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NACDS Retail Advisory Board Explores Social Networking Opportunities To Engage Consumers
The Retail Advisory Board (RAB) of the National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS) met yesterday during the 2009 NACDS Marketplace Conference to discuss social networking opportunities within their businesses.
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Births To Unmarried Women Increasing In U.S., Driven By Women In 20s, 30s, Report Shows
Almost 40% of U.S. births in 2007 occurred among unmarried women, according to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention"s National Center for Health Statistics, the Washington Post reports. About 1.7 million infants were born to unmarried women in 2007, representing a 26% increase over the 1.4 million in 2002 and more than double the number in 1980. Unmarried women accounted for 39.7% of all U.S. births in 2007, up from 34% in 2002 and more than double the percentage in 1980, according to the report, which studied birth certificates nationwide.Women in their 20s and 30s are the biggest drivers of the trend, with out-of-wedlock births in this age group increasing from a rate of 13% to 34% between 2002 and 2006, according to the report (Stein/St. George, Washington Post, 5/14). For example, the birthrate for unmarried women ages 30 to 34 rose by 34% in 2007 compared with 2002 (Harris, New York Times, 5/14). Sixty percent of births to women ages 20 to 24 were to unmarried women, compared to 52% in 2002. In addition, 32% of births to women 25 to 29 were to unmarried women, compared to 25% in 2002, the report shows (Jayson, USA Today, 5/14). Overall, women in their 20s made up 60% of U.S. unmarried births in 2007, while teens accounted for 23% and women ages 30 and older accounted for 17% (New York Times, 5/13). Unmarried Hispanic women gave birth at a rate of 106 births per 1,000 unmarried women. The rate was 72 per 1,000 for blacks, 32 per 1,000 for whites and 26 per 1,000 for Asians. The rates for blacks and Hispanics rose the fastest, according to the report (Washington Post, 5/14). Compared with other countries, the U.S. rate of unmarried births was near the middle of the 14 countries included in the report (USA Today, 5/14).Although researchers did research the reasons for the trend, they cited several factors that in combination likely affected the rate, including a decrease in the social stigma surrounding out-of-wedlock births, an increasing number of couples putting off or forgoing marriage, and growing numbers of financially independent, older or single women who choose to have children on their own (Washington Post, 5/14). Researchers noted that most of the increase in these births was among parents who live together but are not married (New York Times, 5/13)."I think this is the tipping point," Rosanna Hertz of Wellesley College said, adding, "This is becoming increasingly the norm. The old adage that "first comes love, then comes marriage, then comes baby in the baby carriage" just no longer holds true." Hertz added, "Women can have children on their own, and it"s not going to destroy your employment, and it"s not going to mean that you"ll be made a pariah by the community. It"s much more socially acceptable." Sarah Brown of the National Campaign To Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy said, "I look at this and say, maybe this trend is what young adults want or stumble into, but it"s not in the best interest of children" (Washington Post, 5/14).
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Human Term Placenta A New Abundant Of Hematopoietic Cells
Investigators at Children"s Hospital Oakland Research Institute, Oakland, California found a way to obtain large numbers of hematopoietic stem cell from human term placenta. The results, which appear in the July 2009 issue of Experimental Biology and Medicine, describe detailed report on quantification, characterization, engraftment capacity, and most importantly, practical way to obtain hematopoietic stem cells from placenta in numbers that are several-fold higher than could be obtained from cord blood.
Cardiovascular

