October 20, 1999
Page A5
(Tlje “P ortland (©beeroer
Research Challenges Cerebral Palsy Causes
Bi M arie M c I xernes
Australian and New Zealand researchers on Friday
challenged traditional views that cerebral palsy occurred
mainly due to oxygen deprivation dunng labor or birth,
saying most cases developed during pregnancy.
A task force set up to study cerebral palsy research said
it hoped its consensus statement, published in the
British Medical Journal, would stop moves to "witch­
hunt’ ’ doctors and nurses who were often held culpable
for the condition.
The group, led by Australian obstetrician Alastair
MacLennan, said traditional lay and medical assumptions
held that cerebral palsy was mostly caused by a lack of
oxygen in labor and thus a result o f ‘birth trauma’ or
‘birth asphyxia’.
However MacLennan told Reuters the group believed
about 80 percent o f cases occurred during pregnancy,
with only two percent during labor and delivery, and the
remainder neo- natal.
"Indeed, the origins of the brain damage are much more
often during pregnancy and occur silently due to several
causes, for example umbilical cord compression, sub-
clinical intrauterine infection and congenital clotting
disorders in the foetus,” the group said in a statement
released in Adelaide.
MacLennan said the multidisciplinary task force had
been set up by the Perinatal Society o f Australia and
New Zealand. Its findings followed a two-year study of
available research and were endorsed by obstetric and
paediatric colleges in more than a dozen nations including
Britain and the United States.
Cerebral palsy was a non-progressive disorder ofposture
and movement, caused by brain damage before, at or
Group calls low-carb diet unhealthy
T he A ssociated P ress ________________
Pork rinds, beef jerky and hot dogs
sound more like the diet o f a junk-
food junkie than that o f someone
determined to lose weight.
But this latest fad diet promises you
can shed the pounds fast while eating
all the meat, cheese, eggs and fat you
want. The trick is to lay o ff the
carbohydrates and sugars.
Ron Glasgow, a 39-year-old computer
support technician from Cumming,
said he went from 425 to 330 pounds
in 11 months, while continuing his
lifestyle as a "big-eater.” A typical
breakfast for him while on the diet
consists o f a three-egg omelet and a
12-ounce package ofbacon or a hal f-
pound o f ham.
Many dietitians and health experts -
10,000 ofwhom will be in Atlanta this
week for the American Dietetic
Association’s annual meeting - insist
the diet is unhealthy and the weight
loss is temporary.
The high-protien, no-carb plan is “a
nightmare o f a diet,” said Kathleen
Zelman, a registered dietitian and
ADA spokesperson. “At first, it
sounds so alluring. You get the green
light to eat these foods.”
But she said the monotony soon gets
old. Sure, you get the hamburger, but
no bun or fries. You can eat a big
steak, but forget the baked potato
and tossed salad.
Plus, it’sjust unhealthy, nutritionists
say. Along with the risk of increasing
cholesterol levels, the diet could
cause kidney problems or possibly a
loss o f calcium in the bones. Ms.
Zelman said. Limiting the intake of
carbohydrates to such a dramatically
low level starves the body o f needed
nutrients and causes an artificial
metabolic state.
“Think o f it on a global perspective -
the world at large survives on grains,”
Ms. Zelman said. "If we didn’t have
carbohydrates, we would not be able
to survive. Bread is the staff o f life.”
But Glasgow said the diet allows him
to lose weight and continue to be a
“big eater.”
“I’m aware ofsom eofthe opponents,
but for me right now, it seems to be
working,” he said.
Glasgow said he lost 100 pounds
once before ona low-fat, high exercise
diet, but he couldn’t stay on it. While
on that diet, he said he took a two-
month leave o f absence from his job
and exercised between 6 and 8 hours
a day. When he returned to a more
reasonable exercise schedule, the
weight stopped coming off and he
went back to his old ways.
With studies showing that more than
half o f all adults are overweight and
that exercise is at an all-time low,
Americans are constantly searching
for a way to slim down without
drastically changing their lifestyles.
The increasing number o f unhealthy
and overweight adults and children
is one issue o f particular concern for
the ADA at its four-day meeting that
starts today. Like o ther health
organizations, the ADA maintains
the only way to lose weight is through
a healthy, well-balanced diet and
exercise.
In addition to weight loss, the ADA
will hold discussions this week on
issues such as food safety, children’s
health and reducing the risks o f heart
disease and colon cancer through
diet.
The low-carb diet was first touted by
Dr. Robert Atkins more than 20 years
ago. Its popularity in the ’90s has
been attributed to his latest book “Dr.
A tkins’ New D iet R evolution,”
currently the best-selling mass market
paperback in the country.
“Part o f the reason for the resurgence
is that Americans are getting fatter
and there ’ s a greater desperation than
there’s ever been,” Ms. Zelman said.
