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T he P ortland O bserver • J une 16, 199?
Wlj? Jíartlan h ODbserlier
WIC Participation Linked To
Reduced Infant Mortality
Secretary o f agriculture M ike
Epsy announced the release o f a study
lin k in g participation by pregnant
women in a USDA sponsored supple
mental food program w ith sign ifi
cantly reduced infant m ortality rates.
The study, which tracked M edic
aid newborns in five states, found that
infan t m orta lity was dram atically
lower among Medicaid beneficiaries
who participated inthc Special Supple
mental Food Program for Women,
Infants and Children (W IC ) than
among Medicaid beneficiaries who
did not participate in WIC.
“ Study after study has documented
the effectiveness o f the WIC program,”
said Espy. “ This new data is just addi
tional evidence that W IC works.”
The results show ed that predicted
infant m ortality rates for W IC partici
pants were approximately one-quar
ter to two-thirds the predicted rate for
non-participants. In comparing both
groups, the greatest difference was in
lower neonatal mortality rates, that is,
deaths occurring w ith in the first 28
days o f life.
“ These findings further under
score the need for full-funding o f the
W IC program,” said Espy. "President
C linton and I are both committed to
ensuring that every eligible woman.
infant and child receives these invalu
able benefits by 1996.”
Established in 1972, W IC is a
supplemental food program adminis
tered by USDA’ s Food and nutrition
Service. The $2.9 b illio n program
provides benefits to 5.7 m illio n par
ticipants, including forty percent o f
all babies born in the United States.
The prenatal component o f W IC pro
vides food supplements, nutrition edu
cation and referrals to healthcare, and
social services to low-income preg
nant women. Medicaid is a jo in t fed
eral and state medical care program
for low-income people.
The study included all Medicaid
births in 1987 in Florida, Minnesota,
North Carolina and South Carolina.
In Texas, the study tracked all Medic
aid births from January through June
1988.
Estimated reductions in infant
m ortality associated w ith participat
ing in W IC during pregnancy were:
1.2 deaths per 1,000 live births in
Minnesota, 3.6 in Florida, 4.0 in Texas,
8.4 in North Carolina and 27.2 in
South Carolina. Since infant mortal
ity is a rare event, these small numbers
represent relatively large effects.
Put another way, the study results
suggest that states would have experi
enced more infant deaths in 1988 in
the absence o f W IC participation: 114
deaths in Florida, 174 in North Caro
lina, 320 in South Carolina and 103 in
Texas for the six-month period The
Minnesota findings were not statisti
cally significant.
This study is the third in a series
o f reports based on 1988 WIC, M edic
aid, and the vital records data. The
first report examined the relationship
between prenatal W IC participation,
medicaid cost and a variety o f birth
outcomes The second report exam
ined very low birthweight among
Medicaid newborns
The results o f this most recent
study are consistent w ith USD A’ s ear
lier findings concerning W IC ’ s im
pact
on
the
M e d ic a id
population,namely higher average
birthweights, longer gestations, a
lower incidence o f preterm or low
birthweight births, and a greater prob
ability o f receiving adequate prenatal
care.
Entitled “ Infant M ortality .Among
Medicaid Newborns in Five States:
The Effects o f Prenatal WIC Partici
pation,” the study was conducted for
U SD A’ s Food and N utrition Service
by Mathematica Policy Research, Inc.
o f Princeton,New Jersey.
Moderate Caffeine Consumption During Pregnancy
Not Linked With Miscarriage, Low Birth Weight
A large multicenter study con than in women whose babies were heavy caffeine consumers were no
ducted by the National Institute o f b orn a liv e . M o re o v e r, e a rly more likely to have a child o f low birth
C hild Health and Human Develop fe ta l g ro w th , as measured by weight or small head circumference
ment (N IC H D ) has determined that ultrasonographic examination, was than the non-caffeine users.
