plus 4, Scottdale woman fired by dentist because of pregnancy, suit says - PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW

Scottdale woman fired by dentist because of pregnancy, suit says - PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Low vitamin D tied to infection during pregnancy - StarPhoenix
China: Video games cause teen pregnancy, murder - Joystiq
Vaccines during pregnancy and breastfeeding - abc40
China Blames Online Games for Drugs, Murder, Teen Pregnancy - CSO

Scottdale woman fired by dentist because of pregnancy, suit says - PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW

Posted: 28 Dec 2009 09:01 PM PST

A Scottdale woman claims she was fired from her job as a dental assistant because she was pregnant.

Jennifer Fuller filed a one-count discrimination lawsuit in Westmoreland County, in which she said that less than a month after she was hired by Greensburg dentist Susan Susang, she disclosed her pregnancy and was fired.

According to the lawsuit, Fuller was hired on Feb. 21, 2006. She learned of her pregnancy a week later and told her new boss.

"After informing the defendant of her pregnancy, the defendant informed her that she would not grant her any maternity leave, sick days with pay, or time off as needed due to illness or family matters. Defendant further informed the plaintiff that she would not be able to employ her as a dental assistant due to her pregnancy," the lawsuit contends.

On March 13, 2006, Fuller was told she was fired and later was replaced by a woman who was not pregnant, according to the lawsuit.

Fuller filed a complaint with the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission, which was denied in late 2007.

Nationally, complaints such as the Fuller's are on the rise. According to a report by the Equal Employment Occupation Commission, pregnancy discrimination lawsuits have increased by 65 percent over a 15-year period ending in 2007.

Fuller contends Susang violated the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act and has sustained lost wages, loss of employment and "serious emotional trauma and suffering."

She is seeking an unspecified amount in damages.

Susang could not be reached for comment on Monday.

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Low vitamin D tied to infection during pregnancy - StarPhoenix

Posted: 28 Dec 2009 06:31 PM PST

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Pregnant women who are deficient in vitamin D may be at increased risk for developing bacterial vaginosis, a vaginal infection that may have harmful effects on the pregnancy, according to a report in The Journal of Nutrition.

Bacterial vaginosis is caused by an imbalance of the bacteria normally found in a woman's vagina, which is upset by an overgrowth of bacteria not usually present. It is the most common vaginal infection in women of child-bearing age. Symptoms include discharge, odor, pain, itching and burning.

When present during pregnancy, bacterial vaginosis is known to increase the chances of preterm delivery.

Dr. Lisa M. Bodnar from the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health, Pennsylvania, and colleagues examined the association between vitamin D status and bacterial vaginosis in the first trimester of pregnancy in 469 women.

The team found that 41 percent of the women had bacterial vaginosis, and 52 percent had low levels of vitamin D. Further analysis showed that vitamin D levels were lower in women with bacterial vaginosis than in those without the infection.

The researchers found that low vitamin D levels were linked to bacterial vaginosis in black women, but not in white women. However, this may simply be because relatively few white women were included in the study.

"Our findings suggest that vitamin D deficiency is associated with bacterial vaginosis at less than 16 weeks of pregnancy," the authors conclude. If the findings are confirmed in other studies, they add, vitamin D deficiency may partially account for the racial differences seen in rates of bacterial vaginosis and in other pregnancy complications.

SOURCE: Journal of Nutrition, April 8, 2009.

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China: Video games cause teen pregnancy, murder - Joystiq

Posted: 28 Dec 2009 08:18 PM PST

China: Video games cause teen pregnancy, murder

by Alexander Sliwinski { Dec 28th 2009 at 11:15PM }

Tags: business, china, mmo, mmorpg, murder-death-kill

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Vaccines during pregnancy and breastfeeding - abc40

Posted: 28 Dec 2009 06:52 PM PST

From the Flu and Cold Health Center

Congratulations on your pregnancy! You're eating right, getting extra rest and taking your prenatal vitamins. After all, you want to do everything you can to ensure a healthy baby! But have you given any thought to protecting yourself and your baby against infectious diseases—like seasonal influenza and the H1N1 flu virus, an additional flu risk this year?

It's important to consider vaccination part of your prenatal care. That's why the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) has specific recommendations for pregnant and breastfeeding women. The committee notes that there is no evidence of risk to your developing baby if you are vaccinated with an inactivated viral or bacterial vaccine while pregnant. In either case, the committee notes, the "benefits of vaccinating pregnant women usually outweigh the potential risks when the likelihood of disease exposure is high, when infection would pose a risk to the mother or fetus, and when the vaccine is unlikely to cause harm."

The CDC's ACIP recommends both the seasonal flu vaccination and the H1N1 vaccine for pregnant and breastfeeding women and for people 6 months to 24 years.

The CDC also identifies four safe and effective optional vaccines for pregnant women, if you have been or could be exposed to any of the following bacterial and viral diseases: Hepatitis B, tetanus-diphtheria, meningococcal and rabies.

So what makes the flu vaccines so important? Well, you're much more likely to be exposed to influenza in any given year than meningitis or rabies. Plus, pregnancy-related changes in your immune and respiratory systems mean that you are at higher risk for flu-related complications. In fact, if you get the flu while you're pregnant, you're more likely to be hospitalized with complications. Another good reason to get vaccinated against the flu is that a recent study found that your vaccine could protect your baby during his or her first six months—when infants can't receive a flu vaccine, yet when they are very vulnerable to flu-related complications.

