Mid Rivers Newsmagazine 11-29-23

22 I HEALTH I
November 29, 2023
MID RIVERS NEWSMAGAZINE
@MIDRIVERS_NEWS
MIDRIVERSNEWSMAGAZINE.COM
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7-0142
11/2023
The act of gift-giving at the holidays has mental health benefits for the
giver, research has shown.
(Adobe Stock photo)
HEALTH
CAPSULES
By LISA RUSSELL
Area hospitals again earn
high grades for safety
BJC Progress West Hospital, Barnes-
Jewish West County Hospital and Mercy
Hospital St. Louis were among the 30% of
hospitals nationwide to earn the best possible
grade of A in the recently announced
Fall 2023 Hospital Safety Grade rankings
from The Leapfrog Group. Barnes-Jewish
St. Peters Hospital, Missouri Baptist Medical
Center and St. Luke’s Hospital both
earned above-average safety grades of B.
Twice each year, the independent group
assigns letter grades to nearly 3,000 general
acute-care hospitals across the country.
These grades area based on more than 30
national performance measures reflecting
errors, accidents, injuries and infections, and
the processes in place to prevent patient harm.
For Mercy St. Louis, this distinction for
safety is its 23rd straight A in a row, dating
back to 2010.
“Having an independent organization, like
Leapfrog, recognize the priority we place
on patient safety is important,” said Kat
Nelson, Mercy chief quality officer. “It’s a
validation that our communities can trust us
for safe, high-quality care. And it’s an honor
our co-workers can take pride in earning.”
Mercy earned five of the 13 Leapfrog A
grades awarded in Missouri, with Mercy
Hospital South, Mercy Hospital Washington,
Mercy Hospital Springfield and Mercy Hospital
Joplin also receiving top safety ratings.
Information on all St. Louis area hospitals’
performance is available at hospitalsafetygrade.org.
Gift-giving has mental
health benefits
The positive feelings we receive from
giving gifts to others during the holidays
have their basis in neuroscience, it turns out.
Particularly when a gift is shared with
someone with whom we have a close relationship,
the act of giving it activates key
reward pathways in our brains, according
to researchers at the University of California,
Berkeley’s Greater Good Science
Center. Several of its studies over the last
decade have demonstrated that spending
money on someone other than yourself
promotes happiness and mental well-being.
Research also has shown that spending
money on others feels better than splurging
on ourselves, and that the joy of giving a
gift – no matter the size –lasts longer than the
fleeting pleasure we feel when accepting one.
That’s because generous behavior,
whether it’s by giving a loved one something
they really want for the holidays or
donating to a charity, boosts interaction
between the parts of the brain associated
with socialization and feeling pleasure,
Applesauce recall linked to high lead levels includes local brand
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration
recently recalled three
cinnamon applesauce products containing
“extremely high levels of
lead” linked to 22 toddlers falling
ill as of mid-November, including
in Missouri.
The FDA investigation primarily
involves WanaBana brand Apple
Cinnamon Fruit Puree sold in 3-pack
pouches of 2.5 ounces each. Schnucks
brand cinnamon-flavored applesauce
pouches have also been recalled, along
with Weis brand cinnamon applesauce
pouches. However, no cases of illness
related to either the Schnucks or Weis
brands have been reported to date, according
to a WanaBana media release.
There is no safe level of lead in children’s
blood. It can cause long-term effects
including damage to the brain and nervous
system, learning and behavioral problems,
Schnucks cinnamon applesauce pouches are among three
brands recently recalled due to potentially high lead levels.
(U.S. Food ad Drug Administration photo)
and decreased ability to pay attention, the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
said in a related health alert.
The CDC considers 3.5 micrograms per
deciliter an above-normal level of lead
exposure in most children. The affected
children, who are between the ages of 1
according to Emiliana Simon-Thomas,
Ph.D., the center’s science director.
“Oftentimes, people refer to it as a
‘warm glow,’ this intrinsic delight in
doing something for someone else,” said
Simon-Thomas, who studies the neuroscience
and psychology of compassion,
kindness, and gratitude. “But part of the
uniqueness of … gift-giving compared
to something like receiving an award
or winning money is that because it is
social it also activates pathways in the
brain that release oxytocin, which is a
neuropeptide that signals trust, safety,
and connection. It’s often referred to as
the ‘cuddle hormone.’”
Local study examines effects
of long hospital stays on kids
Ranken Jordan Pediatric Bridge Hospital
in Maryland Heights is already unique. It’s
one of only a few hospitals in the U.S. with
the mission of caring solely for kids from
birth to age 21 who are well enough to
leave a traditional hospital, but need more
help before they can go home. Recently,
and 3, had levels ranging
from 4 to 29 micrograms per
deciliter. They experienced
symptoms including headache,
nausea, vomiting, diarrhea,
change in activity level
and anemia.
The FDA’s recall
announcement said consumers
should not eat, sell
or serve recalled WanaBana,
Schnucks or Weis brand cinnamon
applesauce pouches
and should discard them.
An early November
press release from Schnuck Markets
said its recall includes both 4-packs and
12-packs of Schnucks Cinnamon Applesauce
Pouches along with 20-packs of
Schnucks Applesauce Variety Pouches,
all of which may be returned to Schnucks
or Eatwell Market stores for a full refund.