Hot off the Press: US Abortion Rate Declines

Abortion Rate At Lowest Level In More Than Three Decades.

Major newspapers, wire sources and other media outlets report that the US abortion rate has reached its lowest level since 1973, according to a study called “Abortion Incidence and Service Availability in the United States, 2011,” which was issued by the Guttmacher Institute, a supporter of legal access to abortion.
        The New York Times (2/3, A10, Eckholm, Subscription Publication) reports that in the US, “the abortion rate...declined to its lowest level in more than three decades in 2011, according to a new report released Monday.” The report also found that “the decline in abortions from 2008 to 2011 was mirrored by a decline in pregnancy rates.”
        According to the Washington Post (2/3, Somashekhar), the report found “there were fewer than 17 abortions for every 1,000 women in 2011, the latest year for which figures were available.” This represents a decline of “13 percent from 2008 and a little higher than the rate in 1973, when the Supreme Court handed down its landmark Roe v. Wade decision.”
        USA Today (2/3, Jayson) reports that declines “were seen in all but six states.” Study author Rachel Jones “attributes the decline to more women using ‘highly effective contraceptive methods such as the IUD’ and the fact that the study period was during the recession and sluggish recovery.”
        The Wall Street Journal (2/3, A4, Radnofsky, Subscription Publication) notes that from 2008 through 2010, US states enacted 44 laws that restricted how abortion is regulated. In 2011, another 62 laws were passed, but many of these were not immediately put into effect following their passage.
        The Los Angeles Times (2/3, Hamedy) reports other findings from the report, such as the fact that “more abortions came earlier in the pregnancy and medication abortions constituted a larger share of the total.” The report, called “Abortion Incidence and Service Availability in the United States, 2011,” noted, “An estimated 239,400 early medication abortions were performed in 2011, representing 23% of all nonhospital abortions, an increase from 17% in 2008.” The report will appear in the March issue of the journal Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health.
        The AP (2/3, Crary) notes that the highest rates of abortions were found in “in New York, Maryland, the District of Columbia, Delaware and New Jersey; the lowest were in Wyoming, Mississippi, South Dakota, Kentucky and Missouri.” But, according to the report, “many women in Wyoming and Mississippi, where providers are scarce, go out of state to get abortions.”
        Also covering the story are Reuters (2/3, Moon), theHuffington Post (2/2, Bassett), the NPR (2/3, Rovner) “Shots” blog, and CQ (2/3, Adams, Subscription Publication).


Post copied from NAPNAP's daily email PNP In The News

On the Menu: Perspective

Ever have those days when you just feel down right sorry for yourself? I wish I could say that was completely below me. That of course I'm never ungrateful. That it can't cross my mind to take for granted all the blessings in my life.

But. Guess what. I can't say that.

And the funny thing is I am usually the first one to remind you that "it can always get worse." I have an entire career involving people's "worse" days. If anyone knows it can get worse...Maranatha.

So on the menu for today: some fresh, clear, well seasoned perspective.

After a while of feeling sorry for myself, I gathered up letters from each of my 5 Compassion children. Each letter is written with care. Nearly every word has a different meaning to me than it does to it's precious author. Why? Perspective. When Ilder in Guatemala says to me "I thank you for the letter you sent me. It is very nice. I keep it in a special place," I wonder what this "special" place looks like. Thinking of the 4 walled home and dirt floor he shares with his parents and siblings snaps me back into reality. No longer can I feel sorry for myself that an offer fell through on a home. I still have a home. With heat. With electricity. And with clean running water. In 3 different places. He prays for "blessings" in our lives. What does this look like to him? What is a blessing to a 16 year old boy living in extreme poverty? It's a little different than the blessings we begin to expect, or heaven forbid feel entitled to.

So I drive to work, and again lose perspective. It's the Lord's Day, Sunday, and I'm going to work. Not only that, but my family is enjoying themselves some dear friends' house. Cue the violin. Agnes from Tanzania says to me, "I am happy at school with tailoring studies. When I am done, I will employ myself because I will make clothes for others, and I know I will get a good place to do my work."  Thank you Agnes. That was a fresh heaping plate of perspective. And it warms my soul.

  

New Look, New Name, Same Great Broadway Style

Hey folks...I'm back.

Yes, after months and months of blogging silence, we're up and running again. With a new and improved look!! Thanks so much Maiedae!!

