Jessica Vega After Gardasil

" The FDA adverse event reports on the HPV vaccine read like a catalog of horrors," stated Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton. "Any state or local government now beset by Merck's lobbying campaigns to mandate this HPV vaccine for young girls ought to take a look at these adverse health reports. It looks as if an unproven vaccine with dangerous side effects is being pushed as a miracle drug." Judicial Watch filed its request on May 9, 2007, and received the adverse event reports from the FDA on May 15, 2007. Judicial Watch has posted the adverse event reports on their Internet site at: http://www.JudicialWatch.org." - Judicial Watch, May 23 statement"


Student Natasha D'Souza said she collapsed and was left paralysed for six hours after being injected. "I couldn't move at all. There were girls dropping like flies, basically," she said. Ms D'Souza said she had been vaccinated in the past but her reaction to Gardasil was different. Fellow student Brooke Levy, who was taken to hospital, said she thought she might pass out or vomit after she was vaccinated. But authorities believed their reactions were likely to be related to having an injection not the vaccine itself." - Danialle Cronin, Canberra Times, Australia


"Her legs are paralyzed, her arms are affected. She is very weak in her arms," said Tondra Vees a family friend. "She has to use a walker. Even with that, she can't get to the bathroom. She can't stand up at all." Vees said the girl has been determined by her doctor to have Guillain-Barre syndrome, an acute, autoimmune condition that can lead to paralysis. The girl.....received her first booster shot of the cervical cancer prevention vaccine Gardasil on May 2....Vees cites a report on the National Vaccine Information Center Web site, nvic.org, in which NVIC president Barbara Loe Fisher states, "There are twice as many children collapsing and four times as many children experiencing tingling, numbness and loss of sensation after getting a Gardasil vaccination compared to those getting a TDAP (tetanus-diphtheria- acellular pertussis) vaccination. There have been reports of facial paralysis and Guillain-Barre syndrome..." - Jo Rafferty, May 17 Nevada Appeal


"Assembly Bill 16 would require pupils to receive shots recommended by the federal government's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices -- a list that happens to include Gardasil -- after approval by the state health officer. Rick Rollens, a longtime Capitol staffer and lobbyist, pleaded with the Assembly Education Committee to hold up AB 16, saying his son "suffers from vaccine-induced regressive autism" and citing increasing evidence that childhood vaccines play a role in autism. He characterized AB 16 as "an outrageous and arrogant attempt" to shift vaccination mandates from the Legislature to a "non-accountable bureaucrat" and a remote federal committee. Nevertheless, the bill sailed through the Assembly's education and health committees...." - Dan Walters, May 17 Sacramento Bee


"In an editorial published in today's New England Journal of Medicine, the UCSF doctors suggest that there are still too many questions about both the efficacy and the long-term safety of the vaccine, called Gardasil, to warrant making it mandatory for all girls -- as has been suggested in several states, including California. "At this stage, vaccination can still be considered experimental," said Dr. Karen McCune, an associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology at UCSF, who co-authored the editorial. "To be discussing mandatory vaccination when the main clinical trials are still ongoing seems extremely premature. We're feeling like the enthusiasm is driving policy rather than data." - Erin Allday, May 10 San Francisco Chronicle

Barbara Loe Fisher Commentary:
In June 2006, NVIC issued its first press release providing evidence that Merck's GARDASIL vaccine had not been thoroughly tested for safety and efficacy in young girls. In February, NVIC released two detailed reports analyzing vaccine reaction reports filed with the federal Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System (VAERS), which documented that many girls were suffering atypical collapse with seizure activity and subsequent brain dysfunction, including three cases of facial paralysis and five cases of Guillain Barre syndrome (http://www.nvic.org/Diseases/HPV/HPVHOME.htm).

