with lifelong disabilities, including brain damage and limb loss.
Meningococcal B is the most common strain of the disease in Australia, being responsible for 83 per cent of cases.
Besxero has been approved by the TGA for use in Australia following a review of the vaccine’s safety and effectiveness. The vaccine has already been recommended for inclusion on the childhood National Immunisation Program in the UK, based on the results of trials involving more than 8000 people.
Running for these precious lives
"In that instant our brains went into shut-down. It's like we went into a wind tunnel and were cut off from anything happening around us, unable to take anything in. I would say it was like my worst nightmare, but I don't think I have ever had a nightmare as bad as what we were being told."(canvas prints photo on canvas canvas prints online)
They are the words of father Simon Rowe describing the moment he and partner Hanna Torsh learnt that their baby girl had been diagnosed with cancer 11 days before her first birthday.
Simon and Hanna took daughter Lena to the doctor in early March this year after noticing her left eyelid was not opening fully. They were referred to an ophthalmologist and were told their little girl most likely had a viral infection.
Lena's family and friends are taking part in the Run2Cure even to help raise money for research into neuroblastoma.
Lena's family and friends are taking part in the Run2Cure even to help raise money for research into neuroblastoma.
But two days later the left side of Lena's face became paralysed, and her parents took her to the emergency department at Sydney Children's Hospital in Randwick.
"We were told it was probably Bell's palsy, which can be triggered by a viral infection,'' Simon remembers. "They decided to do a scan of her head to rule out other possibilities. We were told it could be a tumour but also that it was very unlikely that was the case."
But two-and-a-half hours later, as they continued to wait for their daughter to be brought out from the procedure they were told would take only 45 minutes, Simon and Hanna were worried.
"The paediatric neurologist came and spoke to us and said 'Sorry, it's really bad news, it's cancer. It's not what we were expecting'. He told us the tumour was in the bones of Lena's face and skull and encasing both her eyes."
Lena's form of cancer is neuroblastoma, the third most common type of childhood cancer after leukemia and brain tumours. It is the leading cause of cancer deaths of children under five.
It's been just over three months since her diagnosis and in that time the family, including four-and-a-half-year-old big sister Lottie, have had their world turned upside down.
Initially Lena's cancer was assessed as being of "intermediate risk", meaning there was 90 per cent chance of survival. But sadly, tests last week showed the tumour had grown despite two rounds of chemotherapy. Her condition is now considered "high-risk".
"We've been told the chances of survival are now very much the wrong side of 50/50,'' Simon says. "Because her tumour has gotten worse we are now facing more cycles of increased intensity chemotherapy with more negative side effects and a greater risk of infection."
Despite the ordeal she's going through at such a tender age, Simon says little Lena is "probably the happiest person in our family right now".
"Because of her age, she is shielded from the knowledge and understanding of what is happening. The rest of us are filled with pain every time we look at our beautiful baby girl,'' Simon says.
"Lottie doesn't have a full understanding of what's happening, but she knows that Lena is sick and Mum and Dad are very worried. She has learnt the word 'cancer', but we try not to say too much around her as she's been having nightmares about death."
Despite the difficult time the family is facing, Simon says he and Hanna remain thankful for two things.
Firstly, that they live in a city where getting their daughter the best possible medical care does not mean having to uproot their family for the duration of her treatment. Secondly, the family has been blown away by the support they have received from extended family and friends - some who they had not been in contact with for years.
"We are very fortunate that we have an amazing network of friends and family helping us through,'' Simon says. "Whether it's dropping off food for us, or toys for the girls, or taking Lottie for playdates while Hanna and I need to be at hospital with Lena, so many people have shown us they care."
In addition to helping Simon, Hanna, Lena and Lottie in practical ways, some of those friends and family members will also be doing their bit to help raise funds for research into Neuroblastoma. The group will be taking part in the Run2Cure Neuroblastoma fun run in Sydney's Domain and Botanical Gardens this Sunday.
