Autism Rates Climb Again
The newest CDC data show that 1 in 31 children — specifically 8-year-olds — were on the autism spectrum in 2022. That's up from 1 in 36 in 2020. In other public health news: Paper receipts from major U.S. retailers have high levels of toxic chemicals.
The New York Times:
Autism Rate Continues To Rise Among Children, C.D.C. Reports
The percentage of American children estimated to have autism spectrum disorder increased in 2022, continuing a long-running trend, according to data released on Tuesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Among 8-year-olds, one in 31 were found to have autism in 2022, compared with 1 in 36 in 2020. That rate is nearly five times as high as the figure in 2000, when the agency first began collecting data. (Ghorayshi, 4/15)
In other public health news —
The Hill:
High Levels Of Toxic Chemicals Found In Paper Receipts
New research has found that paper receipts from major retailers in the United States have a high level of bisphenol S, which has been linked to cancer and reproductive problems. Some receipts reportedly have such a high level of bisphenol S that holding one for 10 seconds can cause the skin to absorb the toxic chemical and violate California’s safety threshold. (Perkins, 4/15)
ProPublica:
Glenmark Recalls 24 U.S. Drugs Made At A Troubled Indian Factory
Glenmark Pharmaceuticals has recalled two dozen generic medicines sold to American patients because the Indian factory that made them failed to comply with U.S. manufacturing standards and the Food and Drug Administration determined that the faulty drugs could harm people, federal records show. In February, the FDA found problems with cleaning and testing at the plant in Madhya Pradesh, India, which was the subject of a ProPublica investigation last year. (Callahan, 4/16)
AP:
FDA OKs Trial Of Pig Livers As Dialysis-Like Treatment For Liver Failure
U.S. researchers will soon test whether livers from a gene-edited pig could treat people with sudden liver failure — by temporarily filtering their blood so their own organ can rest and maybe heal. The first-of-its-kind clinical trial has been cleared by the Food and Drug Administration, according to pig producer eGenesis, which announced the step Tuesday with its partner OrganOx. (Neergaard, 4/15)
MedPage Today:
Best Time Of Day For Asthma Inhaler?
For mild to moderate asthma, mid-afternoon dosing of inhaled beclomethasone suppressed nocturnal lung function worsening compared with other dosing strategies, a small open-label trial showed. ... An afternoon dose also yielded significantly better overnight (10 p.m. to 4 a.m.) suppression in blood eosinophil counts as a marker of airway inflammation compared with the other two groups, although overall asthma control remained comparable across chronotherapy groups. (Phend, 4/15)
