Health Watch July 2011

HEALTHWATCH North Georgia’s Health & Prevention Magazine

ALTHWA IN THIS ISSUE

Humans can catch some pet diseases page 4

Lasers can be used to remove unwanted tattoos page 14

Doctors cautious in prescribing pain medication page 10

FEATURING

Pages 12-13

Sunday, July 24, 2011

The Times, Gainesville, Georgia |

gainesvilletimes com

Series of shots often best treatment for allergies

By Shannon Casas

scasas@gainesvilletimes.com

God bless you! Hearing that phrase is, for some, a daily occurrence as they battle allergies that make them sneezy, itchy and generally uncomfortable.

Be it pollen, dust, pet dander or a combination, allergy shots can offer relief.

“It’s best to think of allergy shots as vaccines,” said Dr. Ronald Beebe, a board-certified allergist and immunologist with The Longstreet Clinic. “... because what you’re doing is you’re stimulating an immune response, which is what a vaccination does, so that it gives you protection.”

An allergy basically means the patient is too sensitive to the allergen. The vaccine aims to desensitize by administering a small dose of the allergen over time.

Dosage increases over time as the frequency of the shots decreases; patients typically receive the shots for about five years.

In the end, 85 percent of those who take the shots say they feel it has helped, Beebe said. Patients should try the shots for at least a year.

If shots aren’t successful, medication and avoiding the allergen are the next best treatments.

What causes the allergy is a bit of a mystery to doctors. Genetics and environment can both play a role.

“There’s a lot of data that kids growing up on farms outside, outdoors more, don’t get allergy and asthma nearly to the extent of kids who grow up in a more urban setting,” Beebe said. And if both parents are allergic, there’s a 70 percent chance the child will

The Times Licensed Practical Nurse Denise Tench administers an allergy shot Tuesday to Dosha Blanchard at the Allergy, Asthma & Immunology Center at The Longstreet Clinic in Gainesville.

be, too, Beebe added.

Children are the best candidates for allergy shots, though.

Beebe said children age 5 and older can begin shots.

“I would say children probably benefit the most from shots because when you’re young — what you’re trying to do with these shots is push the immune system a certain way, and it’s easier in children because their immune system is still developing,” he said.

For those who may have taken the shots as children but feel their allergies are again a problem, they can come back and take another skin test to determine their allergies and take the shots as adults, Beebe said.

There are side effects to the vaccines, though. Patients can have a local reaction to the allergen at the site of the shot, meaning it may swell, redden or cause pain.

Systemic reactions are also possible, though rare, in which the patient could break out in hives or have trouble breathing.

For these reasons, those taking the vaccines should always do so at a doctor’s office and remain in the office for half an hour after taking the shot.

The side effects make allergy vaccines for food allergies too dangerous. Trials for allergy shots for peanuts created reactions that were too frequent, Beebe said.

One method of treating allergens has fewer side effects and

is gaining popularity. The treatment is similar to an allergy vaccine but is taken in drops under the tongue. It has yet to be approved by the FDA but is used in Europe.

Beebe advised against taking this treatment until it is approved, which may take about five years.

“The problem is that when you give a dose under your tongue, it’s a lot less than you would give in the shot,” Beebe said. “So you have to use such high doses to achieve the same effect that you get a lot of local reaction like sores in the mouth.”

Allergy shots on the other hand, have been around for 100 years, and Beebe said they’re getting safer and safer.

The Times, Gainesville, Georgia |

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Sunday, July 24, 2011

Mammograms still vital diagnostic tool despite confusion over guidelines

By Savannah King

sking@gainesvilletimes.com

Breast health is an important and sometimes confusing topic among women and medical professionals alike.

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force issued a statement recommending that women begin mammogram screening at age 50, rather than the previous age recommendation of 40. The Task Force also recommends women be screened every two years rather than yearly as suggested before. The new recommendations have left many women wondering what to do.

“That kind of left people with a lot of anxiety. We know that

breast cancer is very common and it is a great concern for most women,” said Dr. Monica Newton, family medicine physician with the Northeast Georgia Physicians group.

