Medical Health Insurance For Children and Students
Many parents overlook the provision of health insurance for their children, often assuming that the state provides cover while the children are young and that colleges and universities will pick up this responsibility for students. Unfortunately, this is not the case.
In order to deal with a growing problem of children living in the United States without health insurance some 10 years ago Congress passed a plan entitled Title XXI, or the State Children's Health Insurance Program [SCHIP]. Under this state plan families whose income is insufficient to afford private medical health insurance and too high to apply for Medicaid can receive medical care for their children by paying a maximum of 5% of their gross annual income or, in many cases, by paying nothing at all.

Title XXI lays down minimum standards which must be met by each state, such as the provision of well-baby and well-child physical examinations, immunization programs and emergency services, but states are also given considerably freedom under Title XXI and programs vary from state to state.

It should be noted that this plan is designed to provide cover for children who do not have any form of medical insurance cover and that children who are already covered under a health insurance policy cannot also receive cover under the provisions of this plan.

Where children are not eligible for cover under this state plan and are ineligible for Medicare you will need to consider covering them under a private family plan or on their own individual plan. In this case it will normally, but not always, be cost-effective to provide cover under a family plan although, if you are looking to cover only one child, an individual plan for that child may prove the best option.

In the case of students the majority of colleges and universities operate their own health care clinics for the treatment of routine ailments such as colds, sore throats and minor sports injuries. Nevertheless, you should take out some form of medical health insurance to cover unexpected medical problems including more serious illnesses and surgery.

Wherever possible, you should look to cover children under your own individual or family plan and most plans will cover children even when they are away at school. There may however be some restrictions imposed under these circumstances and you should read through the details of your plan carefully.

Should your children need individual medical health insurance plans to cover them at college, then there are several insurance companies that cater specifically to the needs of students. This is an area which you should research carefully however to ensure your children are getting the cover they need.

Whatever else you do, you should not assume that the government will take responsibility for the care of your children at home and that colleges and universities will do the same once they become students. As parents, the responsibility for providing healthcare for your children falls squarely on your shoulders.

MedicalHealthInsuranceToday.com provides information on all aspects of medical health insurance> including individual and family health insurance plans,health insurance for pre-existing conditions and much more.

By Donald Saunders
Published: 6/12/2007
 

 10 Tips for Talking to Children About School Shootings
Advicie for parents about talking to thier children about the school shootings.
List of tips to help parents talk to their children about what happened and look out for future signs of distress:

1. Listen to children. Allow them to express their concerns and fears.

2. Regardless of age, the most important issue is to reassure children of safety and security. Tell children that you, their school, their friends and their communities are all focused on their safety and that those around them are working for their safety. Have discussions about those dedicated to protecting them like police, teachers and other school officials, neighbors and all concerned adults throughout the community.

3. When discussing the events with younger children, the amount of information shared should be limited to some basic facts. Use words meaningful to them (not words like sniper, etc.). Do not go into specific details.

4. School-aged children will ask, "Can this happen here, or to me?" Do not lie to children. Reiterate how the community is focused on working to keep everyone safe in the community.

5. Parents, caregivers and teachers should be cautious of permitting young children to watch news or listen to radio that is discussing or showing the situation. It is too difficult for most of them to process. Personal discussions are the best way to share information with this group. Also, plan to discuss this many times over the coming weeks.

6. When discussing the events with preteens and teens, more detail is appropriate, and many will already have seen news broadcasts. Do not let them focus too much on graphic details. Rather, elicit their feelings and concerns and focus your discussions on what they share with you. Be careful of how much media they are exposed to. Talk directly with them about the tragedy and answer their questions truthfully.

7. Although this group is more mature, do not forget to reassure them of their safety and your efforts to protect them. Regardless of age, kids must hear this message.

8. Be on the lookout for physical symptoms of anxiety that children may demonstrate. They may be a sign that a child, although not directly discussing the situation, is very troubled by the recent events. Talk more directly to children who exhibit these signs:

    * Headaches

    * Excessive worry

    * Stomach aches

    * Increased arguing

    * Back aches

    * Irritability

    * Trouble sleeping or eating

    * Loss of concentration

    * Nightmares

    * Withdrawal

    * Refusal to go to school

    * Clinging behavior



9. Parents and caregivers should often reassure children that they will be protected and kept safe. During tragedies like these, words expressing safety and reassurance with concrete plans should be discussed and agreed upon within the family to provide the most comfort to children and teens.