This year, the novel H1N1 flu ("swine flu") poses an additional risk. At this point, scientists expect illnesses from H1N1 flu to continue for some time, so it's important for people—especially pregnant women or parents of infants and young children—to be as informed about the virus as possible.

Make Flu Vaccines a Family Affair

You're not the only one who needs a vaccine. The people around you should also get flu vaccines this season. That reduces the risk that they'll catch the flu and bring it home to you or your newborn.

Not one but two vaccines are recommended this year: One for seasonal flu and one for H1N1 flu.

There are also two forms of seasonal flu vaccine: the inactivated virus vaccine, delivered as an injection; and the attenuated virus vaccine, delivered as a nasal spray. Pregnant women should only receive the inactivated, injection form. The nasal spray vaccine is approved only for use in healthy people 2 to 49 years of age who are not pregnant.

One other thing: If you're severely allergic to eggs (the vaccine is grown in eggs), had a severe reaction to a flu vaccine in the past or are under six months of age, you should not be immunized. Also, if you have a fever, wait until you're better before getting the vaccine.

You have another consideration when it comes to the vaccine: thimerosal or thimerosal free? Thimerosal is a mercury compound that has been used for more than 80 years to preserve vaccines. Numerous studies find no harmful effects from the preservative in children or adults. Still, some people worry about it, which is why manufacturers have now made a thimerosal-free vaccine available. Ask your healthcare provider about your options.

Here's something else you should be aware of: Flu vaccines are not foolproof. It will not provide 100 percent protection against the flu. When the seasonal flu vaccine and the circulating viruses are similar, the vaccine can prevent the flu among 70 to 90 percent of healthy adults under 65.

Even if you do get the flu, the vaccine can still protect you against flu-related complications by minimizing the severity of the illness.

And, contrary to flu myths, you cannot get the flu from a flu shot or the nasal vaccine. If you get sick after a vaccine, it's just coincidence. In fact, the most common side effect of the shot is a little soreness at the injection site, and the most common side effect of the spray is a runny nose or nasal congestion.

Now's the Time

The best time for a flu shot is between September and December, before flu season really peaks in January, February or later. It usually only takes about two weeks for your body to make antibodies (immune system proteins that help your system recognize the flu virus) to the virus. So even if you get vaccinated after December, you still get some protection.

While a single vaccine lasts the entire season, it won't protect you next winter because your immunity fades. Plus, flu viruses change from year to year. That's why it's important to get vaccinated every year.

Guidelines for High-Risk Groups

Pregnant women and children are considered high risk for both seasonal flu and the H1N1 flu virus and potential related complications. That's why vaccinations for these groups are such an important consideration and are highly recommended by federal government and health professional groups, such as the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

For information on other high-risk populations, visit the CDC's flu information Web site: http://www.flu.gov/

Remember, if you are a new mom breastfeeding your baby, you should get vaccinated against both seasonal and H1N1 influenza. If you have already delivered your baby, you're eligible for the nasal, or "attenuated," version of the vaccines. In fact, you can have any type of vaccine—except the smallpox vaccine—while breastfeeding with no worries about it negatively affecting your baby in any way.

So what are you waiting for? Pick up the phone and make an appointment for your seasonal flu and H1N1 flu vaccines. Your health and your baby's health depend on you!

For more on protecting yourself from the flu during pregnancy, visit: www.healthywomen.org/flufree

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China Blames Online Games for Drugs, Murder, Teen Pregnancy - CSO

Posted: 28 Dec 2009 06:38 PM PST

December 28, 2009 — IDG News Service —

BEIJING - China's state news channel has blamed hugely popular online games for problems including drug addiction, teen pregnancy and even murder this month as regulators crack down on allegedly harmful content in games.

In a program titled "Confession of a Murderer -- Focus on Pornography and Violence in Online Games (Part Two)," China Central Television (CCTV) on Thursday reported on a Beijing juvenile prison where one man was serving a life sentence for murders he committed to obtain virtual equipment in an online game. Up to 80 percent of the violent criminals in the prison turned to crime because of online games, the report said.

"He himself killed five people, and the reason he took the path to crime was addiction to violent online games," it said.

The program follows other CCTV reports this month that have blamed social ills on online games and given voice to concerns among some Chinese parents that excessive time spent on games and social-networking sites is interfering with their children's schoolwork.

The reports, which also come amid a wide-reaching government campaign against Internet pornography, show how erratic political conditions can threaten companies operating in China. Chinese regulators this year have shut down dozens of online games designed overseas and ordered developers to stop including "lowbrow" content like monster-hunting in games. A struggle between government agencies for the right to regulate online games has further roiled the industry and helped send the hit game World of Warcraft offline for three months earlier this year.

Chinese state media have long criticized online games. The last installment of the CCTV series told the story of a 14-year-old girl purportedly influenced by an online dancing game to start having sex with people she met online. The game, called "Audition," was said to encourage one-night stands and the girl to have had two abortions.

CCTV this month also aired a report on teenagers who became addicted to cough medicine and then drugs like methamphetamine as a way to keep their energy up during all-night gaming marathons. The boys were said to spend their time in Internet cafes, which are often filled with chain-smoking young men using instant-messaging programs and playing online games.

China has the largest number of Internet users in any country with at least 338 million people online. Over 210 million of those people play online games, according to a government survey.

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