Ban On Sale Of Baby Crib Bumpers Advances

The 19th: Senate Approves Bill To Ban The Sale Of Baby Crib Bumpers
The U.S. Senate on Wednesday approved a bipartisan measure to ban the sale of crib bumpers, which have been linked to dozens of deaths of infants and more than 100 serious injuries since 1985. “Parents will have one less thing to worry about” when it becomes law, Sen. Tammy Duckworth of Illinois said. The House of Representatives approved a related bill last year but will need to vote on the Senate’s Safe Cribs Act before it can head to President Joe Biden’s desk. “Crib bumper pads are an unnecessary deadly risk for sleeping infants, and so this would basically ban their sale,” Duckworth told The 19th in an interview ahead of the vote. (Becker, 3/24)

The Union Democrat: Ask The Pediatrician: Which Baby Sleep Products Should Be Avoided? 
Q: The number of baby sleep items on the market is overwhelming. What should I avoid? A: Having a baby is an incredibly exciting time and there are lots of fun baby items to buy. It's important to know, however, that some popular products are unnecessary and can actually be dangerous for infants. Examples include inclined sleepers, positioners, and crib bumpers. (DiMaggio, 3/21)

In other public health news —

Press Association: Artificial Sweeteners Linked To Breast And Obesity Cancers In New Study
Some artificial sweeteners may not be a good alternative to sugar and could push up the risk of cancer, scientists have suggested. Experts from the French National Institute for Health and Medical Research, and Sorbonne Paris Nord University, analysed data and suggested a potential increased risk for breast cancer and obesity-related cancers. Previous large-scale studies on humans have found no such association and UK experts said no causal link had been found. If true, the finding would relate to about three more cancer cases per 10,000 people over eight years, according to one analysis of the findings. (Kirby, 3/24)

Fox News: Drinking 2-3 Cups Of Coffee Daily Could Benefit The Heart, Studies Say
Drinking two or three cups of coffee every day may benefit the heart, according to studies being presented at the American College of Cardiology's 71st Annual Scientific Session. The American College of Cardiology said Thursday that consumption of the caffeinated beverage is associated with a lower risk of heart disease and dangerous heart rhythms, as well as a longer lifespan. The trends also remained true for those with and without cardiovascular disease, with researchers saying the analyses assure that coffee is not linked to new or worsening heart disease. (Musto, 3/24)

St. Louis Public Radio: Permanent Daylight Saving Time Won’t Work, Erik Herzog Says 
The U.S. Senate passed a bill last week that would make daylight saving time permanent. If it gains full congressional approval, the change would take place in fall 2023 and would keep evenings lighter year-round, eliminating the seasonal adjustments of springing forward and falling back to move in and out of standard time. Many rejoiced. Others pointed out that a two-year shift to daylight saving time was attempted in the 1970s but quickly repealed. The scientific consensus is that standard time — which most of the nation currently observes from November through March — is actually better for our health and circadian rhythms. Erik Herzog, a professor of biology and neuroscience at Washington University, told St. Louis on the Air that the effects of switching to daylight saving time are both immediate and long-lasting. (Mather-Glass, 3/24)

In mental health news —

NPR: Former TikTok Moderators Sue Over Emotional Toll Of 'Extremely Disturbing' Videos
When Ashley Velez accepted a job last year reviewing videos for TikTok, "we were told we would be the front line of defense from protecting children from seeing violence," she said. But the Las Vegas mother of two boys, ages 8 and 17, said she was stunned when she discovered what the position entailed. "We would see death and graphic, graphic pornography. I would see nude underage children every day," Velez said in an interview. "I would see people get shot in the face, and another video of a kid getting beaten made me cry for two hours straight." (Allyn, 3/24)

Dallas Morning News: For Many Dallas Teens, Reacting Without Thinking Can Be Deadly. A New Effort Within DISD Can Help
We all occasionally fly off the handle without thinking first. Thankfully, the consequences are usually trivial. But sometimes those consequences are fatal. That’s the hard reality behind, for instance, evidence-based training that teaches police officers to de-escalate volatile situations before resorting to lethal force. Likewise, it’s the same strategy underpinning a new mayor’s task force initiative for teenagers in some of Dallas’ most violent neighborhoods. It might sound naive but it’s not: Finding simple ways to cool tempers and slow down emotions can save lives. Too many anguished voices have testified in too many courtrooms, “It just happened so fast” or “I wish I could do it over.” (Grigsby, 3/23)

Stat: Dr. Glaucomflecken, The Internet’s Funniest Doctor, Is In On The Joke
Will Flanary’s days are spent conducting eye exams and cataract surgeries at a private practice outside Portland, Ore. The evenings are for family, and a standing commitment to make dinner for his wife and two daughters. That leaves nights and weekends for the ring light, the iPhone, and Flanary’s alter ego, an internet celebrity known as Dr. Glaucomflecken. Flanary, 36, has about 2.5 million subscribers across TikTok, YouTube, and Twitter, where his pointed satire of medicine’s many absurdities has ballooned into a cast of characters and a cottage industry. Flanary’s escalating popularity is all the more notable because his jokes, delivered in short skits, plumb the inane depths of American health care. The specificity is by design, Flanary said, giving his peers something to relate to and a growing audience of outsiders something to laugh at. (Garde, 3/25)