CDC: Rates of C-Section at Record High

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics has recently reported that cesarean section rates in the U.S. have reached an unprecedented high. The most recent CDC data from 2007 reported that 1.4 million, almost a third of all births, were C-sections, with the rate of cesareans having increased by 53 percent between 1996 and 2007.

The CDC used data from birth certificates to determine these rate increases, which were seen in all ages, races and ethnicities. The highest C-section rates were found to be in New Jersey, Florida, Mississippi, Louisiana and West Virginia.

As for the reason behind this significant increase in cesarean sections, researchers believe it is probably due to older mothers (almost half of mothers age 40 to 54 had C-sections) and the concern of complications with vaginal delivery, with most doctors now opting for a C-section for breech (buttocks or feet first) position births. In addition, some hospitals recommend C-sections for women who have had a previous C-section instead of attempting a vaginal delivery (VBAC).

For women who have VBACs, their is a slightly higher risk of a ruptured uterus, which can result in hysterectomy or death of the mother or baby. Injury to the mother and infant during labor and delivery can also be caused by the negligence of a doctor or other medical professional. If your child has suffered a birth injury that may have been preventable, please call or e-mail Silberstein, Awad & Miklos, P.C. today. One of our experienced birth injury attorneys will evaluate your case for free. We have helped clients with Bronx birth injury, Queens birth injury, Brooklyn birth injury and Long Island birth injury cases.

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Link Found Between Pesticide and Developmental Delays in Children

A new study has found that chlorpyrifos, a pesticide used on fruit and vegetables, is linked to both physical and mental delays in children. The pesticide, which was banned in 2001 in households throughout the United States, is used predominantly in an agricultural setting to protect crops from insects. Consuming small amounts of chlorpyrifos is not a real concern, however, exposure to higher levels of the chemical has been found to be associated with developmental delays

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The study, which is published in the American Journal of Public Health, included more than 250 children in low-income parts of Upper Manhattan and the South Bronx. Children with high levels of chlorpyrifos (greater than 6.17 pg/g) in umbilical cord blood at birth were found to have a Psychomotor Development Index Score that was 6.5 points lower at age 3 than that of children with lower levels. Also, the Mental Development Index score for these children with elevated levels of the pesticide was 3.3 points lower at 3 years of age.

If your child struggles with developmental delays as a result of another’s negligence during your prenatal care, labor and/or delivery, call or e-mail the medical malpractice attorneys at Silberstein, Awad & Miklos, P.C. today. One of our experienced birth injury lawyers will evaluate your case for free. We have helped clients with Queens birth injury, Bronx birth injury, Brooklyn birth injury and Long Island birth injury cases.

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Greater Risk of Death for Men Following Hip Fracture

When a person fractures their hip, in most cases it is the result of a fall or other incident, such as a car accident, which causes a blow to the area. Although anyone can have a hip fracture, they most often occur in adults 65 and older as a result of weakened bones. Unfortunately, this type of injury also becomes more life threatening with age.

A recent study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine has found the risk of death after a hip fracture is higher for men. However, the prevalence of hip fracture in women is about two to three times as high as in men.

For the study, researchers looked at 39 previous studies which included almost 600,000 women and 155,000 men over 50 years of age who had experienced a hip fracture. The research panel found that though death is almost six times more likely to occur in women over age 50 with a hip fracture than in those without a fracture, death is eight times as likely for men within three months of their fracture.

One possible cause for this higher fatality rate in men is the fact that although women experience bone loss following menopause, men usually lose bone as a result of some other medical problem. For this reason, women who fracture their hip can recover because they have no underlying medical problems, while men often have to battle the fracture and the original illness.

Many hip fractures in older adults are caused by slip and fall accidents. These types of accidents can occur on icy, snowy or wet sidewalks, stairs or walkways and can cause serious injuries, such as broken bones, fractures and other trauma. If you or a loved one has been injured in a slip and fall accident, please call or e-mail the premises liability attorneys at Silberstein, Awad & Miklos, P.C. today. The consultation is free and our premises liability lawyers only get paid if we can obtain money for you. Our firm has represented clients with Brooklyn slip and fall, Bronx slip and fall, Queens slip and fall, Manhattan slip and fall and Long Island slip and fall cases.

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For Breast Cancer Patients, Undetected Tumors May Be Found Through MRI

Researchers at the Mayo Clinic have found in a recent study that undiagnosed breast tumors are sometimes found through MRI scans for postmenopausal breast cancer patients previously diagnosed with tumors in their opposite breast. However, MRI scans are less likely to find tumors in women who have not yet gone through menopause.

