Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Study Claims Baby Formula Companies Prey On Parents' Fears To Boost Sales
ABC News: Baby Formula Milk Companies 'Exploit' Parents' Fears To Boost Sales, Analysis Alleges
Many baby formula milk companies allegedly exploit parents' emotions and "manipulate" scientific data to boost sales, according to a major new analysis published in The Lancet. The analysis, led by Professor Nigel Rollins of the World Health Organization, said urgent clampdowns are needed to address misleading claims made by the industry. (Kekatos and Salzman, 2/7)
Bloomberg: Baby Formula Industry's Marketing, Lobbying Tactics Slammed By WHO
Makers of infant formula use misleading marketing and aggressive lobbying tactics to drive sales in a $55 billion-a-year industry, according to a three-paper series from the World Health Organization. (Afanasieva and Meghjani, 2/7)
In other health and wellness news —
USA Today: Congenital Heart Disease Diagnosed Later In Latino Infants: Study
Infants born to Latino, low-income or limited-English-speaking parents are more likely to be diagnosed later with congenital heart disease than white infants – or lack a prenatal diagnosis at all, a new study found. Congenital heart disease, which consists of structural heart abnormalities, is the most common type of birth defect. The findings were published in the Journal of Pediatric Cardiology. (Hassanein, 2/7)
The New York Times: Frequent Blood Pressure Monitoring Is Needed Throughout Pregnancy
Health care providers must check pregnant patients’ blood pressure regularly, starting early on and continuing throughout pregnancy, according to new draft recommendations from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. The task force issued the draft recommendations on Tuesday amid growing concern about a rise in maternal mortality. Pregnancy-related deaths in the United States are the highest among industrialized nations, and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy are among the leading causes. (Rabin, 2/7)
NBC News: Sen. Josh Hawley Wants To Create A Legal Age For Social Media
Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., intends to make his focus in the current Congress a legislative package aimed at protecting children online — including by setting the age threshold to be on social media at 16. In an interview with NBC News, Hawley detailed some top lines of what his agenda will include, such as: Mandating social media companies verify the age of their users. (Smith, 2/7)
The Washington Post: 18 Percent Of U.S. Adults Use Medication To Help Them Sleep
In search of a good night’s sleep, 18 percent of U.S. adults use some type of medication to help them snooze, according to a report from the National Center for Health Statistics, part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This includes those who say they take sleep medication most nights (6 percent), every night (2 percent) or some nights (10 percent). More women than men take sleep medication, and usage overall increases with age, the report finds. (Searing, 2/7)
Reuters: Doctor Accused Of Spreading Deadly Meningitis Arrested In Mexico
Mexican police detained a medical doctor and two others on Tuesday, all implicated in causing a meningitis outbreak in northern Mexico, after a surge of local cases in recent months led to the death of at least 35 women. Another 79 people have been hospitalized with signs of infection. Police in northern Durango state early on Tuesday morning arrested the doctor, an anesthesiologist, who prosecutors accuse of distributing infected medicines they believe led to the mysterious outbreak. (Diaz, 2/7)
In sports news —
Bay Area News Group: Boston University Researchers Find CTE In 345 Of 376 Former NFL Players
Boston University researchers say they have now diagnosed 345 former NFL players with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) out of 376 former players studied. In comparison to that 91.7% CTE rate of studied former NFL players, a past BU study of 164 brains of men and women found that only 1 of 164 (0.6%) had CTE. The lone CTE case was a former college football player. (Sobey, 2/7)
The Washington Post: Patrick Mahomes Played On A High Ankle Sprain. Here’s Why That’s So Rare.
Ankle sprains and their recoveries can vary significantly. They usually range from a Grade 1 sprain — which is mild, with swelling and pain — to Grade 3 — which is severe, with torn ligaments. But they also can be distinguished by the location and the types of ligaments affected. A low ankle sprain affects the ligaments connecting the bones in the foot. A high ankle sprain affects the tissue between the tibia and fibula in the lower leg. The recovery time for a high ankle sprain is typically longer than recovery from a low ankle sprain because of the constant weight-bearing and twisting and turning of the ligaments. (Jhabvala, 2/7)