“ Very few women in our study
moderate consumption o f caffeine- not affected by caffeine consumption.
containing beverages-the equivalent
The researchers did find, how consumed more than 300 mg o f
o f 3 or fewer cups o f coffee a day--docs ever, that the group consum ing caffeine per day, so we cannot address
not appear to increase the risk o f mis the most caffeine per day, 300 mg the safety o f very high doses,” said
carriage or retard the growth o f a fetus (roughly 3 cups o f coffee) or more the study’s principal investigator,
w hile in the womb. The study ap were more likely to give b irth to in JamesL. M ills,M D , Chief o fN IC H D ’s
peared in the Journal O f The A m eri fants o f lower birth weight. These P ediatric E pide m io lo g y Section.
infants were also likely to have a “ W hat our w ork demonstrates is
can Medical Association.
The study carefully followed the smaller head circumference-a pos that a woman who drinks a few cups
pregnancies and deliveries o i 431 sible indication.of growth retardation o f coffee or tea, or sev eral cans o f cola
a day, is not a higher risk for having
women. Roughly 76 percent o f them while in the womb
But the women in this group a miscarriage or a growth retarded
were enrolled before conception, w hile
the remainder were enrolled no later were also likely to have known risk baby.”
factors for having a low birth weight
The study monitored consump
than 21 days after conceiving.
The researchers found that caf infant, most notably smoking. When tion o f the major sources o f caffeine,
feine consumption was not sig n ifi the researchers compensated for the coffee (100 mg caffeine per serv ing),
cantly higher in women who aborted risk posed by these risk factors, the tea (40 mg), throughout pregnancy.
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Americans Trying For Healthier Diets
Three o f every four Americans
say they ‘ re actively try ing to change
their diets in favor o f low er-fat,
healthier food choices, but most can’t
distinguish among high and low-fat
content foods
Those were among the findings
o f a recent nationwide survey, con
ducted by Market Facts, Inc. The sur
vey was sponsored by Worthington
Foods, a leading manufacturer o f veg
etarian and healthful foods. The tele
phone survey questioned more than
1,000 consumers on a range o f issues
concerning their knowledge o f and
attitudes toward dietary changes to
reduce fat consumption.
“ From a health perspective, this
survey shows that although progress
has been made, we still have a long
way to go in the effort to improve
diets,” said Trudy Cravens, Ph D.,
F.D., manager o f technical services o f
W orthington Foods, Inc.
In fact when respondents were
asked to name the most important
thing they were currently doing to
reduce dietary' fat consumption, the
most frequent responses centered on
paying greater attention to the fat
content o f processed foods and reduc
ing and/or restricting their consump
tion o f meat.
use.
Contrary to their stated efforts,
however, many survey respondents
appeared to have the most difficulty
breaking the long-standing dietary
habit o f eating meat. Nearly 15%
o f respondents (the greatest number)
listed steak, beef or other meat items
as the one food item they would least
be w illin g to give up in an effort to eat
more healthfully.
“ Perhaps one o f the reasons
why people are having a hard time
in cutting back on meat consumption,
is that they are unaware o f the
grow ing number o f meatless alterna
tives on the m arket. There are
readily available products in the su
permarket which contain meat or
animal fat, but have the appeal meat
caters are looking for in bacon, sau
sage, hamburger and the like,” said
Cravens.
The survey also revealed that low-
fat or “ ligh t” food items appear to
have reached high acceptance levels
in American homes. More than 90%
o f the respondents said they regularly
use such products. The most com
monly mentioned product was low-fat
m ilk (72% respondents), but "lig h t
margarine (59% or respondents) and
reduced-fat luncheon meats (38% o f
respondents also showed high rates o f
W hile nearly 75% o f the respon
dents cited ways they were changing
their dietary habits to avoid high-fat
foods, fewer than 10% could correctly
id e n tify apple pie as the lowest
fat-content item from a list o f five
common food items including an
all-beef hotdog, baked salmon, Ched
dar cheese, homemade apple pie,
and premium ice cream. The respon
dents did slightly better when asked to
identify the highest fat content item in
the list, but still only 26% came up
w ith cheddar cheese as the correct
answer.
