To the Editor:

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome involves a sudden, unexplained, unexpected death of a baby during the first year of life, and it’s the leading cause of death in otherwise healthy infants.

A growing body of evidence implicates tobacco use in many of those deaths — and researchers are now beginning to understand more precisely how exposure to secondhand smoke affects developing babies. Chemicals in secondhand smoke appear to affect the brain in ways that can interfere with an infants’ breathing.

Infants who die from SIDS have higher concentrations of nicotine in their lungs and higher levels of cotinine (a biological marker for secondhand smoke exposure) than infants who die from other causes.

To the Editor:

Dancers, musicians and film artists are needed for an upcoming OCCC dansical production in April.

The production will celebrate Oklahoma spirit and heritage with vignettes depicting the experiences of groups instrumental in settling Oklahoma, planting traditions, and developing an Oklahoma spirit and culture.

The vignettes will depict the experiences of vaqueros, Native Americans, sodbusters and immigrants, including pioneer women.

To the Editor:

Make plans to walk or run Saturday, Oct. 6, during the OCCC Life Saver 5K/1 mile Fun Run on the OCCC campus in an event to benefit the Nursing Student Association and Student Physical Therapist Assistant Organization.

Proceeds from the fourth annual event benefit student scholarships for the OCCC Nursing and Physical Therapy Assistant programs.

Registration for the 5K is $22 or $17 for those who present a valid OCCC student ID at packet pickup. The 1-mile run is $15 or $12 for students with a valid OCCC ID.

To the Editor:

Nationally and in Oklahoma, falls are the leading cause of both fatal and nonfatal injuries for those 65 and over. The chances of falling and being seriously injured in a fall increase with age. Every 15 seconds, an older adult is seen in an emergency department for a fall-related injury in the United States, according to the Oklahoma State Department of Health.

Studies show a combination of interventions can significantly reduce falls in the older adult population. Experts recommend a physical activity regimen with balance, strength training, and flexibility components; consulting with a health professional about getting a fall risk assessment; having medications reviewed periodically; getting eyes checked annually; and making sure the home environment is safe and supportive.

In Oklahoma, several individuals have been trained as Tai Chi instructors and teach “Tai Chi: Moving for Better Balance” classes around the state to older adults. The program has been proven to reduce the risk of falls.

Are you interested in how your county’s high school graduation rate compares to the rest of the state? How the uninsurance rate has changed over the past decade? How your county ranks among the state’s 77 counties in median personal income? Whether you have more property crime or violent crime in your area? Oklahoma Policy Institute is pleased to announce the release of two new resources.

An online database of state and county-level statistics is now available at www.okpolicy.org/county-level-data. Our new interactive data app is available for free, 24-hours a day and serves as a comprehensive hub for publicly available state and local data.

Use the database to generate, view, explore, and download statistics across a range of topics and time periods.

To the Editor:

Evidence of a resurgence of West Nile virus has state health officials warning Oklahomans to take precautions against the mosquito-borne illness.

“The first WNV case in a Pittsburgh County man and positive mosquito tests in Tulsa County are a reminder that WNV is here and precautions need to be taken to protect against the disease,” said State Epidemiologist Dr. Kristy Bradley.

Although the past three years have been relatively quiet for WNV in the state, Bradley said early indicators may signal a dramatic rise in Oklahoma cases in 2012. While only one case of WNV was reported in Oklahoma in 2011, 329 cases and 20 deaths have been reported in the state from the disease since 2002. Additionally, health authorities in Texas are reporting an increase in human cases and positive mosquito tests this year.

To the Editor:

In my time at OCCC, I have learned some fairly huge life lessons — things outside of the textbook but equally important to success.

One of those is how to treat myself, i.e. how to respect myself — my thoughts, feelings and goals — and as a result, be respected.

I’m referring to self-respect — that thing that makes you work hard even if no one else is; the thing that helps you understand that your character will grow by leaps and bounds when you turn your back on others’ bad behavior, even when that behavior is directed toward you. It’s the thing deep inside of you that no one but you can touch unless you allow it.

To the Editor:

Now is the time for incoming freshman, new or returning students to enroll in classes at OCCC. Financial aid packages are still available, and the semester is set to begin Monday, Aug. 20.

• Live and in-person: It is important for new and returning students to apply and enroll in-person for best class and schedule availability.

• Bring it all: Students should bring all transcripts with them to be admitted. While OCCC may not need all the educational records, bringing them can save time and speed the process.

To the Editor:

The State Department of Health encourages healthy and safe swimming behaviors to prevent recreational water illnesses and injuries.

RWIs are caused by germs spread by swallowing or having contact with contaminated water in swimming pools, hot tubs, water parks, play areas, fountains, lakes, rivers or oceans. They can also be spread by breathing in mists or aerosols from contaminated water. RWIs can be prevented if you:

Oklahoma’s hot summer days are on the way. Even if this summer is milder than last year, the Oklahoma City-County Health Department (OCCHD) advises everyone to take precautions to protect their health against heat related illnesses that may cause heat stroke or death.

To reduce the potential for heat-related illnesses, OCCHD offers these prevention tips:

•Drink more fluids, regardless of your activity level. Don’t wait until you’re thirsty to drink. You should drink more liquids while the weather is hot.

•Don’t drink liquids that contain alcohol or large amounts of sugar; these actually cause you to lose more body fluid. Also, avoid very cold drinks because they can cause stomach cramps.