“The mammogram guidelines have been confusing, but all experts agree that all women should be screened for breast cancer at least at age 50 through age 69 with a mammogram and a clinical exam,” The change in the recommended age stems from studies showing that women younger than age 50 are at a higher risk of receiving a false-positive test result. An inaccurate test can result in psychological harm, additional medical visits, biopsies in women without cancer,

unnecessary treatment and radiation exposure.

“Following the guidelines and starting at age 40, the risks are minute; it is much more important to find the cancer,” said Dr. Julie Presley, chief of mammography and radiology service at the North Georgia Health Systems Imaging Center in Braselton. “There are significant numbers of cancers that are found between 40 and 50 years old.”

Breast cancer accounts for 23 percent of total cancer cases and 14 percent of cancer deaths. It is the leading cancer in women.

“We know the lifetime risk for a woman is one in eight, so you kind of balance those risks and say

either ‘I’ll be screened or I won’t’ and that is obviously an individual’s decision,” Newton said. “... just being a woman and age is a risk factor, you can’t go on family history alone.”

Breast tissue is more dense in younger women, which contributes to the higher rate of false-positive test results. Wearing deodorant and lotion to an appointment could also appear to be an artifact on the film.

“We obviously know that if we can prevent one cancer death we have to overlook some things. Some of the things we have to overlook are the false positives that come Please see Mammograms page 4

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Dr. Crider is now accepting new patients in Buford.

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Sunday, July 24, 2011

Mammograms Continued from page 3

from mammograms,” Newton said.

Film mammography is the oldest screening tool and is considered the gold standard by medical professionals. Doctors can use other tools in conjunction with mammograms, such as MRI and ultrasound to help determine whether or not there is a concern.

Presley said women should speak with their doctor to decide on the best time to begin screening. She said communication between doctors is important and if a woman has had a mammogram in the past and is going to a new facility it is imperative to have those films sent to the new office.

“So much of mammography is comparing old to new,” Presley said.

The Times, Gainesville, Georgia |

gainesvilletimes com

Some pet diseases can find their way to human owners

By Jacob Demmitt

news@gainesvilletimes.com

Even if they say a dog’s mouth is cleaner than a human’s, a medical specialist would ask you to think twice before puckering up for man’s best friend.

According to Andrew Reisman, a family doctor with The Longstreet Clinic, pets can pose a number of health concerns to their human companions.

Fur can carry poison ivy, and animals also have been known to pass on harmful parasites and bacteria.

Reisman said he sees cat scratch Fever most often, with one or two cases a year.

It’s a bacteria contracted through cat scratches or bites and is usually treatable through antibiotics.

An infected person might not feel sick, but Reisman said they’ll come into his office with large swollen lymph nodes.

But a more serious threat posed by cats is a parasite known as toxoplasmosis.

According to Reisman, it’s usually contracted while cleaning a litter box and can attack the eyes, brain and cause birth defects in pregnant women.

From 400 to 4,000 children are born in the United States each year with complications due to this parasite, Reisman said.

“We always advise pregnant women not to change the kitty litter,” he said. “If you don’t have someone to do that, hire someone.”

But cats aren’t alone in the risk they pose to humans.

Dogs often carry hook and round worms that can be passed to their owners.

“You really shouldn’t be playing in storm puddles,” Reisman said.

“They mix with everything so all the stool in the grass runs downs the hill with the water into the puddle at the bottom. And that’s where you’re at risk to get the hook worms.”

Please see Pet diseases page 5

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The Times, Gainesville, Georgia |

Pet diseases Continued from page 4 He said children often play in the puddle and have their skin penetrated by the small worms.

“It will penetrate the skin, reach the lungs through the bloodstream, come through the airways and get swallowed,” he said.“Then they reach the small intestines and mature into adult worms.

Then they suck blood and intestinal fluids.”

According to Reisman, onefourth of the world’s population is infected with some species of hook worm, but it’s much less common in the United States.

He said he has entertained it as a possible diagnosis, but never actually seen one himself.

Round worms are more common.

Again contracted through feces, they travel through the intestines, into the bloodstream and then to various organs throughout the body. According to Reisman, they most commonly attack the liver, lungs and central nervous system.

“I had a guy who went to a pig roast. Two weeks later he came in dizzy and unable to walk,” Reisman said. “He had a classic looking (roundworm) in his brain on the CT scan.”