NVIC has led the opposition to HPV vaccine mandates based on product safety concerns that there is inadequate scientific proof the vaccine is safe and effective for 11 year old girls, who are being targeted by the CDC and Merck for mass use.And it just keeps getting worse and worse. Now three deaths have been reported, along with more reports of paralysis in girls who have gotten the poorly tested HPV vaccine. As usual, the vaccine maker and public health officials are in denial mode, using the unscientific "coincidence" argument in an attempt to cover- up HPV vaccine-related death and neuroimmune dysfunction.

And, still, politicians in California, New York and other states press forward to get GARDASIL mandated even as politicians in many other states are wisely backing off from adding it to state vaccine mandates for school entry.

For those who have watched industry and government cover-up harm caused by DPT, DTaP, MMR, HIB, hepatitis B, chicken pox, pneumococcal, influenza, anthrax and other vaccines during the past quarter century, the HPV vaccine risk cover-up is just another deja vu experience. Same story, different vaccine.

When will it end? When will industry and government health officials, along with pediatricians and nurses injecting children with reactive vaccines, like GARDASIL, stop deluding themselves into believing the public is going to blindly trust and buy the "coincidence" argument forever?

For more information about GARDASIL and HPV infection, go to www.nvic.org. If you or a loved one has experienced a reaction to GARDASIL vaccine or any other vaccine, you can post your story (and a photo) on the International Memorial for Vaccine Victims at http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=q5ptjacab.0.od5855bab.oblmlwbab.12517&ts=S0251&p=http%3A%2F%2Fvaccinememorial.org%2F.


Jeffrey Dach MD said...
Gardasil Vaccine: So far 3 deaths and 1,637 Adverse Reaction Reports to FDA

Opponents to Gardasil say things like:

"This vaccine should not be mandated for 11-year-old girls.... It's not been tested in little girls for efficacy. At 11, these girls don't get cervical cancer—they won't know for 25 years if they will get cervical cancer. Giving it to 11-year-olds is a great big public health experiment." Dr. Diane Harper, lead researcher, HPV vaccine development

Objections Listed:

1. The vaccine is costly. ($360 for series of three shots)

2. Lack of testing in 9–13 yr olds.

3. Lack of evidence of duration of protection (estimated duration of 5 years).

4. Efficacy has not been demonstrated and is unknown. In fact, there's already been talk of the need for booster shots.

5. Benefit of Gardasil to 9–13 year olds is dubious. Cervical Cancer affects 45-55 year olds, 40 years later.

6. Questionable Safety when used in conjunction with other vaccines (Hep B and Meningitis ).

7. High rate of vaccine injury: the US Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System is showing considerable serious injury from this vaccine, especially neurological and immune dysfunction. Included are reports of collapse, paralysis, Guillain-Barre syndrome, dizziness, vomiting, rash, syncope, seizures and headache.

8. Gardasil may actually cause an increase in cervical cancer due to a false feeling of security in the females who receive it and decline PAP smears.

9. Gardasil does not guarantee safety from HPV: Regular Pap screening tests with their incumbent costs will still be needed.

10. The incidence of cervical cancer is low, and it would cost $360 million to pay for vaccine to prevent only 1–2 deaths.

11. HPV is usually benign: The virus clears up on its own within 8–12 months.

12. Pap screening already works and has been very effective in reducing cervical cancer rates.

Mom Says HPV Vaccine Caused Paralysis in 12-Year-Old

Jackelyn Barnard
First Coast News
Feb. 21, 2008 10:10 AM

Brittany is a twelve-year-old who doesn't like to sit still.

The Florida girl played softball. She ran cross country. The plan was to stay on the team and get a college scholarship, but those dreams drastically changed.

"She was walking through my house and collapsed. She told me she couldn't feel her leg. We went right to the hospital," says Christina Bell, Brittany's mom.

Bell says there were no answers at first, but then she started to put the pieces of the puzzle together. Two weeks before her daughter's collapse, Brittany received her first injection of a vaccine called Gardasil.

"The doctor recommended we get the Gardasil shot and I'd been thinking about it because I've seen it on TV all the time," says Bell.

The vaccine, produced by Merck, is to help prevent contracting the Human Papillomavirus or HPV. The virus causes 70 percent of cervical cancer.

