Your Health
Expect crying
"What to Expect When You're Expecting" was your bible during pregnancy, and "What to Expect the First Year" got you through colic, 2 a.m. feedings and baby's first tooth.
Author Heidi Murkoff has plenty of parenting cred, so it's no surprise GlaxoSmithKline tapped her to write the "What to Expect Guide to Immunizations," a free booklet available at many pediatricians' offices and online at www.whattoexpect.org.
The guide provides information about vaccine-preventable diseases and the vaccines and schedules recommended by the CDC, American Academy of Pediatrics and American Academy of Family Physicians. It includes a vaccine chart and planner to help you keep track of your child's immunizations, tips on how to minimize your little one's vaccination fears and answers to parents' frequently asked questions.
Money to produce the guide came from the drug company, but Murkoff donated her time and services.
"No parent likes to see a needle headed his or her child's way," she said. "But having your child vaccinated is by far one of the best ways to help keep them (and other children and adults in the community) healthy. It is because of vaccinations that some childhood diseases are only a distant medical memory in this country."
Run with the crowd
More than 1 million runners in 25 cities - including Chicago - are expected to participate in the world's largest one-day running event on Aug. 31. The Nike+ Human Race benefits the Lance Armstrong Foundation, WWF and the UN refugee agency's ninemillion.org campaign.
The race begins at 6:30 p.m. in Soldier Field with a post-race concert by Fall Out Boy (but you've got to sign up for the event if you want to attend the concert).
Visit www.nikeplus.com to register, to create a personal training profile and to use the online pledge tool to raise money for the cause from family and friends.
Volunteers needed
The Alexian Brothers Neurosciences Institute is seeking volunteers age 50 to 88 with a diagnosis of mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease to participate in an international study of an investigational drug.
"Our goal is to explore if this investigational drug can help control the progression of Alzheimer's," said Dr. Concetta Forchetti, director of the Memory Disorders Center at the Elk Grove Village hospital. "Most current therapies of Alzheimer's treat the symptoms associated with it and not the disease itself."
Participants must have a caregiver who is willing to be involved in the study. For details, call (888) 818-MEMORY or visit www.ICARAstudy.com.