10. If you are concerned about your children and their reaction to this or any tragedy, talk directly with their school counselor, family doctor, local mental health professional or have your older children visit KidsPeace's teen-help web site, http://www.teencentral.net/ which provides anonymous and clinically-screened help and resources for teen problems before they become overwhelming. Also See: School Safety Tips
           By Geraldine Jensen
Published: 4/18/2007

Sleep Apnea In Children Can Cause Significantly Lower IQ Scores
Sleep apnea is becoming increasingly common in children and the effects of night after night of poor sleep clearly has a marked effect on the development of our children.
Although it has been known for some time now that children with sleep apnea often produce poor scores on IQ tests (typically scoring an average of 85 against a score of 101 for children without sleep apnea) what has not been known until recently is that this results from chemical changes within the brain. This means that an otherwise 'smart' kid may well turn in a mediocre performance as a result of nothing more than a sleep disorder which, in most cases, can be quite easily treated.

In a study conducted at the Hopkin's Children's Centre in Baltimore, 31 children between the ages of 6 and 16 (19 of whom had severe sleep apnea) were examined using a special form or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and it was found that those children with sleep apnea showed significant changes in both the hippocampus and right frontal cortex - two areas of the brain associated with learning and higher mental function. The same study also discovered that these children had altered levels of three chemicals within the brain, indicative of brain damage.

This alteration of the brain chemistry brought about by the presence of sleep apnea may or may not be permanent and, at this stage, further studies are required to see whether or not this effect can be reversed. However, even if reversal is possible and the brain chemistry and cognitive function can be returned to normal, children with sleep apnea will suffer a loss in learning as long as they are suffering from untreated sleep apnea and they will certainly not be able to wind back the clock and regain this period of learning.

Parents should of course already be on the lookout for signs of sleep apnea in their children, but this latest study clearly indicates that an early diagnosis and treatment of this sleep disorder could have a very significant affect on a child's success in life.

The signs of sleep apnea include frequent pauses in breathing during sleep which often result in an arousal from sleep and tossing and turning in bed. Children may also display loud or labored breathing, snoring, coughing, gasping and, occasionally, bedwetting at an age when this phase should normally have passed. Parents may also notice a child sleeping in an odd position, perhaps with their bottom sticking up in the air and their head tilted back in an unconscious effort to force their airway open.

In most cases sleep apnea in children can be treated by the surgical removal of the tonsils and adenoids, or excess tissue from the back of the throat or nose. In addition, a continuous positive airways pressure (CPAP) machine may also be used to provide the child with a flow of air delivered through a mask worn while sleeping to keep the airway open.

Sleep apnea is in itself debilitating for any child and the effects of night after night of inadequate sleep will take their toll on your child. However, when this is combined with an impairment of your child's IQ, it becomes imperative that you act at the earliest possible opportunity to have this condition diagnosed and treated.

Help-Me-To-Sleep.com provides extensive information and advice on a whole range of sleep disorders including sleep apnea. In addition, Help Me To Sleep looks at natural ways to provide an insomnia cure for millions of sufferers today.

By Donald Saunders
Published: 4/4/2007
 

Obesity In Young Children Is Now Being Seen In The Very Young
Obesity has reached epidemic proportions in the United States and has now even become a substantial problem in teenagers. A recent study however shows that the problem now extends beyond the adult and adolescent population and that obesity is being seen in children as young as three years of age.
It has been well known for some time now that obesity, which has reached epidemic proportions in the United States, is being increasingly seen amongst teenagers but it appears that this epidemic has now reached children who are barely old enough to walk.

Although it hardly seems possible, one recent study which examined nearly two thousand children found an alarmingly high number of overweight and obese children at just three years of age.

The study focused its attention on a group of children from low income families living in twenty large US cities who were born between 1998 and 2000 and recorded their height and weight at three years of age. Astonishingly, the researchers found that nearly one-third of white and black children were either overweight or obese and that this figure rose to forty-four percent in the case of Latino children.

The high numbers in general are very worrying, but just why such a high incidence of obesity was seen in Latino children is something of a mystery. Although the study showed that there was more of a tendency for Latino children whose mothers were overweight to be overweight themselves and also found that Latino children were more likely to be given a bottle when they were put to bed, this, while clearly contributing to the problem, seems unlikely to completely account for it.