Five Questions About Eczema

Eczema is a chronic skin disorder characterized by dry, itchy, scaly skin and rashes. It is commonly known as "the itch that rashes." (1) While the exact cause of eczema is not known, it appears to result from a complex interaction of factors including personal and family genetics, immune response and environmental factors. (2) Scratching the affected area can lead to more itch, redness, swelling, scaling, cracking, oozing clear fluid and, ultimately, crusting. (3) Eczema is a chronic condition characterized by itchy flares when the inflammation gets worse, and periods when the skin gets better, or entirely clears up, known as remission. (4) Who gets eczema? Eczema is one of the most common skin disorders in children, and its prevalence has increased steadily over the past several decades. (5) It is most common in people with a family history of eczema or other atopic disorders like asthma or hay fever. More than half of the children who develop eczema will continue to have it as adults. (6) In some children, the disorder goes away for a long time, only to reappear at puberty when hormones kick in, stress becomes more common and the use of irritating skin care products or cosmetics begins. (7) Adult cases can be frequently tied to exposure in which the skin comes into contact with such things as toiletries containing alcohol, astringents or fragrances. Additional triggers include harsh detergents/soaps, abrasive clothing (wool or synthetics), dust or sand. (8) More than 15 million people in the US suffer from some form or degree of eczema. (9) Recent data concludes that medical care costs can range from $580 to $1,250 per patient per year. What causes eczema? Researchers have been unable to pinpoint the exact cause of eczema, and experts believe that genetics, the immune system and environment play a role. (10) Stress and other emotional discord may make eczema worse, but they do not cause the disorder. (11) If one or both parents have eczema or other disorders such as asthma or hay fever, their children are more likely to develop it. (12) In addition, about 75 percent of children with eczema also develop hay fever or asthma. (13) Where does eczema occur? The rashes that characterize eczema can occur on skin anywhere on the body, but most commonly develop on the face, inside the elbows, behind the knees and on the hands and feet. (14) Other areas of body affected by the disorder include the skin around the eyes. (15) How is eczema treated? Successful management of eczema involves educating patients and their families about eczema and reducing signs and symptoms. Long term care includes education, trigger avoidance, skin care, and treatment. (16) The use of medication is largely dependent on the severity of the disorder and the response to lifestyle and environmental changes. The standard types of medication used to treat eczema have traditionally been topical corticosteroids. (17) Among the newer forms of treatment are prescription medications called topical calcineurin (cal-SEE-nur-in) inhibitors (TCIs). TCIs belong to a category of medicines called immuno-modulators. (18) Scientists believe that TCIs target T cells in the skin which play a significant role in regulating some of the body"s immune responses. (19) Generally, physicians use TCIs if a topical corticosteroid is ineffective in controlling the disorder or when those treatments are not advisable. (20) While topical corticosteroids are used first in the treatment of eczema, TCIs can provide effective second line therapy. Among the benefits of TCIs are that they can reduce eczema signs and symptoms and have been shown to be effective on sensitive areas. (21) TCIs have not been associated with certain side effects such as skin thinning, stretch marks, and growth suppression in children. (22) The most common application side effects of TCIs include the sensation of burning or itching. (23) These occur at the beginning of treatment and tend to go away after a few days. Other side effects include flu-like symptoms, headache, and skin redness. Drinking alcohol while using TCIs may cause the skin or face to become flushed or red and feel hot. (24) Skin infections should be cleared prior to treatment with TCIs, and there may be an increased risk of certain skin infections. Important Information Patients Should Know About TCIs Other related articles *What Is Eczema? The safety of using TCIs for a long period of time is not known. A very small number of people who have used TCIs have had cancer (for example, skin or lymphoma). However, a link with TCIs has not been shown. Because of this concern, patients should not use TCIs continuously for a long time or on a child under 2 years of age and should use TCIs only on areas of skin that have eczema. (25) References 1. Eczema/Atopic Dermatitis, American Academy of Dermatology 2. Handout on Health: Atopic Dermatitis. National Institute of Arthritis and Muscoskeletal and Skin Diseases. NIH Publication No. 03-4272. Revised April 2003, page 3 3. NIH, ibid., page 3 4. NIH, ibid., page 4 5. Krakowski, Eichenfield, Management of Atopic Dermatitis in Pediatric Population, 2008 6. NIH, ibid., page 6 7. NIH, ibid., page 11 8. NIH, ibid., page 16 9. NIH, http://www.skincarephysicians.com/eczemanet/whatIs.html. Accessed April 20. Accessed April 20, 2009 10. NIH, http://www.skincarephysicians.com/eczemanet/whatIs.html. Accessed April 20. Accessed April 20, 2009 11. NIH, op. cit., page 6 12. NIH, op. cit., page 7 13. NIH, op. cit., page 6 14. NIH, op. cit., page 7 15. AAD, op. cit., page 1 16. NIH, op. cit., page 9 17. Krakowski, Eichenfield, Management of Atopic Dermatitis in Pediatric Population, 2008 18. NIH, op. cit., page 19 19. http://www.protopic-la.com/professionals/Science+of+Protopic/Mechanism+of+action?_EN.htm. Accessed December 4, 2008. 20. http://www.nobelprize.org/educational_games/medicine/immunity/immune-detail.html. Accessed October 21, 2008. 21. Hanifin et al J Am Acad Dermatol 2001; Soter et al J Am Acad Dermatol 2001; Paller et al J Am


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