More on lead poisoning - it’s not just toys. I was quite surprised to read that the second most common cause of lead poisoning after paint is “folk” medicine. Traditional medicines used by immigrants from Latin America, India and other parts of Asia are the second most common source of lead poisoning in America today. These cases are found all over America, but especially where there are large immigrant populations. If you do use these traditional health remedies, please be careful and understand what exactly you are giving to your children and yourself.

Extreme childhood allergies. There is a six-year old boy who has food allergies so extreme all he can eat is venison meat and oats. With the relatively rare and new disease, eosinophilic esophagitis, all other foods severely irritate his esophagus. And more concerning is that this allergy is increasing - doctors are seeing 1-2 new cases per week. I hope this poor boy outgrows his allergy as he grows older. I can’t imagine life without being able to eat food!

Infant mortality rates still shockingly high. The UN’s annual report (for 2006) was just released, and over 9.7 million children under age 5 died in 2006. Sub-saharan Africa rates remain the highest, with 28 of the top 30 countries with the highest death rates coming from that region. Africa reports 186 deaths per 1,000 children, while industrialized nations report 6 deaths per 1,000 children. Just reading those figures give me pangs of guilt knowing that I have three healthy (and admittedly a bit spoiled) at home. To tangent slightly, I am always impressed with the generosity of the Gates Foundation and what they are doing to immunize and improve the health of children all over the world. So much, I can almost forgive all the bugs with my Windows PC!