The research team examined medical records of 425 female breast cancer patients who had an MRI of both breasts between 2003 and 2007. The purpose of the scans was to detect cancer in breasts where no cancer was previously found. They found that the MRIs of women age 70 and older were more likely to show a tumor than the scans of younger women.

The earlier a patient receives treatment for their cancer, the better the prognosis for that patient. A delay in diagnosis or treatment can allow the cancer to grow and spread. If you or a loved one has been harmed by a delay in diagnosing or treating cancer, or has breast cancer medical malpractice questions, call or email the attorneys at Silberstein, Awad & Miklos, P.C. We have represented clients with Brooklyn cancer malpractice, Bronx cancer malpractice, Queens cancer malpractice, Manhattan cancer malpractice and Long Island cancer malpractice cases. Call today for your free consultation; 1-877-ASK4SAM.

Increased Risk of Stroke for Women with Elevated Natural Estrogen

In a recent study conducted in the U.S., researchers found that postmenopausal women with higher levels of natural estrogen who are not receiving hormone therapy have a greater risk of stroke. In addition, researchers found that larger waist size can also increase a woman’s risk of stroke.

For the study, the research panel used data from an osteoporosis study conducted in the late 1980s comprised of white postmenopausal women, none of which were on hormone therapy. Of the women, 247 had suffered a first stroke by the end of the eight year follow-up period, while 243 did not suffer a stroke.

Researchers found that for those women with the highest levels of the strongest form of naturally occurring estrogen, estradiol, the risk of stroke was about 2.3 greater than those with the lowest levels of estradiol.

As for waist size playing a role, data showed that women with waists larger than 34 inches had increased levels of estradiol. The risk of stroke for women with waists larger than 34 inches who had higher levels of this potent form of estrogen was six times higher than those with smaller waists, according to researchers.

After heart disease and cancer, stroke is the third leading cause of death in the nation. If you or a loved one was the victim of stroke malpractice in New York, call or email the medical malpractice attorneys at Silberstein, Awad & Miklos, P.C. today for your free consultation. We have helped clients with Bronx stroke malpractice, Brooklyn stroke malpractice, Queens stroke malpractice and Long Island stroke malpractice cases.

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Melanoma and its Risk Factors

According to the National Cancer Institute, melanoma is a form of cancer that starts in the cells that make the pigment melanin. Last year in the U.S., an estimated 68,720 people were newly diagnosed with the cancer, and 8,650 melanoma-caused deaths were reported.

Melanoma can usually be cured when caught early on through surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, vaccine therapy, immunotherapy and other treatments. However, if this deadly form of cancer is not caught early enough, it can spread to other parts of the body.

The American Academy of Dermatology has listed common risk factors for melanoma skin cancer. Anyone with any of these risk factors should make sure to protect their skin when exposed to sun.

• Fair skin or sun-sensitive skin
• Blonde or red hair and blue or green eyes
• 50 to 100 moles, or more
• Large, irregular moles
• History of sunburn or use of tanning beds
• Family history of melanoma
• Weakened immune system
• Previous diagnosis of melanoma or other skin cancer
• 50 years or older

If your melanoma or other form of cancer went undiagnosed by a doctor or was misdiagnosed, it is important that you get in touch with our cancer malpractice lawyers as soon as possible to discuss the possibilities for a lawsuit. New York has very strict limitations on the amount of time in which you may file a claim. Call or email the attorneys at Silberstein, Awad & Miklos, P.C. today for a free consultation. We have helped clients with Bronx cancer malpractice, Queens cancer malpractice, Brooklyn cancer malpractice, Nassau cancer malpractice and Suffolk cancer malpractice cases, and we can help you too.

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Percentage of Cardiac Catheterizations Prove Unnecessary

According to a recent study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, doctors may be performing cardiac catheterization too quickly after learning a patient has chest pain. This type of procedure can be risky because it is invasive, meaning it involves an instrument being inserted into the body. For cardiac catheterization, a thin plastic tube is inserted into a vein or artery to observe blood flow to the heart and check how well the heart is pumping, according to the American Heart Association.

Researchers involved in the study looked at data on almost 400,000 patients who had cardiac catheterization between January of 2004 and April of 2008. None of these patients had a history of heart disease. While about 37.6 percent had a blocked artery, 39.2 percent of the patients in the study had no considerable coronary artery blockage.