The results of this study are extremely worrying as, apart from the stigma that is still attached to being overweight and the pressure that this will place on very young children, we are also beginning to see a number of medical problems such as asthma and even high blood pressure appearing at earlier and earlier ages. Indeed, young children are now beginning to present themselves with 'adult' problems such as high cholesterol and type 2 diabetes.

Whatever the reason for the spread of obesity across the Western world as a society we must sit up and take notice of what is happening. It's bad enough that this problem should affect us as adults but when it starts to appear in children as young as three years of age it is time to act.

GastricBypassFacts.info is a growing resource center providing a wealth of information on obesity and morbid obesity as well as on various forms of gastric bypass surgery including the tradition Roux-en-Y operation and the latest laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding techniques.

By Donald Saunders
Published: 3/20/2007
 

Type 1 Diabetes Is Not Simply A Childhood Disease
Type 1 diabetes currently affects over one million Americans and, although previously considered to be a childhood disorder, this is no longer the case.
Although type 1 diabetes was previously known as childhood diabetes, juvenile or juvenile-onset diabetes this is no longer the case. While type 1 diabetes often first appears in children over the age of 4, and is especially seen with the arrival of early adolescence at around 12 or 13 years of age, it can also appear in adults and is increasingly being seen in people in their late 30s and early 40s, although the onset at this age tends to be somewhat less marked than that seen in children

Type 1 diabetes is caused by the body's inability to produce sufficient insulin. The precise reason for this inability is something of a mystery, although there is almost certainly an underlying genetic cause which is triggered by a combination of different environmental factors.

The body needs insulin for normal metabolism and uses it to transfer glucose, which forms one of the body's main sources of energy and is produced during the process of food digestion, from the bloodstream and into the cells of the body. In healthy people insulin is produced by cells, called beta-cells, within an area of the pancreas but, in cases of type 1 diabetes, these cells become damaged and production either cease or is reduced.

There are around one million Americans suffering from type 1 diabetes, which represents somewhere between 5% and 10% of the total number of Americans suffering both type 1 and type 2 forms of the disease. Each year, in the region of ten thousand new cases of type 1 diabetes are diagnosed in the United States. Type 1 diabetes is more common in men than it is in women and is also more prevalent among non-Hispanic whites, Hispanic Americans and African Americans.

Although not in itself life-threatening, type 1 diabetes accounts for a significant number of deaths, particularly premature deaths, from complications arising out of the condition. These can include cerebral vascular disease, renal disease, heart disease, vascular disease and gangrene in the lower limbs, visual difficulty and blindness.

There are a number of symptoms that can accompany the onset of type 1 diabetes and the most common early symptoms, which result from a buildup of glucose in the blood, are excessive urination, thirst and hunger usually accompanied by tiredness and a lack of energy. In some cases excessive blood sugar can also lead to nausea and blurred vision.

It is also common for the presence of type 1 diabetes to be detected as the result of an emergency condition known as ketoacidosis with the diagnosis being made in a hospital emergency room. Ketoacidosis arises when blood sugar levels reach an especially high level and the body begins to break down fat to get the energy that it needs. This leads to a build-up of chemicals known as ketones in the blood and produces nausea, vomiting and stomach pains. If left untreated the condition will progress and breathing can become increasingly rapid, followed by coma and death.

The main treatment for type 1 diabetes is the regular administration of insulin. As diabetes is however a metabolic disease, diet and exercise can also play a key part in keeping sufferers fit and healthy.

For more information on all aspects of diabetes including the cause of diabetes and diabetes treatment please visit Diabetes-Treatment-And-Cure.com

By Donald Saunders
Published: 1/9/2007 

Healthy Snacks for Children
Obesity is becoming a major problem among kids today. As a parent, it is important to help your child lead a healthy lifestyle. Below is a list of healthy snacks you can quickly and easily prepare for your children.

Strawberry Kiwi Smoothie

Smoothie's are an excellent snack for children of all ages. Their easy to make and their packed with vitamins and nutrients to keep you energized.

Ingredients:

3 peeled kiwi
1 cup frozen banana slices
3/4 cups pineapple juice
1/2 cups frozen strawberries

This healthy snack is quick and easy to create. Simply combine all of the ingredients into a blender. Pour in the liquid last and blend until you have reached the desired consistency.

