Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Lawmaker Will Introduce Federal Bill To Safely Discharge Patients In Labor
Becker's Hospital Review: Federal Bill Would Mandate “Safe Discharge” Plans For Patients In Labor
A federal lawmaker plans to introduce a new bill to Congress that would require hospitals to develop and implement “safe discharge” plans for patients in labor. Rep. Robin Kelly, D-Ill., will formally introduce the Women Expansion for Learning and Labor Safety Act, or WELLS Act, when the House is back in session after the Thanksgiving holiday, her office said in a Nov. 25 news release. (Cerutti, 11/25)
In other reproductive health care news —
CNN: Breast Cancer: Missing The First Mammogram Is Linked With Increased Risk Of Death, New Study Finds
Women who miss their first screening appointment for breast cancer could have a 40% higher long-term risk of dying from the disease, according to a new study. (Hetter, 11/25)
MedPage Today: Untreated Chronic Thyroid Dysfunction In Moms Tied To Autism In Kids
Adequately treated chronic hypothyroidism in pregnant women was not associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in offspring, but persistent hormonal imbalance across trimesters was tied to elevated ASD risk, a retrospective study of Israeli births suggested. (Monaco, 11/25)
The New York Times: Robert L. Dear Jr., Who Killed 3 At Colorado Planned Parenthood, Dies In Prison
Robert L. Dear Jr., who opened fire at a Planned Parenthood clinic in Colorado in 2015, killing three and wounding nine others, died in federal prison over the weekend, according to inmate records. Mr. Dear, 67, died Saturday at a medical facility for federal prisoners in Springfield, Mo., according to a statement from the Federal Bureau of Prisons. (Kirk, 11/25)
On infant health —
Axios: Infant Formula Safety: FDA Doesn't Require Botulism Test
More than 30 infants have been hospitalized for suspected or confirmed botulism in an outbreak linked to ByHeart baby formula — a product made with whole milk and prebiotics, and marketed as closely mimicking breast milk, the FDA says. (Mallenbaum, 11/26)
Undark: Infant Formula Needs Evidence-Based Oversight. Will MAHA Step Up?
In 2017, a headline on a local TV news website asked a distressing question: “Are dangerous chemicals lurking in your baby food?” The associated broadcast, citing “an alarming study,” reported that 80 percent of infant formulas and several other popular baby food products had tested positive for arsenic, a toxic heavy metal. Such products had also tested positive for the heavy metals lead and cadmium. (Andrey Smith, 11/26)
