Conflict of Interest

A new study released by the New England Journal of Medicine shows that some hospital review board members may receive money from the companies that make the drugs and medical devices that are part of the studies. The study published in the NEJM focused on "the financial relationships that the members had with industry (e.g., employment, membership on boards, consulting, receipt of royalties, and paid speaking)."

The study concluded that "Relationships between IRB members and industry are common, and members sometimes participate in decisions about protocols sponsored by companies with which they have a financial relationship. Current regulations and policies should be examined to be sure that there is an appropriate way to handle conflicts of interest stemming from relationships with industry."

CBS news picked up the story via AP and an article published yesterday titled "Industry Ties Common on Hospital Boards" goes into more depth on this subject. The idea that many of the people who make the decisions for hospitals regarding drugs and procedures may be receiving money from the very companies that manufacture the products they are recommending is rather troublesome.

Patients deserve the benefit of knowing that their treatment and care is being handled responsibly by people who are not gaining financially for pushing certain treaments or drugs on the patients. The CBS article poses "The question: Do medical researchers always act in the best interest of science _ or patients _ if they are also getting royalties, consulting fees or other benefits from the makers of the products being tested?"

You make the decision.

Not so Healthy "Healthy" food

A grocery store has taken it upon themselves to rate the food on their shelves. The Guiding Stars program at Hannaford Brothers stores rates the nutritional value of food based on the amount of dietary fiber, vitamins, minerals and whole grains, as well as the amount of added sugar and salt, fat and cholesterol.

The New York Times reported earlier this month on the Guiding Stars program at the Hannaford Brothers grocery stores. Reviews are mixed. So called "Healthy Foods" aren't quite so healthy when you take into account the added sugar, saturated or trans-fat, or sodium content.

On one hand, the rating system used for the Guiding Stars program is good - it is much stricter than the FDA system used to classify foods as "healthy". It helps consumers make more educated decisions about their food purchases.

On the other hand, there is already enough issues with product labeling. As educated consumers we should be reading the labels of the foods we purchase and making the decisions ourselves.

Cosmetic Podiatry?!

Ok. So we all know that plastic surgery can make us more beautiful (with some procedures more dangerous and riskier than others) but is there, or should there be, a line drawn on surgical self improvement?
A new press release explains one of the newest beverly hills procedures- shortening the second toe in order to look better and fit into sexy sandals.

The procedure takes about 25 minutes for the skilled surgeons to remove a portion of the second toe's bone and insert a pin. After about two weeks patients can have the first foot's pin removed and the same procedure performed on the other foot.

Cosmetic Podiatry at its finest.

So what do you think? Is this something out of the ordinary in today's day and age?
Should we be so concerned about how our feet look.. or is this yet another body part that we women will feel must be perfect to fit into societal standards of beauty?

While plastic surgery is definitely not on the imaginary checklist of all things crunchy, the members of the frunchymama message boards have some very interesting things to say on the topic.

Show us the vaccine data!

If you are concerned about vaccines, or if you'd like to be made aware of vaccine data and statistics, please take a moment to read this site: http://www.nvic.org/petition.htm. NVIC has started a petition for the goverment to allow independent researchers to try and duplicate studies on vaccine safety and the effects of vaccines on children.

The federally operated VSD electronic database has collected information on vaccination and children's health in cooperation with large Health Maintenance Organizations (HMO's) for more than a decade. The CDC has conducted its own analysis of the data and published articles, most of which have denied a causal link between vaccines and chronic brain and immune system dysfunction. During the past two years, independent researchers were repeatedly denied access by CDC officials to the publicly funded VSD for the purpose of replicating and validating the CDC's analysis of the data.

If you feel you can support the petition for the information possessed by the goverment regarding vaccine risks to be available for independent analysis, please add your signature. http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/896046564.