“ The good news is that A m e ri
cans clear are making changes in their
diets in an effort to lead a more health
ful lifesty le. The bad news, however,
is that consumers lack the knowledge
o f alternatives available to aid them in
the process o f eating more healthfully,”
stated Cravens.
M orningstar Farms brand from
Worthington Foods provides alterna
tives to whole eggs (Better’ n Eggs and
Scramblers), as well as meatless sub
stitutes for sausage (Breakfast Patties
and Breakfast Links), bacon (Break
fast Strips), and hamburger (G rillers)
which are lower in fat and cholesterol
than their counterparts.
Largest Global Study Of Heart Attack
The results from an international
study involving two local hospitals
indicate that heart attack patients have
a greater chance o f survival i f the clot
dissolv ing medication tissue plasmino
gen activator, t-PA is given over a
shorter time period than is the current
practice.
Albany General and M cM innville
Community Hospitals were able to
participate in the study because o f
their affiliation w ith the Heart Emer
gency Net work at Providence Medical
Center in Portland. Providence coor
dinates the Heart Emergency Network
through its Heart Center w ith seven
rural hospitals including Albany Gen
e ra l, M c M in n v ille C o m m u n ity,
Santiam Memorial, Valley Commu
nity, North Lincoln, Hood Riv er Me
m orial and Providence M ilw aukie
Hospitals.
The two year GUSTO (Global
U tilization o f Streptokinase and t-PA
for Occluded Coronary'Arteries T rial)
study, makes the largest and most
comprehensive evaluation o f treat
ments for hcartattackscvcrconductcd.
The global study involved 41,021 heart
attack patients in 1,100 medical cen
ters throughout the U.S. and 15 other
countries. The extensive network o f
hospitals, including Albany General
and M cM innville Community, gives
doctors and m edical researchers
around the world a model for further
evaluation o f new treatments and drug
therapies.
According to Sandy Bell, pro
gram manager o f the Providence Heart
Center, because o f Albany General
and M cM in nville Community’s par
ticipation, the entire Heart Emergency
Network is now provided w ith the
most up to date information about
treatments for heart attack patients
available.
GUSTO study patients were
treated w ith thrombolytic medications
Streptokinase and/or t-PA w ithin six
hour after first experiencing heart at
tack symptoms. The drugs are sim ilar
because they both dissolve dangerous
clots in the coronary arteries that can
cause heart attacks that starv e the heart
muscle o f life giv ing blood. But their
prices differ widely. Streptokinase is
available for about $200 per dose, w hile
t-PA is about $2500 per dose. During
the study, researches evaluated the
effects oft-P A separately and together,
Blood thinning agents heparin and
aspirin were also used.
The study demonstrates that
deaths fro m heart attacks were
reduced as much as 13% among pa
tients who were treated w ith t-PA.
A ccording to GUSTO chairm an,
E ric J. Topol, M .D ., chairman o f
the department o f cardiology and
professor o f m e d icin e at the
C leve la nd C lin ic F o u n d a tio n ,
“ the study has demonstrated that
by rapidly opening arteries in a
patient w ith a heart attack who
is eligible for thrombolytic therapy,
as many as 2,000 more lives can
be saved in the United States each
year.”
W hile the GUSTO study was very
helpful, drawbacks to the use o f these
medications are clearly recognized:
Failure to open the blocked artery in
20-30% o f patients; patient in e lig ib il
ity 60% o f the time; bleeding com pli
cations (including a one to two percent
risk o f hemorrhagic stroke); and con
tinued heart attack symptoms, includ
ing a 15% chance that the artery w ill
block again.
aign For Human Development
The Campaign for Human Develop through the sharing o f innovative
ment w ill hold its Northwest Regional ideas and successful strategies.
m ee ting in P o rtla n d , T hursday CHD Representatives are expected
and Friday, June 24 and 25, 1993. from the archdioceses o f Portland,
The Campaign for Human Develop Seattle, and San Francisco, and
ment (CHD) is the official program the dioceses o f Baker, Y akim a,
o f the U n ite d States C a th o lic Spokane, Boise, Helena and Great
Conference to overcome poverty Falls. Participating representatives
and to achieve social justice. It from the national Campaign for Hu
was founded in 1969, and supports man Development, Washington, D.C.,
com m unity self-help projects and w ill include Ron White, field repre
organizations. The funds provided sentative, Annie Donovan, economic
as grants for community organiza development specialist, Rene Key,
tio n, economic development and education specialist, and Denise Tho
education for justice programs are mas, grant allocations specialist.
