Entries from June 2007
FARMINGTON, Conn. — The Infoshop (http://www.the-infoshop.com/ee/53090) has announced the addition of a new product by Technical Insights, Inc., Advances in Fetal and Neonatal Diagnostics and Monitoring, to its online catalog.
The increased availability and access of these areas of treatment are linked to a decrease in fetal and neonatal problems and negative outcomes in situations where a problem does arise. The technological advances made in this area contribute to the positive result observed, and the forecast is that this trend will continue. This research service outlines the key global developments in fetal and neonatal monitoring and prenatal diagnostics.
1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
* Scope and Methodology
* Scope and Segmentation
* Methodology
* Overview of Monitoring and Diagnostics
* Monitoring Industry
* Diagnostic Industry
2 TECHNOLOGY ADOPTION FACTOR ANALYSIS
* Technology Primer
* Monitoring Techniques
* Future Directions–Fetal MRI vs Ultrasound
* Assessment of Monitoring Technology Trends
* Emerging Trends in Monitoring
* Noninvasive Fetal Diagnostics–Emerging Trends
* Wireless and Remote Monitoring–Benefits
* Challenges of Remote/Wireless Monitoring
* Assessment of Diagnostic Technology Trends
* Future Scope and Clinical Applications of Noninvasive Prenatal Diagnosis
* Strategic Analysis
* Drivers and Restraints for Monitoring Technologies
* Drivers and Restraints for Diagnostic Technologies
* Strategic Recommendations
* Mergers and Acquisitions/Collaborations and Funding Details
* Mergers and IP Acquisitions
* Collaborations
* Funding/Stakeholder Analysis
3 TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENTS IN COMPANIES AND UNIVERSITIES
* Corporate Developments–Monitoring
* Intrapartum Monitoring System Offers ST Waveform Analysis–Sweden
* Neonatal Brain Monitoring Device–Australia
* Noninvasive Prenatal Diagnostic Method for Detecting Chromosomal Disorders–USA
* Home-Based Noninvasive Monitor for Counting Fetal Movements–USA
* An Advanced and Integrated System for Fetal/Maternal Monitoring–USA
* Fetoscopy Instrument Detects and Treats Twin to Twin Transfusion Syndrome–USA
* Fetal and Neonatal Monitoring and Information Management Systems–Germany
* Ultrasound-Based Labor Monitoring System–Israel
* Neonatal Brain Temperature Monitoring and Treatment System for HIE–USA
* Computerized Labor Monitoring System–Israel
* World’s First Holter Fetal/Maternal Monitor–UK
* Other Noteworthy Innovations
* Corporate Developments–Diagnostics
* World’s First Noninvasive Diagnostic Test for Down’s Syndrome–USA
* IVD Test for Monitoring and Detection of Antepartum and Intrapartum GBS Infection–USA
* Other Noteworthy Technologies
* University Studies
* Novel Device Detects Fetal Brain Abnormalities in Utero–USA
* Real-Time Ultrasound Imaging in 3D Raises Hope for Early Diagnosis of Fetal Abnormalities–USA
* Cell-Free Prenatal Diagnostic Technology for the Analysis of Fetal Genetic Information–USA
* New Sensor Monitors Fetal Hypoxia–UK
* Combined Screening Technique for High-Risk Pregnancies–Canada
* 4D Fetal Heart Visualization Using Real-Time Volumetric Imaging–UK
* Noninvasive Preemptive Sepsis Monitor for Neonates–USA
* Neonatal Brain Scanner Based on Optical Tomography–UK
* Other Noteworthy Research
4 PATENTS AND KEY INDUSTRY PARTICIPANTS
* Patents
* Fetal/Neonatal Monitoring Methods
* Prenatal/Neonatal Diagnostic Testing Methods
* Key Contacts
* Company Contacts
* University Contacts
5 DECISION SUPPORT DATABASE
* Database Tables
* Birth Rate (2002-2012)
* Fertility Rate per Woman (2002-2012)
* Infant Mortality Rate per 1000 Live Births (2002-2012)
* Prevalence of Female Smokers (2002-2012)
* Number of Biotech Companies (2002-2012)
* Number of Abortions (2002-2012)
For more information visit http://www.the-infoshop.com/ee/53088
COPYRIGHT 2007 Business Wire
COPYRIGHT 2008 Gale, Cengage Learning
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VACHELLE JOHNSON, events manager for Cedar Fort Publishing, will speak to the Bountiful Chapter, League of Utah Writers, Tuesday, 7 p.m., Bountiful/Davis Arts Center. Her topic: “How to Promote Yourself.”
KATHRYN LYNARD SOPER, author of “Gifts: Mothers Reflect on How Children with Down Syndrome Enrich Their Lives,” will sign copies of her book, Friday, 6-8 p.m., Barnes and Noble Books, 10180 S. State, Sandy; and Saturday, 1-3 p.m., Barnes and Noble, 330 E. 1300 South, Orem.