Let's talk about flu shots

Much controversy surrounds flu shots. It is kind of like a balance beam of good vs. bad. You just need to choose which side is which. The government is on one side, rooting and cheering for just about everyone to receive the flu shot. The other side is filled with people, doctors, concerned parents, and others who are wary of the vaccine.

Forbes.com released an article earlier this week, CDC Urges More People to Get Flu Shots.

A couple key excerpts from the article:

""We are concerned that we're going to have more doses of flu (vaccine) than we might use," said Dr. Julie Gerberding, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
More than 110 million doses - a record amount - are being made for the 2006-07 flu season. The previous record was 95 million in 2002-03. That year 12 million doses went unused and one manufacturer quit making shots."

"Thimerosal was phased out of other childhood vaccinations in 2003. But flu vaccine sold in multidose vials still contains the preservative.
About 9 million of this year's vaccine doses are thimerosal-free, a CDC spokesman said. Those doses - which are targeted for young children - are made by only one manufacturer, Sanofi Pasteur.
"Our organization is urging people not to get flu shots that contain thimerosal. And in this year's flu shot supply, 90 percent do contain thimerosal," said J.B. Handley, co-founder of PutChildrenFirst.org."

A quick search for the Sanofi Pasteur website brings up links to the full prescribing information on all the vaccines by this particular company. There are three links for the influenza vaccines -
Fluzone (r) Influenza Virus Vaccine 2006-2007 formula
Fluzone (r) Influenza Virus Vaccine, No Preservative 2006-2007 formula
Fluzone (r) Influenza Virus Vaccine, No Preservative: Ped Dose Pediatric Dose 2006-2007 formula for children 6-35 months of age
Apparently the vaccines with "No Preservative" are thimerosal free.

"DESCRIPTION
Fluzone®, Influenza Virus Vaccine, (Zonal Purified, Subvirion) for intramuscular use, is a sterile suspension prepared from influenza viruses propagated in embryonated chicken eggs. The virus-containing fluids are harvested and inactivated with formaldehyde. Influenza virus is concentrated and purified in a linear sucrose density gradient solution using a continuous flow
centrifuge. The virus is then chemically disrupted using a nonionic surfactant, octoxinol-9, (Triton® X-100 – A registered trademark of Union Carbide, Co.) producing a “split virus.” The split virus is then further purified by chemical means and suspended in sodium phosphate-buffered isotonic sodium chloride solution. Fluzone vaccine has been standardized according to USPHS requirements for the 2006–2007 influenza season and is formulated to contain 45 micrograms (μg) hemagglutinin (HA) per 0.5 mL dose, in the recommended ratio of 15 μg HA each, representative of the following three prototype strains: A/New Caledonia/20/99 (H1N1), A/Wisconsin/67/2005 (H3N2) and B/Malaysia/2506/2004.1 Gelatin 0.05% is added as a stabilizer. Fluzone vaccine is supplied in four different presentations: a 5 mL vial of vaccine which contains the preservative thimerosal [(mercury derivative), (25 μg mercury/dose)]; a 0.25 mL prefilled syringe (No Preservative: Pediatric Dose, for 6–35 months of age) distinguished by a pink syringe plunger rod; a 0.5 mL prefilled syringe (No Preservative, for 36 months of age and older); and a single dose vial (No Preservative, for 36 months of age and older). There is no thimerosal used in the manufacturing process of the No Preservative unit dose presentations of Fluzone vaccine. Fluzone vaccine, after shaking syringe/vial well, is essentially clear and slightly opalescent in color."

The information sheet goes on to say that "It is not known whether Influenza Virus Vaccine can cause fetal harm when administered to a pregnant woman or can affect reproduction capacity. Influenza Virus Vaccine should be given to a pregnant woman only if clearly needed."

Pregnant mamas be careful!

