Brain Differences Seen in Kids With Conduct Problems

THURSDAY, May 2 (HealthDay News) -- The brains of children with conduct problems don't react in a normal way when they see images of other people in pain, a new study finds.

Conduct problems include antisocial behaviors such as cruelty to others, physical aggression and a lack of empathy (callousness).

In this study, U.K. researchers used functional MRI to scan the brains of children with conduct problems and a control group of normally behaved children as they viewed images of other people in pain.

The children with conduct problems showed reduced responses to others' pain, specifically in regions of the brain that play a role in empathy. Among the children with conduct problems, those who were the most callous had the lowest levels of activation in these brain areas, according to the study. It was published May 2 in the journal Current Biology.

This pattern of reduced brain activity in children with conduct problems may be a risk factor for becoming psychopaths when they're adults, said Essi Viding, of University College London, and colleagues. Psychopathy includes traits such as callousness, manipulation, sensation-seeking and antisocial behaviors.

The researchers noted, however, that not all children with conduct problems are the same, and many do not continue their antisocial behavior as they get older.

"Our findings indicate that children with conduct problems have an atypical brain response to seeing other people in pain," Viding said in a journal news release. "It is important to view these findings as an indicator of early vulnerability, rather than biological destiny. We know that children can be very responsive to interventions, and the challenge is to make those interventions even better, so that we can really help the children, their families and their wider social environment."

-- Robert Preidt
Copyright © 2013 HealthDay. All rights reserved. SOURCE: Current Biology, news release, May 2, 2013

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Eating over maintenance..is it okay?

Hi! I'm a 21 yo female, 5'2", 108 lbs and I am attempting to maintain right now (even though I wouldn't mind losing more). Anyway, since I stopped dieting for a couple weeks now, I have been eating a lot of calories...way OVER MAINTENANCE averaging ~2200-2500 cals a day...some days even up to 3000 cals.

Yes, I know this is too much for a person my size and I am so scared that I will gain weight. My activity level is 6-8 hours a week.

Psychologically I can't accept myself eating this much every day but when i cut cals, I feel like ****. But gaining weight or fat will also feel like ****.

I'm honestly scared of how I'm eating right now and not sure if maintaining is the right mindset for me because I'm less strict with myself now than when my goal was to lose weight. 

I'm just kinda lost right now...how should I approach my situation?

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Lipsticks, Glosses Contain Toxic Metals: Report

By Kathleen Doheny

HealthDay Reporter

THURSDAY, May 2 (HealthDay News) -- Lipsticks and lip glosses apparently give you more than colorful kissers, according to a new study by California scientists that contends the products contain lead, cadmium, chromium, aluminum and five other toxic metals.

The research team tested 32 different lip glosses and lipsticks commonly sold at drug and department stores. Some metals were detected at levels that could raise potential health concerns, the researchers said.

"Lipsticks and lip glosses often have levels of toxic metals which approach or exceed acceptable daily doses based on public health guidelines," said researcher Katharine Hammond, a professor of environmental health sciences at the University of California, Berkeley.

Hammond declined to name brands tested. "I would treat these results as applicable to all lipsticks," she said.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, however, does list the lead content of many lipsticks by brand on its website.

In the new study, lead was found in 24 of the 32 products, but at a concentration usually lower than the acceptable daily intake levels.

"At an average level of use, it's not likely to be an issue," Hammond said. She added that she's concerned, however, about children playing with makeup, as no level of lead exposure is considered safe for them. Heavy adult users might consider cutting down, she added.

In the study, certain colors were not more likely than others to have the toxic metals, Hammond said. Nor were glosses more likely to have them than lipsticks, or vice versa.

The study was published online May 2 in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives.

The new report isn't the first to focus on toxins in lipsticks. In 2007, the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics tested 33 lip products and found that 61 percent contained lead, some with levels high enough to cause concern.

The current study went further than measuring the levels of lead and eight other metals. Researchers estimated risk based on the concentration of the metals detected and the users' potential daily intake -- average or high. They compared that information with existing public health guidelines about acceptable intake levels.

The researchers focused on lipstick and lip gloss, they said, because those who wear them absorb or eat them, bit by bit.

High use was defined as ingesting 87 milligrams of the product a day. That would involve repeated reapplying, Hammond said. Average use was about 24 milligrams a day.

When used at an average daily rate, the estimated intake of chromium from 10 products exceeded acceptable daily intake, the researchers found. Chromium has been linked to stomach tumors.