Over the last year, the vaccine has been the center of moral controversy, but little has been mentioned about the number of vaccine reactions reported to the FDA. Recent news reports link an association with paralysis and death with the vaccine.

"The reason I'm skeptical with this is this isn't a virus," says Dr. Guy Benrubi, an OB/GYN with Shands.

Dr. Benrubi says the HPV vaccine is one of the safest and he recommended it to his own child.

"The immediate risks are minimal. The FDA looked at those. We have not seen any major catastrophes," says Dr. Benrubi.

Benrubi says the majority of complaints are patients fainting during or after the shot. So far, more than four million vaccinations have been done and nearly 4,000 adverse reactions have been reported.

"Even the worst case scenario, if you have four thousand in four million that is a one to one thousand potential adverse effect," says Dr. Benrubi.

The list of complaints range from temporary blindness, blurry vision, convulsions, seizures and numbness in arms and legs that won't go away.

"If you know something is happening why do you let it continue?" asks Bob Giuliano, Brittany's grandfather.

Giuliano and his daughter want answers as to how they didn't know paralysis could be a possibility for Brittany.

"I am very angry," says Brittany's mom. After months of physical therapy, Brittany still has no feeling in her left leg.

Getting around is difficult. It's hard for Brittany to walk and balance and she often needs a little help.

"She's mad. I can tell she's mad," says Brittany's mom. A little shy, Brittany did not want to talk to us, but she did want her story told so parents and young girls know how her life has changed.

Now she is learning to cope with braces, crutches and a walker. "It's changed everything for us," says Bell.

Brittany's doctors have diagnosed her with Acute Demyelinating Encephalomyelitis or ADEM. It is an inflammation of the brain that has been associated with a vaccination.

"I think there is a little cart before the horse going on here. I'm not saying this is not a good vaccine, but anyone who is going to have their daughter or child have this shot, they need to be fully informed of risks or potential risks associated with it," says Sean Cronin, Brittany's attorney.

Cronin says he can't go after Merck with a lawsuit because Gardasil is now part of a federal fund which pays out to those injured from vaccines.

First Coast News has learned, Gardasil was added to the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Fund just months after it hit the market. "The Federal government would not put it on the list without medical scientific justification," says Cronin.

Brittany's family is filing an injury claim with the government. They are also on a mission to spread the news of what they say can happen with the vaccine.

The family also holds out hope that one day, old Brittany will be back walking and running like she did once before.

"I do wish the doctor would have known and would have said there is a chance that this could happen. If he would have said, I would have never done it," says Bell.

The FDA told First Coast News the adverse reaction reports are not a good indicator of a direct cause or relation with an incident. The FDA also says they have investigated several deaths but did not find any association with the vaccine.

Merck told First Coast News it is unaware of Brittany's case. Merck also says it actively monitors the adverse reaction reports and other databases throughout the world.

As for the vaccine being added to the government vaccine fund, Merck says it is their understanding that all new vaccines are added to the fund.

The Pharmaceutical giant says the latest numbers show that ten million HPV vaccines have been given in the United States.

ROUEN, France, Feb. 28 -- Statin-related adverse effects are rare, and rarer still are tendinous complications, according to a large French post-marketing surveillance program.


Tendinous complications accounted for about 2% of all statin adverse events reported to the French pharmacovigilance network from 1990 to 2005. For the individual years reviewed, the proportion of statin-related adverse effects that involved tendons ranged from 0% to 3.6%.


"Our series suggests that statin-attributed tendinous complications are rare, considering the huge number of statin prescriptions," the authors concluded. "We suggest that prescribers should be aware of tendinous complications related to statins, particularly in risk situations, including physical exertion and association with medications known to increase the toxicity of statins."


Statin-associated tendon impairment had not been reported in previous pre- and postmarketing studies, although sporadic anecdotal reports suggested a possible link. To explore the issue more closely, Dr. Marie and associates retrospectively reviewed data from 31 French pharmacovigilance centers.


