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A ugust 11, 1999
(The 'Portland (Dbeeruer
Free Lead Testing For Children Sunscreen May Lull Users
____
Childhood lead poisoning is a
major and preventable env ironmental
health problem and lead-based paint
is nou the primary source o f lead
exposure. Free lead testing for chil
dren will take place the second Satur
day of each month, from 10 a.m. to 2
pm at Common Bond, 4919 N.E.
Ninth Avenue (Northeast Ninth and
Alberta behind St. A ndrew ’sChurch).
Blood lead testing o f children
should be perform ed at ages 1 and 2
orat least before age 6 if no previous
testing has been done and any risk
factors for lead poisoning are present.
Children who live in or regularly stay
in a home, apartm ent, o r child care
center constructed before 1978 are a
greater risk o f developing lead poi
soning, especially if there is rem od
eling or peeling paint. O ther risk
factors include fam ily m em bers with
exposure to lead and low fam ily in
come (including those on M edicaid,
WIC, or O regon H ealth Plan).
The effects o f lead poisoning
.
. •
ity and the Coalition o f Black Men,
with help from Volunteers o f America,
C om m on Bond, CLEA RC orps, the
Urban League o f Portland, and O ld
W iv es’ Tales R estaurant. Special
thanks to M ultnom ah County H ealth
D epartm ent for providing laboratory
testing and supplies.
are rev e rsib le ifd e te c te d early by a
b lo o d test. If u n d etected , lead p o i
so n in g d am ag es the b rain , cau sin g ,
learn in g and b eh av io ral p ro b lem s
in a ffec ted ch ildren.
The testing is co-sponsored by
volunteers from the O regon Chapter
o f Physicians for Social Responsibil
Homowo Festival
Seeks Volunteers
V olunteers are needed to stage
the IO11’ annual H om ow o Festival for
A frican A rts on A ugust 21 and 22.
Produced by G hanaian m aster drum
m er O bo A ddy, the H om ow o Festi
val features m usic, art and pageantry
from G hana and other parts o f A f
rica. If you have the personality for
greeting the public, selling bever
ages, giving inform ation, assisting
vendors load in their supplies or se
curing the backstage area w e want
you on your team. A frican and A fri
can A m erican volunteers are also
needed for the A frican Processional,
a grand, royal parade that m arks the
official beginningofthe festival. This
y ear’s festival is w ill be held A ugust
21 and 22 in the park blocks at P ort
land State U niversity from 2-8 p.m
T hree shifts include: 12:30-3:00,
3:00-5:00 and 5:00-8:00. T o volun
teer or for m ore inform ation, call
R aina B eavers at 284-1483.
HIV Levels Influence
Transmission
C T he A ssociated P ress
The higher the level o f HIV in a
pregnant w om an’s blood, the more
likely she was to transmit the virus to
her baby, researchers reported today in
the New England Journal ofM edicine
The researchers also found that
pregnant w om en w ith the highest lev
els o f H IV w ere one-third less likely
to transm it the virus if they w ere
treated w ith the anti-retroviral drug
AZT than those w ho w ere not.
T he researchers concluded that
aggressive anti-retroviral therapy is
probably the best w ay to low er the
risk that babies w ill be born w ith
AIDS. H ow ever, they w arned that
the benefits m ust be w eighed against
the possible long-term effects o f the
drug, w hich are unknow n.
O ne study, led by Dr. Lynne
M ofenson o f the N ational Institutes
o f H ealth, looked at w om en who
w ere treated w ith A ZT w hile p reg
nant and w hose babies also were
treated w ith the drug for several weeks
after birth.
Among the 84 mothers in the study
who had undetectable levels o f the HIV
at 20 to 30 weeks o f pregnancy, none o f
the babies tested positive for HIV.
T he second study, led by Dr.
Patricia G arcia ofN orthw estem U ni
v ersity , lo o k ed at 552 p reg n a n t
w om en from 1990 to 1995.
