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Obama's Focus On Health Care Crucial To Reform
"After a week of international diplomacy, President Obama returns to Washington this week facing an even greater diplomatic challenge: nudging the large and controversial health-care reform package toward consensus on Capitol Hill," The Washington Post reports. Despite media reports of challenges including "the virtual wall of opposition among Republicans," "resistance among conservative Blue Dog Democrats over the potential cost," and "nervousness among progressives that the White House might compromise too much on a public insurance option," officials at the White House "remain publicly optimistic." White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel said that the issues are just part of "the nature of what we"re doing," and that "we"ve never, on universal coverage, been this close to the goal line."
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Breastfeeding Can Save 1.3M Children Annually, WHO Says To Mark World Breastfeeding Week
About 1.3 million children"s lives could be saved each year by teaching new mothers how to breastfeed, but many women do not receive help and stop trying, the WHO said on Friday ahead of the start of World Breastfeeding Week, which runs from August 1 through August 7, Reuters reports. "Less than 40 percent of mothers worldwide breastfeed their infants exclusively in the first six months, as recommended by the WHO," the news service writes. Constanza Vallenas, a WHO medical officer in the Department of Child and Adolescent Health and Development, said women "don"t have the practical support" to help them get their infants to latch on properly and find a technique that prevents pain and discomfort. Vallenas said the problem exists in both rich and poor countries, and she called for "more assistance in hospitals, health clinics and communities for new mothers who need information and help," according to Reuters (MacInnis, 7/31).
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Funding Allocated For Hospice Care, Wales
Health Minister Edwina Hart announced the allocation of ÷£4million Assembly Government funding for hospices and palliative care services across Wales.
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Poor Sleep Hygiene And Increased Sleepiness Associated With Excessive Gaming

Computer/console gamers who play for more than seven hours a week and who identify their gaming as an addiction sleep less during the weekdays and experience greater sleepiness than casual or non-gamers, according to a research abstract presented on June 8 at SLEEP 2009, the 23rd Annual Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies Results of the study indicate that excessive gamers have significantly poorer sleep hygiene and sleep less on weekdays than other gamers; a significant positive correlation was found between the hours of game play and sleepiness. Gamers who reported that their gaming interfered with sleep slept for 1.6 hours less than other gamers, while those who claimed to be addicted to gaming slept one hour less on weekdays. According to principal investigator Amanda Woolems, at the University of Arkansas in Little Rock, AR., previous research has shown that excessive gamers spend less time in bed, have longer sleep latency and shorter REM latency. "Our statistics revealed that those who admitted addiction scored higher on the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (sleepiness)," said Woolems. "It surprised us, however, that of the people who admitted being addicted to gaming, only about a third of them recognized an interference with their sleep." The study examined data from 137 students recruited from the university who were enrolled in introductory psychology courses. Participants" mean age was 22 years and a majority of the sample was women (86). Gamers were classified as casual or excessive (those who spend more than seven hours a week using the internet and playing computer games), based on a demographic questionnaire and sleepiness was assessed subjectively through questionnaires. Of the total sample, 10.81 percent reported that gaming interfered with their sleep and 12.6 identified themselves as being addicted to gaming. Authors of the study suggest that maladaptive sleep hygiene found among excessive gamers is a target for intervention to promote improved sleep. The AASM recommends that adults get eight hours of sleep per night and that adolescents get nine hours. Tips to improve sleep hygiene are available at http://www.sleepeducation.com/Hygiene.aspx Those who suspect that they might be suffering from a sleep disorder are encouraged to consult with their primary care physician or a sleep specialist at a sleep center accredited by the AASM. Abstract Title: The Effect of Console/Computer Game Play on Sleepiness and Sleep Hygiene Presentation Date: Monday, June 8 Category: Behavior, Cognition and Dreams Abstract ID: 1271 Kelly Wagner American Academy of Sleep Medicine


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