The kiwi neutralizes free radicals in the body, helping to prevent a number of diseases. The banana provides plenty of potassium to maintain proper electrolyte balance in your body and help lower your risk of high blood pressure.

The strawberries provide are an excellent source of Vitamin C, which also helps eliminate free radicals from the body.

Strawberry Sunrise Smoothie

Ingredients:

8 ounces of vanilla yogurt
1/2 cups frozen strawberries
1/4 cups of apple juice
1 frozen banana (sliced)

This smoothie is the perfect healthy snack for any time of day.

In addition, it is also packed with nutrients. It contains plenty of protein for building strong mucles, Vitamin A to promote digestion and healthy eyes, and antioxidants to help eliminate free radicals throught the body.

The banana provides potassium to maintain proper electrolyte balance in your body and help lower your risk of high blood pressure.

Fresh Fruit Mixes:

Fresh fruit mixes are an excellent choice when looking for a healthy snack. Simply combine a variety of fresh fruit and you instantly have a snack filled with vitamins, minerals, and other health-promoting nutrients.

You can combine any number of fruits your heart may desire. Some examples include bananas, kiwis, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, cherries, and grapes.

Get creative and have fun. Living a healthy lifestyle is an adventure that will reward you every day.

Kim Roach is the fitness reporter at HealthyEveryDay.com, where you can find additional healthy snacks for young children, nutrition articles and high protein foods .

By Kim Roach
Published: 1/9/2007
 

Treatment Approaches for Bruxism in Children
Bruxism is a destructive habit that may result in severe dental deterioration. It is mandatory to take your child to your dentist for its evaluation.
Sleep problems are frequent among healthy school going children seen at general pediatric practice. Sleep related problems were reported in 42.7% children that included nocturnal enuresis (18.4%), sleep talking (14.6%), bruxism (11.6%) nightmares (6.8%), night terrors (2.9%) snoring (5.8%) and sleepwalking (1.9%). Bruxism is a destructive habit. It is defined as the nonproductive diurnal or nocturnal clenching or grinding of the teeth.

Bruxism happens in about 15 percent of youngsters and in as many as 96 percent of grown-ups. The etiology of bruxism is unclear. It has been linked with stress, occlusal disorders, allergies and sleep positioning. In addition, type A personality behavior combined with stress is more predictive of bruxism. Because of its nonspecific pathology, bruxism may be difficult to diagnose.

Beside complaints from sleep partners, clenching-grinding, sleep bruxism, myofacial pain, craniomaxillofacial musculoskeletal pain, temporomandibular disorders, oro-facial pain, fibromyalgia, and chronic fatigue spectrum disorders are linked. The main clinical signs of bruxism comprise tooth wear, tooth mobility, hypertrophy masticatory muscles, and tender joints. Other symptoms of bruxism are multiple and diverse. They include temporomandibular joint pain and dysfunction, head and neck pain, erosion, abrasion, loss of and damage to supporting structures, headaches, oral infection, tooth sensitivity muscle pain and spasm, disturbance of aesthetics, and interference and oral discomfort.

Treatment for bruxism may be simple or complex, depending on the nature of the disorder. Severe bruxism disorders are difficult to treat and their prognoses also may be questionable. Children with bruxism are generally managed with observation and reassurance. Most of the children's bruxism habit will disappear naturally as they grow up. Adults may be managed with stress reduction therapy, modification of sleep positioning, drug therapy, biofeedback training, physical therapy and dental evaluation. Correction of the malocclusion with orthodontic procedures, restorative procedures, or occlusal adjustment by selective grinding will not control the bruxism habit.

What about prevention? Researchers have found only a weak correlation between different types of morphologic malocclusion such as Class II and III molar relationship, deep bite, overjet, and dental wear or grinding. Moreover, there is no correlation between periodontal disease and bruxism in children. Because the malocclusions' status in children does not increase the probability of bruxism, early orthodontic treatment (braces) to prevent bruxism is not scientifically justified.

Bruxism is a destructive habit that may result in severe dental deterioration. Bruxism in childhood may be a persistent trait. The occlusal trauma and tooth wear in childhood bruxism can be succeeded by increased anterior tooth wear 20 years later. If your child has significant tooth attrition, dental mobility or tooth fracture may happen. Therefore, it is mandatory to take your child to your dentist for evaluation of bruxism.