Fox News reported that Anti-Vaccine Group Challenges CDC's Flu Shot Guidelines for Infants.
Interestingly enough, "The CDC has revised its flu shot guidelines, recommending that all children between six months and five years of age, as well as pregnant women, receive a flu shot. The CDC has launched a major campaign urging Americans to get vaccinated, designating Nov. 27-Dec. 3 as "National Influenza Vaccination Week.""

An organization of parents who believe that thimerosal in vaccines is directly related to autism in their children are upset with the CDC. "PutChildrenFirst.Org is part of a public health movement that has emerged over the past few months that has raised doubts about the government's ability to objectively evaluate vaccine safety, given its public health interest in immunizations, and calling for the establishment of an independent body to evaluate vaccine and thimerosol safety."

"A survey of 9,204 people conducted by Zogby International, a public opinion group, between Oct. 27-30 of this year, found that many people are uninformed about vaccinations, but have strong opinions when provided with information. According to the survey, when asked what they knew about flu shots:

— 74 percent of respondents were unaware that most flu shots contained mercury.
— After learning this fact, 74 percent said they were less likely to get a flu shot and 86 percent of parents w/children (17 or younger living at home) said they were less likely to have their children get the flu shot.
— 78 percent agreed that mercury should not be an ingredient in flu shots given to pregnant women and children
— 73 percent said that the government should warn pregnant women not to get a flu shot if it contains mercury.
— More than 70 percent said Congress, doctors, and medical groups such as the American Academy of Pediatrics should take the responsibility to ensure that vaccines do not contain mercury.
— 80 percent of respondents and 82 percent of parents said they are willing to pay additional cost to receive flu shots that do not contain mercury.

In public opinion polling, results over 70 percent can be categorized as "striking" or "remarkable" results, according to Fritz Winzel of Zogby International."

We need to take it upon ourselves as parents to inform ourselves about what is in vaccines and what is being injected directly into our bodies and our children's bodies.

Don't Ignore Global Warming

The entire world is facing a terrifying future. Everything will change - temperatures will raise, agriculture will be altered and in some cases the food supply may diminish. A UK article, Why Climate Change Cannot Be Ignored, reiterates that we need to make changes and reduce emissions sooner rather than later. The effect on the globe will surely be devastating if we continue to live as carelessly as we do now. Nobody knows for certain what exactly will happen, and theroies vary as to the extent of the problems that will arise from the effects of global warming.

"

The Stern review estimates that the costs of action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to avoid the worst impacts of climate change can be limited to around 1 per cent of global GDP each year. People would pay a little more for carbon-intensive goods, but economies could continue to grow strongly.

Reducing emissions will make us better off, and stave off the threat of food scarcity. According to one measure, the benefits over time of actions to shift the world onto a low-carbon path could be in the order of $2.5 trillion each year.

Agriculture policies and practices will have to meet changing climate regimes. A significant transition toward biofuels over the next 50 years is needed, with agriculture and forestry among the leading sources for both liquid and solid fuels.

Crops such as sugar cane, corn and soybean are already being used to produce ethanol or bio-diesel.

But above all, the agriculture and food sector needs to become engaged in the debate. It must find its voice. It is not a big polluter or emitter of CO2, but it will be one of worst hit sectors if climate change is not tackled.

Tackling climate change now is the only option. Ignoring it will undermine economic growth - and contribute to food scarcity."

We need to take control. Every little bit helps. Do your part!

Red Meat & Breast Cancer Risk

HealthDay reported today that the risk of breast cancer may be related to eating red meat. The study found that "women who had one-and-a-half servings of red meat a day had nearly double the risk for hormone receptor-positive cancer compared with women who ate less than three servings of red meat per week.

The researchers speculated that the increased risk may be linked to carcinogens found in cooked or processed red meat, hormone treatments used to spur growth in cattle and the type of iron found in red meat."

The American Cancer Society does not recommend eating any red meat at all. The consumption of red meat is also linked to other types of cancer.

Yet another reason to go veg or semi-veg!