Both round and hook worms are typically treatable with medications.

But humans aren’t the only ones that need to watch their back.

Laura Townshend, a veterinarian at South Hall Veterinary Hospital, said humans can also accidentally make their pets sick.

Tom Reed / The Times Dr. Laura Townshend checks a cat at the South Hall Veterinary Hospital. It is possible for humans to accidentally make their pets sick.

There aren’t too many transferable diseases, but she said the strep throat bacteria is occasionally passed from humans to pets.

In order to rid the bacteria from a home, Townshend said she’s seen cases where the veterinarian will work with the family doctor and treat simultaneously.

But despite these risks, Reisman said he wouldn’t recommend getting rid of your pets just yet.

With basic hygiene and plenty of hand washing, he said most risks can be minimized.

“The fortunate aspect is, in a normal family medicine practice, it’s a very small percentage of what we see,” he said.

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Sunday, July 24, 2011

Sunday, July 24, 2011

The Times, Gainesville, Georgia |

Early treatment key for easing chronic pain

By Jennifer Jackson Whitley

For The Times

Recent studies show as many as one-third of Americans suffer from chronic pain, and pain medications account for 10 percent of all pharmaceutical sales.

“One way to identify chronic pain is to look at how long the pain has been going on; usually chronic pain is classified as pain that lasts for longer than its expected duration after the start of the pain,” said John Givogre, a doctor specializing in anesthesiology and interventional pain management at Lanier Interventional Pain Center LLC. Chronic pain often is classified

as pain lasting for longer than three to six months.

“If you stub your toe, it gets better in a couple of days, but if six months later it’s still hurting, that’s chronic pain,” Givogre said.

“Essentially, chronic pain is pain that is still present months after a precipitating event, or pain that is still present after it should have gone away in normal circumstances.”

There are many causes of chronic pain: arthritis, trauma from injuries, nerve injuries and much more.

“There are multiple ways to treat chronic pain. One of the Please see Pain page 8

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Sunday, July 24, 2011

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Sunday, July 24, 2011

Pain

Continued from page 6 more credible or common ways would be taking medications,” Givogre said. “There are numerous types, like medicines that help with pain, inflammation or nerve hyperactivity. There are injection or interventional treatments, spine injections, cortisone injections or nerve blocks.”

Givogre specializes in interventional treatments of chronic pain.

With the sale of pain medications on the rise, threats of addiction raise caution in both patients and doctors.

“The threat of addiction is low in people who do not otherwise have history of addiction or addictive personality, but there is always at least a low risk when you’re using

The Times, Gainesville, Georgia |

habit-forming medications that someone could become addicted to them,” Givogre said.

Physical therapy, in which patients use exercise to maintain strength and mobility, is another reasonable treatment for chronic pain.

However, people suffering from chronic pain should not participate in rigorous exercises.

“Usually a gentle range of motion exercises and stretching are the easiest ways to start – low impact exercises. You wouldn’t tell someone with joint arthritis to start jogging,” Givogre said.

While there is no way to actively prevent injuries that cause chronic pain, there are some precautions one can take to reduce the risk.

“There are certain things that would predispose chronic pain: general health issues, like keeping your weight under control, not smoking and good nutrition play a role in the development of chronic

gainesvilletimes com

pain (as well as other medical conditions),” Givogre said.

Another way to reduce one’s risk is to see a doctor and receive treatment as early as possible; like most illnesses, it’s better to treat chronic pain early.

“If you have an injury that occurs that has pain and it doesn’t go away as expected, see someone so it can be treated early – it has a higher success rate of actually alleviating the pain,” Givogre said.“The golden rule: the earlier we can treat something, the better the results are going to be.”

The same healthy habits for other medical reasons also will help prevent chronic pain. However, once someone has it, it must be treated.

“The longer that people wait to be treated, the less likely that treatment will be successful,” Givogre said. “The longer that chronic pain goes on, the risk of depression and other health problems – like

weight gain and poor sleep – start to compound and will have lasting effects.”

Though treatable, chronic pain is not always curable.

“Some chronic pain can be cured, but most cases are managed longterm, similar to the way you would manage high blood pressure or diabetes,” Givogre said.