You may also be interested in...


   1. Grinding your teeth (bruxism)
   2. Tooth pain - what causing it?


For information, contact Houston dentist - Minh Nguyen, D.D.S. at drnguyen@softdental.com. Softdental, the Houston's Premier Laser, Family and Cosmetic Dentistry has provided award-winning dental services in Houston since 1993.
           By Minh Nguyen
Published: 11/30/2006 

Healing from Childhood Abuse
You CAN fully heal from childhood abuse. Discover the powerful Inner Bonding process that enables you to remember and heal from traumatic abuse.
In the 37 years that I have been counseling individuals, I have worked with many people who have suffered from severe physical, emotional, and/or sexual abuse in childhood. Many who have sought my help were suffering from fear and anxiety, depression, various addictions, relationship problems and sexual problems. Many of these people had no memory of their childhood and had no idea why there were so unhappy. Many had spent years in therapy yet had never remembered their abuse.

The reason they could not remember the traumatic events of their childhood is because the child or children within, who suffered the abuse, did not feel safe in revealing the abuse. These unconscious inner parts were protecting the person from reliving the horrible pain of the past. These inner children knew that the adult self did not have the strength to learn about and manage the information and the feelings.

In order to remember and heal traumatic events from the past that are affecting you today, you need to have a strong and loving Adult self who is capable of managing emotional pain. Without this loving inner Adult, you may get so flooded and overwhelmed with the feelings of traumatic memories that you cannot function.

The gentle, transformational Inner Bonding process that we teach is a process for developing this strong, loving Adult self. The loving Adult is the aspect of us that is connected with a powerful and loving Source of spiritual guidance – whatever this is for you. Learning and practicing the Inner Bonding process develops your ability to connect with your personal Source of spiritual guidance. It is your connection with your guidance that gives you the strength to manage the intensely painful feelings of childhood abuse.

Once the inner children who hold the memories feel safe that there is a loving Adult self who is capable of managing the feelings, you will start to remember your past. As these memories come up, you will begin to understand the conclusions you drew about yourself that are currently causing your pain. Almost all children who have been abused draw erroneous conclusions about themselves as a result of the abuse – false beliefs such as, "I’m not important." "I have no worth." "I am just an object for others’ use." "I am not lovable." "I should never have been born." "I would be better off dead." "I don’t deserve love." "I am a bad person." It is these beliefs that are causing your present pain.

Healing from childhood abuse is not just about remembering the past. It is about remembering the very good reasons you had for drawing the conclusions that are currently causing you such pain. It is about gently and lovingly acknowledging what happened that led to your present beliefs that are now limiting you. It is about learning how to access the truth from your spiritual source so that you can move out of lies that you are telling yourself that are causing your current pain.

Most of us learn to treat ourselves based on how we were treated and how our parents or caregivers treated themselves. When your parents abused you, they were also not taking loving care of themselves and were not role modeling loving self-care. As long as you treat yourself the way your parents or other caregivers treated you and themselves, you will suffer. Healing from childhood abuse is about developing your loving Adult self so that you can learn to treat your inner child or inner children the way you always wanted to be treated.

You CAN fully heal from childhood abuse, but only through learning to access and bring into your being the love, truth, wisdom and strength of your spiritual guidance. Through learning and practicing the Inner Bonding process, you will discover the incredibly beautiful and perfect essence within you – the part of you that was never damaged by the abuse. This is your true Self that will emerge as you heal the false beliefs of your wounded self. This is what will happen as you develop your loving Adult self through learning and practicing the Inner Bonding process.

Margaret Paul, Ph.D. is the best-selling author and co-author of eight books, including "Do I Have To Give Up Me To Be Loved By You?" and "Healing Your Aloneness." She is the co-creator of the powerful Inner Bonding® healing process. Learn Inner Bonding now! Visit her web site for a FREE Inner Bonding course: http://www.innerbonding.com or email her at margaret@innerbonding.com. Phone sessions available.
           By Margaret Paul
Published: 10/11/2006 

The Growing Epidemic Of Low Back Pain In Children
More and more children are suffering from back pain. What's causing this, and is it such a grand idea to keep our children on so much medication to better handle their pain?
The Growing Epidemic Of Low Back Pain In Children
Low Back Pain Is Not Just For Adults

In years past, low back pain was thought to be a malady afflicting only the elderly. Well, it’s not just your granddad’s disorder any longer. Once considered a rare pediatric condition, low back pain in children has become a growing concern among many in the medical community.