High use of the products, they found, also could result in overexposure to aluminum, cadmium and manganese. High manganese levels have been linked to nervous system problems.

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I find this workout video really hard but is it actually any good?

It's this one:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FTT4W8ygJ7w

I was wondering what other people thought. I found it hard to finish but I'm so unhealthy at the moment. I was put on Zoloft/Sertraline and put on about a stone in a month, and can't seem to lose it, so trying to increase my activity levels and eat healthier more.

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At-Home Drug Errors Common for Kids With Cancer, Research Shows

Study author says parents need more support, better awareness

By Steven Reinberg

HealthDay Reporter

FRIDAY, May 3 (HealthDay News) -- Children with cancer often have complex medication regimens -- sometimes as many as 20 drugs a day -- that they take at home, and mistakes are common, a new study finds.

Errors often occur when parents don't understand how to give the drugs, but mislabeled bottles and wrong prescriptions are also to blame, researchers say.

"Parents of children with cancer make many mistakes giving their children critical medicines, including chemotherapy at home," said lead researcher Dr. Kathleen Walsh, of the departments of pediatrics and medicine at the University of Massachusetts School of Medicine in Worcester.

Injuries were often related to under-dosing pain medication, which was causing pain for the children, she said. "Sometimes parents wouldn't fill prescriptions, or give the proper dose," Walsh said.

"One thing that was surprising was the high rate of errors that go on," she added. "This high rate of errors calls us to remind doctors and parents that they need to be aware that home medication use is fraught with error, so they need to give the medicines exactly as they are told to do."

That's not to blame parents, Walsh noted. "Usually parents weren't aware they were making mistakes. They weren't aware that what they were doing could be dangerous or could decrease the effectiveness of the medications they were using," she said.

Parental "workarounds" to get kids to take medicines could make them less effective.

For example, one child wouldn't take a chemotherapy drug, so the parent sprinkled it on his dinner not realizing the drug doesn't work when taken with food, Walsh said.

"Another parent wasn't using a pill cutter, but using a knife to cut the medication and so the chemotherapy was crumbling and much of it was left on the table," she explained. "Parents didn't realize this was a mistake."

Walsh thinks parents need more support in how they use medications at home. "Parents need to understand you need to give medications exactly as prescribed and if you are going to change that in any way you need to tell the doctor," she said.

The report was published in the May print issue of Pediatrics.

Dr. Len Lichtenfeld, deputy chief medical officer at the American Cancer Society, said that "when you are caught in the middle of the chaos and sadness of a sick child, it's not uncommon to see significant mistakes made when [parents are] giving medications to their children."

Many of the parents in the study were college educated, but no matter how well-educated the parents there are still many gaps in understanding how to administer chemotherapy at home, he said.

Lichtenfeld noted that these errors weren't always the parent's fault. "There were discrepancies between the labels on the drug and what the parents were supposed to do," he said. It's possible that the doctor changed the dose, but it was not reflected in the label from the pharmacy. This problem could be solved by better labeling, he added.

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being full is in my mind

so I am suffering from anorexia, now tyring to recover but admittingly still restricting! Im having breakfast, then nothing until dinner and over-exercising :(

My problem is this, I'm scared to gain weight and as much as I want to recover really am struggling to come to terms with weight gain ;(

When it coms to dinner time, I'm not hungry! like I think I get hunger pangs during the day, but the ED voice comes stronger and stronger as the afternoon draws closer to night and I start feeling full, full to the point as if I have JUST eaten!

can anyone shed some light?? is it cause I'm actually so hungry, I' feeling hunger not fullness? I sound crazy I know.  I just hate not being able to GUAGE MY OWN HUNGER at 25 freakin years old! this ED has taken over my life completely. help *cry*.  (P.s I do eat a large dinner regardless, then feel immense guilt)

I haven't weighed myself, but I am approx. 83-4 lbs, and 5'2"

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Me-Ality Finds the Perfect Jeans for Your Figure (Even Though It Looks Like an Airport Scanner)

Confession: I probably have about 20 pairs of jeans. Actually, take out the probably. I have 20 pairs of jeans. I know this because I counted last night. What I don't have? That one perfect pair. You know, the one that fits you just right; that's comfortably stretchy but never shrinks,  fades or stretches out too much. Most importantly, though, is that this perfect pair should make you look slim. Every day. Even on days you don't feel it. But now, there's a solution for that.

Needless to say, I was so excited when I heard about the Me-Ality Size-Matching Station at Bloomingdale's. How this airport scanner look-a-like works: You stand in the booth for 10 seconds while a machine measures your body. (Don't worry: You don't have to remove any clothes -- unless you're wearing a bulky outer jacket -- and no one is going to frisk you afterwards.) Once you've been measured, you get a barcode that you scan into a computer, and the result is the most amazing thing ever: a list of jeans -- brand, size and style included -- that fit you the best and that the store currently has in stock. It's even ranked in order of how perfect the fit should be. If you're looking for something specific, like skinny jeans, you can check a box and the computer will take away any denim that doesn't match. Brilliant, right?

When I scanned in my code, I got a list of 20 possible pairs. A couple of which--Paige and Joe's--I'd never tried before. A saleswoman helped me pull about 10 pairs from the list. Every pair fit. Like, every.single.pair. It kind of felt like magic. Of course, that didn't mean I liked them all (that would be magic), but it was still pretty great to be able to comfortably zip each one. After narrowing it down to two favorites, I ended up going with the number one-ranked pair on my list: Paige Skyline Skinny jeans. My coworker Anna, also ended up in a pair she'd never tried before: Adriano Goldschmied Stilt. Serious scores.

We hit up the Me-Ality at the Bloomingdale's 59th St. Flagship store in NYC, but the free service is also available at four other Bloomingdale's locations: Garden City, NY; Chevy Chase, MD; Costa Mesa, CA and Santa Monica, CA. Additionally, it's in 20 malls nationwide. (Check out me-ality.com/locations to find one near you.) And once you're measured, your stats are saved. Simply create a profile on me-ality.com and the program will help you find the right size for online purchases, too. The company's next project: bras. Which means finding the perfect one will no longer require letting a stranger measure your boobs. Don't know about you, but I'll happily get scanned for that any day.

--Sara Wells, Senior Editor

RELATED LINKS:

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just wondering if any girls are up for a challenge and have bigger calves than mine there 14.5 inches

just wondering if any girls  are up for a challenge does any girls have bigger calves than mine there 14.5 inches

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White House to Challenge Ruling on Unlimited Access to 'Morning-After' Pill

By Steven Reinberg
HealthDay Reporter

THURSDAY, May 2 (HealthDay News) -- The Obama administration announced late Wednesday that it would appeal a federal judge's order to eliminate any age restrictions on who can buy morning-after birth control pills without a prescription.

The move follows a Tuesday decision by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to lower the age at which females can buy the Plan B One-Step morning-after pill -- girls age 15 years of age and older will now have access, compared to the prior limit of 17.

With Wednesday's appeal, the federal government has indicated that it only wants to ease access to emergency contraception by a certain degree, the Associated Press reported.

"Research has shown that access to emergency contraceptive products has the potential to further decrease the rate of unintended pregnancies in the United States," FDA Commissioner Dr. Margaret Hamburg said in an agency news release.

"The data reviewed by the agency demonstrated that women 15 years of age and older were able to understand how Plan B One-Step works, how to use it properly and that it does not prevent the transmission of a sexually transmitted disease," she said.

The emergency contraceptive is made by Teva Women's Health Inc.

To prevent girls under the age of 15 from buying Plan B, the FDA said the product would bear a label stating that proof of age be required, and a special product code would prompt such an inquiry from the cashier. "In addition, Teva has arranged to have a security tag placed on all product cartons to prevent theft," the FDA noted.

On April 5, Judge Edward Korman, from the Eastern District of New York, gave the FDA 30 days to remove age restrictions on the sale of emergency contraception, such as Plan B One-Step. Until then, girls 16 and younger needed a doctor's prescription to get the pill, which typically works if taken within 72 hours after intercourse.

Other brands of emergency contraception include Next Choice and Ella.

Wednesday's appeal by the Justice Department is in keeping with an election-year decision by President Barack Obama's administration to block the drug's makers from selling it without a prescription or age restriction. And it reignites the hotly contested debate over emergency contraception, The New York Times reported.

The appeal meshes with the views of numerous conservative, anti-abortion groups that don't want contraceptives available to young girls. But it clashes with advocates for women's reproductive health and abortion rights who say years of scientific research found Plan B safe and effective for women of all ages, the Times said.

"Age barriers to emergency contraception are not supported by science, and they should be eliminated," Cecile Richards, the president of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, said in a statement on Wednesday.

The appeal is the latest development in a 10-year, controversial debate about who should have access to the drug and why.