It found that am ong w om en w ith
the highest levels o f H IV , represent
ing the m ost advanced cases o f AIDS,
20 percent o f those w ho had been
treated w ith A ZT transm itted the v i
rus to their babies com pared to a 63
p ercent tran sm issio n rate am ong
those not treated w ith A ZT.
In co u n tries th a t ca n n o t affo rd
A Z T treatm en t, ab o u t o n e-fo u rth
o f all b ab ies b o m to H IV -p o sitiv e
m others get the virus. S in ce A Z T
th erap y b ec am e sta n d a rd in the
U nited S tates, th at rate h as dro p p ed
© T he A ssociated P ress
C H IC A G O (A P) - H yperactive
boys treated with drugs such as Ritalin
w ere m uch less likely to abuse alco
hol and other drugs as teen-agers
than sim ilar boys w ho had not been
treated, researchers say.
Some experts not involved in the
study said it was flawed and too small
to reach m eaningful conclusions.
B u t au th o rs o f the stu d y - w h ich
in v o lv e d 212 b o y s, in c lu d in g 75
w ith a tte n tio n -d e fic it h y p e ra c tiv
ity d iso rd e r, o r A D H D - sa id the
findings should help allay concerns
that g iv in g ch ild ren p o te n tia lly ad
d ic tiv e d ru g s su c h as R italin m ay
p ro m o te h arm fu l h ab its later.
A n e s tim a te d 3 m illio n sc h o o l-
ag e c h ild re n h av e A D H D , an d as
m any as h a lf m ay be ta k in g R italin
o r o th e r stim u la n ts, p a st re se a rc h
in d icates.
“T here has been a m ythology that
the use o f these m edications could
‘p rim e’ children to b ecom e addicts
in the future o r could develop ‘a
culture o f drug taking,” ’ said Dr.
Joseph B iederm an o fM assach u setts
G eneral H ospital, lead author o f the
study. It is p u b lish ed in the A ugust
issu e o f P e d ia tr ic s ’ “ e le c tro n ic
pages,” an Internet extension o f the
journal published by the A m erican
A cadem y o f P ediatrics.
“ W e b e lie v e th a t c h ild re n w ith
A D H D w ho are m e d ic a lly tre a te d
w ill h av e few er p ro b le m s re s u lt
ing from th e ir d iso rd e r and m o re
su c c e ssfu l liv e s, p ro b ab ly g iv in g
them few er rea so n s to ex p e rim en t
w ith su b stan ce a b u s e ,” he said.
R ita lin a c ts on d o p a m in e , a
b ra in ch e m ic al that h elp s re g u la te
th in k in g . It is b e lie v e d to calm
hyperactivity by h elping c h ild re n 's
b ra in s d is r e g a r d d is tr a c tin g
stim u li, such as c la ssro o m n o ise,
so th ey can focus on learn in g .
T he su b je c ts for th e rese arch
w ere p a rt o f a p re v io u s stu d y o f
fam ilies w ith an A D H D c h ild and
fam ilies w ith no A D H D ch ild ren .
T he ch ild re n and th e ir m o th e rs
w ere in te rv ie w e d on th ree o c c a
sions - w hen they en tered the study,
one y ear la ter an d four y ea rs afte r
en ro llm en t.
T he a u th o rs stu d ie d 56 A D H D
p atien ts w ho w ere on m e d ica tio n .
19 A D H D p atien ts not on m e d ic a
tio n an d 137 p atien ts w ith o u t the
d iso rd er.
A t the s tu d y ’s en d , 75 p erc en t
o f the u n m e d ica te d A D H D su b
je c ts h ad su b stan ce ab u se d iso r
ders, c o m p ared w ith 25 p e rc e n t o f
the m e d ic a te d su b je cts. A bused
su b stan ces included alco h o l, m ari
ju a n a , h a llu c in o g e n s, co c ain e and
o th e r stim u lan ts. E ig h teen p ercen t
o f the n o n -A D H D su b je cts w ere
su b sta n c e ab u sers.
