Trying to talk about the “Amish approach” to health care is nothing if not complex. For one, with diverse churches and individual differences, you really can’t say there is a single “Amish approach”. But one thing is for sure – many Amish people, admirably, care about their health. That’s the conclusion you have to draw after observing the efforts they put forth to get, and…
Cost, comfort and other factors influence where an Amish family decides to have its babies. We’ve previously looked at Amish-friendly birthing centers and home birth as popular options. But many Amish mothers in fact do what most English families do, and welcome their new bundles of joy in conventional hospitals. This Hillsdale Daily News article was written, in part, to report on the first birth of 2015 at the Hillsdale Community…
A fitness coach with connections to the Amish has put together a list of four things the Amish do – which she says make for a healthier life. Now, sometimes “learn from the Amish” media pieces idealize the Amish – and gloss over nuance. But at the least, I think each of these ideas has a good basis. And “health” of course can have a…
I’m not an asthma sufferer, but I found this pretty fascinating. A recent study by researchers at Franklin and Marshall College suggests that something about the Amish or their lifestyle may be connected to lower rates of asthma. From the Lancaster Online article: Living on farms and coming from large families are considered protective factors against asthma, just as city dwelling is a risk factor,…
Delaware’s lone Amish community is experiencing a whooping cough outbreak, at least the third significant occurrence in the community in the last 30 years. This Delaware Online article reports that eighty percent of the four dozen cases are in children under the age of eleven. The outbreak has so far been restricted to the Amish community, located west of state capital Dover. Whooping cough is…
There have been quite a few stories involving the Amish and health-related issues lately. Let’s start with the story of a new clinic in Indiana. Community Health Clinic Following a visit to Indiana this summer I mentioned the soon-to-be-opened genetic clinic in Topeka, Indiana. A week ago was the official opening of the Community Health Clinic, though it has been seeing patients since September. Operations…
Today’s question springs from a new study on a genetic mutation which causes a form of mental retardation among some Amish people. Like other genetic research involving the Amish, this study will probably help them health-wise. It’s really the language used to describe it which may not be quite so helpful. The meaning of “inbreeding” In the article describing the work, researcher José Luis Rosa of the University…
Pennsylvania Amishman John Stoltzfus has kindly agreed to answer some reader questions about the Amish. Of course “the Amish” includes different groups with different practices. With that in mind, John writes that “my views will not be the only view from our people, because of the vast geographic area of our communities, and because each community or settlement has its own Ordnung. I will try…
“These children are seen as important to the culture and the community. That they, through your efforts to help these children, that they teach you things that are helpful in other ways. And that that engenders within the community a sense of responsibility for everybody to take care of those who are disadvantaged.” That’s Dr. Holmes Morton discussing the role of ill and disabled children in…
Back from vacation – and thank you for all the nice wishes. It was a (mostly) restful week spent at the ocean with family, with no sunburns, and a little extra sleep, so I guess I’m coming out ahead here. After a week off there’s a lot out there to comment on. This might not be the most important news in Amish America, but over…