– MONDAY MORNING MEMO –



News from National

March 2009 is National Nutrition Month, a nutrition education and information campaign created by the American Dietetic Association.  The campaign is designed to focus attention on the importance of making informed food choices and developing sound eating and physical activity habits. To learn more or to download promotional materials, go to http://www.eatright.org/cps/rde/xchg/ada/hs.xsl/NNM_2007_home.htm.



Judy Meehan

Executive Director



This Week:



1) Resource:  Breastfeeding Support in the workplace

2) New Bibliography from ASIP and NFIMR

3) CDC Netconference:  Current Issues in Immunization

4) Nomination Deadline for Patient Safety Award

5) Study:  Beliefs About Thirdhand Smoke and Smoking Bans

6) APHA Invites Nominations for 2009 Awards in Public Health



MATERNAL-INFANT HEALTH NEWS

1) RESOURCE:  BREASTFEEDING SUPPORT IN THE WORKPLACE

A new resource from Corporate Voices for Working Families provides tools to support hourly and lower-wage employees who want to continue to breastfeed after they return to work.  “Workplace Lactation Programs: Good for Working Families. Good for Business” was created by a task force of employers and individuals, with financial support from Abbott Nutrition.  Contents of the workplace lactation toolkit include an employer guide on the health and economic benefits of breastfeeding for business and practical steps for implementing a workplace lactation program.  Employee handouts discuss the benefits of breastfeeding for working families; where to find information, advice, and supplies; how to prepare to pump and breastfeed; and how to talk confidently with others about the decision to breastfeed.  Materials for employers, including handouts, paycheck stuffers, and a poster in English and Spanish are also included.  The toolkit is available at http://www.cvworkingfamilies.org/la

ctation (download requires registration).



2) NEW BIBLIOGRAPHY FROM ASIP AND NFIMR

The Association of SIDS and Infant Mortality Programs (ASIP) and the National Fetal and Infant Mortality Review Program (NFIMR) have updated their joint bibliography on grief and bereavement following pregnancy loss and perinatal and infant death.  In addition to designation of articles as research or practice, this year the annotated bibliography has expanded to include systematic/literature reviews.  The bibliography was prepared by Dr. Jodi Shaefer, PhD, RN.  To access this resource, go to http://www.acog.com/departments/nfimr/bereavementLiterature3-07.pdf..





CHILD, ADOLESCENT, FAMILY & COMMUNITY HEALTH NEWS

3) CDC NETCONFERENCE:  CURRENT ISSUES IN IMMUNIZATION

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) National Immunization Program will present the next in its Current Issues in Immunization series of netconferences on March 12, 2009 from Noon to 1:00pm Eastern Standard Time.  The netconference will focus on Vaccine Storage and Handling, and will be presented by Donna Weaver.  This program is designed to provide clinicians with the most up-to-date information on immunization, and will combine a telephone audio conference with simultaneous online visual content.  It will allow for a question and answer segment both by telephone and via the Internet.  Internet access and a separate phone line are needed to participate.  Registration is required.  To register for the netconference, go to http://www2a.cdc.gov/vaccines/ed/ciinc.



4) NOMINATION DEADLINE FOR PATIENT SAFETY AWARD

Nominations are being accepted for the Pfizer Health Literacy in Advancing Patient Safety Award, which will recognize an individual, group or organization which has made significant strides in improving the health literacy of their constituents or community through research, advocacy, or program implementation in order to improve patient safety and quality of care.  The award recipient will receive a one-time grant from Pfizer in the amount of $15,000.  All nominations must be submitted electronically to cnorcross@npsf.org by 5:00pm ET on March 13, 2009.  The award will be presented at the National Patient Safety Foundation Patient Safety Congress on May 21-22, 2009 in Washington, DC.  For more information about the award or to complete a nomination application go to http://www.npsf.org/npsfac/awards-08.php.



5) STUDY:  BELIEFS ABOUT THIRDHAND SMOKE AND SMOKING BANS

A study published in the January 2009 edition of the journal Pediatrics assesses the health beliefs of adults regarding thirdhand smoke exposure of children and whether smokers and nonsmokers differ in those beliefs.  In “Beliefs About the Health Effects of ‘Thirdhand’ Smoke and Home Smoking Bans” the authors collected data by a national random-digit-dial telephone survey from September to November 2005.  The study questions assessed the level of agreement with statements that breathing air in a room today where people smoked yesterday can harm the health of children.  Overall, 95.4% of nonsmokers versus 84.1% of smokers agreed that secondhand smoke harms the health of children, and 65.2% of nonsmokers versus 43.3% of smokers agreed that thirdhand smoke harms children.  Strict rules prohibiting smoking in the home were more prevalent among nonsmokers (88.4% vs 26.7%).  The authors concluded that beliefs about the health effects of thirdhand smoke are independently associated

with home smoking bans.  To read the study online, go to http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/abstract/123/1/e74.



6) APHA INVITES NOMINATIONS FOR 2009 AWARDS IN PUBLIC HEALTH

The American Public Health Association (APHA) is asking for nominations for its 2009 awards program, which recognizes individuals for their achievements in, support for and contributions to public health.  There are nine different award categories, including the APHA Award for Excellence, which honors creative work of particular effectiveness in applying scientific knowledge or innovative organizational work to the betterment of community health.  The awards will be presented at the APHA Annual Meeting and Expo in Philadelphia, November 7-11, 2009.  Nominations are due by April 17.  For more information, including nomination forms visit http://www.apha.org/about/awards.



Sources:

http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/abstract/123/1/e74

http://www.acog.com/departments/nfimr/bereavementLiterature3-07.pdf

http://www.apha.org/about/awards

http://www.cvworkingfamilies.org/lactation

http://www.eatright.org/cps/rde/xchg/ada/hs.xsl/NNM_2007_home.htm

http://www.npsf.org/npsfac/awards-08.php

http://www2a.cdc.gov/vaccines/ed/ciinc

National Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition