Cancer Health

Graco Harmony High Chairs
Recalled

About 1.2 million Graco Harmony high chairs are being recalled because
they pose a fall hazard, says the U.S. Consumer Product Safety
Commission.

The agency said screws holding the front legs of the chair can loosen
and fall out, and cracking plastic brackets can cause the chair to tip
over without warning, the Associated Press reported.

There have been 464 reports of high chair tip-overs resulting in 24
reported injuries to children, including bumps and bruises to the head, a
hairline fracture to the arm, and cuts, bumps and bruises to the body, the
CPSC said.

Consumers should stop using the chairs and obtain a free repair kit by
contacting Graco Children’s Products of Atlanta toll-free at (877)
842-3206.

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Traumatic Brain Injury Major Cause of Death in
U.S.

About 1.7 million traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) occur each year in
the United States, say Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
researchers who analyzed data from 2002 to 2006.

They found that TBIs lead to 52,000 deaths and 275,000 hospitalizations
each year and contribute to 30.5 percent of injury-related deaths in the
United States.

Among the other findings:

• Those most likely to suffer TBI are: children from birth to 4 years
  old, teens ages 15 to 19, and adults aged 65 and older.
• Falls are the leading cause of TBI (35.2 percent). Fall-related TBIs
  are highest among children from birth to 4 years old and adults aged 75
  and older.
• Traffic crashes are the second leading cause of TBI (17.3 percent) in
  all age groups and result in the largest percentage of TBI-related deaths
  (31.8 percent).
• In all age groups, TBI rates are higher for males than for
  females.

The report was released Wednesday.

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EPA to Tighten Flea, Tick Product
Regulations

Stricter testing and evaluation rules for flea and tick treatments that
are applied to pets’ skins are being developed by the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency in response to consumers complaints that the products
have harmed or killed dogs and cats.

The agency also plans to review the products’ labels in order to
identify which ones need to better explain how to use them properly, the
Associated Press reported.

In 2008, the EPA received 44,263 complaints of harmful reactions —
such as skin irritations, vomiting, seizures and about 600 deaths —
associated with topical (skin-applied) flea and tick products. There were
28,895 complaints in 2007.

Even though “adverse reactions can occur with all flea and tick
products, most effects are relatively mild and include skin irritation and
stomach upset,” Dr. Steven Hansen, a veterinary toxicologist and senior
vice president of Animal Health Services at the
American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, told the
AP.

He recommended pet owners continue using the products as directed when
dealing with a flea infestation.

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Kraft Reduces Salt in Food
Products

Over the next two years, Kraft Foods Inc. will cut the amount of salt
in its North American products by an average of 10 percent.

The changes will affect more than 1,000 products and remove more than
10 million pounds of salt, Kraft said Wednesday. The company is the
largest U.S. food maker, the Associated Press reported.

The salt reductions include a಑ percent cut in Oscar Mayer bologna, a
20 percent decrease in Easy Mac Cups, and a 10 percent drop in
Velveeta.

“We are reducing sodium because it’s good for consumers and, if done
properly, it’s good for business,” Rhonda Jordan, president of health and
wellness at Kraft, said in a news release, the AP reported. “A
growing number of consumers are concerned about their sodium intake, and
we want to help them translate their intentions into actions.”

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California May Ban Smoking in State
Parks

A bill to ban smoking in all state parks will be considered Thursday by
California lawmakers.

The move is seen as a way to reduce the threat of wildfires, address
the problem of unsightly cigarette butts on beaches, and eliminate
second-hand smoke. Campsites and parking areas would be exempt from the
ban, the Associated Press reported.

If the bill is passed, California will have what is believed to be the
nation’s most restrictive smoking ban in state parks.

“It is very clear that the garbage that is created as a result of
smoking on beaches — butts and wrappers — are polluting our water,” bill
author Democratic State Sen. Jenny Oropeza of Long Beach, told the
AP. “In terms of the state park system, we have a major fire hazard
when cigarettes are smoked in parks.”

The American Cancer Society says similar state park smoking bans are
being considered in Hawaii, New Hampshire, New Jersey and New York.

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Philadelphia VA Center Fined for Radiation
Treatment Errors

The Philadelphia Veterans Affairs Medical Center was fined $227,500 for
an “unprecedented number” of radiation errors in treating prostate cancer
patients, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission announced Wednesday.

Officials said this is the second-largest NRC fine ever against a
medical institution and is justified by the magnitude of the failure at
the hospital, The New York Times reported.

From 2002 to 2008, the hospital misplaced radioactive seeds in 97 of
116 procedures involving prostate cancer patients.

“The lack of management oversight, the lack of safety culture to ensure
patients are treated safely, the potential consequences to the veterans
who came to this facility and the sheer number of medical events show the
gravity of these violations,” said Mark Satorius, a regional administrator
for the commission, The Times reported.

While there were problems, hospital staff discovered “these potential
dosing issues almost two years ago, closed the program, self-reported to
the NRC, cooperated fully with multiple investigations and have been
transparent throughout the entire process,” said Richard Citron, director
of the Philadelphia Veterans Affairs Medical Center.

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