For the 16-year period reviewed, 4,597 statin-related adverse events were reported to the pharmacovigilance network. Of those, 96 events (2.01%) involved tendon impairment, consisting of 63 reports of tendinitis and 33 reports of tendon rupture. The Achilles tendon was the affected area in 50 (52.1%) of the cases, and 26 patients (27%) had bilateral tendon manifestations.


The median time to onset of tendon symptoms was 243 days, but occurred as early as 24 hours after starting therapy and as late as 15 years. Tendon symptoms occurred within the first year in 59% of patients.


Statin-attributed tendon complications were considered serious in 36 cases, and 17 patients required hospitalization. Moreover, 19 of the 33 patients who had tendon rupture had significant functional sequelae that included difficulty walking, decreased range of motion, and pain. Of seven patients who stopped and then reinitiated statin therapy, all seven had a recurrence of tendon symptoms.


Tendon complications were reported in patients treated with atorvastatin (Lipitor), simvastatin, pravastatin, fluvastatin (Lescol), and rosuvastatin (Crestor). The authors reported that the complications occurred at recommended dose ranges for all of the drugs.


Predisposing factors beyond statin therapy that might have led to tendon complications were not explored.


Though generally considered safe and associated with minor side effects, statins occasionally cause serious complications, especially musculoskeletal effects that include myositis, rare cases of rhabdomyolysis, and inflammatory myopathies. In clinical trials of statins, myositis occurred in 0.09% to 0.63% of patients and rhabdomyolysis in 1 case per 100,000 patient-years, the authors noted.


Despite their findings, the authors left the door open to the possibility that statins have a closer association with tendon problems than currently recognized. They noted that a literature review uncovered 43 cases of statin-related tendon complications.


"Tendinous manifestations may be an as-yet unreported side effect of statin therapy," they said. "In essence, no cases were reported during the large therapeutic trials, including more than 30,000 patients. However, the fact that statin-related tendon complications have not been described in these large clinical trials may be explained in part by control of factors predisposing to tendinopathy and regular follow-up of trial patients."


They concluded that this literature review suggests that tendon manifestations may be included within the spectrum of adverse effects of statins but future case-control studies are required to confirm this relationship.


"Our study suggests that regular tendinous clinical examination may be required in statin-treated patients, particularly during the first year following statin therapy initiation," they added.


The authors had no disclosures.

Source reference:
Marie I, et al "Tendinous disorders attributed to statins: A study on ninety-six spontaneous reports in the period 1990-2005 and review of the literature" Arthritis Rheum 2008; 59: 367-372.

Back Pain Spending Surge Shows No Benefit

Americans are spending more money than ever to treat spine problems, but their backs aren’t getting any better.
[Not from going to Medical Doctors they're not. Lots of happy patients going to chiropractors though]

Those are the findings of a report in the Journal of the American Medical Association, which found that United States spending on spine treatments totaled nearly $86 billion in 2005, a rise of 65 percent from 1997, after adjusting for inflation. Even so, the proportion of people with impaired function due to spine problems actually increased during the period, even after controlling for an aging population.

“You’d think if you’re putting a lot of money into a problem, you’d see some improvements in health status,’’ said lead author Brook I. Martin, research scientist at the University of Washington’s department of orthopedics and sports medicine. “We’re putting a lot of money into this problem, and it’s a big investment in health care expenditures, but we’re not seeing health status commensurate with those investments.’’

The report is the latest to suggest the nation is losing its battle against back pain, and that many popular treatments may be ineffective or overused. Researchers have produced conflicting data about the effectiveness of spinal fusion surgery for back pain, although one major study called Sport, for Spine Patient Outcomes Research Trial, showed that spinal surgery patients did better than patients receiving more conservative care, which included medications or physical therapy. However, some doctors have questioned whether surgical treatments, injections and narcotic pain medications are being used appropriately in many patients.

“I think the truth is we have perhaps oversold what we have to offer,’’ said Dr. Richard A. Deyo, a physician at the Oregon Health & Science University in Portland and a coauthor of the report. “All the imaging we do, all the drug treatments, all the injections, all the operations have some benefit for some patients. But I think in each of those situations we’ve begun using those tests or treatments more widely than science would really support.’’

