Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Pandemic Suppressed US Birth Rates In Early 2021
ABC News: Births Decreased In First Half Of 2021, Likely Linked To Pandemic: CDC
The number of births declined in the U.S. in 2021 and the COVID-19 pandemic played a role, according to a new report published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Tuesday. Researchers from the National Center for Health Statistics -- a branch of the CDC -- compared provisional data from the first half of 2021 to final data from the first half of 2020. (Kekatos, 3/1)
And the infant formula recall expands —
CBS News: More Abbott Baby Formula Recalled After Reports Of Illnesses
Abbott has issued a recall for another lot of baby formula after an additional child who is believed to have consumed the formula fell ill and later died, the FDA said Monday. The recall affects one lot of Similac PM 60/40 that was made at Abbott Nutrition's Sturgis, Michigan, facility. Parents should check any purchased formula for the lot code # 27032K80 (can) or # 27032K800 (case) and throw it away if it matches, the FDA said. Consumers can also use this link to check if they should throw away their formula. (Jones, 2/28)
USA Today: Similac Recall: Specialty Baby Formula Recalled After Infant Death
Abbott Nutrition's baby formula recall has been expanded to include one lot of Similac PM 60/40. The Food and Drug Administration said in an update Monday that health officials were investigating an additional illness of Cronobacter sakazakii with exposure to powdered infant formula produced at the company's Sturgis, Michigan facility. That baby also died of Cronobacter. "The most recent patient was reported to have consumed Abbott Nutrition’s Similac PM 60/40 product with the lot code 27032K800 prior to Cronobacter sakazakii infection," the FDA said. (Tyko, 2/28)
In other news about births and adoption —
Oklahoman: Bill To Ban Nonbinary Gender On Oklahoma Birth Certificates Moves Ahead
Oklahoma Republican legislators moved on Monday to no longer allow nonbinary designations on state-issued birth certificates. After a 7-3 vote in the Senate's Health and Human Services committee, Senate Bill 1100 passed despite procedural and legislative opposition by Senate Democrats. The bill is intent on removing the ability of the Oklahoma State Department of Health to accept requests and amend birth certificates to reflect a person's gender preference. As part of a legal settlement stemming from a lawsuit filed in 2020, Kit Lorelied, 46, is the recipient of the state's first gender-neutral birth certificate, where an "X" denotes their sex designation instead of a male or female gender marker. (Gore, 2/28)
The Washington Post: Supreme Court To Review Indian Child Welfare Act, Which Prioritizes Adoptions By Native American Parents Or Tribes
The Supreme Court will consider the constitutionality of a federal law intended to rectify past abuses of Native American children being removed from their homes and tribes, the justices announced Monday. The court consolidated four cases about the 1978 Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA), which prioritizes placement of Indian children with relatives, other Native Americans or a tribe. The act was intended to stop past practices in which hundreds of thousands of Native American children were removed from their homes by adoption agencies and placed with White families or in group settings. (Barnes, 2/28)