donated by Catholics through an Among the vital issues being consid
annual collection This Regional meet ered are health care, environmental
ing b rin g s together p articip a n ts sustainability, and multi-cultural com
in various grassroots projects o f munity organizing.
the P a c ific N o rth w e s t, so th a t Project from western Oregon funded
individual efforts can be enhanced by the Campaign for Human Develop-
ment include Rogue Valley Fair share,
The Coalition ofBIack Men, Convenio
de Raices Mexicanas, Hotel Workers
Organizing Committee, New Outlooks
Regarding the Homeless, Oregon Re
forestation Cooperative, Portland O r
ganizing Project, the Powers/North
Bend Hotels Project, Rogue Valley
Community Development Corpora
tion, and the Sojourner Truth Theater
Company.
The Pacific Northwest Regional meet
ing w ill be held at the Archdiocese o f
Portland Pastoral Center, 2838 E.
Burnside Street, Portland, OR. Those
interested in applying for future CHD
grants are also invited to attend this
conference. For more inform ation
contact the Archdiocese o f Portland,
Campaign for Human Development,
(503) 233-8361.
More Than 300 Medicines In development To
Meet The Special Health Needs Of Women
Three hundred and one medi
cines are being developed for diseases
that affect only women, dispropor
tionately affect women or are among
the top 10 causes o f death in w omen
T h is massive e ffo rt shows th a t
Am erica’s pharmaceutical research
companies arc committed to meeting
the special health needs o f women.
A n e w c h a rt-” Ncw medicines in
Development for Women.” prepared
by the Pharmaceutical manufacturers
Association (P M A )- indicates that,
since the las, survey in 1991, 38 more
medicines arc in development for
women The 301 medications in de
velopment cover nine therapeutic ar
eas. nearly h alfofthc research projects
listed in the new chart focus on the
top; three killers o f w om cn-hcart dis
ease, cancer and stroke Progress is
also being made against conditions
that lim it a woman’s m obility, includ
ing arthritis
A t a press briefing junc I, PM A
Executive Vice president Robert F
A llnu tt emphasized that this major
research effort “ underscores the need
to preserve the incentives for pharma
ceutical in n o va tio n in whatever
healthcare-reform legislation is en
acted." In remarks to reporters at the
National Press Club in Washington,
D C , A lln u tt said the U.S. pharma
ceutical industry “ supports compre
hensive healthcare reform. Such re
form should take the approach o f
managed competition and should en
sure prescription-drug coverage for
all Americans.” He stressed that new
medicines “ offer the best hope for
curing and treating many diseases and
arc the most cost-effective form o f
medical treatment.”
The new chart shows that there
arc 73 medicines in development for
cancer, including 42 for lung cancer
and 52 for breast cancer—the top two
cancer killers o f women. More than
60 therapies arc in development for
obstetric and gynecologic conditions
Fifty-two medicines arc in develop
ment for cardiovascular and cerebro
vascular disease. And 40 drugs are
begin developed for arthritis and other
musculoskeletal conditions.
The Food and Drug Adm inistra
tion has approved 23 medications that
were listed in P M A ’ s 1991 survey o f
medicines in development for women.
These 23 new medicines now on the
market include four for contracep
tion; two for obstetric and gynecologic
problems, two for ovarian cancer, and
one for osteoporosis.
For a free copy o f the report on
New Medicines in Development for
Women, please w rite to New M edi
cines in Development for Women,
PMA, 1100 Fifteenth Street, N W .,
Washingotn, DC 20005.
The Pharmaceutical M anufactur
ers Association is a nonprofit scien
tific and professional organization o f
more than 100 member companies
that discover and develop most o f the
prescription drugs used in the United
States
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