Skip the Juice

Most parents wouldn't dream of giving their toddler soda. Those same parents often don't think twice about giving their child juice. Doctors are now saying that kids should skip the juice and stick to water, and possibly milk.

"[R]esearchers say that when a baby's bottle or cup is filled with juice—even the 100 percent, all-natural, no-sugar-added stuff—parents might as well be pouring Pepsi.

A growing body of science is linking sweet drinks, natural or otherwise, to a host of child health concerns, everything from bulging bellies to tooth decay.

"All of these beverages are largely the same. They are 100 percent sugar,"Dr. David Ludwig, an expert on pediatric obesity at Children's Hospital Boston, said recently. "Juice is only minimally better than soda.""

Many consumers think of juice as a good, healthy beverage. This article states that "Though healthy in moderation, juice essentially is water and sugar. In fact, a 12-ounce bottle of grape soda has 159 calories. The same amount of unsweetened grape juice packs 228 calories."

One way to limit your child's juice intake is to mix it with water - perhaps 1/4 juice to 3/4 water. Another alternative is to use fruit juice that is low in sugar.

The American Academy of Pediatrics says that fruit juice should not be given to infants under 6 months of age and should never be given in a bottle. Fruit juice serves no nutritional purpose to children under the age of one. Children ages 1-6 should receive no more than 4-6 ounces of fruit juice per day, and children 7-18 should be limited to 8-12 ounces per day.

The short answer is that juice is not healthier than water - no matter what juice companies claim about their product - and juice consumption can lead to obesity, unhealthy eating habits and dental problems.

Vaccine Patch

A new report shows that skin patches administering vaccines may soon be released as an alternative to the more traditional vaccine shots.

This pain-free method of vaccination could revolutionize modern medicine. There is talk about the vaccines being ordered and delivered through the mail - rather than going to a doctor's office to receive the vaccinations.

However, concerns over vaccinations are growing as more parents are made aware of what ingredients different vaccines contain, as well as the adverse reactions many children (and adults) are experiencing after being vaccinated. The efficacy of vaccines is also hotly questioned by skeptics.

Currently, researchers and doctors are testing the vaccine skin patches for E.coli and different strains of the flu. The outcome of these studies will affect the future of vaccinations.

Love Me Baby Me Wins Award

Todays latest press release spotlights a new company~ Love Me Baby Me.
This line of baby care proucts are paraben free (preservatives that studies have previously linked to womens tumors, low sperm count and more), propylene glycol free (a component in antifreeze.. gross!), tear free, pure and natural, pediatrician tested, non-toxic, chemical-free, and hypoallergenic... with scents derived from flowers! Could you want any more?!

Some quotes from the press release:

The company was honored for both their full line of baby careproducts, which includes Bubbly Wash, Smoothy Shampoo, Creamy Cream, HairPutty and their miraculous Butt Balm, as well as their Precious Pak,containing travel-sized versions of all five products.

...Rosemary Anthony, Love MeBaby Me founder. "This honor just reinforces what aware parents everywherealready know - that our children deserve pure, gentle, natural, effectiveproducts without the risks of preservatives like parabens and propyleneglycol. We hope that this award will make even more people aware of thecritical issues related to children's skincare."

Sounds like another victory in the land of Frunchy!

Magic Erasers...dangerous?!

After stumbling upon this blog entry - Chemical Burn - we decided to do a little more research on the popular Mr. Clean Magic Eraser by Proctor and Gamble.

The first thing we found was the MSDS (Merchandise Safety Data Sheet) for the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser on the P&G website. It lists
"Ingredients/Chemical Name: Formaldehyde-Melamine-Sodium Bisulfite Copolymer."

Formaldehyde?! There is formaldehyde in those innocent looking little foam pieces that claim to clean everything?!

Slightly further down the MSDS the following info appears: "Hazardous Decomposition Products: Oxides of carbon, oxides of nitrogen, oxides of sulfur, aromatic compounds,
formaldehyde, hydrogen cyanide."

