Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Bill Would Force Hospitals To Disclose Minimal Gestational Age They Treat
The Wall Street Journal: Exclusive | Bill Would Force Hospitals To Warn If They Aren’t Equipped To Save Premature Babies
Hospitals would be required to disclose how they make key decisions regarding extremely premature infants in a bill set to be introduced Thursday by Sen. Tom Cotton (R., Ark.). The legislation is in part prompted by a Wall Street Journal investigation last year that found mothers had been told no lifesaving measures were possible for their extremely premature infants, even though other hospitals nearby offered care for infants born at similar gestational ages. (Essley Whyte, 7/23)
Iowa Public Radio: An Iowa Baby Born Premature At 21 Weeks Is Now A World Record Holder
A baby born at a University of Iowa Health Care hospital in Iowa City has been named the Guinness World Records titleholder for most premature baby. Nash Keen is now 1 year old and doing better than anyone expected after facing what experts had previously called impossible odds. (Kelley, 7/23)
CIDRAP: Birth Complications Linked To Common STIs In Pregnancy
Earlier this week in The Lancet Regional Health - Western Pacific, Australian researchers identified a link between common sexually transmitted infections (STIs) during pregnancy and a higher risk of significant birth complications such as preterm birth, stillbirth, and babies born small for gestational age. (Soucheray, 7/23)
AP: US Fertility Drops To New Low In 2024, CDC Data Shows
The fertility rate in the U.S. dropped to an all-time low in 2024 with less than 1.6 kids per woman, new federal data released Thursday shows. The U.S. was once among only a few developed countries with a rate that ensured each generation had enough children to replace itself — about 2.1 kids per woman. But it has been sliding in America for close to two decades as more women are waiting longer to have children or never taking that step at all. The new statistic is on par with fertility rates in western European countries, according to World Bank data. (Stobbe, 7/24)
In news about abortion and Planned Parenthood —
AP: Nevada Parental Notification Abortion Law In Effect; Planned Parenthood Lawsuit Seeks Halt
A 40-year-old Nevada law requiring minors having an abortion to first notify their parents or guardians is now in effect for the first time, after a federal district court judge lifted an administrative block Tuesday afternoon. The one-page order from District Court Judge Anne Traum came after a federal appellate judge earlier this week opted not to temporarily pause implementation of the never-enforced 1985 law while the federal appeal proceeds. In anticipation of the law going into effect, Planned Parenthood Mar Monte filed a new lawsuit in state court Monday seeking to halt its implementation. (Mueller and Vong, 7/23)
St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Missouri AG Accuses Planned Parenthood Of Misleading Women About Safety Of Abortion Pills
Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey has filed a lawsuit against the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, accusing the organization of misleading women about the safety of medication abortions. (Munz, 7/23)
Politico: Florida Democratic Governor Primary Shaken Up By Abortion Fight
David Jolly is the only major Democrat running for Florida governor next year. But he’s still facing attacks and scrutiny about his Republican past over a key issue threatening party unity: abortion rights. The former GOP representative and MSNBC political contributor has faced backlash in recent weeks from Anna Hochkammer, executive director of the Florida Women’s Freedom Coalition political committee. The criticisms have incensed his supporters, who’ve rushed to defend him publicly. (Leonard and Sarkissian, 7/23)
North Carolina Health News and WFAE: Delays, Confusion, Adaptation Mark First Two Years Of NC’s Stricter Abortion Law
In the past two years, North Carolina’s stricter abortion law has changed the way Jamila Wade treats a small portion of pregnant patients she sees in the emergency room. They’re clearly losing their pregnancies, but the pregnant patient’s vital signs are still stable. (Worf, 7/24)
Chicago Tribune: Planned Parenthood Of Illinois Names New CEO
Planned Parenthood of Illinois has named a new leader — a change that comes as the organization faces a barrage of threats, including a yearlong loss of federal Medicaid dollars. (Schencker and Lourgos, 7/23)
