Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Red Cross Signals Need For Blood Donors As Supplies Decline
Dallas Morning News: American Red Cross Calls For Blood Donations Ahead Of Holidays During Lowest Supply In Over A Decade
The American Red Cross is urging people to donate blood as the organization experiences the lowest blood supply and donor turnout that it’s had ahead of the holiday season in more than a decade. While donor turnout typically declines during the holidays, turnout in recent months has been especially low and especially troubling, said Krystal Smith, communications director for the American Red Cross North Texas Region. Blood shortages mean patients who are seriously injured may not be able to get blood transfusions they need, and can lead to some patients deferring major surgeries such as organ transplants. (Marfin, 12/17)
In other public health news —
Reuters: P&G Recalls Some Conditioner, Shampoo Sprays On Finding Carcinogens
Procter & Gamble Co said on Friday it was voluntarily recalling some dry conditioner and shampoo sprays sold in the United States and Canada from its Pantene and Herbal Essences brands due to the presence of a cancer-causing chemical. The recall also includes products from its Aussie and Waterless brands made in the United States and some discontinued items from its Old Spice and Hair Food brands, in which P&G said it detected "unexpected levels" of benzene, a human carcinogen. (12/17)
NBC News: Artificial Food Dyes May Cause Behavior Problems. A Bill Aims To Warn Parents.
[A] growing number of families, scientists, pediatricians and legislators ... believe there is a strong connection between synthetic food dyes and children’s behavior — something the Food and Drug Administration does not entirely agree with. In 2011, the FDA reviewed the possible link between artificial food dyes and hyperactivity and determined no causal relationship could be established for children in the general population who have not been diagnosed with behavioral disorders. The agency revisited the issue in 2019, and maintained its stance. (Chuck, 12/20)
USA Today: Homicide Is A Leading Cause Of Death During Pregnancy. These Women Are More Likely To Be Killed
Homicide was the leading cause of death for pregnant and postpartum women in the U.S. in 2018 and 2019 – exceeding all top causes of maternal death “by more than twofold,” found authors of a recent study published in Obstetrics and Gynecology. Pregnant Black women like Lloyd were killed at significantly higher rates. The rates could be even higher because data collection is uneven, experts say. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, for example, does not track maternal homicide as a pregnancy-related death. (Hassanein, 12/19)
Also —
The Washington Post: Pennsylvania Woman Delivers Baby As Tesla Helps Drive Her To The Hospital
Yiran Sherry woke up a September morning to do laundry at her Pennsylvania home and to prepare her 3-year-old son for school. But those plans of going about her daily chores were thwarted when her daughter decided to make her debut to the world in the front-passenger seat of a black model 3 Tesla. “I was anticipating a nice day at the hospital,” her husband, Keating Sherry, 34, said in an interview. “This one, it was a shock.” Their daughter is believed to be the world’s first Tesla baby, the Guardian reported. (Beachum, 12/19)