A critic o f the study, p sy ch o lo
gist N ad in e L am bert o f the U n iv er
sity o f C alifo rn ia at B erkeley, said
l
i iiiL in k L
i > l
i t v ib
Bi KATHERINE PHEGER
.c T he A ssoc iated P ress
W A S H IN G T O N (A P ) - F ive
years ago, M elissa Beaudet jo in ed in
a w alk to end hunger and cam e hom e
with a blistering sunburn
Ever since, the 21-year-old Wash
ingtonian lias liberally applied sunscreen
- nothing lower than a sun-protection
factor of8 - when she’s in the sunshine.
“I can see m y friends aging, and I
know cancer is som ething you can
get if y o u ’re not careful,” she said,
soaking in the rays at G eorgetow n
Sw im m ing Pool in W ashington.
But B eaudet’s careful approach
m ay not be fully protecting her from
the threat o f cancer after all.
The Journal o f the N ational C an
cer Institute reports in today’s edition
that European researchers found that
people who use stronger sunscreens
stay out longer in the sun because it
takes longer for them to bum . A nd the
prolonged exposure only increases
their risk o f getting skin cancer.
“ It’s not due to the fact that sun
screens are bad, but people have a
bad attitude - using them to increase
the am ount o f tim e they spend in the
sun,” said Dr. Ferdy Lejeune, an au
thor o f the study.
The researchers gave 87 French and
Swiss college students sunscreen to take
on vacation and record their sun habits
- horns o f exposure, amount o f sun-
Health Division Waiting To
Enforce Open Adoption Law
it w as too sm all to show sig n ifican t
d ifferen ces in rates o f drug abuse.
H er o w n re s e a rc h in v o lv in g
m ore than 200 A D H D su b je cts
trac k ed fo r m ore th a n 20 y ears
sh o w s th a t th o se w h o to o k stim u
lan t m e d ica tio n w ere m o re lik ely
to b e c o c ain e and to b a c c o ab u sers
as ad u lts th an n o n -m e d ic a te d su b
je c ts , she said.
L am bert said she is n o t o p p o sed
to trea tin g A D H D y o u n g ste rs w ith
stim u la n ts b ec au se th e b e n e fits
h av e b ee n sh o w n c le a rly , b ut she
b eliev e s th e re are risk s an d th ey
sh o u ld b e ac k n o w led g e d .
their records.”
O rders for preadoption records
have been com ing into the H ealth
D iv isio n since the initiative was
passed, and the backlog o f orders
w ill be processed in the order in
w hich they w ere received.
to 9 percent.
d lS G
s h o shown
w n tllk lt
C people w ho use
also
that
screen applied, clothing and sunburn. h d S has
sunscreen
have
increased
incidence
H alf the participants were given
o
f
m
elanom
a
and
other
skin
cancers
sunscreen with a sun-protection fac
Dr.
Karen
Emmons,
a
researcher
tor, or SPF, o f 30. The other h alf
with the Dana-I arber Cancer Institute,
received SPF 10. But neither group
said the study should not deter people
knew w hich product they were using.
from applying sunscreen - liberally
T hose who applied SPF 30 stayed
No one should say, “O h w ell, I m
outside 25 percent longer, spending
still
going to get skin can cer so w hy
a m ajority o f that tim e sunbathing.
bother,”
Em m ons said. “ I t’s very
Lejeune said the students often
im portant that people use sunscreen
w aited until their skin turned red
and apply it appropriately.”
before finding shade. V acationers
Emmons recom m ends that in ad
with the stronger sunscreen w aited
dition to lotions, people should avoid
even longer, increasing their expo
direct sunlight by staying in th e shade
sure to ultraviolet radiation.
and wearing hats and oth er p ro tec
"Instead o f being protected, it’s
tive clothing.
ju st the opposite because their be
In a study published in D ecem
havior is bad,” he said
ber,
the same researchers reported
V ivian Clark, 49, o f W ashington,
that
o f 631 European school ch il
said she uses com m on sense when
dren,
those using the m ost sunscreen
applying sunscreen. In years past,
were
m
ost likely to have sun-caused
when she has sunbathed on her row
moles, a sign that skin can cer m ight
house roof, she has worn an SPF 10
develop later in life. W hile the lotion
or 12. This year, she’s found that she
itself did not cause m oles, it m ay
can avoid burning if she m onitors
have m ade parents o v erco n fid en t
how m uch time she spends in the sun
about how long their children could
and w ears a low er SPF.
safely play outdoors.
