Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Common Antibiotic Doxycycline Linked To Increased Risk Of Pregnancy Loss
MedPage Today: Common Antibiotic Tied To Pregnancy Loss Risk
Women exposed to doxycycline in early pregnancy had an increased risk of pregnancy loss compared to other antibiotics, a cohort study showed. (Robertson, 11/9)
More news about pregnancy and infant care —
ProPublica: Texas ER Did Not Provide Vitamin K Shot That Could Have Saved Newborn’s Life
The emergency room was a mile from their Texas home. Stephanie and Eric Biesenbach took comfort in that when their newborn daughter, Gwen, wouldn’t stop bleeding from her belly button. They buckled Gwen into her car seat and made the drive over. Medical records from that warm August evening in 2023 described her condition as a “generic problem” of a bleeding umbilical cord stump. The doctor on duty, Nicole Malouf, had treated plenty of those as an emergency room specialist. She covered Gwen’s oozing belly button with a special gauze to stanch the flow, and when it appeared to stop, she sent Stephanie, Eric and Gwen on their way. (Eldeib, 11/8)
MPR News: One In 10 Minnesota Women Of Childbearing Age Live In Counties Without A Birthing Center
Newly released data shows that about 126,000 reproductive-aged women in Minnesota live in counties without hospital-based obstetrics care, increasing the health risks for those who are pregnant and having children. (Work, 11/8)
North Carolina Health News: Report Examines Why NC Women Are Dying During And After Pregnancy
Drug overdoses, infections and homicides were the top three causes of pregnancy-related deaths in North Carolina from 2018 to 2021. That’s according to a report released last month by North Carolina’s Maternal Mortality Review Committee, a volunteer group of multidisciplinary experts that examines all deaths during pregnancy or within one year of the end of a pregnancy to understand the causes and make recommendations to prevent future deaths. (Crumpler, 11/9)
CIDRAP: Almost 1 In 4 Americans Believe Misinformation About Cause Of Autism
Nearly a quarter of Americans believe that childhood vaccines and taking acetaminophen (Tylenol) during pregnancy cause autism, despite no evidence to support those claims, a survey published late last week in JAMA Health Forum notes. The findings suggest that misinformation about autism persists and that better public health messaging is needed to combat it. (Holohan, 11/9)
