On January 13, the Ochsner Baptist Women’s Pavilion officially opened the Perkin Alternative Birthing Center (ABC). The center is the only one of its kind in the region, offering holistic birthing in a hospital-based environment. Use of certified nurse-midwives, birthing tubs and comfortable beds allow for new mothers to be able to have a homelike environment for a natural birth experience. The nationally ranked hospital has many amenities for the new mothers, including 24-hour room service, manicures and massages, and a lot of space for the new mothers and their family and friends to visit.
The Louisiana Deafblind Project at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center (LSUHSC) is providing services statewide to young people up to 21 years old who have a combined hearing and vision loss. The combined sensory loss at a young age can lead to many disadvantages that can affect behavior, learning, future employment and more. The program offers the children and their families technical assistance, training and referrals to service providers, as well as a family training program called SPARKLE. Services are free and provided in daycare centers, schools, or any other place that a child affected by deafblindness is receiving services.
U.S. News and World Report recently released its Best Diets 2014 list, and the one ranked best overall is not very well known. The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) developed the DASH diet, which stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. DASH was ranked best overall for being inexpensive and easy to follow. The diet, which is detailed in a 64-page book on the NHLBI’s website (nhlbi.nih.gov), is a heart-healthy diet focused on eating whole grains and vegetables, lean poultry and fish; and cutting back on salt and high-fat dairy and eliminating sugar. Find the entire Best Diets list at health.usnews.com/best-diet.