Study Links Higher Fluoride Exposure In Pregnancy To Kids’ Behavior Issues
Also in the news: More seniors are making ER visits as legalized weed is approved in more places; a major study found that weed use by minors was lower in states where the drug was legal; paralysis treatment from a novel spinal cord stimulator; and more.
Neuroscience News:
Fluoride Exposure During Pregnancy Linked To Behavior Problems In Kids
A new study finds that higher fluoride levels in pregnant women are associated with increased odds of their children experiencing neurobehavioral problems at age 3. (5/20)
On marijuana and cannabis —
The New York Times:
Legalized Weed Is Landing More Seniors In The E.R.
As more places legalize marijuana, policymakers and health officials have worried about the health risks that the drug may pose to adolescents. But a new study suggests that an additional demographic is at risk: seniors. The study, published Monday in JAMA Internal Medicine, found that after Canada legalized marijuana, the number of emergency room visits for cannabis poisoning rose sharply among people ages 65 and older. Poisonings doubled after Canada legalized sale of the cannabis flower, and then tripled just 15 months later, when Canada legalized the sale of edibles. (Richtel, 5/20)
The New York Times:
Does Legalizing Cannabis Increase Adolescent Use? This Expert Found Mixed Results.
Contrary to expectation, a major study found that weed use among minors was lower in states where the drug was legal. (Richtel, 5/20)
In other health and wellness news —
Stat:
Study Finds Gene Variants Tied To Breast Cancer Risk In Black Women
Hundreds of genetic variants can nudge someone’s risk of breast cancer up or down or towards a particular subtype. The studies identifying those gene variants, though, have largely involved people with European ancestry and thus give a less accurate picture of breast cancer risk for people who are not white. (Chen, 5/21)
Stat:
Novel Spinal Cord Stimulator Treats Paralysis Without Surgery
After his spinal cord injury in 2014, Sherown Campbell worked hard to regain as much bodily function as he could. Once a dedicated athlete, Campbell had to learn the new limits of his body. One of them, jarringly, was his body’s inability to sweat. (Lawrence and Broderick, 5/20)
CBS News:
Why Do Men Have A Higher Risk Of Type 2 Diabetes Than Women?
Men are at higher risk of Type 2 diabetes, and a new study says it may boil down to hormonal differences. In general, men tend to develop Type 2 diabetes at a lower BMI than women and at younger ages. They also are more likely to develop complications from both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes, such as heart disease, poor circulation in the legs, kidney failure, and vision impairment. (Marshall, 5/20)
Los Angeles Times:
Britain Slammed In Inquiry Into Tainted Blood Infections
British authorities and the country’s public health service knowingly exposed tens of thousands of patients to deadly infections through contaminated blood and blood products, and hid the truth about the disaster for decades, an inquiry into the U.K.’s infected blood scandal found Monday. An estimated 3,000 people in the United Kingdom are believed to have died and many others were left with lifelong illnesses after receiving blood or blood products tainted with HIV or hepatitis in the 1970s to the early 1990s. (Hui, 5/20)