Chronic pain, or pain lasting longer than its expected duration, is becoming more and more prevalent. While it’s manageable, Givogre has one warning: do not leave it untreated.

“See a doctor about a consultation for treatment of the chronic pain,” he said.“If someone thinks that they have chronic pain, or knows someone who does, the most important thing is to talk to a physician and see a specialist so they can outline the treatments. People do not have to suffer from chronic pain; the vast majority can be helped.”

The Times, Gainesville, Georgia |

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Sunday, July 24, 2011

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Sunday, July 24, 2011

The Times, Gainesville, Georgia |

gainesvilletimes com

Doctors cautious in prescribing of pain medications

By Jennifer Jackson Whitley

For The Times

Patients who suffer from chronic pain, whether it is caused by arthritis, fibromyalgia or nerve trauma, live with a constant, cumbersome pain.Though it can be treated and cured, medications prescribed to aid chronic pain come with a list of potential warnings.

On one side, medications can help alleviate a patient’s pain. On another side, those same prescriptions come with risks of addiction and a few nasty side effects.

“If you’re talking about narcotic or opioid pain medications, then those threats are habituation or addiction — your body gets used to having it,” said Dr. John Givogre of Lanier Interventional Pain Center LLC.

Depending on what type of medication one takes, addiction can be a common and dangerous risk.

According to the National Information Center for Pain Medication Addiction, addiction to pain medication is the fastest growing sector of drug abuse.With more than 50 million Americans suffering from chronic pain, more than 5 million are said to commonly abuse their medications.

“There’s also some evidence that pain medications tend to affect your immune system as well as the hormone regulation in your body,” Givogre said.

Like other medications, narcotics and opioids have physical side effects as well.

“They can cause constipation, drowsiness, itching; they can

depress respiration and can lead to a potential overdose if taken inappropriately,” Givogre said.

One of the most common threats of pain medication is its addictiveness and potential abuse.

However, another issue for physicians is distinguishing between a patient who needs medication to treat chronic pain and one who wants it to feed his or her addiction.

“If a there is a history of addictiveness, the current trend with medication is that primary care providers are not the ones writing prescriptions for pain medications; often, a patient is referred to a specialty of pain management,” said Dr. Syed S. Zaidi of Medlink Gainesville.

However, if primary care providers do write prescriptions for pain

medication, there are precautions they can take.

“I have a policy in place if I do write a prescription called a ‘pain medication contract,’” Zaidi said.“The patient cannot call back within 10 days for refills, and if they lose the prescription, they lose it; it cannot be replaced. The contract is a basic tool available for caution.”

According to Givogre, pain medication has low risks if taken — and prescribed — correctly. Like many doctors, he takes several precautions before prescribing addictive medication.

“Patients are often drug-screened for presence of inappropriate substances in their bodies,” Givogre said. “Review of previous treatPlease see Pain meds page 11

The Times, Gainesville, Georgia |

Pain meds

Continued from page 10 ment records and medical history are also important.”

To prevent the use of addictive pain medication, patients are also offered other forms of treatment, like physical therapy and lowimpact exercise.

However, no matter what precautions doctors take, some patients choose to abuse their medications.

When this happens, physicians are faced with a tough decision: is the patient looking for medication to assuage their chronic pain, or are they only looking for it because of an addiction?

“The best way to handle a situation like this would be to avoid going down the road of using

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Sunday, July 24, 2011

11

addictive medication, and make sure you present other medication and treatment options for them,” Givogre said. “If a patient is looking for medication, and not treatment, he or she will usually not pursue other options.”

Prescribed medication helps millions of people cope with chronic pain; without it, people could suffer incessantly. If taken correctly, pain medication is put to good use, lowering risks of addiction, habituation and drug abuse.

“The positive aspect of taking pain medication is the quality of life that comes after a decreasing of the pain; and for someone who is in pain, that almost becomes the focus of their life — it’s always in the back of their mind; pain is always going to make known its presence,” Zaidi said.“To take care of that pain, medication is doing its job; the addictive potential is the other side of that.”

