I’m 42 and had my first mammogram this year. At my annual exam, my gynecologist didn’t hesitate to recommend it (and scold me for not having done it sooner), because yearly mammograms for women over 40 have been the standard since at least 2002. Yesterday, the panel that created that standard, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, announced a change. It no longer recommends routine mammograms at all for women under age 50.

That announcement touched off a heated debate, and the two sides fall into line something like this:

The task force and those who support its recommendation say women in their 40s are at very low risk of breast cancer, and that their risk from unnecessary biopsies due to false-positive mammograms outweighs the early-detection benefits of the mammograms themselves.

Those opposed to the change, including the American College of Radiology, say that women in their 40s account for 25% of all breast cancer diagnoses, and that their cancers are often the aggressive type. Removing mammography as an early-detection tool, they say, would reverse the progress that has been made over the past 20 years and increase deaths from breast cancer.

I haven’t seen enough evidence to tip me firmly toward either side of the debate, but one aspect of the USPSTF guideline change does bother me. Usually a guideline is  just that, and doesn’t force your hand either way. But because insurance companies tend to cover procedures and screenings recommended by the task force – and not to cover those the task force doesn’t recommend – they could be making decisions for millions of women.

Which means that next year, my doctor and I might not be deciding whether I have a mammogram. My insurance company might already have taken care of that.

Read the Annals of Internal Medicine article with the task force recommendation …

Read the American College of Radiology statement against it …

Read an L.A. Times article about the controversy … 

Don’t forget to tune in tomorrow (Tuesday, November 17) or set your DVRs for The Doctors! In this special episode, Oscar the Grouch, Zoe, and some of their pals from Sesame Street turn up to talk with kid members of the studio audience –and kids and families at home — about “eating the rainbow,” the proper treatment of boogers, and other ways to stay healthy. I was at the taping, and can tell you it’s a great opportunity to have fun watching with your children, and learn something to boot! 

Find out more about The Doctors … 

I’ll bet you parents remember Casper. He’s still around (he turns 60 this year!), but Halloween has changed a bit since your last trick-or-treat. Here are some updated safety rules from the Friendly Ghost himself (with help from an expert or two):

See and Be Seen

If your kids’ costumes includes masks, eye patches or other headgear, make sure they can still see clearly. And deck them out with light sticks, reflective tape and flashlights (with fresh batteries), so they can see where they’re going – and oncoming traffic can see them.

No Tripping

Trim up flowing capes and skirts, and make sure shoes have low heels and fit comfortably. And remind the kids not to run.

Walk This Way

Skip the skateboards, rollerblades and bikes. They don’t mix well with crowds and costumes. Have the kids stick to well-lit sidewalks, avoid cutting across yards and alleys, and cross streets only at intersections.

Crunch and Munch

Give kids a healthy snack before trick-or-treat to curb candy binges. Check your child’s candy and toss unwrapped or suspicious items, and hard candy or gum that could choke small children. Divide treats into sensible portions, and ration them out over the next few weeks.

The best way to make sure this all happens, of course, is to chaperone your child. Pop on your witch’s hat and tag along!

Editor’s note: Following is an article by Angela Buffenn, M.D., M.P.H., director of the Orbit and Eye Movement Institute in The Vision Center at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles.

Many parents don’t realize that a child’s eyes are actually more fragile in many ways than an adult’s, because the visual system continues to develop immediately after birth, and some parts of the eye and visual system can continue to change throughout childhood. Throughout childhood, it is not uncommon for a child to suffer an infection, allergic reaction or decreased vision.

While many of these issues are routine and may not require professional medical attention, other problems can develop into more serious conditions if not treated properly. Therefore, parents should err on the side of caution and seek medical attention if their child reports a loss of vision or continued pain or irritation.

Here are eight vision health issues that could impact your child: Read Dr. Buffenn’s fact sheet …

Turn off the TV and send your kids outside to play. That’s the advice to parents from the author of a new study that found seven of every 10 kids in the U.S. have low levels of vitamin D. The study, in the Aug. 3 online edition of Pediatrics, looked at data on more than 6,000 children. Those most likely to have low levels of vitamin D were:

• Female
• Obese
• African-American or Mexican-American
• Drank milk less than once a week
• Got more than four hours per day of “screen time” (video games/TV/computer)

Because vitamin D deficiency is linked to poor bone health, higher blood pressure and lower levels of good cholesterol (HDL), experts are now advising parents to make sure kids get enough vitamin D through diet, supplements, and exposure to sunlight. Just 10 minutes per day outdoors without sunscreen is enough to give your kids the needed benefit without risking skin damage (but slap on the sunscreen after those 10 minutes!). Learn more … 

There’s still time to enter to win a nifty package of breastfeeding supplies from Medela, makers of products that support moms who make milk. Click here for details! 

With school out and the sun blazing, every kid who can is ready to hit the road – to the beach, their summer job, a friend’s pool party, or just for a drive. And data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration show that with all this extra driving comes a spike in summer accidents among young people.

So before you hand over the keys, take a moment to remind your teen about what you expect from them behind the wheel. They should wear a seat belt, leave the cell phone in their purse or backpack, follow the rules of the road, and never get into a car with someone who has been drinking or using drugs.

You should also make sure, just in case, that your teen has an “ICE” contact programmed into their cell phone. If your child is in an accident and can’t communicate, the “In Case of Emergency” contact will be there for emergency workers to call. And, of course, you need to set a good example. So park your own cell phone out of reach, curb that road rage, drive the speed you’re supposed to, and never drink and drive.

You’ll find lots of other helpful info on this topic at www.ThinkBeforeYouDrive.org, including a customizable driving contract for your teen, a road test quiz, and a “Test Dummy Defense” game to play online.