JULIA GLASS, author of “The Whole World Over,” will sign copies of her book, Saturday, 2 p.m., The King’s English Bookshop, 1511 S. 1500 East.
E-mail: dennis@desnews.com
Copyright C 2007 Deseret News Publishing Co.
Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved.
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OREM — Kids across the nation were honored by Kohl’s Department Stores recently for their efforts in voluntarism.
Eight Utah youths received $50 gift cards and certificates of recognition from Kohl’s. The eight will now compete at the regional level for 170 scholarships of $1,000 each. Regional winners, announced in June, will move on to the national level, competing for 10 scholarships of $5,000 each. Those winners will be announced in July.
Utah Valley winners were Courtney Bennett, 12, of Lehi, honored for raising money for children with Down syndrome; and Cortney Chadburn, 18, of Provo, who is a recent Provo High graduate.
Chadburn is a member of the group Acting Up — a youth theater group with a focus on service. She said the focus of the group is to teach values — things like alternatives to drug use and character building.
Kohl’s scholarship program is a segment of Kohl’s Cares for Kids, focused on keeping kids healthy and safe.
In addition to the regional and national scholarships, Kohl’s will donate $1,000 to a nonprofit organization of each national winner’s choice.
Copyright C 2007 Deseret News Publishing Co.
Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved.
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Kathryn Lynard Soper went into labor 12 weeks early. She was sent to the University of Utah Medical Center, where they were able to delay things for two weeks. “Then they put me in a delivery room with a ‘drive-in window’ to the ICU. When Thomas was born, he was whisked away. We didn’t see him at first, but we were encouraged because his Apgar scores were high.”
Only later, when two of the doctors came to visit, did she and her husband, Reed, get the news: “They told us they suspected Down syndrome. My husband and I looked at each other. We had always wondered if this would happen to us one day.”
They had actually talked about it in a philosophical kind of way; but reality was different. “When I finally got to hold him, he was about half the size of our other children. The hardest thing was not knowing what he would be like.”
It was winter, and a dark time for Soper in more ways than one. Thomas spent his first six weeks in the hospital. Soper spent a lot of time on the Internet looking for information. She found a lot about the medical conditions and possibilities. But no two Down syndrome kids are exactly alike. “There is such a wide range of abilities. We knew there would be some degree of mental retardation. There is a whole list of possible complications, but no one could tell us which ones Thomas would have. We had that great fear of the unknown, not knowing what to expect.”
But after Thomas came home from the hospital, an amazing thing happened, says Soper. “The more time we spent with him, the more we began to think of him as a cute baby. As his health stabilized and the more we got to know him as a person, we began to be excited that he was here, and the fear went away. We began to have a beautiful experience.”
That’s the dynamic many new parents don’t know about, she says. That was what she was looking for during all those dark months. What she wanted to read were more experiences from parents talking about their lives. “I wanted ‘company’ as I explored my conflicting emotions, which alternated between happy and proud, and sad and scared.” She found a few chat rooms and gathering sites, but there wasn’t much out there, she says.
“The bulk of what you read about Down syndrome is negative.” But when you talk to mothers of Down syndrome children, they have a lot of positives to share, she says.
That’s when Soper decided to compile some of those positives into a book. She put postings on Web sites asking other mothers to share their experiences. “We got such enthusiastic response.” She ended up with 63 stories, which she has compiled into a book called “Gifts: Mothers Reflect on How Children with Down Syndrome Enrich Their Lives” (Woodbine House, $18.95). Already, she says, it’s going into the second printing. “I feel like it is a unique and valuable collection.”
It is particularly timely in that guidelines for genetic screenings for pregnant women have changed, she says. In the past, women over 35 or who were at high risk were offered screenings, but for the rest, there was only a blood test, which was not accurate, says Soper. “Now the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists are recommending new first trimester tests for every woman. My concern is that if women get prenatal diagnoses, what kind of support will they get? If they are handed a list of possible complications, and a ’so sorry,’ is that enough?”
She cites one study that found that the majority of medical professionals do not give adequate support or updated or balanced information to parents facing a prenatal diagnosis of Down syndrome.
“When we started this project, we didn’t know new guidelines were coming, but it turns out that the book is coming out at a time when it is desperately needed.”
There is some controversy about the new guidelines, she says. One reason for the shift is that pregnancies are easier to terminate during the first trimester. “The current termination rate with a Down syndrome diagnosis is 90 percent.”
Her book, she says, “has no political agenda. We only have an educational agenda. We have a wide range of perspectives. We have women with different political and religious and ethnic backgrounds. We have pro-choice and pro-life views. The range of women is one of the most significant things about the book. And they all say the life of a child with Down syndrome is something to celebrate.” Potential parents need to know that, says Soper.