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Sunday, July 24, 2011

The Times, Gainesville, Georgia |

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GAINESVILLE HEAR S E RV I C E S O F F E R E D

GAINESVILLE HEART AND VA S C U L A R G R O U P At Gainesville Heart & Vascular Group, we believe that the patient is the center of our practice. We are committed to providing the best possible care through diligent clinical evaluation and appropriate use of state-of-the-art technology. Guided by compassion for each individual, we strive to provide convenience and peace of mind to our patients by providing most services under one roof. Our ultimate goal — help our patients achieve a better quality of life.

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The Times, Gainesville, Georgia |

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Sunday, July 24, 2011

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RT AND VASCULAR GROUP Cardiovascular disease af fects

80,700,000 people in the United States.

• Coronary heart disease or disease in the blood vessels which supply oxygen to the heart affects 17,600,000.

• Myocardial infarction or a heart attack affects 8,500,000 people. There are 785,000 new heart attacks and 470,000 recurrent per year.

• Angina pectoris, chest pain or discomfort caused by reduced blood supply to the heart muscle, affects 10,200,000 people.

• Stroke or disturbance to brain function due to disturbance to the brain’s blood supply affects 6,400,000.

• Peripheral vascular disease or disease affecting the blood vessels of the arms and legs affects 10,000,000.

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nting

• Heart failure, the heart’s inability to meet the body’s demand, affects 5,800,000.

Risk factors associated with cardiovascular disease include age, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, tobacco use and family history of cardiovascular disease. Symptoms associated with cardiovascular disease include chest pain, shortness of breath, arm/leg pain, loss of consciousness and fatigue.

We at the Gainesville Heart and Vascular Group specialize in prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular disease. Established in 1994, the Gainesville Heart & Vascular Group, formerly known as the Gainesville Heart Group, is recognized as the first cardiology practice dedicated to the care of heart patients in Gainesville and surrounding areas.

Its founder, Dr. David P. Johnson is a Gainesville native who had a dream of providing full-time and full-service cardiac care to the community. He and his partners played an integral part in bringing the Open Heart Surgery program to Gainesville in 2002.

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Cardiac catheterizations, including coronary and peripheral artery stenting, stress testing, transesophageal echocardiography and pacemaker devices are performed at the Northeast Georgia Medical Center.

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Sunday, July 24, 2011

The Times, Gainesville, Georgia |

gainesvilletimes com

Lasers can be used to remove unwanted tattoos

By Savannah King

sking@gainesvilletimes.com

Having that ex-boyfriend’s name tattooed on your arm seemed like a romantic gesture at the time, but two kids and a divorce later, it serves as a painful reminder of love gone wrong.

It is estimated that more than 50 percent of people experience regret over a tattoo at some point in their lives. While tattoos were once considered permanent, tattoo removal is becoming more popular.

In the past, the only way to remove a tattoo was through chemically burning the skin, or surgery, which nearly always left the patient with serious scarring.

Skin grafts were often necessary with surgical removal.

Today, however, removing a tattoo can be achieved with a relatively simple technique involving a laser.

“The lasers use different wave lengths to disperse the tattoo pigment.The laser breaks up the pigment and they are picked up by the body’s own immune system

ing or darkening of the skin in the laser removal sight.”

Depending on the size, color and style of the tattoo, laser removal can be a costly and time consuming process. Laser removal takes several sessions, spaced six to eight weeks apart, to allow the body to heal itself and aid in the removal.

There are other options should a person decide against laser removal. There are many topical creams available over the internet and eliminated,” said Dr. Monica and at retail stores. Creams act Newton, family medicine physi- to lighten the skin and make the cian with the Northeast Georgia contrast of a tattoo less noticePhysician’s Group. “Laser removal able, but generally cannot remove is generally considered safe, but the tattoo completely. people have experienced localPeople can also have an old ized skin reactions; people can tattoo altered to “clean up” the also get hyper or hypo-pigmentaPlease see Tattoo page15 tion of the skin, meaning whiten-

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Tattoo

Continued from page 14 tattoo or cover over it completely with a new one.

Eric Carpenter, owner and artist at New Vision Tattoo in downtown Gainesville, said he sees a lot of tattoo cover-ups and reworks.

“When it comes to cover-ups I always tell people to pick out three or four things they might like to see because it’s going to be give and take, you may not get exactly what you want, depending on what’s going on with the tattoo,” Carpenter said.