To study spending trends in spinal care, the researchers examined annual household survey data from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality that was collected from about 23,000 people a year from 1997 to 2005. It included information from pharmacy and medical records and was used to estimate national spending and treatment practices.

The researchers found that people with spine problems spent about $6,096 each on medical care in 2005, compared to $3,516 in medical spending among those without spine problems.

During that time, the biggest surge in spending was for drugs. In 2005, Americans spent an estimated $20 billion on drug treatments for back and neck problems, an increase of 171 percent from 1997. The biggest jump was for narcotic pain relievers, such as OxyContin and other drugs, which increased more than 400 percent.

Outpatient treatment for back and neck problems increased 74 percent to about $31 billion during the period, while spending related to emergency room visits grew by 46 percent to $2.6 billion. Spending for surgical procedures and other inpatient costs grew by 25 percent to about $24 billion.

Despite the growth in treatment of back problems, the data show that the percentage of people with serious spine problems hasn’t improved. In fact, it appears to have gotten worse.

Based on the sample, the researchers estimated that in 1997, about 21 percent of the adult population suffered from back or neck problems that limited their function. By 2005, that number grew to about 26 percent, after adjusting the numbers for age and sex.

It’s not clear why more people appear to be suffering from back and neck pain. It could be that rising obesity rates are taking an added toll on the spine, researchers suggested. Or it could be that excessive treatment of back problems is leading to more problems.

“I do worry there is a combination of side effects and unnecessary treatments and labeling people as being fragile when they’re really not,’’ Dr. Deyo said. “The combination of those kinds of things may actually be in some cases doing more harm than good.’’

Excessive Exercise Causing Free Radicals

“In his book The Antioxidant Revolution, Kenneth Cooper, MD
emphasizes that excessive exercise is a major cause of oxidative
stress.”

“He became very concerned when he began seeing several of
his super exercisers who had been coming to his aerobic center in
Dallas dying from heart disease and cancer at an early age.”

When we exercise excessively, the production of free radicals
goes off the graph, or in other words it increases exponentially.
“Dr. Cooper started the exercise craze back in the early 70’s
when he coined the term aerobics.”

“He has never recommended excessive exercise to his patients;
however, he had previously not discouraged it either.”

“Now he believes it is potentially harmful to your health and
should only be done by the serious, competitive athlete who is taking
large amounts of antioxidants in supplementation.”

Dr. Cooper informs his exercise patients “they should be taking
adequate levels of antioxidants in supplementation all the time.”
“On the day that they exercise, he feels they should actually
increase the amount of antioxidants they are taking.”

The Danger Of Mixing Candy And Poison
By Tim Davern, MD, a liver transplant specialist at the University of California, San Francisco San Francisco Chronicle, August 14, 2004

"First Do No Harm" is a cornerstone of modern medicine. "I think the practice of combining acetaminophen (Tylenol is one popular brand) and an opiate, such as hydrocodone bitartrate, together as a single drug (as Vicodin does) defies logic, if not common sense."

Acetaminophen is a "potent dose-dependent poison for the liver; simply stated, if you take too much, your liver dies."

Acetaminophen overdose is the "leading cause of acute liver failure in the United States today." On the other hand, opiates, such as hydrocodone bitartrate and codeine, while safe for the liver, are highly addictive. "Vicodin is currently the most popular prescription drug in the United States." Some patients become addicted to the opiate component of Vicodin and consume increasing amounts of acetaminophen, "ultimately leading to acute liver failure." "With overwhelming liver injury from acetaminophen, what follows is a particularly grisly death punctuated by bleeding, confusion, coma and, for still largely unclear reasons, brain swelling, damage and death."

"Patients typically take too much acetaminophen for fever or pain over several days, not realizing the potential for liver damage." "Many are unaware that acetaminophen is contained in dozens of over-the-counter cold and flu preparations."