Also called Trisomy 21, a vast majority of cases of Down syndrome occur when a person is born with three of the 21st chromosome, rather than the usual two. The extra chromosome alters the development of the body and the brain. It is the most common genetic variation, happening on average once in every 730 births, the book notes.
It occurs among people of all races and economic levels, and affects more than 350,000 American families directly — many more indirectly. “It seems like everyone knows someone affected by Down syndrome,” says Soper.
She wants everyone to know how much Thomas, now 1 1/2, has brought to their family. He is their seventh child, “and he is just adored. The other kids fight over who gets to sit next to him and to play with him. He is a delight to be around.”
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Mount Rainier Climb to Conquer SADS Presented by the PGxHealth Division of Clinical Data
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah — Doctors from around the country are gearing up to participate in the first Climb to Conquer SADS (Sudden Arrhythmic Death Syndromes) presented by PGxHealth[TM], a division of Clinical Data, Inc., and sponsored by the SADS Foundation. The goal of the June 23 - 25 climb of Mount Rainier is to raise money and awareness for genetic cardiac syndromes, which are estimated to kill more than 1,000 children, teens and young adults each year.
Upon reaching the summit, the climbing team of cardiologists and other SADS Foundation supporters will display a banner identifying the three most important warning signs that could indicate the presence of a potentially lethal condition in young people:
* Fainting or seizure during exercise, excitement or startle
* A family history of unexpected, unexplained sudden death in young persons
* Consistent or unusual chest pain and/or shortness of breath during exercise
The banner will advise those with a history of these risk factors to see a doctor, as most causes of sudden cardiac death events occurring in children, teens, and young adults can be proactively tested, diagnosed and treated.
"The stakes are terribly high with respect to these conditions that kill otherwise healthy young people. Half of the people who die from a SADS-related heart condition exhibit a legitimate warning sign prior to their death. We must do better at preventing these tragedies. With Climb to Conquer SADS, we WILL do better!" says Michael Ackerman, M.D., Ph.D., president of the SADS Foundation and director of Mayo Clinic’s Long QT Syndrome Clinic and Windland Smith Rice Sudden Death Genomics Laboratory.
"The Climb to Conquer SADS presents an opportunity to raise public awareness of these tragic syndromes in the hopes of preventing sudden arrhythmic death in young people," said Chris Anderson, M.D., a pediatric electrophysiologist with Northwest Center for Congenital Heart Disease at Sacred Heart Children’s Hospital in Spokane, Washington and one of the climbers. "My professional goals closely mirror those of the SADS Foundation, and my vision is to help build a national infrastructure that includes CPR training of all parents, teachers and coaches, widespread deployment of automated external defibrillators, and markedly improved public awareness of SADS. This climb to summit Mount Rainier is one step in the process of making these goals happen."
"We are proud to sponsor this event and to work with the SADS Foundation, an organization that has worked tirelessly in raising awareness of sudden arrhythmic death in young people," stated Carol Reed, M.D., Chief Medical Officer of PGxHealth, whose FAMILION([R]) genetic tests detect potentially lethal heart conditions. "PGxHealth and the SADS Foundation share a belief that awareness and accurate diagnosis are fundamental pillars of prevention."
For more information about the climb or to sponsor a climber, please call the SADS Foundation at 800.STOP.SAD or go to www.sads.org.
About the SADS Foundation
The SADS Foundation is a non-profit organization that was established in 1991 with the sole mission of saving lives and supporting the families of children and young adults who are genetically predisposed to sudden death due to heart rhythm abnormalities. The foundation facilitates medical decisions, early diagnosis and treatment of heart rhythm abnormalities that can cause sudden death by providing educational materials to more than 27,000 patients, doctors, and families around the world each year. In addition, the SADS Foundation encourages heart rhythm abnormality research and initiates public campaigns to increase the awareness about the warning signs of heart rhythm abnormalities that can cause sudden death.
About FAMILION
By detecting genetic mutations, FAMILION can be used to recognize cardiac channelopathies such as LQTS and Brugada Syndrome in individuals and their families and to guide treatment to prevent the deadly cardiac events they can cause. For more information about the FAMILION test, visit www.pgxhealth.com/genetictests/familion.
About PGxHealth
PGxHealth has extensive experience and capabilities in the development, clinical validation and delivery of genomic-based tests, in particular in the areas of efficacy and safety biomarkers for appropriate drug utilization. Through its own know-how and resources, work conducted with some of the world’s most prestigious genomics thought leaders and institutions, and use of innovative technologies, PGxHealth is focused on reducing treatment costs and improving clinical outcomes in those disease states and therapeutic classes beset with expensive, inefficient or suboptimal treatment options. It has branded its genetic tests based on these proprietary genetic markers Therapeutic Diagnostics[TM]. For more information, visit www.pgxhealth.com.
COPYRIGHT 2007 Business Wire
COPYRIGHT 2008 Gale, Cengage Learning
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