Texas Has Worst Maternal Mortality Rate; Births Among Over-30s Slip

Houston Chronicle: Maternal Mortality Rate In Texas Is Highest In U.S., Report Says
In Texas, rates went from 10.3 deaths per 100,000 live births in 1999 to 21.9 deaths in 2019, according to a report by news website Axios. The study looked at pregnant individuals between the ages of 10 to 54 years old. (Holmes-Brown, 7/21)

The Boston Globe: Births Among Those 30 And Older Declines For First Time In Decade
The number of people 30 and older who gave birth decreased for the first time in 10 years during 2020, according to new data published by the Department of Public Health. The drop of 1.8 percent in that age group comes as overall births in Massachusetts in 2020 — 66,442 ― declined by 3.9 percent. The peak of births in the state came in 1990 with 92,461, according to DPH’s 2020 birth data annual report. (Kuznitz, 7/21)

On gun violence and deaths —

ABC News: US Surpasses 400 Mass Shootings So Far In 2023: National Gun Violence Website 
A shooting that erupted in a Houston park over the weekend that left a pregnant woman dead and four other people injured marked the 400th mass shooting in the United States in 2023, according to a national website that tracks firearm deaths and injuries. The Houston incident was among six mass shootings that occurred on Saturday and early Sunday in cities across the nation, according to the Gun Violence Archive, which defines a mass shooting as a single event with four or more victims either injured or killed. (Hutchinson, 7/23)

AP: New Report Points To Homicide Rate Declines In US Cities After Pandemic-Era Spike
Homicides are declining in a cross-section of American cities, though their numbers remain higher than before the coronavirus pandemic took hold, according to a new report analyzing data from 30 U.S. cities. Homicides on average dropped 9.4% during the first half of 2023 as compared to the same period last year, the nonpartisan Council on Criminal Justice found in a report released this week. (Whitehurst, 7/21)

The Washington Post: Children Were Safer Around Guns After Watching A 1-Minute Video
Could a short video save lives? That’s the implication of a new analysis published in JAMA Pediatrics, which observed children’s behaviors after they watched a brief gun-safety video. In the study, researchers at Ohio State University investigated whether safety videos could decrease children’s unsafe behaviors around guns — a timely topic given that firearms are the leading cause of death among U.S. children ages 1 through 17. They had 226 8-to-12-year-olds watch either a randomly assigned, minute-long gun-safety or car-safety video at home. (Blakemore, 7/23)

On worrisome social media trends —

The Wall Street Journal: Schools Sue Social-Media Platforms Over Alleged Harms To Students
Plaintiffs’ lawyers are pitching school boards throughout the country to file lawsuits against social-media companies on allegations that their apps cause classroom disciplinary problems and mental-health issues, diverting resources from education. (Randazzo and Tracy, 7/23)

Fox News: ‘Girl Dinners’ Social Media Trend Sparks Concern Among Experts: ‘Unhealthy Obsession’
"Girl dinners," a TikTok trend sweeping social media this summer, might sound like a fun night out with friends — but it’s actually a potentially dangerous food practice that’s sparking concern among doctors and nutritionists. Using the hashtag #GirlDinners, some Gen Z women are sharing photos of what they’re having for dinner, with many of the "meals" coming up drastically short in terms of calorie count or nutritional benefit. (Rudy, 7/23)

NBC News: Drinking Borax Is Latest TikTok Trend Medical Experts Are Debunking
At least twice a month, Dr. Kelly Johnson-Arbor finds herself debunking a viral social media trend that could jeopardize people’s health. This week it's borax. The powdery substance is found in laundry detergent and sold on its own as a cleaning product. Boric acid, a different formulation of the same compound — boron — is also used to kill ants and cockroaches. (Bendix and Yang, 7/22)

In other public health news —

CBS News: Public Health Alert Issued For Never Any! Ready-To-Eat Ham And Cheese Lunch Kits
A public health alert has been issued for ready-to-eat ham and cheese lunch kits because the chocolate chip cookies inside the kit might contain peanut. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Services issued this alert to ensure customers with peanut allergies know not to eat this product. (Powers, 7/21)

San Francisco Chronicle: Bay Area Tick And Lyme Disease Risk: Did Rainy Winter Make It Worse?
“In terms of rain, the data aren’t really telling us a clear picture yet,” said Andrea Swei, an associate professor at San Francisco State University’s biology department who studies tick-borne illnesses including Lyme disease. “The takeaway is it’s likely affecting the ticks, but in what way we’re still trying to figure out.” Because ticks have a three-year life cycle, it may take a while for the effects of environmental changes in one year, like last winter’s rains, to play out, Swei said. (Ho, 7/22)

CNN: What You Need To Know About Ticks
Maybe you spotted one crawling up your leg after a hike through tall grass or felt one on your dog’s back as you ran your hand through its fur. If you’re unlucky, maybe you found one already burrowing into your skin, engorged with your blood. Ticks are parasitic bloodsuckers, capable of spreading deadly disease, and they’re becoming increasingly common. Here’s what you need to know about them. (Golembiewski, 7/22)

USA Today: Doctors Amputated A Texas Man's Arms And Feet After He Was Bitten By A Flea
A single flea bite has caused a Texas man to lose several limbs over the past month. There are more than 2,500 different flea species found around the world, but only four are known to severely affect your health, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Of those 2,500 flea species, only about 300 are found in the U.S. (Encinas, 7/21)

The Boston Globe: West Nile Virus Detected In Boston For First Time This Summer
The West Nile virus was detected in a mosquito pool in South Boston, the first time this summer the mosquito-borne illness has been found in the city, according to the Boston Public Health Commission. The commission said there are no confirmed cases of West Nile virus in Boston and the “risk of transmission remains low.” Mosquitoes transfer the virus to humans through bites. (Ellement, 7/21)

AP: Drinking Water In South Dakota's 3rd Largest City Has An Increased Risk Of Disease, Officials Say
Officials in South Dakota’s third most populous city, Aberdeen, are warning residents that their drinking water contains an elevated risk of disease. The Aberdeen Water Works Treatment Plant experienced mechanical malfunctions in two filters used to clean water and make it drinkable for residents, resulting in “an increased chance of disease-causing organisms in the drinking water,” according to a public notice from the city, The Argus Leader reported Thursday. (7/21)

AP: Cupkin Children's Cups Sold On Amazon Recalled Over Newly-Detected Lead Levels
More than 345,000 children’s cups are being recalled due to lead levels that exceed the federal content ban, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said Thursday. Soojimus is recalling 8-ounce and 12-ounce models of its Cupkin Double-Walled Stainless Steel Children’s Cups — sold in various colors on Amazon and the Cupkin website from 2018 through earlier this year. (7/21)

Obituaries —

The New York Times: Cheri Pies, Author Of “Considering Parenthood,” Dies At 73
Cheri Pies, a professor of public health who broke barriers with her landmark 1985 book, “Considering Parenthood: A Workbook for Lesbians,” a bible of the “gayby boom” of the 1980s and beyond, died on July 4 at her home in Berkeley, Calif. She was 73. The cause was cancer, said her wife, Melina Linder. Later in life, Dr. Pies (her first name was pronounced “Sherry”) became a pioneering researcher and professor at the University of California, Berkeley School of Public Health, investigating the effects of economic and racial inequality in matters like infant mortality and health over generations. (Williams, 7/23)