Bold black lines can be nearly impossible to cover and may always show through a cover-up.

An experienced tattoo artist will know what colors, shading and details a cover-up will require to be successful.

It is sometimes necessary to tattoo an ink dissolving solution into a tattoo before a cover-up can occur. The solution acts to break up the pigment enough that an artist can create a tattoo its owner will finally be happy with.

Carpenter said people who come in wanting to be tattooed will often want to know the price more than they want to consider the art or the artists. This mentality often results in people getting tattoos from illegal “couch artists,” people who have little to no experience in tattooing and practice from their homes.

These illegal artists are the reason his shop sees so many people who want to hide a tattoo. He said he can make it look better, but he can’t make it look the way it should have in the first place.

“A good tattoo isn’t cheap and a cheap tattoo isn’t good,” Carpenter said.

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Sunday, July 24, 2011

The Times, Gainesville, Georgia |

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New crib standards toughest in world Donating, selling substandard baby beds illegal

By Patricia Callahan

Chicago Tribune

It is now illegal in the U.S. to sell or even donate a crib that fails to meet the toughest crib safety rules in the world.

Newly required safety tests are so stringent that few cribs in American homes — even those that have escaped recall after recall — are sturdy enough to pass them. As a result, federal regulators recommend that families that can afford to do so should buy new cribs and

destroy their old ones.

“I know times are tough, but I always felt like the price of a crib is minuscule compared to the price of your child’s life,” said Susan Cirigliano, a Long Island, N.Y., mother who pushed for tougher standards after her son Bobby died in a defective crib in 2004. “I was a normal mom raising her kids.

Never in a million years would I have thought that could happen to me.”

Over the last four years, Chicago Tribune investigations have reported that a product supposed to be the safest item in the nursery — the one place where a parent can leave an infant unattended for hours — had become a deathtrap for some babies thanks to bad designs, defective hardware and

flimsy parts.

Those stories prompted congressional hearings and recalls, and ultimately led to the new standards.

The new rules address all of the major hazards that have killed infants in recent years, including traditional sides that move up and down. While convenient for parents, those so-called “drop sides” too often broke, creating deadly gaps in which babies got trapped, including Bobby Cirigliano. Drop sides are now forbidden.

The law effectively eliminates the secondhand market for cribs — at least for the near future — because it is now illegal to sell a crib that fails to meet the new standards. It will likely take more than a year for the new cribs to find their way to garage sales and auction sites as

hand-me-downs.

In addition to checking stores that sell new cribs, Scott Wolfson, a spokesman for the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, says his agency will be monitoring eBay, craigslist and other sites to make sure older cribs don’t get resold.

Under the new standard, labeling will make it easier to assemble a crib without missing a key step.

Many babies died when the sides of their cribs were put on upside down, leaving the beds structurally unsound. The new rules mandate that sides clearly show which way is up or that they function well both ways.

A new battery of tests will better simulate the long life of a crib, finding screws that come loose, Please see Crib safety page 19

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Crib safety Continued from page 18

mattress supports that separate and slats that break. Each of those hazards can create a deadly gap that babies’ tiny bodies can slip through.

When their heads get caught, they can hang to death or otherwise suffocate.

The old rules allowed manufacturers to tighten screws between different tests. Under the new ones, the crib has to pass all of them without any adjustments along the way. In one test, the crib is pushed repeatedly in eight different directions for a total of 72,000 movements to simulate wear and tear.

Separately, a 45-pound weight is dropped on the mattress support 750 times.

“These new cribs are going to be so much better than what’s out

there in terms of the testing,” said Nancy Cowles, executive director of Kids In Danger, a Chicago-based consumer advocacy nonprofit that has pushed for tougher crib tests for more than a decade.

The biggest challenge for parents will be to verify that the crib they are buying meets the new rules. There is no standard label to distinguish a crib made under the new rules from an older one. Parents should

not rely on a simple label that says the crib “meets or exceeds” federal and voluntary standards; millions of cribs recalled for deadly hazards carried such assurances.

Manufacturers are required to provide a certificate to retailers that lists where and when samples of their crib models were tested under the new standards. Although the law doesn’t require retailers to provide these certificates to custom-

Sunday, July 24, 2011

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ers, safety commission spokesman Wolfson says consumers can ask for them if they want documented proof that the cribs meet the new rules.