"This situation is particularly tragic in young children accidentally overdosed with acetaminophen, typically in the setting of a flu-like illness, by well-intentioned but misinformed parents."

Acetaminophen packaging should have better warning labels, and should not be sold in 1,000 pill mega-bottles. Acetaminophen-opiate combinations [like Vicodin] should be removed from the market. "The prescription rules in California have made it far easier for physicians to prescribe an acetaminophen-opiate combination, such as Vicodin, than a pure opiate, such as codeine, although the former is far more dangerous."

The FDA banned Ephedra, which "contrasts with its puzzling, relatively meager efforts to prevent acetaminophen hepatotoxicity, which kills far more Americans each year than Ephedra."

Take This Painkiller Carefully Medical News That Matters Second Opinion
By Isadore Rosenfeld, MD Parade, February 19, 2006, pg. 6

"Acetaminophen, whose best know brand name is Tylenol, is one of the most widely used nonprescription painkillers is the US." "Overdosing with is the leading cause of serious poisoning in this country."

"Every year, too much acetaminophen accounts for 50,000 emergency room visits, 42% of liver failures, and an average of 458 deaths." "Never take more than 4,000mg a day—eight 500mg extra-strength capsules."

Numerous other drugs also contain acetaminophen, including Nyquil, Sudafed, Alka-Seltzer, Sinutab, Contac, Actifed, etc.

"If you have two or three alcoholic drinks or more a day, be sure to consult your doctor before taking Tylenol."

"The symptoms of acetaminophen overdose are nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and lack of appetite."

"The specific antidote is N-acetylcysteine (NAC)."

N-acetylcysteine (NAC) works because it elevates levels of the antioxidant and detoxifier, glutathione. I purchase N-acetylcysteine (NAC) in the product:
(Complete Glutathione From Nutri-West: 800-443-3333 in the USA)
Each Tablet contains: N-Acetyl Cysteine 60 mg, Alpha Lipoic Acid 10 mg, LGlutamine 15 mg, Vitamin C 75 mg, Selenium Chelate 10 mcg, Milk Thistle 50 mg, Silybin 10 mg, Thiamin 10 mg, Riboflavin 10 mg, B-6 5 mg, B-12 50 mcg, Folic Acid 50 mcg, Vitamin E Succinate (natural) 10 i.u., Magnesium Chelate 500 mcg, Zinc Chelate 500 mcg, Rosemary 75 mg, Curcumin extract from Turmeric 10 mg, Superoxide dismutase-G (Glutathione) 25 mg, Catalase 20 mg, Reduced Glutathione 5 mg.

In the last 6 years:

Nearly 3,000 Americans have died in from terrorism
30,000 Americans have died from food poisoning
240,000 Americans have died on our highways
600,000 Americans have died from medical mistakes

Source: U.S. News & World Report 9/03/07, pg. 24
BY Randall Larsen
A retired US Air Force Colonel
The Director of the Institute for Homeland Security in Alexandria, VA
Author Our Own Worse Enemy

Omega-3 used to Treat Neck and Back Pain

American Association of Neurological Surgeons:
High-Dose Omega-3 Oils used to Treat Non-Surgical Neck and
Back Pain

Doctors Guide, April 20, 2005
By Cameron Johnston

"Investigators at the University of Pittsburgh have treated chronic pain patients with high doses of omega-3 fatty acids – the ingredient found in many cold-water fish species such as salmon."

"The researchers say their findings suggest that this could be the answer to the adverse effects seen with nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), including cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 inhibitors, which have been associated with potentially catastrophic adverse effects."

Dr. Joseph Maroon, neurosurgeon and specialist in degenerative spine disease at the University of Pittsburgh reported the findings April 19th at the 73rd meeting of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons. Patients who took high doses of omega-3 oils were impressed enough with the outcomes that they chose to continue using the oils and forego the use of NSAIDs.

The 250 study patients suffered from chronic neck or back pain but were not surgical candidates, and they had been using daily doses of NSAIDs.