This can't be good.

The Household Products database from the National Institute of Health reveals the same information. Similar products suggest the use of rubber gloves while cleaning to protect the harsh chemicals from absorbing into your skin.

How many people do you know that use the magic erasers? How many people let their children use them to clean up their messes? What other ingredients are in our everyday household cleaners?

Apparently a Canadian news station ran a story on how common household cleaners may be contributing to the rise of cancer. Here is an excerpt from their story:

"Not required to disclose ingredients

Kathy Cooper — a senior researcher with the Canadian Environmental Law Association — says there's a lot we don't know about the chemicals in our cleaners. Companies are not required to tell us.

"For cleaning products in particular, the only thing the label will tell you is whether it is seriously toxic…if you swallow it or get it in your eye, or will the container blow up…but you don’t have any information about…long term toxicity," Cooper told Marketplace.

If you look at the label of your favourite floor cleaner or furniture polish, you won't see much in the way of ingredients. That's because companies are protected by trade secrets. If you do see an ingredient, it's because it could blow up or poison you. Many other chemicals are not even listed.

"If you had the kind of labelling laws that they have in Europe, where it would tell you that 'this product contains something that may cause cancer' and another similar product that does the same job doesn’t, you might not buy the product that contains the carcinogen," said Larry Stoffman an international expert on chemical hazards information."

Many of the products that are available for purchase aren't necessarily "safe". Please do your research to keep yourself and your family - especially your children - safe!

Hershey Purchases Dagoba

It's amazing to see how many companies are going organic nowadays. It's like the new cool trend and all the big manufacturers want to make their offerings.

Hershey recently (oct 19) purchased Dagoba organic chocolates.

Quotes from the press release:

Organic chocolate products are experiencing dramatic growth as consumers continue to trade up for indulgent, high-quality products. Dagoba, with its well-regarded portfolio of quality organic products, will enable Hershey to build on its leadership in the North American chocolate market by meeting emerging consumer needs and building profitable new marketplace opportunities.

Dagoba's strong presence in the natural channel is a real plus for Hershey, allowing us to expand our presence and broaden our offerings in this growing arena. In addition, Dagoba's use of only the finest organic ingredients makes it a great complement to our existing, premium portfolio of Scharffen Berger and Joseph Schmidt products.

So what do you think? Does this make you more likely to buy Hershey brand?

What about Dagoba.. did they sell out or trade up?

Toxins & Peanut Products in Clarins Cosmetics?!

Do you have a peanut allergy? Could your makeup be making you sick?

A new press release issued Oct 31, 2006 discusses the use of peanut and toxins in clarins cosmetics.

A few quotes from the article include:

Clarins Paris claims most of its cosmetic products are made with plant extracts, and some are alcohol free and allergy tested. In reality, their disclosed ingredients discredit the claims on their labels.

Products such as their Extra Comfort Toning Lotion are touted as being “alcohol free with plant extracts, allergy tested and especially formulated for dry and sensitized skin.”
However, their label cites the following alcohols: phenoxyenthanol, panthenol, triethanolamine, propylene glycol, benzyl alcohol and anise alcohol

Parabens have the potential for breast cancer and potential endocrine disruptors, raising concern for impaired fertility/development and increased risks for certain cancers


For further exploration- Pierce Mattie Public Relations.

Should Clarins clearly label their products with all ingredients?
Should Clarins stop using such dangerous ingredients all together?

Frunchymama Contest - Win FREE stuff!

Frunchymama is a new site and after being live just a few days we already have over 200 members!!!

That is just incredible and we feel so lucky to have our site resonate with people and fill a need.

SO we would like to invite everyone to join in our first official contest!!

In order to participate in the contest you must receive FRUNCHTASTIC status (500 posts) on our forums. Winners will receive a FREE FRUNCHYMAMA OATBAG!! These bags are awesome for grocery shopping and fold up super small for travel. They are ridiculously cute and 100% ORGANIC COTTON and 100% VEGETABLE INK!!! They are cream colored with a blue Frunchymama logo.