Plan B prevents implantation of a fertilized egg in a woman's uterus through use of levonorgestrel, a synthetic form of the hormone progesterone used for decades in birth control pills. Plan B contains 1.5 milligrams of levonorgestrel, more than "the Pill" contains. It is considered a form of birth control, not abortion.

Women's health advocates praised the FDA decision earlier this week.

"While there are still practical questions to resolve, this is an important step forward to expand access to emergency contraception and for preventing unintended pregnancy," Planned Parenthood's Richards said in a news release.

But not everyone was pleased with the push for wider access to Plan B.

Earlier this month, Janice Shaw Crouse -- director and senior fellow at the Beverly LaHaye Institute, a think tank for the conservative women's group Concerned Women for America -- called Korman's ruling "a political decision, made by those who stand to profit financially from an action that puts ideology ahead of the nation's girls and young women."

"It is irresponsible to advocate over-the-counter use of these high-potency drugs, which would make them available to anyone -- including those predators who exploit young girls," Shaw Crouse said.

In his ruling, Korman dismissed the federal government's earlier arguments and, in particular, previous decisions by U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius that required girls under 17 to get a prescription for the emergency contraceptive. Korman wrote that Sebelius' actions "with respect to Plan B One-Step ... were arbitrary, capricious and unreasonable."

In 2011, Sebelius overruled a recommendation by the FDA to make the drug available to all women without a prescription. The FDA said at the time that it had well-supported scientific evidence that Plan B One-Step was a safe and effective way to prevent unintended pregnancy.

Sebelius, however, said she was concerned that very young girls couldn't properly understand how to use the drug without assistance from an adult.

She invoked her authority under the federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act and directed FDA Commissioner Hamburg to issue "a complete response letter." As a result, "the supplement for nonprescription use in females under the age of 17 is not approved," Hamburg wrote at the time.

Copyright © 2013 HealthDay. All rights reserved. SOURCES: Janice Shaw Crouse, Ph.D. director and senior fellow, Beverly LaHaye Institute, Concerned Women for America; U.S. Food and Drug Administration, news release, April 30, 2013; Planned Parenthood Federation of America, statement, April 30, 2013; The New York Times; Associated Press

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Better use of medicines could save billions

Posted June 21, 2013, 3:59 pm

Wiser use of prescription medications by everyone—doctors and their patients—could save the U.S. health care system more than $200 billion a year. That’s the conclusion of a new report, Avoidable Costs in U.S. Healthcare, from the IMS Institute for Healthcare Informatics.

Inefficient or ineffective use of medications lead to six million hospitalizations, four million trips to the emergency room and 78 million visits to doctors and other care providers each year, according to the report. Those are huge numbers.

Although $213 billion represents less than 8% of what Americans spend on health care each year, it’s still a staggering sum. It also exacts human costs that aren’t reflected in the estimates.

The report identifies 6 things that can be improved to address the problem:

Not taking medications as directed. Most drugs are prescribed for a good reason. Take antihypertensive medications. They are used to lower blood pressure. Not taking the drug allows blood pressure to remain high, which can lead to a very expensive stroke. There are several reasons why people don’t take medications as prescribed. They include fear of drug side effects, not understanding complications that can occur without treatment, and not being able to afford their medicines. The report estimated that taking medications as directed accounted for almost half of the $213 billion in savings.

Taking too many medications. This has become a huge problem, especially in older people with multiple medical issues. Doctors often add medications based on new symptoms, but seldom tell their patients to stop taking drugs prescribed earlier or lower doses. The more medications a person takes, the greater the chances he or she will experience a harmful interaction between medications.

Delayed treatment. Doctors can’t prescribe potentially health-saving medications if they don’t know that patients need it. Better screening for a hidden condition like hepatitis C, for example, could identify those with it, and get them started on medication that could prevent costly cirrhosis of the liver, liver cancer, or the need for a liver transplant.

Overuse of antibiotics. Far too many doctors still prescribe antibiotics for upper respiratory infections, simple bronchitis, and ear infections, even though many of these are caused by viruses (which aren’t affected by antibiotics) and many get better just as fast without an antibiotic. This adds unnecessary costs for the unneeded antibiotics. Use of antibiotics can cause side effects such as severe allergic reactions and diarrhea, which can lead to hospitalization. It can also help create bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics, a growing problem in the United States.