Breast cancer: A daughter's perspective
W O M E N ’S
HEALTH
FOCUS
Colin Powell to speak at inaugural event
CONTRIBUTED STORY
for
T he P ortland O bserver
October 13, 1999 - Portland State
University recently announced that
General Colin Powell will deliver the
keynote address at the University’s
first-ever Simon Benson Awards
Dinner.
The Sim on Benson A w ard was
established to recognize individuals
who have helped shape the spirit of
the region, contributed to the cultural
and vitality o f the region and who
exemplify the spirit o f philanthropy.
This year’s recipients o f the Awards
are Paul Bragdon, for his leadership
roles at Reed Col lege and the Oregon
Graduate Institute o f Technology,
and Jean Vollum, for her many years
o f philanthropy benefiting the area’s
universities. Powell, who served as
Chairman ofthe Joint C h ief s o f staff
for the United States, is the chairman
of America’s Promise - The Alliance
for Youth, the national campaign on
behalf o f the nation’s young people.
Wells Fargo is presenting Powell’s
keynote address.
The event will be held Tuesday,
November 16 at the Portland Marriott.
Ticket prices for the reception and
dinner start at $150. Individuals and
organizations interested in attending
should contact Dana Sedlak at 503-
725-4478. The Award was named for
Simon Benson to exemplify his
commitment to philanthropic activity
in the P ortland area. B enson
contributed the land and money to
build Benson High School, the land
for Benson State Park, Multnomah
Falls, the Columbia Gorge Highway
Jennifer Hays, Ph.D.
Baylor College of Medicine
and Portland’s unique “ Benson
Houston, Texas
B u b b le rs.”
P o rtla n d S tate
University, a national acclaimed
le a d e r in co m m u n ity -b a se d
learning, is located along the tree-
lined S outh Park b lo c k s o f
dow ntow n P o rtla n d .
The
University’s position in the heart of
Oregon’s economic and cultural
center enables PSU students and
faculty to apply scholarly theory to
the real-world problems ofbusiness
and com m unity organizations.
Portland State offers over 100
undergraduates, m a ste r’s, and
doctoral degrees, as well as graduate
c e rtific a te s and c o n tin u in g
program s. PSU serves m ore
students and confers more masters’
degrees annually than any other
Oregon university.
after birth, and affected one in 400babies bom worldwide,
he said. The rate o f the disorder had not dropped
significantly in the last 40 years, despite advances in
medical andmidwifery care, MacLennan said, calling for
a greater focus for research into causes during pregnancy
and in babies bom prematurely.
In its statement, the task force referred to recent
epidemiological evidence from the U.S and Australia
that more than 90 percent o f cases o f cerebral palsy had
no putative signs o f asphyxia or complications during
labour.
“Although some cases of cerebral palsy can also follow
brain damage as a child, for example after meningitis or
near-drowning, very few actually originate dunng labour
or birth,” it said.
The group said when both infection and clotting
disorders were present before birth, a type o f ‘foetal
stroke’ may develop and its effects not recognised until
labour or after birth.
“Previously these signs o f fetal distress in labour were
assumed to have begun then, and attempts to deliver the
baby in time or in good condition were unsuccessful,
sometimes leading to inappropriate recrimination and
expensivecivil litigation.”
The task force said cerebral palsy lawsuits c iting medical
negligence during labour or birth in Australia had led to
the closure ofmatemity hospitals and loss ofexpenenced
staff. “This new understanding ofthe origins ofcerebral
palsy may help reverse those trends, leave more public
resources for the case o f children with cerebral palsy,
focus research on the earlier prevention ofcerebral palsy
and stop the impulse to witch-hunt and shoot the
messenger," it said.
My mother died o f breast cancer
two days after her 42nd birthday. I
was 14 at the time, and 1 fully expected
to follow in her footsteps.
Two days after my 42nd birthday, 1
suddenly realized 1 had lived longer
than my mother and was not neces­
sarily destined to share her fate. Al­
though I had a pretty healthy lifestyle
for many years prior to turning 42, 1
guess 1 didn’t really think it would
make a difference in my mortality. For­
tunately, I was wrong.
Since October is National Breast
Cancer Awareness Month, it's a good
time for each o f us to remember that
even if we have a family history of
breast cancer, we can influence what
happens to our health. And keep in
mind that only 10 percent o f women
with breast cancer have a family his­
tory o f the disease, so the rest of you
should not be lulled into a false sense
o f security.
Our behaviors right now can and
do affect our current and future health
status. While there are no clear-cut
strategies to prevent breast cancer, it
appears that smoking, alcohol and
obesity increase the risk for the dis­
ease. It also appears that a diet low-
in fat and high in fruits and vegetables
might have a protective effect.
Even without conclusive evidence,
at the very least you can enjoy the
many other health benefits o f eating
five or more daily servings o f fruits
and vegetables, losing weight, avoid­
ing cigarette smoke, and drinking
moderately or not at all.
