Beyond Water And Paint: Lead Poisoning From Spices And Powders Poses Unique Risk To Immigrant Families
For example, some products containing lead, such as kajal, have been banned by the Food and Drug Administration but can still be purchased at specialty grocery stores. In other public health news: vaccines, boxing, climate change and exercise.
The Washington Post:
Lead Poisoning In Immigrant Families: How Ethnic Spices And Products Can Poison American Children
The homemade powder, called kumkum, that Venkat Rachakulla and Lakshmi Ginnela applied on their daughter’s forehead was meant to enhance her intuition. The yellow turmeric, which the couple bought from a local Indian grocer and sprinkled regularly into her food, was supposed to keep her healthy. And the tiny gold bangles were a gift from the baby’s grandparents in Hyderabad, India — a way for them to send good fortune. These items were meant to keep 1-year-old Vaishnavi safe. (Tan, 8/6)
Stat:
Sabin Institute Gets Rights To Develop Vaccines For Ebola, Marburg Viruses
The nonprofit Sabin Vaccine Institute is taking over development of vaccines to protect against two species of Ebola and a related virus, Marburg, acquiring the rights from GSK, the two entities announced Tuesday. The transfer of the rights for the vaccines will put back into development a vaccine that GSK had shelved after the West African Ebola outbreak of 2014-2016. No money is changing hands; GSK is giving the rights to the institute. (Branswell, 8/6)
The New York Times:
After Two Deaths Days Apart, Boxing Examines Its Risks
Pat English, a lawyer with long and influential ties to boxing, was delivering a history lesson on various federal guidelines for the sport when he flashed a black-and-white photograph of a young fighter. The boxer’s name was Stephan Johnson, a junior middleweight who had fought three times (and most likely sustained at least one brain injury) in the seven months leading up to his United States Boxing Association title fight against Paul Vaden in November 1999. (Cacciola, 8/7)
The Wall Street Journal:
Medical Schools Are Pushed To Train Doctors For Climate Change
More doctors, health organizations and students are pushing for medical education to include climate change, saying that physicians and other health-care workers need to prepare for the risks associated with rising global temperatures. The movement, recently backed by the American Medical Association, is showing emerging signs of impact. At the University of Minnesota, medical, nursing and pharmacy schools, among others, have added content or tweaked existing classes to incorporate climate-related topics. (Abbott, 8/7)
The New York Times:
Exercise During Pregnancy May Have Lasting Benefits For Babies
Newborns whose mothers exercise during pregnancy may become physically coordinated a little earlier than other babies, according to a captivating new study of gestation, jogging and the varying ability of tiny infants to make a fist. The study’s findings add to growing evidence that physical activity during pregnancy can strengthen not just the mother but also her unborn children and might influence how well and willingly those children later move on their own. (Reynolds, 8/7)
