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Statistics Show Drop In Births, Lower Demand For Infertility Services During Recession
More people in the Atlanta area and across the U.S. are delaying pregnancy in a possible reaction to the current economic recession, leading to a decline in the number of couples seeking infertility treatments, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. According to the Journal-Constitution, 13 states saw a decrease in the number of recorded births in 2008 compared with 2007. The Georgia Hospital Association reports that there were 5,352 fewer recorded births in Georgia in 2008 than in 2007. Mark Perloe of Georgia Reproductive Specialists said there has been a 20% decline in the number of people seeking infertility services. To retain business during the economic downturn, Perloe said Georgia Reproductive Specialists is offering a discount on select services of as much as 70%.Elisabeth Burgess, a Georgia State University sociology professor who focuses on families, said, "In times of economic downturns, different people react in different ways." For some people, "[f]amily becomes more important, so you might decide to have a child." The Journal-Constitution reports that one cycle of treatment can cost $15,000 or more, which some people pay for through credit, retirement savings or home equity loans. Evelina Sterling, co-author of a book on budgeting finances for infertility treatments, said that 70% of infertility patients cover the costs of the treatments completely out of pocket. She added that some older infertility patients "can"t wait on" the economy to recover to start a family.Carol Hogue, a professor of maternal and child health at Emory University, said there has been a "very predictable" pattern of reduced births during periods of economic recessions dating back to the Great Depression. The Journal-Constitution reports that some people delay planned pregnancy because of concerns over job security, health insurance, income and the cost of raising a child. Statistics from USDA show that the average middle-class family will pay $11,000 to raise a child in the first year, with the largest portion of that cost going to child care. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality reported in 2007 -- the latest year for which data are available -- that prenatal care and routine delivery costs about $7,600 after insurance (Cash, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 5/24).

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Anemia Associated With Greater Risk Of Death In Heart Disease Patients
A new study appearing in Congestive Heart Failure has found that the presence of anemia in patients with chronic heart failure is associated with a significantly increased risk of death. The findings also show that anemia is associated with a poorer degree of left ventricular function and a lower left ventricular ejection fraction, an objective measure of cardiac function.
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Parkinson's Disease Society Joins Forces With Healthy Interactions To Launch New Education Programme

As part of a Europe-wide drive to improve access to information and education for people with Parkinson"s Disease, the Parkinson"s Disease Society (PDS) is launching a new education initiative with American company, Healthy Interactions. The Conversation Map™ tools will address the needs of people at all stages of Parkinson"s and those of their families and carers. The interactive sessions will encourage people with Parkinson"s to explore facts about their condition themselves and with peers, helping them to make informed choices and to become more motivated to take positive action in dealing with their disease. The key outcome will be better self-management. The three foot (.91m) by five foot (1.52m) Conversation Map tools feature images, information, and exercises designed to be fun and engaging for groups of between three and ten people who are guided through their sessions by a trained "facilitator". Each session focuses on promoting discussion around key areas of the condition, encouraging debate and aiming to increase understanding. Steve Ford, Chief Executive of the PDS, underlines the importance of this new approach to education: "In 2008 the PDS survey, "Life with Parkinson"s today - room for improvement", identified that three out of ten people diagnosed with Parkinson"s in the previous year felt they were not given clear information about the condition and medication at the time of diagnosis, with nearly half (47%) feeling that they needed more information about the condition. This is not acceptable." "We have a responsibility to give all people coping with Parkinson"s access to comprehensive information; to put in place tools to support better self management and guidance on where they can turn for help. The agreement we have with Healthy Interactions aims to put in place an interactive series of education programmes that helps meet these needs." Paul Lasuik, one of the founders of Healthy Interactions said: "We are working with a number of leading disease associations in the UK who recognise that a change in patient education is vital in order to promote more effective self-management and support better quality of life. We hope that rolling out the new programme in England is the first step to bringing real change to people coping with Parkinson"s - by giving them more control." Parkinson"s Disease Society


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