Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Prenatal Exposure To Wildfire Smoke Raises Autism Risk, Study In Calif. Says
NBC News: California Wildfire Smoke Exposure During Pregnancy Linked To Autism Risk In Children
Pregnant women's exposure to wildfire smoke — particularly in the third trimester — may increase the risk of autism in their children, according to new research, which looked at hundreds of thousands of births in Southern California. The study, published Tuesday in the journal Environmental Science & Technology, is the first to examine a potential link between prenatal wildfire smoke exposure and autism. Earlier research has suggested that pregnant women's exposure to air pollution more broadly, including smog spewed by vehicles, smoke stacks and lead, may be linked to the developmental disorder. (Lovelace Jr., 1/20)
More health news from across the U.S. —
Central Florida Public Media: Gov. DeSantis Announces $20 Million For Nursing Programs
Gov. Ron DeSantis announced additional funding Tuesday for a nursing pipeline program that provides scholarships. The governor said the $20 million will go toward the Linking Industry to Nursing Education, or LINE, program. LINE provides matching funds to educational institutions to boost nursing education and address Florida's nursing shortage. (Prieur, 1/20)
Honolulu Civil Beat: Game Changer? Free Medical Flights Start For Some Neighbor Island Residents
Boarding an airplane to see a doctor is a widely accepted way of life in rural Hawai‘i. But a drop in the number of airlines that service Moloka‘i and Lana‘i residents has left patients with fewer travel options and, many people say, more frequent flight disruptions that can lead to missed appointments. A $2 million pilot project that launched last week aims to provide a new link to the state’s Honolulu medical hub by chartering flights for Moloka‘i and Lana‘i patients with off-island medical appointments, as well as offering flights to Honolulu doctors willing to travel to Moloka‘i or Lana‘i to provide care. (Lyte, 1/20)
Wyoming Public Radio: Wyoming Petitions State Supreme Court To Rehear Abortion Case
The state of Wyoming is arguing the state Supreme Court made “mistakes” when it decided two near-total abortion bans are unconstitutional. Earlier this month, the high court struck down Wyoming’s Life is a Human Right Act and “chemical,” or medical, abortion ban, which together ban most abortions with a few exceptions. The majority of justices said those laws violate residents’ constitutional right to make their own healthcare decisions. (Merzbach, 1/20)
KBIA: Missourians Gather To Support Alpha-Gal Reporting Legislation
More than 50 Missourians gathered at the state capital Tuesday for the first Alpha-Gal Syndrome Advocacy Day to connect and learn more about a bill which would make the reporting of the condition mandatory. (Smith, 1/21)
The Baltimore Sun: Maryland Students Report Empty Or Missing Menstrual Product Dispensers, Despite State Mandate
Students at 10 Howard County high schools say menstrual product dispensers are “almost never” stocked or are missing altogether, despite a state mandate that public schools must provide and fill them. (Yelenik, 1/20)
Also —
The Hill: FDA Warns Of Recalled Tuna In Retail Stores
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is warning consumers that previously recalled canned tuna was recently shipped to retail stores in several states. According to a new recall alert shared by the FDA on Monday, a third-party distributor “inadvertently” shipped quarantined canned tuna that Tri-Union Seafoods recalled roughly a year ago. Officials said the initial recall was issued after the company learned that some of the product’s “easy open” pull tab lids were defective and could cause the cans to leak, “or worse, be contaminated with clostridium botulinum, a potentially fatal form of food poisoning.” (Langenfeld and Bink, 1/20)