Heres a pic with a different logo.. for concept. Yours will not have flowers but the frunchymama logo.

These have a retail value of $10 before customization!



The rules:
1. Must post REAL conversational threads on our forums - games do not count. The whole point of this is to get everyone to jump in, get to know each other, learn a little bit, and have a ton of fun!

2. Contest ends November 23. One month should be plenty of time to give everyone, regardless of current status, plenty of time to get posting!

3. The top 10 posters who have reached frunchtastic status will WIN!

4. Any problems that arise or disputes will be settled by admin and we reserve the right to change rules or modify terms at any time with fair warning.

Please ask any clarification questions on our forums... and ready! set! go!

Thanks for being part of our community!!

FREE Advertising!

As a grand opening special, Frunchymama is allowing FREE advertising in signatures through October 1, 2007 for all members with 25 or more posts. Please take into consideration the following guidelines. Graphics are okay as long as they meet the guidelines and your entire signature must be under 100MB.

From the registration agreement:

"Signatures must not be taller than 200 pixels. They may not contain links to adult content or otherwise offensive websites (in our sole opinion). Any signature that violates these rules will be deleted without notice and a warning may be given."

Thanks!

What is Frunchy?

Frunchy - "Fashionably Crunchy" - is a word we coined to describe ourselves.

This term came up when we realized that we didn't really fit in to a mold. Our parenting styles and lives aren't really the crunchy, granola, super natural type. We also don't fit into the mainstream, "old-school" parenting style either. Frunchymama.com is a nice blend of those two extremes. We are a middle ground for mamas who fall anywhere on the spectrum of parenting styles. Frunchymama.com is for those who are curious about the "crunchy" lifestyle but don't know much about it. We are also for the mamas who are already practicing many aspects of the "crunchy" lifestyle and want to share our knowledge with others. We are for all moms who want to do what is best for themselves, their children, their families, and the earth.

It came about during a conversation one day between a group of friends. One mama uses cloth diapers, but didn't breastfeed or make her own baby food. Another mama cosleeps with her 2 year old, wears her baby and breastfeeds, but vaccinates her child on schedule. A third person uses disposable diapers, makes her own baby food, never touched a sling in her life, and her child has slept in a crib from day one. None of them considered themselves "crunchy"...but at the same time, none of them considered themselves "mainstream" or "traditional" either.

We found that one mom uses slings because they are just easier than lugging a stroller - another loves her stroller and would hate carrying a kid around all the time. There is no right and wrong. Each and every mother should have the information available to make her own judgements and choices.

That is what frunchy is - it is anyone who questions the conveneince products in search for a better way. It is not all or nothing. It's frunchy.

Frunchymama.com

Frunchymama.com - Fashionably Crunchy Earth Friendly Parenting

Frunchymama.com is a new site and we are so happy to go live! Please come visit our message boards to chat!

We have built this site for community information. A place to find out about all things natural and organic to make a better life for you and your family. Most sites out there today are either traditional parenting sites or natural parenting sites. These two categories have previously been on opposite ends of the spectrum. The Frunchymama message boards bridge that gap.

Frunchymama.com is for the Fashionably Crunchy. The person looking for a balance between natural and traditional. It's a practical approach to parenting- one that helps save time, money, and stress ~ while still maintaining many of the convenience items we have grown up using.

It's not just about switching to cloth diapers because its best for the environment- but because it is also great on your wallet and they look darn cute on a baby bum!

Wherever you personally fall on the natural living or traditional spectrum, Frunchymama.com is not here to judge but to help you make your own choices. Ones that are best for you, your family, and maybe even the earth too.

It is only through trial and error that we can have any success as a parent and we hope our message boards will provide you with some new things to try and some new information to learn.

Frunchymama.com