In most cases, doctors generally perform a noninvasive test before going forward with a more risky procedure. Of the 400,000 patients involved in this study, roughly 84 percent had a noninvasive test before a cardiac catheterization was performed. However, many of these preliminary tests do not provide adequate data concerning possible blockages.

Heart disease is the number one killer in the nation, and the failure to diagnose a heart attack is the number one medical malpractice mistake. If you or a loved one has been the victim of medical malpractice, call or e-mail the medical malpractice attorneys at Silberstein Awad & Miklos today to schedule your free consultation. We have helped clients with Queens cardiac malpractice, Bronx cardiac malpractice, Brooklyn cardiac malpractice and Long Island cardiac malpractice cases.

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Worse Outcomes for Women Not Given tPA After Stroke

A recent study published in medical journal Neurology and released by the American Academy of Neurology has found that women who do not receive tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) following a stroke have worse results than men who don’t get the drug. The drug, which dissolves stroke-causing clots, should be given within the first three hours of symptom onset to be effective.

For the study, data on more than 2,100 stroke patients was evaluated by Dr. Michael D. Hill and his colleagues. Women made up about 44 percent of the 232 patients treated with tPA within the three hour window. Six months after their stroke, 70 percent of men who did not receive tPA had good outcomes, while only 58 percent of women who didn’t get the drug had a good outcome.

Stroke is the third leading killer in our nation, following heart disease and cancer. The failure to properly diagnose and treat a stroke in a timely way is a leading medical malpractice mistake in our country. If you or a loved one has been the victim of stroke malpractice, call or email the medical malpractice attorneys at Silberstein, Awad & Miklos, P.C. today for your free consultation. We are experienced at serving clients with Bronx stroke malpractice, Brooklyn stroke malpractice, Queens stroke malpractice, Nassau stroke malpractice and Suffolk stroke malpractice cases.

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Risk of Clogged Arteries Higher for Children Exposed to Secondhand Smoke

According to a recent news release from the American Heart Association, children exposed to secondhand smoke are more likely to develop early warning signs of clogged arteries by age 13. These children were also found to be at a higher risk of other heart disease risk factors.

The study behind the news release, which will be published in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes, included 494 Finnish children, who researchers say are exposed to about the same amount of secondhand smoke as children in the U.S.

Led by study author Dr. Katariina Kallio, researchers looked at children who were exposed to secondhand smoke between ages 8 and 13. When compared to children who had not been exposed to secondhand smoke, these children were found to have a greater risk of thickening blood vessel walls, which can be a sign of clogging arteries. These children were also found to have higher levels of apolipoprotein B, which is known to contribute to LDL (bad) cholesterol.

Children should never be exposed to tobacco smoke, especially at a young age. According to the Mayo Clinic, children are more vulnerable than adults to secondhand smoke because their bodies are still developing and they normally have higher breathing rates. This means they may inhale greater quantities of secondhand smoke than adults. Pregnant women who smoke or are exposed to secondhand smoke increase their child’s risk of problems during and after birth.

Silberstein, Awad & Miklos serves clients with Queens birth injury, Bronx birth injury, Brooklyn birth injury, Nassau birth injury and Suffolk birth injury cases. Call or e-mail us today for a free consultation. 1-877-ASK4SAM

Medical Journal Withdraws Study Linking Vaccines and Autism

British medical journal The Lancet recently retracted a study published back in 1998 linking the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine to autism. The controversial study, conducted by British researcher Dr. Andrew Wakefield and 13 co-authors, was rejected by many researchers. However, many parents of children with autism saw the findings as an answer to this complex disorder, causing them to denounce the use of vaccines in children. Consequently, vaccination rates plunged in the U.S. and Britain, resulting in an increase in the number of new measles cases.

A few years back, 10 of the study’s 13 co-authors disowned the study. In addition, The Lancet had stated that Wakefield’s study should have never been published. Many pediatricians welcomed the study’s retraction this past February and hope that this news will change many parents’ thoughts about vaccines.

As for Wakefield, the UK General Medical Council ruled that the doctor had violated several ethical codes during his autism research and will soon make a decision on whether to revoke his medical license.

The CDC recently reported that one in 110 children in the U.S. has been diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder. If your child’s autism may have been caused by obstetrical negligence during pregnancy, labor and delivery, please call or e-mail us today. One of our experienced birth injury attorneys will evaluate your case for free. We have helped clients with Bronx birth injury, Brooklyn birth injury, Queens birth injury and Long Island birth injury cases.

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