No turtles, chicks or exotic pets for youngsters
CHICAGO (AP) -- A new report says young children should not keep hedgehogs as pets -- or hamsters, baby chicks, lizards and turtles, for that matter -- because of risk of disease.
According to the nation's leading pediatricians' group, exotic pets can carry dangerous and sometimes potentially deadly germs. And the report says such pets may be more prone than cats and dogs to bite, scratch or claw -- putting children younger than 5 particularly at risk.
Young children are vulnerable because of developing immune systems plus they often put their hands in their mouths.
That means families with children younger than 5 should avoid owning "nontraditional" pets.
The report from the American Academy of Pediatrics says kids that young should avoid contact with these animals in petting zoos or other public places.
The report appears in the October edition of Pediatrics.
(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
Posted: 12:00am EST October 6, 2008
Financial crisis likely to mean more bank failures
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- Economists consider it a safe bet that a lot of banks are not going to survive over the next year despite Washington's 700-billion-dollar bailout plan.
Strapped by huge losses from risky home loans, the banking industry is on its shakiest ground since the early 1990s when more than 800 federally insured institutions went belly up. That was during the clean-up phase of the savings-and-loan meltdown which ended up coasting taxpayers around 200 billion dollars in today's money. Louisiana State University finance professor Joseph Mason thinks the cleanup this time could also cost upwards of 200 billion dollars.
Analysts doubt that the 700 billion dollars earmarked to buy up bad debts is going to be enough to avert a major shakeout. Analyst Jaret Seiberg of Stanford Financial says it will help, but he's looking for more than 100 bank failures next year.
(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
Posted: 9:44pm EST October 5, 2008
FDA officials reject ban on cold medicines for youngsters
WASHINGTON (AP) -- A top government health official is rejecting the idea of an immediate ban on cough and cold medicines for young children.
Instead, officials of the Food and Drug Administration told a public hearing they need more information on whether over-the-counter remedies are safe and effective for children between the ages of two and six.
A leading pediatricians' group wants a ban. But the FDA is concerned that it might just cause parents to give adult medicines to their children.
Dr. John Jenkins heads the FDA's Office of New Drugs. He says, "We do not want to do something that we think will have a positive impact, only to have an unintended negative."
But critics say the effectiveness of the over-the-counter cough and cold medicines in children younger than 6 has never been established. And they say problems with the drugs send thousands of kids to the emergency room every year.
(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
Posted: 4:04pm EST October 2, 2008
Natural gas for winter heating should be plentiful
By H. JOSEF HEBERT
Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The natural gas industry says there should be plenty of the fuel for heating this winter and prices are likely to be about the same as last winter.
Although nearly half of natural gas production in the Gulf of Mexico remains shut down because of recent hurricanes, the industry expects gas inventories at the start of winter to be well above the five-year average.
The Natural Gas Supply Association said Thursday gas production is expected to be about 8 percent higher than last winter, with more wells operating. The group expects the slowing economy to reduce industry demand for gas. And it says an expected milder-than-normal winter also should put downward pressure on prices.
(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
Posted: 8:41am EST October 2, 2008
FDA urged to recall cold medicines for youngsters
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Winter is approaching, and the government is again trying to decide what to do about over-the-counter medicines for kids' coughs and sniffles.
Doctors question the drugs' benefits and worry about their risks.
Pediatricians are urging the Food and Drug Administration to demand a recall of the medicines for children younger than 6. The FDA has scheduled a public hearing today on the issue.
Baltimore's health commissioner, Dr. Joshua Sharfstein says "parents should know that there is less evidence than ever to support the use of over-the-counter cough and cold medicines for young children." He is urging the FDA to ask for a voluntary recall of products marketed to kids under 6.
The industry says over-the-counter medicines have been used for decades in treating kids' colds and are safe for those older than 2.
(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
Posted: 4:07am EST October 2, 2008
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