Cowles, of Kids In Danger, recommends that consumers demand proof in writing. “I would not buy a crib if the retailer can’t show you proof that it meets that mandatory standard,” Cowles said.“I would not take people’s word for it.”

While stores have known this day was coming for six months, some smaller retailers earlier this month asked federal regulators to give them more time to sell off their inventory of older cribs. In a 3 to 2 vote, the safety commission denied that request.

“I know we’ve saved a lot of lives doing this,” Cirigliano said of the new safety standard.“The thing I’m happy about is I’ll never know how many. That’s the greatest thing in the world not to know.”

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Crib safety Q&A Q: How do I know if the crib I’m buying meets the new tougher standards?

A: Ask if the crib meets “16 CFR 1219,” the law for full-size cribs, or “16 CFR 1220,” the law for those of nonstandard sizes.

Don’t trust simple labels that say cribs meet or exceed federal standards, as older and recalled cribs carried those labels.

Manufacturers must provide to retailers a certificate that states when and where samples of their cribs were tested. Stores aren’t required to provide the certificates to shoppers, but federal regulators say anyone who wants proof should ask for them. Nancy Cowles, execu-

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tive Director of Kids In Danger, recommends that parents ask for proof in writing, rather than relying on a salesperson’s assurances.

Q: I’m short and really wanted a drop-side crib. Now that it’s illegal to sell one, what should I do?

A: Manufacturers are making some models of fixed-side cribs where the top rail is lower to the ground, so you don’t have to break your back or be 6 feet tall to easily set down a sleeping baby. These are sometimes called “low profile” cribs.

Q: I’m an expectant parent and can’t afford a new crib.

My neighbor is offering me her son’s crib. Why shouldn’t I take it?

A: Second-hand cribs can be deadly, especially if the assem-

bly directions or the original vert to toddler beds. There are hardware is lost. Retailers are ways to shave that amount from offering models for less than Please see Q&A page 21 $100, and many of them con-

The Times, Gainesville, Georgia |

Q&A

Continued from page 20 your nursery budget, such as by opting for a fitted crib sheet — often less than $10 — rather than a far more expensive bedding set that includes bumper pads and a quilt, both of which safety advocates say you should avoid anyway. You also don’t need a changing table. Some families find it easier to change a baby on the floor.

able models.

Q: I have the crib my daughter outgrew. It worked well for her. Should I use it for the baby I’m expecting or buy a new one?

A: Regulators recommend you buy a new one. The new rules are the toughest in the world and include tests that are far more stringent than those that your crib went through.

Some of the deaths in cribs in recent years happened after parents took their cribs apart, stored them and rebuilt them for subsequent children. Some of those parents said the crib seemed fine until the moment it broke and killed their child.

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can I make sure the crib I’m using is safe?

A: Go to recalls.gov to make sure your model isn’t one of 11 million cribs that have been recalled in recent years. If you have a drop-side crib, check to see if your manufacturer will provide hardware that immobilizes that side. Every time you change your toddler’s crib sheet, tighten all screws and check that the sides and mattress platform have not separated in any place. Keep your eye out for gaps, which can be deadly. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has a helpful video with more safety tips at this site: cpsc.gov/info/cribs/cribsqa.html.

Q: Are cribs more expensive now?

A: The Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association said it costs about 10 percent more Q: My baby is a toddler and Q: My crib was expensive, for materials to make a crib will transition out of his crib and I want to get some money under the new rules, but many in the coming months. I don’t for it. Why can’t I sell it? stores are still offering afford- want to buy a new crib. How A: Unless your crib meets the

Sunday, July 24, 2011

new federal crib standard, which is unlikely unless you bought it in recent weeks, it’s illegal to sell it or even to donate it.

Q: I bought a crib two weeks ago and now realize it doesn’t meet the new rules. What can I do?

A: Unfortunately, retailers were allowed to sell off their old inventory until the new law went into effect last month.

Check your store’s return policy to see whether they’ll take it back.

Q: I want to throw out my old crib but am worried somebody may take it. What should I do?