“ I h av en ’t burned at all,” she said.
Children are especially v u ln er
“M aybe I started tanning slow er or
able
to ultraviolet radiation and need
m aybe it’s the weather. W ho know s?”
more
than ju st protective lotions,
Even so, som etim es she d o esn ’t
Em
m
ons
said.
m ind a rosy glow, she adm itted.
“The
No.
1 w ay that ch ild ren are
A lthough skin cancer is prevent
protected
from
the sun is using sun
able, the incidence o f m elanom a in
screen,”
she
says.
“A nd parents need
the U nited States increases 4 percent
to get with the program and start
a year, according to the N ational
using other kinds o f p rotection.”
Cancer Institute. Previous research
c i - m - n u r .n l I.., I r l n l h i n u a n i l s l l l l b u i l l .
Legal obstructions to B allot M ea
sure 58, the open A doption Law,
appear to have been rem oved and the
O regon H ealth D ivision is ready to
im plem ent the law once it receives a
final go-ahead from the D epartm ent
o f Justice.
O n Thursday, July 15, a Marion
County Judge upheld the initiatives,
passed by voters in November 1998, to
open sealed adoption records. But ad
ditional legal steps still need to occur
before the Health Division can enforce
the law, according to Dr. Melvin Kohn,
Deputy State Epidemiologist.
“W e have already received or
ders from more than 590 individuals
w ho are seeking their preadoption
birth records,” K ohn said. “As soon
as w e receive final instruction from
state attorneys, we will begin pro
cessing those applications. The origi
nal, sealed records are not held on
site, so it will take at least two w eeks
before the first application receive
Study Eases
Hyperactivity
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in the Portland Metro Area
Sun
Kohn em phasized that applicants
w ho request records should identify
them selves as an adoptee seeking a
preadoption birth record. I f the re
quest is made by a legal representa
tive o f the adoptee, the request should
include a w ritten notarized statem ent
from the legal representative indicat
ing w ho they represent and giving
the current legal birth record infor
m ation listed above.
Because sealed adoptive records
are stored off-site at the State Archives
in Salem, applicants should expect a
two to three w eek delay before receiv
ing their records once the backlog o f
orders is completed and new orders
can be processed on a regular basis.
Phone orders may be placed by
calling (503) 731 -4108 during regu
lar business hours; fax orders by d i
aling (503) 731-4084, or in person at
the Portland State O ffice building,
second floor, 800 N E O regon Street
in Portland. M ailed request should
be sent to PO Box 14050, Portland
O R, 97293. A dditional inform ation
about ordering preadoption records
can be found on the H ealth D ivision’s
w e b s ite
at
h ttp ://
w w w .o h d .h r.sta te .o r.u s/c d p e /c h s/
certif'preadopt.htm
U nless a delay is im posed by the
courts w hile the case is on appeal,
sta ff at the H ealth D ivision expect to
w ork on the backlog for several weeks
and then begin w orking on any new
orders that are received.
P ersons interested in ordering
records m ust m eet the follow ing cri
teria: the adoptee m ust be 21 years o f
age and have been b o m in Oregon.
The application for the records m ust
be the ad optee’s legal representa
tive. O ther family m em bers are not
eligible. A pplicants m ay fax order
by m ail, by phone or fax, or in p er
son. All applications m ust include:
The adoptee’s full legal nam e,
(after adoption), date o f birth, place
ofbirth, adopted m other’s lull maiden
nam e, adoptee father’s full nam e;
and applicant’s m ailing address and
daytim e telephone num ber. $15 in
cash, m oney order or check payable
to O regon H ealth Division.
Fax or telephone orders m ust use
a credit card (give card num ber and
expiration date).The $15 fee is the
standard non-refundable fee for ob
taining any birth record and covers
thé cost o f search for the current legal
records, retrieval o f the sealed file
and issuance o f the certified record.
Now the savings are in the Card!
I