Citing the American Dental Association, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and other experts, Fineberg showed the New Hampshire committee that fluoridation is not only perfectly safe, but proven to help prevent tooth decay in youth. By reaching children through the drinking water, fluoridation helps families of all incomes and without requiring them to change their lifestyles. Read Fineberg’s testimony online, and check out our iLikeMyTeeth.org fluoridation project to learn more.

A new program at East of the River Lactation Center in Washington, D.C., hopes to address this racial gap and encourage the healthful choice of breastfeeding. Local programs directly helping to educate about breastfeeding, together with federal efforts to promote nursing through the Women, Infants and Children program are helping more children grow up healthy and strong. Read more about the Center and the issue of breastfeeding in today’s Washington Post.

In a blog post on Wednesday, we examined the impact of one of the better know parts of the health care reform law, which has enabled 2.5 million young adults to be included on their parents’ insurance plans. Today we’re turning our attention to a more obscure part of the law, which has created an insurance option for people who have pre-existing conditions that insurance companies typically won’t cover.

The value of the law’s implementation of a Pre-existing Condition Insurance Plan (PCIP) has garnered more attention over the past week – thanks to an op-ed column by a California woman, Spike Dolomite Ward. In her December 6 column in the LA Times, titled “Obamacare to the rescue,” Ms. Ward describes her experience after she recently found out she has breast cancer. Ward had been uninsured, but thanks to reforms to the healthcare system she was able to find coverage through a PCIP program in her state.

The Affordable Care Act, passed in March 2010, divides $5 billion among the states for creating or expanding PCIP programs. Thus far, 27 states have created or expanded programs on their own, and 23 have opted to have the federal government take the lead in operating a new program to serve people with pre-existing conditions.

Wisconsin was among the states that already had a similar program, called the Health Insurance Risk Sharing Plan (HIRSP), which has since been expanded to meet the new requirements for PCIP. In Wisconsin, the number of people currently enrolled in the expanded program is relatively small – which is true as well in most other states – but the lifesaving value that it offers to enrollees is huge. This expanded version of HIRSP – formally called HIRSP Federal – currently covers 998 Wisconsin residents, who have gained access to critical and perhaps lifesaving coverage.

Although the number of people enrolled is small, the gift it has provided is huge. Without this option, the battle for coverage by people who are branded with a pre-existing condition has been an insurmountable ordeal for far too many Americans. We are thankful that this provision can offer critically needed health care and peace of mind for the woman in California – and for many Wisconsinites facing similar circumstances.

Our main goal at launch is to  provide reliable, scientific information about oral health and fluoridation, a strategy shown to prevent tooth decay. Learn more at our new site I Like My Teeth or read our press release.

Around 7 million Americans caught H1N1 from their co-workers, according to Family Values @ Work. Watch the video and learn more about how paid sick days can make everyone healthier.

Far from a government takeover of health insurance, the exchanges are actually providing small businesses some, according to the report. But Lincoln Nehring, senior health policy analyst for Voices for Utah Children, says regulations can go further to protect children and help them access care. Learn more in the PBS Newshour video.

But as the group warns, Medicaid’s birthday comes at a time when the whole program could be in danger. Some in Congress want to gut the program to pay down the deficit, and up to 18 million children could lose health care access under one such plan. You can help! Use our Facebook app to tell Congress to protect children in the budget negotiations.

One of every three Washington state children would face more problems finding a specialist or primary-care physician, warn Ingrid McDonald and Paola Maranan. If you’re concerned about kids losing care through budget cuts, you can help! Check out our new Facebook app that lets you tell Congress to continue protecting children.

You can tell the FTC to support voluntary standards for advertising food to children using their form. Today is a key day for these guidelines, and the FTC is listening for your comments. Why don’t you go help support healthier environments for children?