"Fundraising for neurobalstoma is very important," Simon, who is himself an intern doctor, explains. "Even though it's the cancer which kills the most children it's still a very rare condition, so from a public health perspective it's not something the government can justify spending money on.
"The only way we are going to get a cure, or better treatments, is through fundraising and the collaboration of researchers across the world in America, Europe and here in Australia."
They are the words of father Simon Rowe describing the moment he and partner Hanna Torsh learnt that their baby girl had been diagnosed with cancer 11 days before her first birthday.
Simon and Hanna took daughter Lena to the doctor in early March this year after noticing her left eyelid was not opening fully. They were referred to an ophthalmologist and were told their little girl most likely had a viral infection.
Lena's family and friends are taking part in the Run2Cure even to help raise money for research into neuroblastoma.
Lena's family and friends are taking part in the Run2Cure even to help raise money for research into neuroblastoma.
But two days later the left side of Lena's face became paralysed, and her parents took her to the emergency department at Sydney Children's Hospital in Randwick.
"We were told it was probably Bell's palsy, which can be triggered by a viral infection,'' Simon remembers. "They decided to do a scan of her head to rule out other possibilities. We were told it could be a tumour but also that it was very unlikely that was the case."
But two-and-a-half hours later, as they continued to wait for their daughter to be brought out from the procedure they were told would take only 45 minutes, Simon and Hanna were worried.
"The paediatric neurologist came and spoke to us and said 'Sorry, it's really bad news, it's cancer. It's not what we were expecting'. He told us the tumour was in the bones of Lena's face and skull and encasing both her eyes."
Lena's form of cancer is neuroblastoma, the third most common type of childhood cancer after leukemia and brain tumours. It is the leading cause of cancer deaths of children under five.
It's been just over three months since her diagnosis and in that time the family, including four-and-a-half-year-old big sister Lottie, have had their world turned upside down.
Initially Lena's cancer was assessed as being of "intermediate risk", meaning there was 90 per cent chance of survival. But sadly, tests last week showed the tumour had grown despite two rounds of chemotherapy. Her condition is now considered "high-risk".
"We've been told the chances of survival are now very much the wrong side of 50/50,'' Simon says. "Because her tumour has gotten worse we are now facing more cycles of increased intensity chemotherapy with more negative side effects and a greater risk of infection."
Despite the ordeal she's going through at such a tender age, Simon says little Lena is "probably the happiest person in our family right now".
"Because of her age, she is shielded from the knowledge and understanding of what is happening. The rest of us are filled with pain every time we look at our beautiful baby girl,'' Simon says.
"Lottie doesn't have a full understanding of what's happening, but she knows that Lena is sick and Mum and Dad are very worried. She has learnt the word 'cancer', but we try not to say too much around her as she's been having nightmares about death."
Despite the difficult time the family is facing, Simon says he and Hanna remain thankful for two things.
Firstly, that they live in a city where getting their daughter the best possible medical care does not mean having to uproot their family for the duration of her treatment. Secondly, the family has been blown away by the support they have received from extended family and friends - some who they had not been in contact with for years.
"We are very fortunate that we have an amazing network of friends and family helping us through,'' Simon says. "Whether it's dropping off food for us, or toys for the girls, or taking Lottie for playdates while Hanna and I need to be at hospital with Lena, so many people have shown us they care."
In addition to helping Simon, Hanna, Lena and Lottie in practical ways, some of those friends and family members will also be doing their bit to help raise funds for research into Neuroblastoma. The group will be taking part in the Run2Cure Neuroblastoma fun run in Sydney's Domain and Botanical Gardens this Sunday.
"Fundraising for neurobalstoma is very important," Simon, who is himself an intern doctor, explains. "Even though it's the cancer which kills the most children it's still a very rare condition, so from a public health perspective it's not something the government can justify spending money on.
"The only way we are going to get a cure, or better treatments, is through fundraising and the collaboration of researchers across the world in America, Europe and here in Australia."
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