After 75 days of taking high doses of omega-3s, 59% had stopped taking prescription drugs fro their pain. "88% said they were pleased enough with the outcomes that they planned to continue using the fish oils." "No significant adverse effects were reported."

Test confusion 'risk to patients'

The majority of tests are ordered by junior doctors

Many junior doctors do not understand common hospital laboratory tests and are putting patients at risk as a result, biochemists have claimed.

The Annals of Clinical Biochemistry reports that 18% of more than 80 junior doctors surveyed were happy to order a test they could not fully interpret.

The Association for Clinical Biochemistry blamed poor teaching of the subject at medical schools.

The General Medical Council is planning to review its curriculum guidance.

It's something that scares me - these are the doctors who are going to be looking after me when I'm older
Dr Danielle Freedman
Association of Clinical Biochemistry
The majority of hospital pathology tests are ordered by junior doctors, but in recent years many medical schools have reduced the amount of time they devote to pathology teaching.

Dr Trevor Gray, from the Northern General Hospital in Sheffield, carried out a survey of more than 80 juniors, asking them how they felt about the clinical biochemistry tests they were expected to order on a day-to-day basis.

In 10 out of the 12 common tests listed, some of the juniors questioned said they were not entirely confident about interpreting the results.

In three tests, more than a third of those questioned said they were not confident - and 18% of the doctors said they were happy to order a test which they did not fully understand how to interpret.

Seven out of 10 said they would like more teaching in clinical biochemistry.

Dangerous decisions

Dr Danielle Freedman, from the Association of Clinical Biochemistry, said the results revealed "a national problem".

"It's something that scares me - these are the doctors who are going to be looking after me when I'm older."

She said that errors could be highly dangerous to patients: "If you have someone who has a test which shows they have a low sodium level, further tests need to be done to establish the cause.

"Some junior doctors can order the sodium test, but don't know what to do with the result, and the patient doesn't get the right treatment."

She said that she knew of patients who had been discharged from hospital only to suffer a major heart attack because a key test had not been carried out properly.

The General Medical Council (GMC) is currently preparing to review its guidance on the content of medical education.

"It is essential that the GMC, universities and medical school take note to protect both patients and doctors," Dr Freedman said.

Among those responsible for pathology teaching in UK medical schools is the Royal College of Pathologists, and a spokesman said that it was currently examining what medical students were taught.

"The college has set up a group to review and appraise the new curriculum."

Bad Bad Bouncy Seat

For months before anyone saw a problem with her infant daughter, Ellen Burkhardt would park the child in a bouncy seat without a second thought, grateful for the extra minutes it gave her to make dinner or do a load of laundry.

But then the Arlington Heights mom noticed that 6-month-old Natalie still could not quite straighten her neck or lift her head, and the back of her skull seemed oddly flattened.

Natalie's doctors said the problems occurred in part because of seemingly harmless products like the bouncy seat. By keeping the girl immobilized and on her back, they said, such seats prevented her from using all the muscles she needed to grow normally.

It's a controversial theory, but a vocal contingent of doctors and physical therapists believe the strap-in chairs and carriers that millions of parents have come to rely on are contributing to an increase in cases of misshapen skulls, contorted neck muscles and delayed motor skills such as crawling and walking.

A few frustrated therapists even have a name for the problems that can occur in immobilized infants: "container syndrome." The best solution, they say, is to get children out of their seats and put them on the ground for "tummy time."

"These things may be great for convenience, but they're horrible for your child," said Dr. Frank Vicari, director of the head-shape evaluation program at Children's Memorial Hospital.

Downside to back sleep

Some of the developmental issues appear to stem from a benign source: the "back to sleep" campaign that began in 1994 and has achieved a dramatic drop in infant deaths by persuading parents to put infants to sleep on their backs. No expert interviewed for this story suggested any change to that policy.

But the change in sleeping habits came with a downside. Infants who sleep on their backs are more likely to develop a somewhat flattened skull, which also may throw off neck development. That, combined with the modern affinity for products that keep infants on their backs, can result in developmental delays that take thousands of dollars in therapy to correct.

