Maternal and Child Health Library

This and past issues of the MCH Alert are available at http://www.mchlibrary.info/alert/archives.html.

August 10, 2007

1. CAMPAIGN LAUNCHED TO EDUCATE PARENTS AND HEALTH PROFESSIONALS ABOUT NEW PRE-ADOLESCENT VACCINE RECOMMENDATIONS

The 2007 Pre-Teen Vaccine Campaign was recently launched to increase awareness among parents and health professionals of three new vaccine recommendations for 11- and 12-year-olds. The campaign, launched on August 1, 2007, by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to coincide with National Immunization Month, also encourages parents to schedule a routine check-up for their children in this age group, as recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Family Physicians, and CDC. The campaign provides educational materials (including posters and flyers in English and in Spanish) about vaccines to protect children from meningitis, tetanus, diphtheria, whooping cough, and cervical cancer. It also includes outreach to mainstream and ethnic media, as well as information on the creation of partnerships with national and state organizations that reach parents and health professionals. More information about the 2007 campaign is available at http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/spec-grps/preteens-adol/07gallery/default.htm.

• Among infants born in 2000, breastfeeding rates for the early postpartum period, 6 months, and 12 months were 70.9%, 34.2%, and 15.7%, respectively. For infants born in 2004, these rates had consistently increased to 73.8%, 41.5%, and 20.9%, respectively.
• Based on the revised questions, rates for exclusive breastfeeding through ages 3 and 6 months were 30.5% and 11.3%, respectively, among infants born in 2004.
• Disparities were observed in rates of exclusive breastfeeding among infants born in 2004. Rates of exclusive breastfeeding through age 3 months were lowest among black infants (19.8%) and among infants of mothers ages 19 and younger (16.8%), those who had a high school education or less than a high school education (22.9% and 23.9%, respectively), those who were unmarried (18.8%), those who resided in rural areas (23.9%), and those who had an income-to-poverty ratio of less than 100% (23.9%).

• Among participating physicians, 59% agreed or strongly agreed that their practice was the medical home for their patients with HL, and 62.6% that they should be coordinating services.
• Fifty-six percent of participating physicians agreed that it was their role to help parents create an intervention plan, and 72.7% agreed that pediatrician guidance is needed to meet a child's educational needs.
• Only 45.1% of participating physicians agreed that they are well informed about paths of follow-up care, and only 43.3% reported that their practices are well informed about the services needed for children with HL.
• The majority of the physicians (62.6%) believed that their practices should coordinate services for their patients with HL, but only 41.4% reported that they actually did coordinate care most of the time or always.
• Among participating physicians, 55.8% believed they should help create an intervention plan, and 72.7% believed they should provide guidance in educational planning, but only 8.8% reported participating in the development of an individualized family service plan and 10.3% in the development of an individualized education program most of the time or always.
• Physicians reported that they would be likely or highly likely to use educational information about HL in children in the following formats: (1) a resource guide on care in Rhode Island, (2) grand rounds, and (3) professional journal articles.