SEATTLE - A hearing test soon after birth may help identify babies at risk for sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), a study noted by HealthDay News found.  SIDS kills about one in 1,000 infants worldwide; most are two to four months old and boys are more likely than girls to die.  Dr. Daniel Rubens and his team at the Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Center studied data on 31 Rhode Island babies who died of SIDS, and found they all shared the distinctive difference in newborn hearing tests across three different sound frequencies in the right ear.  Dr. Rubens noted healthy infants typically test stronger in the right ear than in the left; SIDS infants had lower scores for the right ear than the left.  The study was in the journal Early Human Development.  "It's possible that with a simple hearing test, babies could be identified as at risk for SIDS, allowing measures to be implemented in advance of a tragic event."

WASHINGTON - Monday Morning in Washington, D.C. disclosed The Center for Self-Determination is presenting the International Conference on Self-Determination, May 27-29 in Detroit at the Renaissance Center.  To get more information, visit info.thearc.org.

SEATTLE - The New York Times noted that for decades scientists believed that if people with diabetes cut blood sugar to normal levels, they would no longer be at high risk of heart disease death.  A federal study of 10,000-plus middle-aged and older people Type 2 diabetics found cutting blood sugar actually raised death risk.  They halted that part of the study, whose surprising results question how the disease should be managed.  Investigators emphasized patients should still consult their doctors before considering changing their medications.  Among the participants who were assigned randomly to get blood sugar levels to nearly normal, there were 54 more deaths than in the group whose levels were controlled less rigidly.  Patients were in the study for an average of four years when scientists halted the intensive blood sugar lowering and put them on the less intense regimen.  This doesn’t mean blood sugar is meaningless; lowered blood sugar can protect against kidney disease, blindness, and amputations.  Dr. Ira Hirsch, a diabetes researcher at the University of Washington, said results would be hard to explain to some patients who have spent years and made an enormous effort, in the the diet and medication, getting and keeping their blood sugar down.  They will not want to relax their vigilance, he said.

WASHINGTON - Monday Morning in Washington, D.C. noted the 2008 fact sheet on Health Care Access and Utilization: Adolescents and Young Adults has the most recent available data on health insurance coverage, preventive and other health services, and unmet need among adolescents and young adults 12-24, including those with special healthcare needs.  The fact sheet, from the National Adolescent Health Information Center at the University of California/San Francisco, with support from the Maternal and Child Health Bureau, highlights trends and presents data by age, gender, income level, and race/ethnicity.  Data on trends and sources is included.

BIRMINGHAM, AL - HealthDay News noted a high number of us may suffer "whispering" strokes, symptoms so mild they often go ignored, but can cause physical and mental harm.  About 18% of almost 22,000 older adults in a study reported having such symptoms, stated a report in the journal Stroke.  People with these symptoms had lower-than-normal tests of physical and mental functioning.  "What we’re trying to say to the lay public and primary care physicians is these strokes are a major public health problem," said lead researcher George Howard, biostatistics professor at the University of Alabama School of Public Health.  He and his team are issuing reports on study participants, all of whom were 45 or older; 40% are black and half are women.  They filled out standard questionnaires on mental/physical status and a separate form asking if they had had symptoms of a stroke, such as: Sudden numbness/weakness of the face arm or leg, especially on one side; sudden confusion, trouble speaking, or understanding; sudden trouble seeing in one/both eyes; sudden severe headache with no known cause, sudden trouble walking, dizziness, or loss of balance or coordination."

WASHINGTON - Monday Morning in Washington, D.C. noted the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services' National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR) is funding eight Disability Rehabilitation Research Projects (DRRPs).  Over $8 million in public funds will be made available in nine awards, ranging from $300,000 to $1,000,000 per award.  Eligible applicants: States; public and private agencies and organizations; institutes of higher education; Indian tribes and tribal organizations.  Contact Donna Nangle, Dept. of Education, 400 Maryland Ave., SW., Room 6029, Potomac Center Plaza, Washington, DC 20202; 202-245-7462, TDD: 1-800-877-8339; donna.nangle@ed.gov.

BLOOMINGTON, IN - Monday Morning in Washington, DC noted for decades parents of children with disabilities were advised to institutionalize their child and in effect "forget you ever had them." Of more than 500,000 people in out-of-home residential settings, experts report a high percentage have no regular contact with family.  Gradually, states are replacing institutions with community-based residential settings that support family connections, but there has been no good way to help make that connection.  Now, there is an opportunity for family members to reunite.  To enter data in the FindFamily Registry, go to www.FindFamilyRegistry.org.

