Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Researchers Find Signals In Babies' Blood That Link To SIDS Risks
Los Angeles Times: Baby's Risk For SIDS Could One Day Be Predicted By Blood Screening
Researchers at UC San Francisco have found that newborns with an unusual pattern of metabolites in their blood — the byproducts created when the body processes energy — were far more likely to die from sudden infant death syndrome, adding to a growing body of research suggesting that babies who die from SIDS may have underlying conditions that can be detected early in life. ... They found that babies with unusual metabolites in their blood were 14 times more likely to die from SIDS as those with the lowest-risk pattern, according to the study published Monday in the journal JAMA Pediatrics. (Gold, 9/9)
Fox News: 1 In 7 Kids In US Could Have Higher Blood Pressure Than Normal: AHA
New research from the American Heart Association (AHA) suggests that parents might want to keep a closer eye on their kids’ blood pressure. About one in seven (14%) of children and teens in the U.S. have high blood pressure or are headed toward it, according to the preliminary findings. Nearly half of U.S. adults have the condition, according to the AHA, which can raise the risk of heart attack, stroke and other events due to damaged arteries and plaque buildup. (Stabile, 9/9)
CNN: Exercise May Help You Store Fat Better, New Research Suggests
Exercise doesn’t just help you lose fat. It could also promote healthier fat, according to a new study. “Living a physically active lifestyle, exercising regularly over time, makes our fat tissue a more accommodating place for extra energy under conditions when we do gain weight,” said senior study author Dr. Jeffrey Horowitz, professor of movement studies in the school of kinesiology at the University of Michigan. (Holcombe, 9/10)
CBS News: Ultra Processed: How Food Tech Consumed The American Diet
Americans are among the world's biggest consumers of ultra-processed foods, which comprise more than half of an average adult’s diet and two-thirds of a child’s. As technology continues to accelerate innovations in additives, chemicals and food products, U.S. regulators are struggling to keep up. In this video, CBS Reports examines why ultra-processed foods have become so pervasive in the American diet, and what filling the gaps in federal regulation can do to ensure Americans are fed and healthy. (9/7)
CNN: Apple Juice Recall Expands To Products Sold At Aldi, BJ’s, Walgreens, Weis
Apple juice sold at chain retailers across the country has been recalled over concerns about arsenic levels. The recall applies to certain bottles of Great Value, Market Basket, Weis, Urban Meadow, Natures Nectar, Wellsley Farms, Solevita and Clover Valley apple juice, according to manufacturer Refresco Beverages US and recall information posted on the US Food and Drug Administration’s website. (Dillinger, 9/9)
The Washington Post: Australia Plans Social Media Minimum Age, Citing Mental Health Concerns
The Australian government plans to set a minimum age limit for teens to use social media, citing mental health concerns, a move that has broad political support but that has some experts warning of harmful unintended consequences. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced Tuesday that his government would introduce the legislation in Parliament this year — ahead of an expected May election — but that the precise age limit was yet to be decided. (Miller, 9/10)