Medication errors. Errors occur in different stages of medication use. Doctors sometimes prescribe the wrong drug or dosage. Pharmacists sometimes prepare or dispense the wrong drug or dosage. And sometimes patient take, or are given, the wrong drug or dosage. These all add up to unnecessary side effects that can harm health or cause death.

Underuse of generic medications. Many people are reluctant to take generic medications instead of their brand-name versions, even though generics contain and deliver the same active ingredients as brand names. And many doctors don’t tell their patients about generic alternatives unless the patient asks.

The United States spends more money on health care per person than any other country in the world (17.6% of our gross domestic product versus 11.6% in France and Germany). But we are far from number one in quality of health care. In fact, among 17 of the leading industrialized nations, the United States ranked dead last in life expectancy.

Better use of medications won’t solve our health-care spending crisis, but it can help. What would really save us money, and improve our health, is preventing disease with a healthy lifestyle. The biggest bang would come from beginning that in childhood and maintaining it throughout life, but starting at any time will help.

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Alice Eve at the Star Trek London premiere

Sorry, I could not read the content fromt this page.

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Sofa to 5K: Training Program for a 5K Run

In two to three months, you can go from slug to star with this 5K training plan.

Emily Gilbert is the first to admit it: She's an on-again, off-again exerciser. Ever since her college lacrosse team days, she's geared up many times to make exercise a habit again, but then fallen off that wagon just as many times.

But now, the 24-year-old publicist from San Diego says she has a plan and is sure she will soon become a regular exerciser. She's training for a 5K that she plans to run in about three months. ''The stability of needing to train will keep me in the process [of working out],'' she says. She's hoping training for the 5K will help her make that transformation to a regular, lifelong exerciser.

"I want to get back into that mentality," Gilbert says.

Picking a 5K -- 3.1 miles -- as her route back to fitness is smart of Gilbert, exercise experts agree. And she's not alone in thinking that training for her first 5K may propel her on the road to lifetime fitness.

It's among the most popular of road racing event distances, says Jean Knaack, executive director of the Road Runners Club of America, a national association of running clubs and events. "The boom is in the 5K and the half marathon," she tells WebMD.

''I think the 5K is a great distance for beginning runners," Knaack says. Or even walkers, as many 5K events are now billed as run/walks.

Why? The 5K is doable, Knaack says, even if you've spent many more hours in front of the TV than on a treadmill, if you train appropriately.

Here, experts talk about how you can join Gilbert in going from the couch to the 5K course, paying attention not only to your physical training but also your mental attitude. In three months or less, you could go from couch spud to fitness star. (It's always recommended, especially for adults over 50, that sedentary people check in with their doctor before starting to train.)

While most people focus on the physical training -- at least feeling comfortable jogging or walking 3 miles or so before the big event -- mentally preparing is just as important, says Fabio Comana, an exercise physiologist for the American Council on Exercise in San Diego.

Step one, he says, is not thinking about the 3 miles, which can be intimidating, but the steps it takes to get there. ''Think about the process,"' Comana tells WebMD. That breaks down what might seem intimidating -- run 3+ miles when you have yet to run 1 -- into manageable chunks.

For instance, you may tell yourself:  "Long term, I am getting ready for a 5K. But for the next two weeks, my process goal is to be able to get off the couch and jog or walk at a reasonable pace. I will try 1K."

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Changed my life- my path towards recovery

Two days ago, I made a huge leap of faith and jumped a huge hurdle in my recovery from anorexia. I had been having urges to eat bowls of cereal (for some reason, always cereal!) for the past few days because I was really hungry, but each time my ED had overpowered me. But on Thursday, I overcame it and ate three huge bowls of cereal! And if I hadn't done that, I know that I would have been in hospital by now.

Last week I had lost over 1 kg from my previous weight, which was 39 kg. I had gone down to about 37, placing my BMI at about 13/13.5. I've only just realised how close I was to being hospitalized- it was really close, could have been this week...

But want I really want to say is that now, for the past two days, I have found eating so much easier. Making that first huge step was a bit scary, but once you do it, it is so much easier to keep recovery in mind. And the people supporting you will help you with this, I promise.

Basically, I just want to keep reminding you that recovery is possible and that it does feel amazing to be able to eat however much cereal you want at breakfast time :) Good luck everyone :)

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10 Things You Must Tell Your Teen

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By Camille Peri

Reviewed By Brunilda Nazario, MD

You want -- and need -- to give your teenager advice. So what exactly do they need to hear from you? Is there a better way than trying to yell advice in their direction as they're getting out of the car?  

