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	news bulletins may 2007

• First-Ever Ranking of Toxic Chemicals in Child Car Seats
• Feed Your Soul Online
• California Midwife Under Fire
• Nursing Mothers to Breastfeed on Capitol Hill
• May is National Foster Care Month

First-Ever Ranking of Toxic Chemicals in Child Car Seats

Crash tests aren't the only way to prove the safety of a car seat, according to new findings by the Ecology Center. Their research shows that brand new car seats are made with several dangerous chemicals that can lead to serious health risks for children. Consumers can look up which car seats rank the best and worst in terms of toxic chemical content at www.healthycar.org. Anyone looking to buy a new car seat, or wondering if their child's current car seat is safe, can visit this site and search by model, or comparison shop between different models.

The Ecology Center tested 62 brand new infant, convertible and booster car seats, which are retailed at the leading babies' product retailer Babies "R" Us, and top five retailer Target. Chemicals tested for include: bromine (associated with brominated flame retardants); chlorine (indicating the presence of polyvinyl chloride, or PVC and plasticizers); lead; and heavy metal allergens. Such chemicals have been linked to major health problems such as liver, thyroid and developmental problems in children. Children have the highest exposure and are the most vulnerable population in terms of exposure to chemical-laden dust and inhaling toxic fumes, since their systems are still developing.While some seats are virtually free of the most dangerous chemicals, others are saturated. To sample the car seats, researchers used a portable X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) device, which identifies the elemental composition of any material in less than 60 seconds.

The study found that the best seats had no brominated flame retardants, no PVC and low levels of other chemicals tested. Over 40% of seat cushions tested contained no brominated flame retardants and 77% of the seats were free of PVC-plastic. However, over 1/3 of all seats tested had one or more components which contained higher levels of toxic chemicals. A complete ranking of all of the car seats that were tested can be found at www.healthycar.org.

Feed Your Soul Online

As we become parents our spiritual life takes on new challenges and opportunities. We want to raise our children with strong values, which will sustain them throughout their lifetime, and we want to continue our own spiritual exploration. Many of us would like to bring a refreshed and relevant spirituality into our family life but find that we don't have the time to go out and explore our inner life with long meditation practices or retreats now that we have children.

The Lay Buddhist Practice online series of classes are designed to support homemakers in their everyday spiritual development, to create sangha (spiritual friendships), and to explore how we can bring the Buddha's teachings into our home and everyday lives. The internet offers us a historically unique opportunity to connect with like-minded people all over the world. Some parents have time early in the morning, some grab a moment in the middle of their busy day. Parents come to the virtual classroom as it suits their unique schedules.

The classes are designed to not only to guide the individual through their own spiritual development but to share the principles they are learning with their children as well. The classes include a series on creating a shrine (opening up a space for spiritual practice in our home), a series on the three refuges, a series on the five precepts and a series on the Buddha's teachings regarding relationships. These basic Buddhist principles are applied to the life of the householder. Each series is six to eight weeks long.

Parenting offers powerful opportunities for spiritual development. While parenting we are challenged to develop patience, surrender, unconditional love, selfless service and equanimity; all universal spiritual values. Within the Buddha's teachings are tools and guidance to help us meet and grow from our parenting challenges. You do not need to be a Buddhist to gain benefit from these practices. The Lay Buddhist Practice series is hosted by Hearth Foundation. The teacher, Jacqueline Kramer, has been studying and practicing Theravadin Buddhism for 30 years. She is author of Buddha Mom-the Path of Mindful Mothering and 10 Spiritual Practice for Busy Parents. Jacqueline is a mother and a grandmother. In keeping with the Buddhist tradition these classes are offered free of charge. To learn more, see www.hearthfoundation.net.

California Midwife Under Fire
By Jill Kuhn

Marcia McCulley has 18 years of experience providing professional care for pregnant mothers. She is a nurse practitioner (NP) certified by the California Board of Registered Nursing, a Licensed Midwife (LM) certified by the California Medical Board, and has been featured in a Mothering magazine article. She has her own birthing center, The Whole Woman, Inc., in Simi Valley, CA.

On March 14, "peace agents" of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's department stormed into her office with guns drawn, accompanied by representatives of the California Medical Board. They seized patient's charts and a scheduling book, and handcuffed Marcia to a chair for over two hours while they searched the office. She was detained in Ventura and released on bail late that night.