Children’s skeletal structures are in a continual growth state until late adolescence. Combined with the stress of sports activities including contact sports, the incidence of low back pain in children is skyrocketing. In a recent study, it was determined that low back pain was responsible for approximately 23% of most school absenteeism, and when sports injuries were thrown into the mix, that number jumped to 29%. Even more surprising, researchers discovered that in 75% of reported cases, childhood low back pain triggered depression and other psychological problems. This constitutes a serious concern that demands the attention of parents and health care providers alike.

What Causes Low Back Pain In Children?

It seems that many of the same health issues that initiate low back pain in adults, such as poor posture, misalignment of vertebrae, trauma, emotional stress and sports injuries, have the same affect on children. Add to these issues the fact that most school-age children carry backpacks that weigh 10-20% of their body weight, and you have a recipe for life-long health concerns and back pain.

Emotional stress is also an important factor to consider. Adolescents are subject to wildly varying emotions sometimes compared to a rollercoaster ride. It can be terrifying and exhilarating at the same time; filled with soaring, sky-high excitement only to suddenly plummet into a downward spiral. Interestingly, these rollercoaster emotions have been associated with lower back pain. Research in England involving children between the ages of 11 and 14 revealed that children with higher levels of psychological and social difficulties are much more likely to experience low back pain than their peers.

The Good News Is That Chiropractic Can Help

When spinal vertebrae become misaligned, whether in an adult or in a child, the diagnosis is called vertebral subluxation. This may sound like a frightening medical condition, but it is one that a professional chiropractic doctor can address with great success. However, when left untreated, vertebral subluxation can lead to frequent earaches, headaches, infant colic, neck pain and carpel tunnel syndrome.

Chiropractic care also addresses the nervous system which, among a myriad of other miraculous functions, governs the way in which our bodies react physically to stress. Chiropractic adjustments actually help your body release pent-up stress, relieving tight muscles, tendons and ligaments, and helping to prevent low back pain.

Chiropractic treatment is a wonderful, highly effective way to enjoy natural relief of back pain. Your child’s chiropractor will painlessly adjust the vertebral column in order to correct any vertebral misalignment, without potentially harmful drugs or invasive surgery. There is no recovery time; instead, your child will most likely experience an immediate relief from pain and restoration of movement. Additionally, your chiropractor can recommend exercises to relieve low back pain.

What Are The Three D’s, And Is Your Child At Risk?

DDD, or degenerative disc disease, is actually a form of arthritis and has been proven to be a common cause of lower back and leg pain in children. Surprisingly, DDD has even been diagnosed in infants. And yet, degenerative disc disease is not typically identified by traditional medical practitioners. Rather, highly-skilled and well-trained chiropractic doctors are leading the way into this new medical frontier.

Degenerative disc disease sounds like a progressive, very frightening disease that could certainly alarm any parent, so here is a brief explanation of DDD. Changes in the water and protein content of the body's cartilage results in weaker, more fragile and thin cartilage. This more typically occurs as we get older. Now, because both the discs and the joints that stack the vertebrae are partly composed of cartilage, these areas are, unfortunately, subject to degenerative changes. The deterioration of the disc between the vertebrae is referred to as degenerative disc disease, and makes the disc tissue more susceptible to herniation.

Natural Remedies For Degenerative Disc Disease Are Available

The important thing to remember is that chiropractic care offers you and your child gentle, effective treatment of degenerative disc disease. Early detection and treatment is key to optimum recovery, however. Research at St. Louis University led by Francis W. Smith, MD revealed that degenerative changes in the spines of pediatric study participants occurred much earlier than previously suspected, creating a predisposition to muscle and muscle and ligament sprains and strains, as well as arthritis of the spinal joints.

DDD is not always accompanied by lower back or leg pain, so the wisest course of action is to seek preventative chiropractic care for you and your children. Further, Dr. Smith advises that degenerative disc disease preventative care should begin prior to puberty.

Be sure to ask your chiropractic doctor about symptoms of degenerative disc disease and what treatments are available.