Numerous therapists who treat such disorders say they have observed an increase, though no one has done a thorough national study. Vicari said that in the early 1990s, he typically would see a dozen cases of misshapen skulls, or plagiocephaly, each year. Today, that number stands at about 750.

At Children's Healthcare in Atlanta, senior physical therapist Colleen Coulter-O'Berry said that a decade ago she saw about 30 children annually who needed therapeutic helmets to correct head shape. Now they treat about 500 kids that way.

"It's unbelievable, the difference," she said.

Slowly, evidence has mounted that infants who sleep on their backs are more likely to have slight developmental delays, though experts are divided over whether the effects are long-lasting. A 2006 Canadian study published in the Journal of Pediatrics found that 22 percent of babies who slept on their backs had some delays in motor skills such as sitting up, rolling over and climbing stairs.

'Tummy to play'

Parents can compensate for this trend by putting babies on their bellies while they're awake and having them play in that position, the 2006 report found. Many therapists now have lengthened the old slogan to "back to sleep, tummy to play."

That can be harder than it sounds. Infants who rarely spend time on their bellies often cry and fuss when parents try to give them more tummy time.

"If you haven't put a baby on her stomach by the time she's 5 days old, she decides she shouldn't be on her stomach," said Mary Weck, a clinical specialist and physical therapist at Children's Memorial. "They really get in the mind-set that they shouldn't have to work physically."

The time infants spend on their backs has risen with the proliferation of products such as detachable car seats that can be used as infant carriers or snapped into strollers. Such seamless transitions are convenient, but many physical therapists recommend that parents reserve car seats for use in the car.

Children who sit all the time have little motivation to exercise their muscles, Weck said.

"When babies are on their tummies, they're driven to move around ... but when they're lying back in a seat they can just look out and see what's going on," she said. "They don't have to move to keep themselves entertained, so they lose that drive."

Some therapists also point a finger at exersaucers, stationary devices that suspend the child in a bucket seat. Use of exersaucers grew in the 1990s as a replacement for mobile walkers, which can cause injury if a child tips down stairs while strapped inside.

But being strapped in an exersaucer can force babies to keep their legs bent or stand on their toes, which may lead to "toe-walking" when the child gets older. Walking on toes instead of the whole foot can prevent a child from developing proper coordination and can cause back pain later in life, therapists said.

"Exersaucers are often marketed as a way to help your baby learn to stand," said Timmie Wallace, a physical therapy instructor based in Santa Fe. "But all of these baby containers just restrict how they move."

That view is common among physical therapists, yet many doctors and surgeons are not convinced that baby seats and other products can slow development.

In addition, so far there is no evidence that the documented delays linked with sleep position and lack of tummy time affect children permanently, said Dr. James Kemp, a specialist in the pediatric sleep laboratory at St. Louis Children's Hospital.

"If you don't give kids tummy time they may learn some skills a bit later, but unless the child has to run over mountains it may not be a big deal," he said. "Kids figure out a lot of stuff in spite of you."

Even if the delays are not permanent, many families seek therapy to get their kids on track, and that can be costly. Weck of Children's Memorial said a typical course of therapy for plagiocephaly or toe-walking can cost $10,000 to $12,000, most of it covered by insurance plans.

Devices hard to resist

Still, many parents say it's hard to resist all the baby equipment that seems to pour in when a new infant arrives.

Katie Turek of Chicago said relatives gave her three exersaucers when her son Charlie was born last year.

But Turek became concerned when Charlie, at 9 months, still could not get into a sitting position on his own or crawl normally.

Turek took Charlie to Children's Memorial, where physical therapists counseled her to stop putting him in exersaucers and other devices, and start doing more play activities centered on tummy time. If she needed time for chores, she could place him in a playpen, where he could move around more freely.

Charlie, now 1, now can crawl and do many tasks that were impossible a few months ago, said his therapist at Children's, Katie Rule.

"When you take the equipment away, the problem goes away," Rule said.