Simi Valley Hospital is trying to shut down her office, located across the street from them. They filed complaints with both the Nursing Board and the Medical Board accusing her of practicing medicine without a license, despite the fact that Marcia has never posed as an MD or performed surgical procedures. The hospital had previously sent letters to Marcia's clients threatening to withhold emergency care if it was required, a blatant violation of EMTALA.

Marcia's NP and LM licenses had been suspended in March. The California Board of Registered Nursing failed to file their paperwork before the deadline after the Interim Suspension Order. The office of the California Attorney General, who represents the nursing board, is still pursuing the case. The Medical Board Interim Suspension Hearing was on Friday, April 27, 2007, but the judge did not make a decision until Tuesday, May 8. Her suspension order was not lifted and the wording has been changed to say that she is not supposed to have any contact with her patients unless it is specifically to transfer care. It is unclear what is going to happen in this horrendous situation. Over 100 of Marcia's former patients, and midwives have rallied to help her. Marcia's legal costs are climbing and she is not able to practice and earn an income at this time.

Please help! It costs nothing for a hospital to put a claim against a midwife?s license, but it costs a lot to defend it. You can mail contributions to this tax-deductible charity organization:

The Midwife Defense Fund
Attn: Mary Price
P.O. Box 940682
Simi Valley, CA 93094-0682

More information is available at this Yahoo group:

http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/helpmarciamcculleythemidwife/

Thank you for any support you can provide. That includes passing this story to anyone who could help in some way, especially if they are affiliated with media organizations.

Nursing Mothers to Breastfeed on Capitol Hill

Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) will host a Capitol Hill nurse-in on Thursday, May 10, 2007 to reintroduce her Breastfeeding Promotion Act, a bill that would protect the rights of breastfeeding mothers who return to the workplace after childbirth, and the health and well-being of their children.

The Breastfeeding Promotion Act:

• amends the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to protect breastfeeding by new mothers
• provides tax incentives for businesses that establish private, lactation areas in the workplace
• provides for a performance standard for breast pumps
• allows breastfeeding equipment to be tax deductible for families

The nurse-in will be held from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. on Thursday, May 10, 2007 at Cannon Terrace at New Jersey and Independence Ave., SE Washington, D.C. (Capitol Hill) with Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) and Congressman Chris Shays (R-CT) participating.

May is National Foster Care Month

For more than half a million American children and youth in foster care, homelessness, poverty, compromised health, unemployment and incarceration describe an alarming future they simply do not deserve. May has been designated National Foster Care Month to highlight this special need.

Without a lifelong connection to a caring adult, former foster children are far more likely than their peers to simply move from one social welfare system to the next as they become young adults out in the world. Far too often, they drop out of school, become unemployed, go on public assistance, endure homelessness, and/or join the growing ranks of those without health insurance—or go to prison.

Foster care is an issue that affects the wellbeing of so many citizens and our society as a whole. Consider these facts:

• There are 513,000 children currently in foster care.
• In an average year, more than 800,000 children will experience foster care.
• More than 20,000 young Americans "age out" of foster care each year.
• Children of color comprise 60 percent of the U.S. foster care population.
• There are 12 million foster care alumni in this country.

• Nearly 14 million confirmed cases of child abuse and neglect will be reported;
• 22,500 children will die of abuse or neglect, most before their fifth birthday;
• More than 9 million children will experience the foster care system;
• More than 300,000 children will age out of our foster care system, in poor health and ill-prepared for success in higher education, technical college or the workforce; and,
• 99,000 former foster youth who "age out" of the system will experience homelessness.

"Many children in foster care require secure, stable places to call home until they can either safely reunite with their parents or establish other lifelong family relationships. For older youth, it is especially important that we equip them with what they need to thrive on their way to adulthood," said Virginia Pryor of Casey Family Programs and chair of the 2007 National Foster Care Month.

With guidance and support from nurturing adults, children and youth in foster care are capable of overcoming the repercussions of previous abuse and neglect. Across the country, people are helping these vulnerable youth build brighter futures by serving as their foster parents, relative caregivers, mentors, advocates, social workers and volunteers.

The National Foster Care Month campaign is presented by 14 of the nation's largest child welfare organizations and is led by Casey Family Programs. "We hope to inspire and engage many more individuals to take action in support of these children and their families. There are so many ways a person can positively affect the life of a child in foster care," Ms. Pryor said.

For more information about National Foster Care Month, planned community events and activities, and the many ways in which you can make a lasting difference for America's children in foster care, please visit, www.fostercaremonth.org.