Carcinogens, Lead Found In Synthetic Hair Popular Among Black Women

NBC News: Synthetic Hair Marketed To Black Women Contains Carcinogens And Lead, Report Finds
Ingredients that can cause cancer were found in 10 synthetic hair products used in braids, extensions and other hairstyles popular with Black women, including artificial hair from popular brands such as Magic Fingers, Sensationnel and Shake-N-Go, according to a Consumer Reports study published Thursday. Lead, which can cause serious health and developmental problems, was also found in nine of the 10 packs of synthetic hair surveyed, including one package of braiding hair that exceeded the maximum allowed dose of lead by more than 600%, according to the study. (Schwanemann, 3/3)

St. Louis Public Radio: Black Pediatric Patients Have Barriers To Care, Study Shows
Black pediatric patients believed to have neurological conditions are falling through the cracks. Half of Black pediatric patients completed the necessary genetic tests for diagnosis and treatment. That puts them well behind white pediatric patients at 75%. This is just one disparity highlighted in a new study from Washington University’s School of Medicine. WashU Medicine neurology professor Dr. Christina Gurnett said these tests are necessary to unlock treatment options. (Lewis-Thompson, 3/4)

Axios: High Maternity Costs Hit Black And Hispanic Patients Hardest: Study
Black and Hispanic people paid more in out-of-pocket costs for maternal care than Asian and white people with the same commercial insurance, a new study published in JAMA Health Forum found. Black mothers in the U.S. face a pregnancy-related death rate that is more than three times the rate for white mothers. About 80% of these deaths are preventable. The maternal mortality rate for Hispanic women is similar to that of white mothers but has surged in recent years. (Goldman, 3/3)

Modern Healthcare: What UnitedHealth, Cigna, And Humana Say, Or Don’t, About DEI
The largest health insurers, including UnitedHealth Group, CVS Health, Cigna, Humana and Elevance Health, are expressing less interest in diversity, equity and inclusion strategies, and more worry about bad publicity and the Trump administration, based on what they've tucked into their 2024 annual reports. Each year, publicly traded companies file the reports for investors with the Securities and Exchange Commission, filling the pages with dense details on finances, operations, leadership and risks. (Berryman, 3/3)

In other public health news —

Bloomberg: Snack Makers Are Removing Fake Colors From Processed Foods
If a potato chip isn’t bright red, will people know it’s spicy? This type of question kicked off a yearlong effort by PepsiCo Inc.’s marketing innovation, research and development, and consumer insights teams to invent a new kind of seasoning. The result will hit grocery store shelves in North America on March 3: Simply Ruffles Hot & Spicy. The chips are not flaming red. They’re orangish and speckled with spices, but placed next to the famous Ruffles Flamin’ Hots, these chips are basically beige. (Shanker, 3/3)

Bloomberg: China, India And US Driving Global Obesity Surge, New Research Shows
China, India and the US will have the world’s largest populations of adults living with overweight and obesity by 2050, according to new research that highlights the global public health crisis and the potential for colossal economic losses. (Tong, 3/3)

Stat: Rural-Urban Divide In Cervical Cancer Cases Grows In New Study 
It’s easy to think cervical cancer could be 100% preventable. Along with lung, breast, and colorectal cancer, it has screening tests to find precancerous changes that can be treated before full-blown cancer develops. Even more, there is a highly effective vaccine against HPV, the virus that causes most cervical cancer diagnoses. Still, those two forms of prevention are not enough if people aren’t getting them, a research letter published Monday in JAMA Network Open reports. (Cooney, 3/3)