Concussion Concerns Cast Shadow Over NFL Opening Weekend
Quarterback Cam Newton took a brutal hit, prompting a review of the medical team's response to his injury. The incident adds fodder to the intense scrutiny facing football and concussion protocol. In other public health news, experts say abstinence-only sex ed just doesn't work, some push to start screening children for mental health issues as early as 6 months, super-lice are winning the battle against over-the-counter products and more.
ABC News:
Renewed Fears Over Brain Injuries Cast Shadow Over NFL's Opening Weekend
The NFL kicked off its opening weekend for the 2016 season, and while the league's revenues continue to climb, a hit against a star quarterback in the season opener on Thursday has renewed controversy over brain injuries in America's most popular spectator sport.The NFL and the NFL Players' Association announced today that they are both addressing circumstances surrounding decisions made by medical personnel during Thursday's game between the Carolina Panthers and Denver Broncos when the Panthers' star quarterback Cam Newton took what appeared to be a brutal hit by Broncos safety Darian Stewart. (Hayden, 9/11)
CNN:
Abstain From Abstinence-Only Sex Ed, Say Experts
Although refraining from having sexual intercourse is a sure-fire way to prevent pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections, a recent report published in the journal Pediatrics concluded that abstinence-only programs are ineffective in delaying the initiation of sex. The federal government has invested more than $100 million into abstinence-only sexuality education since an eight-point definition of abstinence education was enacted in 1996 under the Social Security Act. (Armstrong, 9/9)
Minnesota Public Radio:
Screening Mental Health In Kindergarten Is Way Too Late, Experts Say
Briggs works at the Healthy Steps program at the Montefiore Comprehensive Health Care Center in the South Bronx, screening children as young as 6 months for mental health issues. That may sound young, too young maybe, but that's when some experts believe it's important to catch the first signs that something may be wrong. Many say waiting until kindergarten is too late. So Briggs sees a lot of babies at the Healthy Steps program, but the crying doesn't seem to faze her at all. Visiting with baby and parent, she watches the way they interact. (Cardoza, 9/9)
CBS News:
"Super Lice" Not Budging With Over-The-Counter Treatments
A new report warns that over-the-counter products have lost much of their effectiveness against the so-called super lice. Prescription products, though, can still get rid of the creepy critters. Parents should turn to physicians first instead of trying to treat their children themselves with over-the-counter products, said report lead author Dr. Ellen Koch. She’s a dermatologist with the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. (Dotinga, 9/9)
Fox News:
Are Infant Cereals Really The Best First Food For Babies?
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) states that there’s no medical evidence that starting solids in any particular order has any advantages. ...In fact, studies show babies’ food preferences actually start in utero. Babies whose mothers drank carrot juice during pregnancy and while breastfeeding had fewer negative expressions when they started to eat carrots than infants who had not been exposed to the flavor, a study in the journal Pediatrics found. (Revelant, 9/11)
The Washington Post:
Vitamin D May Help Cut Down Asthma Attacks
For anyone with asthma, preventing attacks of wheezing, coughing, chest tightness and shortness of breath is a top priority. Might vitamin D help? (Searing, 9/10)