It was a tough decision because it actually takes time to blog. And with 2 babes....that's a highly valued resource. But I've had several requests for it, so here we are. Lots of changes in the past year and so much to be excited for in 2014.

No big post today, just wanted to let you know we're back. So browse around, tell your friends, and let the games begin!! You can also check out my new pages up top. Gives you something to do other than work. I mean...than...well whatever.

Don't forget to break out into a little choreographed song and dance today. Makes life more enjoyable.

Hasta. 

Hot off the Press

I get a daily email from NAPNAP, the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners called PNP in the News. This is a highlight of my morning. Yes, really. Call me a nerd. I don't care. Here's a good excerpt:

In an 1,100-word article, the Wall Street Journal (1/7, D1, Loftus, Subscription Publication) reports that scientists are increasingly looking for new diseases that could be treated with umbilical cord blood. For instance, researchers are attempting to determine whether blood or tissues from the cord can benefit patients with Type 1 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, congenital heart disease, or cerebral palsy. Some patients with certain cancers or blood disorders are already treated with transplants using blood from the cords.

I personally chose to save cord blood from both of my kids. And I plan to do it again with the next one. (Hurl. Sorry, just the thought of that brought on "morning" sickness....and yes it's late in the afternoon. That's how I roll.) You can save cord blood too at Cord Blood Registry. They offer discounts and a gift registry. I hope this was this biggest waste of money in our lives. But if we need it, praise God we have it.

Crafty, Crafty! Link test 

Don't Kill Your Kids

"Wow. Why do you gotta start like that? After months of silence?"

Yeah get over it. Just read this crap.

HYPERTHERMIA

No, this is not when your kid runs themselves around so crazy until they pass out from heat exhaustion. Here, hyperthermia stands for a kiddo who dies in a hot car. Texas is the leading state in this tragedy. So pay attention. here's some chilling statistics:

- The temperature goes up 20 degrees in 10 minutes, up 30 degrees in 20 minutes, up 50+ degrees in an hour.
- 51% of hyperthermia deaths are children forgotten by their caregivers
- 30% are children who went to play in the car and couldn't get out
- almost 500 deaths IN TEXAS since 1998

Here's a news story by a nurse at Cook who lost her little 4 year old Lilly last summer in the blistering hot SUV....while she was on maternity leave. Seriously.
Local Mom Raises Warnings After Child's Death

Some great take home tips:
-put something in the front seat or on the steering wheel that reminds you the kiddo is in the backseat
-put something in the backseat by the child like your phone or your house keys (keep them separate from your car key like on a carabiner clip for easy access) So you have to go back there before you go inside
-always lock your car when not in use and check the backseat when you go inside even if the kids aren't with you, put the keys where they're inaccessible to children
-NEVER run back inside to grab something or make a quick trip to the bathroom while you leave the kid in the car. It's not worth the risk of forgetting your child in a car that reaches death temperatures in under 10 minutes!!

Need more REALLY in depth info and stats and such? Here you go: Golden Gate Weather - Hyperthermia

LAWN MOWERS

Don't believe me that they're dangerous? We had 3 amputations and two impalements in ONE MONTH from riding AND push mowers. Here's a story (and a gnarly picture) of one family that was ready to talk about it.

Girl Impaled In Neck

Some more good tips:
- Children (and adults) should be inside if a mower is turned on. They shoot debris out all the time. Don't get caught taking a wire to the neck.
- Children should never be on a riding lawn mower. Period.
- wear boots and jeans when mowing. Even if you don't get debris it'll protect you from snake bites. That's another post for another time. But trust me.

Want to know if your kid is ready to mow the lawn? Here's AAP's recommendations for you:

AAP Lawn Mower Rec's

For those of you who think I'm jaded or over protective or whatever other bull you can come up with to deny the reality of these situations....just ask yourself if you're willing to risk that for your own child.

I'm not.


- Brought to you by 'Can't Fix Stupid' Trauma Publications

Photo A Day

Welp, I am kind of stealing an idea and putting my own twist on it. I'll be taking a picture of baby June everyday this year. (Ok fine, maybe not "a" picture everyday but a dozen pictures everyday...) Then at the end of the year I'm going to have it printed into a book. Yep...365 pictures. That should only cost about...mmm...maybe $300 in a photobook.

Ok, I'll have to figure that part out later.

Until then, here's yesterday's picture. (4th posting if you saw it on Facebook, twitter, and instagram already...get over it. No one's making you read this blog.)

January 1, 2012




- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone (in the usual Broadway song and dance style)