1 encourage every woman I know
to be vigilant for signs o f breast can­
cer, because early detection saves
lives. We should all do a monthly
breast self-exam and make sure we see
our physician for an annual breast
exam. At age 35, get a baseline
mammogram, and starting at age 40,
have one yearly. Mammograms can
detect tumors long before you or your
physician can.
Some women avoid mammograms
because they are worried about dis­
comfort, but my guess is that we re­
ally avoid them because we don’t like
to think we could get breast cancer.
If an exam or mammogram does in­
dicate a problem, remember that breast
cancer is no longer one o f the leading
causes o f death for older women.
Thanks to early detection and new
medications, more than two million
women in the U.S. are living proof that
you can survive breast cancer.
You can't control everything, but
you do have control over whether you
regularly practice prevention and
early detection. Follow a healthy
lifestyle and have routine exams for
breast cancer. That’s what 1 do so I
can celebrate my daughter’s 42nd
birthday with her.
Oregon Food Bank
in need of assistance
Associated Press _____________ _____________________________
Despite record employment and a strong economy, the Oregon Food Bank
is reporting a 14 percent jum p in the number o f people receiving emergency
food in the past year, up to 460,000 boxes distributed statewide.
The increase from July 1998 to July 1999 is due mainly to families moving off
welfare into low-paying jobs, population growth and rising housing and
child-care costs, according to social workers and welfare experts.
Now 41 percent o f those getting help are children, and most o f the rest are
single mothers, said Liesl Wendt, spokeswoman for the food bank.
"They are people who are working or looking for work,” Wendt said. “Some
have work but now make too much to qualify for the (welfare benefits) they
still need.”
The food bank gets its food from charity drives, businesses and restaurants
and individual donations.
At one bank in southeast Portland, mothers pushed shopping carts past
shelves o f baby food, canned soup and coolers filled with lettuce and
tomatoes.
"We get to this point at the end o f every month,” said Angela Bacon. Her
3-year-old son, John, slid along behind her, one hand clamped on the back
o f her shirt. Her husband works full time as a janitor, and she stays home
because they can’t afford care for their two kids, one ofwhom has respiratory
problems and needs special attention.
In a crowded waiting room, families mingled and waited for their name to be
called. Sarah Taylor was there to pick up a box o f food for her and her 6-year-
old son, Tanner. Shejust lost ajob, is looking for work and is not on welfare.
The number o f boxes parceled out in Coos and Curry counties ballooned
more than 42 percent from the prior year. Other steady increases were
re p o rte d e lse w h e re in M u ltn o m ah C o unty and in Salem .
Families who have moved from welfare to work are relying on food donations
because their wages can’t cover the decrease in food stamp and cash
assistance, food bank officials said.
Many find they are making too much to get food stamps and too little to buy
the basic food they need.
But the jum p at the food bank is not explained by the number of Oregon
families receiving food stamps orcash aid, said Jim Neely, deputy administrator
with the state Adult and Family Services.
The number o f families on food stamps has stayed consistent during the past
year, moving from 105,240 tarn il ies receiving a total $ 15,360,744 in September
1998 to 105,989 families receiving $15,560,345 in August, Neely said.
And although the number o f families on cash assistance has dropped 16
percent during the past two years there was only a 2 percent decrease in the
last year, according to Neely.
The rising cost of housing is also a factor.
"As housing costs rise, which they've been doing for a long time, it leaves
less and less for the other important things a family needs,” said Peter
Grundfossen ofthe Association o f Oregon Housing Authority in Portland.
He said more than 107,000 low-income families in Oregon spend more than
50 percent o f their income on housing. Average rental prices in the Portland
area increased from $563 a month in 1994 to $635 a month in 1997,
Sarah Taylor, one o f the mothers at the food bank Tuesday, said she is
grateful for the help. “ 1 don’t know what we would do without it; we have
nothing by the end o f the month ."
■ Sometimes the
* most powerful
I
medicine is
a mother.
»
"You made it easier for a Mom
to stay w ith her sick child 24
hours a day because o f a
You're the expert. No one knows your child better than you. That s why we ve
designed our Children's Hospital to accommodate the needs of mothers and
fathers. For instance, parents can retreat to a "Quiet Room" for a much needed
rest. Little things like that matter. Studies have actually proven that with family
involvement, children recover more cjuickly from illness. But wt didn t need a
kitchen on the floor and a
nearby laundry room. Thank
study to tell us that. We see i, every
day. For physician referral: 335-3500.
you for a job well done."
Mother of child in Legacy Emanuel
Children's Hospital
Emanuel
J
Children's
Hospital
Little Things Matter
www.legacyhealth.org
Legacy Health System includes Emanuel Hospital & Health Center, Good Samaritan Hospital & Medical Center, Meridian Park
Hospital, Mount Hood Medical Center, Visiting Nurse Association, and CareMark/Managed Healthcare Northwest PP0.Q 1999
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