WASHINGTON - Monday Morning in Washington, D.C. noted millions of low-income Americans are denied a chance to register to vote.  The National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) requires states to offer a chance to register to vote when they apply for public assistance.  Unequal Access: Neglecting the National Voter Registration Act, 1995-2007, a report from Project Vote and Demos, provides substantial evidence that states are failing to meet their responsibility to provide voter registration services to clients of public assistance agencies.  For more information on Project Vote’s efforts to help states comply with the NVRA’s public agency registration requirements, visit www.usdoj.gov/crt/voting/nvra/activ_nvra.

NEW YORK - Since it was approved for over-the-counter sales, the morning-after pill has been a commercial success for its maker, but popularity and solid safety record haven't deterred critics from seeking to overturn the milestone ruling.  The pill, marketed by Barr Pharmaceuticals Inc. as Plan B, was the focus of bitter debate for three years.  After repeated delays, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration declared on Aug. 24, 2006 that customers 18 and older should be able to buy it in pharmacies without a prescription.  All national pharmacy chains stock it.  Despite the booming sales, and evidence the pill is safe if used properly, critics remain active.  Conservative groups, including the Family Research Council and Concerned Women for America, filed a lawsuit in federal court in Washington seeking to reverse the FDA ruling.  They contend FDA acted unwisely under political pressure and lacked authority to approve the same drug for over-the-counter and prescription-only distribution based on the user's age.

PHILADELPHIA - U.S. News & World Report issued its first "America's Best Children's Hospitals" ranking at health.usnews.com/pediatrics.  Atop the 30 listed for 2007 is Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Children's Hospital Boston, and Baltimore's Johns Hopkins Hospital.  Formerly, pediatric centers were ranked on reputation in the annual America's Best Hospitals issue; this ranking is based not only on reputation, but also on data about performance and quality of care.  To be eligible, a facility had to be listed by the National Association of Children's Hospitals and Related Institutions as a freestanding children's hospital or children's "hospital within a hospital" - large, pediatric multidisciplinary service within a medical center.  Of 122 children's hospitals that met this standard as of March 2007, 113 responded to a U.S. News survey seeking data on procedures such as the number of bone marrow transplants and difficult heart operations - 30 facilities made the cut as one of "America's Best Children's Hospitals."

ROCHESTER, MN - As nearly 30 million Americans attest, throbbing pain of a migraine can be debilitating, lasting from a few hours to several days.  The condition can be aggravated by light, sounds, odors, exercise, even routine physical activities.  Nausea, with or without vomiting, may occur.  Treatment helps most people with migraines, and the Mayo Clinic Health Letter has an overview of treatments to prevent migraines and stop the pain.  Doctors’ recommended preventive medications typically are taken at regular intervals.  Infrequently, nonprescription non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as Advil, Motrin, others or naproxen sodium (Aleve, others) may help.  Injection of Botox is an alternative for people who can’t take or don’t respond well to preventive medications.  Botox for migraine prevention isn’t approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.  Pain relief drugs for migraines should be taken as soon as symptoms begin.  The National Institutes of Health stated acupuncture may help headaches.

CHICAGO - Half of all U.S. eye injuries occur at home but are preventable, experts at the nonprofit group Prevent Blindness America told HealthDay News.  From cleaning products to coat hangers, the average U.S. home is rife with potential painful, blinding accidents.  We can take simple steps, such as appropriate eye protection, to protect sight.  The Consumer Product Safety Commission states more than 219,000 Americans went to the emergency room with eye injuries in 2006; more than half of those injuries occurred at home, and 90% of thjose can be prevented by wearing safety goggles while doing lawn work, cleaning, or working on the car, experts say.  Safety goggles should have "ANSI Z-87" stamped on the lenses or frames.  The stamp means they have been certified by the American National Standards Institute.  People should also wash their hands when they complete their chores before touching their eyes or face.

ZURICH - In a study that could alter the way hip fractures are treated, doctors found that giving the Novartis osteoporosis drug Reclast can prevent later fractures and helps patients live longer, reported.  The 300,000 hip fractures each year in the U.S. are a major source of death and disability.  About 33% of people who break a hip are dead within two years and patients who break a hip once are up to 10 times more likely to develop a second break there.  The study, financed by the Swiss drug maker, found the once-a-year injections given to 1,065 volunteers cut the risk of subsequent fracture 35% versus the risk for 1,062 patients given a placebo.  The fracture rate was 8.6% with Reclast and 13.9% for placebo.  The drug, known generically as zoledronic acid, cut the death rate by 28% over two years, said Dr. Kenneth Lyles, of Duke University Medical Center, and colleagues.  Overall, 9.6% died in the Reclast group versus 13.3% in the placebo group if the drug was given within 90 days of the first hip fracture.