A: Take your old crib apart and throw it out in pieces — one side one week, one side another week — so that nobody can rebuild it from the parts left on the curb or in the trash bin.

Proudly taking care of our community for over 50 years NEPHROLOGY INTERNAL MEDICINE CARDIOLOGY CARDIOLOGY NEPHROLOGY INTERNAL MEDICINE Monisha Garg, MD Brent Archer, MD Robert Ferguson, MD Brent Archer, MD Robert Ferguson, MD Monisha Garg, Mark Kats,MD MD Brantley Burns, MD Brantley Burns, MD Mark Kats, MD Shane Bussler, MD ENDOCRINOLOGY Shane Bussler, MD E NDOCRINOLOGY PULMONOLOGY Paul Chenard, MD Matthey Harris, MD Paul Chenard, MD P Matthey Harris, MD, ULMONOLOGY Craig Brown, MD Meghan Cook, MD Jennifer JohnMeghan Cook, MD Jennifer JohnCraig Brown, Wesley HeadMD , MD Dennis Corn, MD Kalarickal, MD Dennis Corn, MD Kalarickal, MD Wesley Head , MD Thomas Murray, MD Richard Gomez, MD Eniki Mack,MD MD Thomas Richard Gomez, MD Eniki Mack, Murray, MD Joseph West, MD Carol Hector, MDMD CaciaSoares-Welch, Soares-Welch, Carol Hector, Cacia MD,MD Joseph West, MD Taylor MD TaylorHenson, Henson, MD RHEUMATOLOGY Hillary HEMATOLOGY/ HillaryMorgan, Morgan,MD MD H RHEUMATOLOGY EMATOLOGY Sylvia Dold, Bradley BradleyPierce, Pierce,MD MD /ONCOLOGY Sylvia Dold, DODO ONCOLOGY Tracy Lovell , MD Mini Shivprasad,MD Mini Shivprasad, MD Tracy Lovell , MD Andre Kallab, Andre Kallab,MD MD Alok Sachdeva,MD MD Sean Sumner, Sachdeva, Padma Nadella, Sean Sumner, MDMD Padma Nadella,MD MD Alok Jeffrey Terry, MD Christina Saurel, MD Jeffrey Terry, MD Christina Saurel, MD Richard Villanueva, MD Tanna, Roberto Villanueva, MD Saloni Saloni Tanna,MD MD

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For all of these people, reguProliferative retinopathy is of retinal damage. High blood lar eye exams are extremely Diabetic retinopathy is dif- the more advanced stage of pressure and pregnancy both important.in Forthe those whowith have over mology practice area decades of the experience providingAexceptional ferentthree in each person, so diabetic retinopathy. series can worsen the condition. already been diagnosed with Gainesville Eye Associates oph- of events causes the retina to al, medical and optical your vision to the the disease, a yearlyeye examcare. can Trust thalmologists will spend timeexperts. detach, and severe loss of sight The importance of an annual keep diabetes-related eye dis- with each patient reviewing and even blindness may result. eye exam for diabetics cannot eases at bay. For those â&#x20AC;˘at The risk, ď&#x192;&#x17E;rst their medical history, surgeons lifestyle, Surgery can save straight-ahead be stressed enough. Between microincisional in Gainesville; an eye exam, believe it or not, and the degree of damage to and color vision.

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Gainesville Eye Associates, or to M.D. schedule an appointment, conAnVeach, eye exam S. Michael O.D.doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t take tact their office today at 770long and involves dilating both 532-4444. You can also learn eyes. These exams can also find more about the services offered effects of high blood pressure,

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With the most highly skilled surgeons utilizing the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leading technology, Gainesville Eye Associates is simply the right choice for the best visual outcome. As the ď&#x192;&#x17E;rst microincisional surgeons in Gainesville and one of only a few in all of North Georgia, our physicians perform state-of-the-art procedures to help you achieve your best vision.

Gainesville Eye Associates is the largest ophthalmology practice in the area with over three decades of experience providing exceptional patient care. We offer the full spectrum of surgical, medical and optical eye care. Trust your vision to the experts. â&#x20AC;˘ State-of-the-art cataract procedures â&#x20AC;˘ Gainesvilleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s #1 multifocal implanters featuring the ReSTOR lens

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