Be Proactive – Protect Your Child’s Health

A wealth of scientific research confirms that chiropractic care provides safe, effective, and drug-free relief from back and neck pain … regardless of the cause. So if your child complains of low back pain, if you notice a difference in the way he walks, stands or sits, if your child appears overly clumsy or if you suspect a sport-related trauma, do not ignore these symptoms. Protect your child’s physical and emotional health by contacting a chiropractic care professional today.

By Brenda Slovin
Published: 9/19/2006
 

Is A SoyChlor Plant Killing Animals, People, And Children In Jefferson Iowa?
A SoyChlor plant in Jefferson, Iowa is alleged to damage property, kill plant and animal life, and make people and even children sick with hydrochloric acid.
Is A SoyChlor Plant Killing Animals, People, And Children In Jefferson Iowa?
On October 28, 2005, over 250 residents of Jefferson, Iowa, represented by attorneys from LaMarca & Landry, P.C., filed suit against West Central Cooperative in the Iowa District Court for Greene County. The parties to this lawsuit include homeowners, business owners and persons who work at nearby places of employment, such as MicroSoy, Electrolux and American Concrete.

The causes of action include nuisance, negligence, trespass, res ipsa loquitur, and strict liability for carrying on an abnormally dangerous activity. The claims stem from numerous environmental and health changes which have occurred since West Central Cooperative's Jefferson, Iowa Soy Chlor plant began its operations on February 14, 2005. These problems stem essentially from the Soy Chlor's plant emission of hydrogen chloride, hydrochloric acid and particulate matter containing one or both of these chemicals. Soy Chlor is a patented dairy cattle feed supplement which combines hydrochloric acid with soy product.

The lawsuit also alleges violation of West Central Cooperative's IDNR operating permit for this plant, as well as violations of the hazardous chemical risk law and other environmental laws and applicable standards of care.

West Central opened the business - SoyChlor - in February. Since then, emissions from the plant have corroded metal buildings and other property within a mile of the plant, the lawsuit alleges. Emissions also have killed grass and other vegetation, eliminated wildlife, ruined windows and discolored surrounding structures and roadway rock, plaintiffs contend.

The plaintiffs claim that the plant has exceeded legal limits for emissions of both hydrogen chloride and "particulate matter," or dust. When combined with moisture, the chemical turns into hydrochloric acid, a highly corrosive substance known to be toxic to humans and animals.

"It's plain as day, right from my front window," said Jeb Ball , owner of a used car business west of the SoyChlor plant on Jefferson's north side. "I have to look at it every day."

"We think we're in compliance now," Nile Ramsbottom , vice president for soy and nutrition operations at Ralston-based West Central said, but he added that the company plans to increase the height of SoyChlor's emissions tower to 94 feet to more widely disperse emissions and to dilute their presence on the ground. West Central also plans to install an additional scrubbing system, Ramsbottom said, adding that those combined steps would be more than enough to ensure that plant emissions meet legal limits .

The company has asked the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, which oversees manufacturing plant emissions, to allow the changes.

Dave Phelps , who supervises the DNR section that oversees such permits, said the department was prepared to grant the company's request, but he also expects there to be a public comment period and public hearing about the matter this month . He also said recent testing showed the plant's dust emission rate exceeded the limit allowed by state law.

George LaMarca, a Des Moines lawyer representing plaintiffs in the case, said a public hearing and the opportunity for public input are good steps, but ones that should have been taken before the plant was opened.

Ball, the owner of the used car business, said Monday that his son, Colton Conroy , 15, has been sickened by SoyChlor emissions. A month ago, the high school sophomore collapsed at a football game, and a treating physician blamed SoyChlor emissions for health problems that first emerged after the plant opened.

Since his collapse, the teenager has lived with his maternal grandparents, south of town, and his symptoms have subsided, said Ball and his wife, Diane Conroy.

"He could run track and play football and everything a year ago, and had no problems whatsoever," Ball said.

SoyChlor uses hazardous materials, including hydrogen chloride, to make a patented product added to feed for dairy cows. Hydrogen chloride is a noxious gas that can be toxic to humans and animals.

When mixed with moisture, it becomes hydrochloric acid, a highly corrosive substance capable of eating through motor vehicle finish, pitting glass, and killing wildlife and vegetation — all of which have occurred, residents say, in the "fallout zone," an area extending a mile or more in every direction from the plant. The gas, the acid and particulate matter tainted by the gas or acid are emitted through a stack that sits atop a concrete tower at the north end of the plant.

