Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Births Decline Across US And Nation Gets Older, On Average
Stateline: Births Decline In Most States, Continuing A Long-Term Trend
Fast-growing Texas and Florida had the biggest increases in the number of births last year, while a dozen other states — half of them in the South — continued to rebound from pandemic lows. In the United States as a whole, however, the number of births has plateaued after a modest increase following the worst of the pandemic, according to preliminary data from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (Henderson, 5/25)
AP: Aging America: Baby Boomers Push Nation's Median Age Higher As Fewer Children Are Born
The United States grew older, faster, last decade. The share of residents 65 or older grew by more than a third from 2010 to 2020 and at the fastest rate of any decade in 130 years, while the share of children declined, according to new figures from the most recent census. The declining percentage of children under age 5 was particularly noteworthy in the figures from the 2020 head count released Thursday. Combined, the trends mean the median age in the U.S. jumped from 37.2 to 38.8 over the decade. (Schneider, 5/25)
In research on SIDS and memory loss —
NBC News: Clues Emerge About Possible Factors Behind Sudden Infant Death Syndrome
The prevailing theory points to three possible factors: First, the infant is at a critical stage of development during the first year of life. Second, the baby is exposed to a stressor, such as sleeping face down, which can lower the amount of oxygen in their blood while raising the level of carbon dioxide. And third, the infant has an underlying abnormality that makes it harder to survive that traumatic event. A study published Thursday in the Journal of Neuropathology & Experimental Neurology points to one such abnormality. (Bendix, 5/25)
NBC News: Brain Memory: Multivitamin Protects Aging Brain, Science Suggests
Multivitamin supplements may help slow the normal forgetfulness that comes with aging, researchers reported Wednesday. The analysis of data from more than 3,500 older participants showed that those who took a daily Centrum Silver pill over a period of three years had better memories than those who received a placebo treatment, according to the report published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. (Carroll, 5/24)
