Ultrasound breast checks and child car seats

April 12, 2012 (WPVI) -- The gold standard for screening for breast cancer is the mammogram.

But for women with dense tissue, including a lot of younger women, tumors may not always show up.

In fact I found one study in the New England Journal of Medicine that says as many as 35% of breast cancers in women with dense breasts go undetected by mammograms.

So, many times these women will also get other tests, and now there is a new one on the horizon.

A government panel has given preliminary approval to the 'Automated Breast Ultrasound.' It is intended for women with dense breast tissue, to be used along with mammograms.

The ultrasound produces a detailed 3-D image.

Right now, doctors use a handheld ultrasound, but that takes a lot of time, and its accuracy can be spotty. The new device doesn't have those problems. Still, we have to wait for the full FDA to take a vote on the device this summer.

CAR SEAT SAFETY

Another survey is out showing that many child safety seats are not being installed correctly. But it is not always the parents' fault, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

The safety group says many cars have seat buckles and other hardware that blocks the child restraint anchors.

They asked 36 volunteers to test 4 car seats, and they only got it right just about 10 percent of the time.

The Institute is again calling on the auto industry to make more parent-friendly cars and SUVs.

I know it is not an easy thing to put in those seats. I've seen my own family struggle with it many times. So if you want to get yours checked, follow this link.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration will guide you to a testing site close to your home.

Get more HealthCheck »

breast cancer, children, automobiles, healthcheck, ali gorman, r.n.

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