Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Long Past Reproductive Days, Ovaries Still Busy Influencing A Woman's Body, Study Finds
Medical Xpress: Ovaries Remain Active Decades After Menopause, Study Reveals
Contrary to popular belief, the postmenopausal ovary is not defunct. In a new study of ovaries from 28 women, scientists at Northwestern University and the Buck Institute for Research on Aging found that in the decades well past menopause, the ovary remains biologically active and continues to remodel with age, showing increased inflammation and changes in tissue structure. The study also found a molecular link between ovarian aging and cancer. The study is published in Aging Cell. (10/14)
On pregnancy and maternal health —
NYU Langone News: Exposure To ‘Safer’ Plastic Additive During Pregnancy Linked To Smaller Birth Size
Led by NYU Langone Health researchers, the analysis of 6,617 pregnancies linked higher levels of DINCH in the urine of pregnant women to lighter and smaller newborns. Every tenfold increase in exposure to DINCH resulted in a 27-gram reduction in newborn birth weight. (10/13)
MedPage Today: Assisted Reproductive Technology Effective In Women With IBD
Nearly three-quarters of women with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) who underwent assisted reproductive technology (ART) were able to achieve pregnancy, according to prospective data from a cohort study. Among 52 women who underwent fertility treatment with either intrauterine insemination (IUI) and/or embryo transfer, 73% became pregnant, reported Eugenia Shmidt, MD, of the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis. (Bassett, 10/13)
CIDRAP: Maternal RSV Vaccine Is Effective, But Few Women Opt For It, New Data Reveal
While respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) remains so common that almost every child gets it before they turn 2 years old, it can cause serious illness in infants, leading to the hospitalization of up to three of every 100 infected infants. Maternal vaccination with RSVpreF (Abrysvo) protects newborns from getting the virus, yet relatively few moms in the United States and Europe have opted for it since its rollout in 2023, a study published last week in The Lancet Regional Health-Europe finds. (Holohan, 10/12)
Stateline: ‘Labor Guides’ Can Help Dispel Myths Pregnant Women Find Online
Providing “labor guides” to pregnant women helps combat misinformation that an increasing number of patients are getting from social media or artificial intelligence, according to a recent study. Dr. Samuel Melville, a resident-physician in obstetrics and gynecology at Oregon Health & Science University and the lead author of the study, said he frequently hears patients quoting social media or AI when resisting medical interventions, such as inducing the pregnancy with medication to encourage stalled labor. (Resnick, 10/13)
In abortion news —
The Texas Tribune: Texas Woman Sues Anti-Abortion Group For Ordering Abortion Pill
A Texas woman is using a state law banning the transport of abortion pills to sue members of the anti-abortion organization Students for Life of America. (Draeger-Mazer, 10/13)
Connecticut Public: High Costs Limit Access To Abortion In CT, Research Finds
Nonprofit funds bridge access gaps for low-income people seeking abortions in Connecticut, according to recent research by students at Trinity College. The findings show that more than 80% of the 969 respondents to an anonymous survey reported they delayed abortions due to costs. (Srinivasan, 10/13)
The 19th: Idaho Abortion Law: Moms Are Taking The Fight For Rights To Their Neighbors’ Doors
Lisa Wirsching knocked on strangers’ doors. She collected petition signatures at the farmers’ market. She approached her neighbors, asking them if she could talk to them about Idaho’s abortion laws, if they’d heard about Proposition 1 or if they knew how they planned to vote. (Luthra, 10/13)
