FDA Advises Parents Against Feeding Infants Homemade Formula

Fox News: FDA Warns Against Feeding Infants Homemade Formula After Illnesses
The Food and Drug Administration is warning parents and caregivers against making or feeding infants homemade formula. The agency said it recently received reports of hospitalized infants who were suffering from low calcium after being fed formula that was homemade. "Infant formula can be the sole source of nutrition for infants and is strictly regulated by the FDA," the agency said in an alert posted Wednesday. "The agency has requirements for certain nutrients in infant formulas, and if the formula does not contain these nutrients at or above the minimum level or within the specified range, the infant formula is adulterated. Homemade infant formula recipes have not been evaluated by the FDA and may lack nutrients vital to an infant’s growth." (Hein, 2/25)

The Hill: Class-Action Lawsuit Filed Over Heavy Metals In Baby Food After Congressional Report 
A baby food company is facing a class-action lawsuit in New York after a congressional report uncovered internal documents from several companies revealing potentially dangerous levels of heavy metals in their products. (Bowden, 2/25)

In other public health news —

Cincinnati Enquirer: Health Alert Issued In Ohio And Kentucky For Whole Foods Meatballs
A health alert has been issued for a beef meatball product that was sold at Whole Foods Inc. locations in Ohio and Kentucky. The retailer sold an unknown amount of "Whole Foods Market Beef Meatballs with Marinara," which were misbranded and produced with an undeclared allergen, according to a release from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service. Officials said the product contains a dairy allergen that was not declared on its label. (Bentley, 2/25)

The Wall Street Journal: Beyond Meat Signs Supply Deals With McDonald’s, Yum 
Beyond Meat Inc. said it struck deals to supply plant-based meat imitations to McDonald’s, KFC and Pizza Hut, a victory in the company’s effort to take meat alternatives into the American dining mainstream. ... “They are the biggest deals you could possibly put together in food,” said Ethan Brown, Beyond Meat’s chief executive and founder, of the new agreements with McDonald’s and Yum. (Bunge, 2/25)

AP: MLB's Reds Cleared To Welcome About 12,700 Fans
The Cincinnati Reds have been cleared to have around 12,700 fans at Great American Ball Park for games this year. The team made the announcement Thursday after the state of Ohio said sports teams can allow up to 30% of capacity of their venues for games beginning April 1, which happens to be the day of the Reds opener against the St. Louis Cardinals. Fans will be physically distanced and be required to wear masks. Ticketing will be all digital, and concession and merchandise stands will be cashless. (2/26)

The Washington Post: A Woman Gave Birth Alone In A Kentucky Jail. It’s A Harrowing Example Of A Bigger Problem, Experts Say.
When a female deputy at Kentucky’s Franklin County Regional Jail first encountered Kelsey Love in her cell early May 16, 2017, the incident report she wrote after was sparse. She noted that Love, who was eight months pregnant at the time, was suffering from back and leg pain. But Love was actually experiencing labor pains. Her attorney, Aaron J. Bentley, argues that was clear to the officer, who was wearing a body camera that recorded the entire conversation. (Branigin, 2/24)

The Washington Post: Danger Lurks In National Parks, But Not Necessarily Where You Expect It
Every national park has its own hazards that are most likely to cause serious injuries and deaths; and some of them might surprise you. The outdoor travel site Outforia recently ranked the parks by number of deaths after it obtained systemwide data spanning 2010 to the start of 2020 via a Freedom of Information Act request and categorized the fatalities. A heart attack would be classified as medical/natural death, while tripping and cracking your skull on a rock — or losing your balance on a ledge — counts as a fall. (Howard, 2/25)

In mental health news —

KHN: College Tuition Sparked A Mental Health Crisis. Then The Hefty Hospital Bill Arrived. 
Despite a lifelong struggle with panic attacks, Divya Singh made a brave move across the world last fall from her home in Mumbai, India. She enrolled at Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York, to study physics and explore an interest in standup comedy in Manhattan. Arriving in the midst of the covid-19 pandemic and isolated in her dorm room, Singh’s anxiety ballooned when her family had trouble coming up with the money for a $16,000 tuition installment. Hofstra warned her she would have to vacate the dorm after the term ended if she was not paid up. At one point, she ran into obstacles transferring money onto her campus meal card. (Rau, 2/26)

KHN: New California Law Makes It Easier To Get Care For Mental Health And Substance Abuse 
Karen Bailey’s 20-year-old daughter has struggled with depression and anxiety for years. Since 2017, she’s been in three intensive group therapy programs and, each time, the family’s insurer cut her coverage short, says Bailey. “At a certain point, they would send us a form letter saying: We have determined that she is all better, it’s no longer necessary, so we are not covering it anymore,” says Bailey, 59, who lives in Los Angeles. “And believe me, she was not all better. In one case, she was worse.” (Wolfson, 2/26)