Here's what to say and, maybe more important, how to say it to get through to your teen.

1. Stop and think.

Teens are risk-takers, and that's good. They can't grow without trying new things and taking some risks. But they also act on impulse, and the two together can be trouble. Ask your teen to stop and think, says Melisa Holmes, MD, co-founder of Girlology and Guyology, educational programs about adolescent health.

"It takes a conscious effort for teens to learn how to put the brakes on their brain," Holmes says. "The best place to practice is when using social media."

If your teen is thinking about posting a photo or going into an online chat room, urge them to ask themselves: "Why do I want to do this? What risks may be involved? Is it worth it?"

They may not think of using social media as a risky behavior, but like other choices they make, it can have a lasting impact on them. By practicing in one arena, they'll learn to pause to ask the same questions when weighing other choices.

2. Listen to your gut.

Why tell your teen this?Your gut remembers your true self and the guidance of teachers, coaches, parents, or youth leaders. That can help when you’re in a tricky situation or unchartered territory.

Let your teen know you have confidence in them to think for themselves and make solid choices. Tell them that learning to hear their "inner voice" takes practice, but it will guide them well (when you're not there).

3. When you think "everyone is doing it," check the facts.

Your teen may learn that everyone else isn’t doing it -- whether "it" is drinking, having sex, or something else. Finding that out can relieve the peer pressure to do something he or she may not feel ready for.

Take sex as an example. Your teen may think everyone their age is sexually active, but in fact, less than half of U.S. high school students are.

"He may find out that his peers are not really doing it, but they're letting people think they’re doing it while they figure out if it is OK," says Holmes.

4. Decide now when it's OK for you to have sex.

This may sound weird because you probably don’t want to think about your teen having sex, but thinking about it now can make a difference, experts say.

"Teens aren't great at thinking on their feet," Holmes says. When they work out ahead of time how they will turn down drugs, drinking, sex, or other challenges, they are much better at matching their actions with their values.

1 2 3 #url_reference {display: none};#url_reference { display: block; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10px; }#logo_rdr img { visibility: visible; }.titleBar_rdr .titleBarMiddle_fmt { padding-top: 1.5em;} Teen Drug Abuse 9 Warning Signs Video: Hiding Drugs Checklist for Parents Dangers of DXM Teens and DXM Abuse One Teen's Story A Mother's Struggle How Kids Get Hooked Tips on Teens Teens Take a Stand Making Decisions Role Plays Teachable Moments Drug Slang Teen Behavior 5 Common Problems Peer Pressure When Teens Lie Teen Depression Parents' Mistakes 5 Top Mistakes Online Activity Teen Privacy Bad Influences 10 Talks to Have An educational collaboration with: function parseXml(xml) { if ($.browser.msie) { var xmlDoc = new ActiveXObject("Microsoft.XMLDOM"); xmlDoc.loadXML(xml); xml = xmlDoc; } return xml; }function getPledgeCount(dataUrl){$.ajax({type : "GET",url : dataUrl, dataType: ($.browser.msie) ? "text" : "xml",//dataType: "text xml",success : function(xml) { var newXML = parseXml(xml); var votecount = $(newXML).find('votecount').eq(0).text(); $('#total_pledges').val(votecount); $('.pledge_num').text(votecount);}});}//docReady$(function(){ if(webmd.cookie.exists('chpa_pldg')){$('.pledge_action').html('THANK YOU!');}else{$('.pledge_btn').show();} $('.pledge_num').text($('#total_pledges').val()); var dataSource = "/api/repository/PollService.asmx/GetPollResult?pollChronicleId=091e9c5e805b9801";var pollApi = "/api/repository/PollService.asmx/RegisterSpecifiedPollChoice?pollChronicleId=091e9c5e805b9801&pollChoiceSequenceId=1"; getPledgeCount(dataSource);$('.pledge_btn').bind('click',function(){$.ajax({type : "GET",url : pollApi,dataType: "text xml",success : function(data) {var statusCode = $(data).find('StatusCode').text();if(statusCode='1'){$('.pledge_action').html('THANK YOU!');getPledgeCount(dataSource);webmd.cookie.set('chpa_pldg', '1',{expires:365,path:'/parenting/teen-abuse-cough-medicine-9',domain:'webmd.com',secure:false});}}});return false;});}); Parent Pledge: Help Stop Cough Medicine Abuse Join the  parents who have pledged to safeguard their home medicine cabinet and talk to their teen about the dangers of
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