"In Iowa, when you live in a community this size, you accept it because it's agriculture," said Jeff Ostendorf, a Jefferson livestock producer who works at MicroSoy Corp., a soy-based food ingredient manufacturer located across the street from SoyChlor. "This is different."

Bonnie Burkhardt lives south of SoyChlor, across the street. One day last week, she paged through notebooks and three-ring binders in which she has kept meticulous track of communication about the dispute with public officials, company officials and others in the community.

One notebook detailed the potentially harmful effects of the toxic substances used by SoyChlor, along with reports from medical doctors treating Burkhardt and others who say they have suffered health setbacks this year.

Formerly vibrant children now sleep way too much and run low on energy quickly, families say. Colton Conroy, a 15-year-old pushing past 6 feet tall, got winded easily and began to lose weight, his mother said. Adults with respiratory ailments, including Norma Gross and Ron Lawton, said they had been improving with the help of medical treatments, but now say they have gotten worse.

Last year, Gross was doing well, despite her chronic lung disease. But after SoyChlor opened, she lost ground quickly, struggling to breathe. Her physicians at University Hospitals in Iowa City, where she has been participating in a research project, urged her to move away, she said. But she is a lifelong resident, and she and her husband raised 10 children here. Gross doesn't want to live anywhere else.

Also alarming to Gross and Burkhardt is the loss of wildlife. Gone are the pigeons that used to sit atop tall grain storage structures north of the SoyChlor plant, they said. Gone are the bluejays, cardinals, goldfinches and other birds that used to perch on the numerous feeders in Gross' backyard. She has not seen a bird for weeks.

"It was like all of a sudden there weren't any birds anymore, not even sparrows," said Gross, who lives in a tidy trailer park within a mile of the plant.

In addition, spots have surfaced on the finish of vehicles and on the siding of homes and other buildings, even on mailboxes.

Jefferson residents said West Central's insurer had hired a Florida firm to clean vehicles affected by the emissions. They also said the insurer had offered checks of up to several hundred dollars to residents claiming property damage, although recipients were required to sign a form releasing the co-op and its affiliates from further claims.

Burkhardt said she first noticed that something was wrong when her skin would burn while she worked in the flower garden. Eventually, it drove her indoors, where she would shower to make the burning stop. That was last spring, after she spent several months in Florida with her husband, Chuck.

At the same time, Arletta Tasler and her husband returned from a winter in Texas. They both developed coughs that have lasted for months, they said. At times, Tasler said, she has coughed so hard that she has vomited.

Like Burkhardt, the Taslers had no clue about the cause.

Burkhardt and her friend Diane Conroy talked to neighbors and people working at nearby businesses. Within a mile of Burkhardt's home, they found dozens of people reporting similar symptoms. They had noticed a strange odor first, like the scent from a bag of empty beer cans left in the hot sun for a day, Conroy said.

Then came health problems. Then the spots on vehicles and on buildings. Then filminess on windows and windshields that scrubbing could not remove. And some noticed that their eyeglasses had become pitted.

The women searched the Internet for information about SoyChlor and the chemicals it used.

The more they learned, the more they became convinced that the culprit was SoyChlor.

"If you get this on your siding, if it's pitted, think what it's doing to your lungs," said Tasler, who lives with her husband of 49 years, Shorty, on a farmstead directly east of the plant where they raised eight children.

Burkhardt, Conroy and others contacted the head of city sanitation, the public health nurse and the local newspaper editor. They began contacting the government — environmental and safety regulators, Iowa's U.S. senators, even the White House.

Conroy and her husband, Jeb Ball, contacted their lawyer in Des Moines. He referred them to George LaMarca, another Des Moines lawyer. LaMarca knew just how deadly hydrogen chloride could be. The gas had incapacitated some of the victims in Des Moines' deadliest fire ever, which swept the Younkers store at Merle Hay Mall on Nov. 5, 1978. LaMarca represented victims' survivors in litigation that lasted for years and, ultimately, resulted in an undisclosed settlement for the plaintiffs.

He has just five words for the co-op: "We want the plant closed."

Written by Spencer Fraise, owner of www.iowahealthinsurance.biz after experiencing the issue first hand while staying with his girlfriend's mother. The SoyChlor plant can be seen from the kitchen window of her house which is only a couple of blocks away.

By Spencer Fraise
Published: 7/22/2006